Love Unmatched (Unexpected) Read online

  “Sofia,” I said, still taking in this moment, trying to unravel the mystery of life. I have never seen anything or anyone as captivating as she was, aside from her dad.

  Zander’s breath was hitched; he was trying to reel in his emotions, but I saw our baby’s blanket slightly dampen on his corner. Tears freely fell from my eyes.

  His hand moved towards her cheeks. “Nice to meet you, Sofia. I’m so sorry that I didn’t come sooner. You see, I made a promise to your mom that we’d meet you at the same time. I knew you were going to be okay. The doctors and nurses kept telling me that you were okay. And your mom, she wasn’t doing well,” he choked on his words, “she needed me more…”

  My left hand was on our baby’s head. I reached up to touch Zander’s face with my right hand. The days’ old stubble along his jawline was evident. His eyes looked so tired, but they held a peaceful glow, as if letting me know that everything was alright in the world. The love that was shining in his eyes was unquestionable.

  I leaned in closer to his ear and kissed the side of his face. “Will you marry ‘us’?”

  His gaze lingered on Sofia for a few seconds, and then he turned his face towards me, a steady stream of tears lined his face. With absolute certainty, he said, “A thousand times over.”

  Chapter Twenty

  “I give you my eternity; promise me your forever.”

  Zander

  Xavier was pacing back and forth across the room. He couldn’t keep still.

  “Here, you want some more wine?” I asked him. I held out a glass that was filled halfway with red wine and he took it willingly.

  We were waiting for the signal from the wedding coordinator that we could come out.

  John, Kieran, and I were sitting calmly inside the room.

  “Dude, I’m so nervous,” Xavier said again. I had lost count on how many times he has said this during the half an hour that we’ve been here.

  I shook my head. Xavier was my best man by default; he had won the beer pong tournament at my bachelor party.

  “You’re not even the groom,” Kieran pointed out, his eyes reflecting utter disbelief at Xavier’s actions.

  John and I smirked at each other.

  Xavier downed his third glass of wine. “You know, she’s the only one you’re going to be doing for the rest of your life.”

  “I know. I’ve known that for a long time now,” I said steadily. “Xavier, you need to chill.”

  Kieran focused his eyes on me. “Are you nervous?”

  I shook my head. “No. I’ve been waiting for this moment. Sedona’s the only woman for me. I’ve never been surer of anything in my whole life.”

  It was the truth.

  Sedona was my girl, my woman. All the others before her, they didn’t matter anymore. There will be no other woman for me. I couldn’t wait to finally make an honest woman out of her.

  Our wedding was delayed for three months because of the accident. Sedona’s recovery was slow. And our baby had to stay in the hospital for another week after Sedona was discharged. Sofia had some feeding problems and had to be monitored at the hospital. I just wanted both of them to be healthy. During the time that Sedona was recuperating, her dad and my parents stayed with us. They were such a big help. I loved my little girl so much. I couldn’t imagine our lives without her. Sofia was a sweetheart, but when she cried, she let the whole world know about it. For a long-ass time. Sedona’s dad and my dad were the only ones who could comfort her. Those two were putty in her hands. Actually, she also calmed down when I played the piano for her.

  I looked around at the guys inside the five hundred square foot room. They all looked sharp in their white dress shirts and charcoal-grey suits, with a splash of violet on the front lapels, bearing a condor imprint on the left side, and black dress shoes. Violet because it was the color of my woman’s eyes. The condor imprint was for Chrissy. John was grateful that Sedona’s eyes were not pink because there was no way in hell that he was going to wear pink.

  It was almost five o’clock, and the sun was almost setting. The view from the beach would be magnificent. The change of wedding location was largely attributed to the accident; the New York Metropolitan Hotel could not accommodate our request. I was secretly glad that they couldn’t. We both really wanted to get married at the beach where I had proposed to her.

  Unlike Xavier, I was not nervous. I was excited. The anticipation was killing me. I wanted to see Sedona and Sofia already. My two girls – my reasons for living.

  *****

  Sedona

  Today was my wedding day.

  Sofia was behaving. She must have known today was special for us.

  Most of the time she was a quiet baby. Last night she had slept with her dad. Zander wanted me to spend the night with Tanya and Nalee. After I prepared the bottles of breast milk for him, Tanya brought Sofia to his room. Tanya ensured that Zander and I didn’t see each other after ten PM last night, not until our wedding day. She said it was a bad thing for the groom to see the bride before the wedding.

  This morning, when Zander knocked on my suite, I was tempted to open it and give him a kiss. Tanya hurriedly got out of bed and ushered me into the bathroom. He was there to bring Sofia back so that I could prepare her for our wedding.

  Zander had spoken loudly, since he knew that I was being hidden in the bathroom, “Sedona, you better show up for our wedding or I’ll hunt you down all over this island and have a travel advisory ban put on you for being a runaway bride.”

  As if. With my eyes rolling, I answered him with a snicker and a voice loud enough for him to hear, “You better show up for yours or you won’t get a taste of my famous kneel-downs ever again.”

