Today was the day! Mikayla and Damien were getting married!

The staff from the wedding decorations company that they hired had been running about earlier that morning setting up the Pigeon beach area near the hotel.

Heather, the head coordinator, was an absolute pleasure to work with. The short, brown-skinned woman had an infectious laugh and she had been Hannah's right hand woman where all event planning was concerned. She would take over in overseeing everything once Hannah had to leave to go get ready for the wedding.

The weather was absolutely perfect and the blue waters looked simply magnificent. Due to the Caribbean heat, Mikayla and Damien had decided that the wedding ceremony would take place late in the afternoon.

It would be timed in such a manner that once they had shared their first kiss, the sun would be just starting to set. This would create a perfect backdrop to end the evening, seeing as they would be getting married next to the ocean itself. That, and their guests as well as themselves would not be melting under the rays of the hot sun.

For the wedding menu, Mikayla and Damien decided that they wanted to mix their cultural cuisines. Since the bride and groom loved curry so much, they decided to have an authentic Trinidad curry-que as their main wedding food, while serving French style hors d'oeuvres.

Hannah walked to the hotel's restaurant and entered the kitchen, where she was kept up to date on the preparation of the hors d'oeuvres. Damien's mother and father had made frequent trips to the kitchen