  He guffawed. “Love you. See you in a bit. I’ve got to get out of here or else Tanya’s Cyclops Eyes will burn right through me with the glower that she’s giving me right now.” I heard him kiss Sofia with loud, smacking sounds. Sofia let out a few gurgling sounds.

  “Love you too,” I answered. My voice echoed in the bathroom.

  As soon as I heard the door of our suite close, I got out and took Sofia from Tanya’s hands. The makeup artist and the hair stylist were going to be here in about two hours. I checked Sofia’s diaper, seeing that she was dry. Her dad really knew how to take care of her. Sofia was hungry though. She was getting fussy and in a few minutes, she was going to start crying. After feeding her, I dressed her in the off-white, floral dress that was specially made for her by my wedding gown designer. She looked so adorable.

  The hair and makeup crew arrived. I slowly handed Sofia to Tanya, silently praying that Sofia would not mess her dress up before the ceremony ended. In case she did her grandmother had another dress made up for her.

  I asked the makeup artist to put on minimal makeup on my face. She highlighted my cheekbones with a light blush and applied lavender blended with fuchsia on my eyebrows to bring out the violet irises of my eyes. My hair was arranged into soft, braided curls, with loose tendrils framing the front of my face.

  Tanya and Nalee looked gorgeous in their blue-green, V-neck, knee-length bridesmaid dresses.

  Haven, who checked in on us earlier, looked stunning in a long, teal-colored dress that flowed around her.

  It was time to put on my dress.

  I faced the mirror. “You’re the most beautiful bride,” Nalee gushed as she helped me into my dress. I found the perfect dress in one of Haven’s friends’ sketchbooks. Haven had it custom-made just in time for the wedding.

  It was a one-shoulder, off-white gown with antiqued embroidery that showed off an elegant neckline. The feel of the asymmetrically draped, combination of lace and tulle skirt was immaculate and it had a sweep train. The most important thing was that I was comfortable and happy with it. My something borrowed was a diamond necklace from Haven. My something old was my mom’s earrings. My something new was my dress and shoes. And my something blue, well, Zander was going to find out tonight.

  The wedding coordinator said that it
was time.

  I walked towards the door of the bridal suite. Nalee, who was still holding Sofia, and Tanya walked ahead of me.

  My dad’s eyes misted when he saw me, “You look so beautiful angel. I’m so proud of you. You’ve turned out to be a strong and independent woman. Your mom would be so proud of you. She would have wanted to be with you, especially today.”

  My eyes started to glisten with tears. My mom would not have wanted to miss this moment. “She would have dad. I know she’s out there, sharing this special moment, this special day with me.”

  He touched the sides of my eyes. “Don’t cry angel. You’ll ruin your makeup. Then we’ll have to wait longer for you to come out. I’m pretty sure Zander’s anxiously waiting for you.”

  I smiled and hugged him. “I love you, dad. Thank you for being there for me throughout the years and for always encouraging me to follow my dreams.”

  He held my hand and we walked towards the music. Shawn Colvin’s ‘When You Know’ filled the air.

  The view was amazing. The beautiful sunset added the extra touch of romance to the ceremony.

  I glanced at Sofia, who was now cradled in her grandmother’s arms. Sev was by her side, busily playing with her hand. She was still behaving, and her tiny face was lit up. Somehow, she knew that this was a special day for her mom and dad.

  Our wedding guests smiled and waved their hands as my dad and I walked past them. Everyone who was here was a witness to our story. I wanted to look at everyone before I looked at Zander. Because I knew that the instant I saw him, I would not want to look away.

  Then I felt the pull of his gaze on me. My eyes drifted to him. He was standing by the minister. Xavier, Dom, and John were on his left side. Kieran, Nalee, and Tanya stood a few feet away from Zander’s right. Our friends looked spectacular.

  He looked so handsome in his charcoal-grey suit. The thing was, it didn’t matter if we were in the midst of a crowd of ten, twenty, or a hundred people; Zander’s presence eclipsed everyone else’s. He was the only person who could ever make me feel this way – this overpowering love that could not be contained. A big smile framed his face. It was the kind of smile that screamed ‘Wow!’

  He stepped forward and shook hands with my dad.

  When the minister said, “Who gives this woman away?”

  My dad responded, “I do.”

  As my dad placed my hand in Zander’s hands, Zander leaned in to me and whispered in my ear, “Now, we have nine hundred and ninety nine times to go, babe.”

  I gave him a dazzling smile. He promised me that he would marry me a thousand times. I looked up to his face. His was a face that would pull me out from any darkness. His love for me and Sofia was all-consuming; enduring. Unmatched.

  As we said our vows, his hands never left mine. He would always hold me forever. In his hands. In his mind. In his heart.

  Epilogue

  Two Years Later

  Sedona

  “I want to thank everyone who voted for me,” Zander started, flashing a wide smile at the audience. “For those who didn’t, I need to meet with you right after this.” Laughter and cheers could be heard across the Miami Sports Convention Center, where the NFA Awards were being held at.

  Minutes ago, Zander had stood up from our front row seat and walked up the stage to receive the NFA’s Most Valuable Player award. He looked amazing in his dark blue suit. Before he got out of his seat, he reached over me and kissed me on the lips. My face heated up, because I was pretty sure that the camera was focused on us, and millions of viewers saw that kiss.

  As a wife, this was one of those proudest moments that one could have for her husband. He has worked so hard for this. The Minnesota Fox won this year’s elusive football championship after two years of being under Zander’s leadership. It has not been easy, but he has established himself as one of the most respected quarterbacks in the league at a very young age.

  Up on the stage, Zander thanked his agent, coach, teammates, management, parents, and friends. Before he ended his speech, he looked straight at me and said, “I also want to dedicate this to my little girl who’s at home and probably playing with the remote control and wondering why her dad’s on TV. I love you, Sofia. Please do not paint our walls with blue crayons again.” The audience laughed at that. “And to my lovely wife, words cannot express how grateful I am to have you in my life. Thank you for putting up with all my sweaty laundry and for not complaining about the endless amount of game footage that I watch at home. I love you.” He raised the glass trophy in the air and walked towards the back of the stage with the presenter, as the audience clapped and his teammates let out loud whistles.

  After the awards ceremony, we attended the dinner banquet for the NFA players and their families. I mingled with most of the player’s wives. I have become closely acquainted with a lot of them. Most of the women were friendly and led their own respective careers. Some were the typical player’s wives depicted on reality TV. They looked like they tanned their bodies and bleached their hair the whole day.

  Ashante Jones, a boisterous lady whose African-American and Hispanic heritage mirrored her exotic beauty, had become one of my closest NFA friends. She was presently poking fun at one of the women who obviously loaded up on the free vodka and tonic. “Sedona, I am so glad you are not one of those.” Her brown eyes glinted with humor.

  “Ashante, I think I’d kill myself before I turn out to be like that. Or maybe Zander will murder me before I can act like that,” I responded while giggling.

  “Oh please, girlfriend. Zander, murdering you? Crazy thought. However, that man will butcher everyone here who has been giving you extra-friendly looks the whole night,” she said, her eyebrows raised.

  I gave her a weak smile. It was true. Zander has been throwing daggers at some of the NFA players who have been giving me smiles and flirty glances even before the awards. He even said, “Why did you have to wear that dress? Now everyone can see what’s mine.”

  I ignored him. I was wearing a simple green sheath dress that dipped low in the back. I loved the feel of the fabric and it hugged my curves in all the right places. Who knew? There might be another supermodel lurking behind-the-scenes and she needed to be put in her place. Inna Posey had learned her lesson. She didn’t mess with Zander after that locker incident.

  I’ve been to numerous NFA events and charity bashes with Zander. Each time I dressed up in something special, he would give me that appreciative look and I’d end up having to change underwear once or twice. Earlier tonight, I had to sit more than an arm’s length away from him during the limo ride, because his hands started to wander to my most intimate places. It was only after he promised that he would keep his eagerness reined in until after we got back to our hotel when I acquiesced and leaned back into his arms.

  Zander was still the same, insatiable man who I met on that fateful day at Green’s Bar and Grille. It was that desire for me and well, my equally unquenchable desire for him that resulted in the creation of another little being. He didn’t know about it yet. I was planning to tell him tonight, while we were alone. Sofia was at home in Minnesota with Zander’s parents. They offered to babysit Sofia for the whole year, or if they had their way, her whole life. Zander and I only agreed to two days, since we had to travel to Miami for the awards. My dad and his parents often got into friendly arguments as to whose turn it was to babysit Sofia.

  Ashante and I talked about the next season’s charity events when a muscular arm pulled on my waist.

  “Congratulations, babe,” I said, leaning into his arms. “You deserve it.”

  His blue-green gaze shimmered as he said, “Thank you.”

  Ashante said, “Great job, Z. You totally deserve that award. By the way, I was just telling Sedona that for next season, we should host summer games for the local kids.”

  Zander nodded. “Sounds like a great plan. Ashante, Trey asked me to let you know that he’s waiting at the bar for you.”

  Ashante’s eyes
lit up and she excused herself from our table.

  “What was that about?” I asked. Ashante had left in a hurry. She bumped into a few chairs as she tried to reach the bar area.

  Zander grinned slyly. “I think it’s the same as your time alone code, babe.”

  “Oh.”

  Zander’s teammates stopped by at our table and congratulated him. After the last of his teammates left, he nonchalantly said in a low voice, “Do you think we’ll have a Nicholas this time around? Although I wouldn’t mind a sister for Sofia.”

  I turned my body around on my seat to stare at him, shock registered in my eyes. How did he know? I took the pregnancy test two days ago and I made sure that I double-wrapped it in newspaper before throwing it in the trash. I wanted to surprise him.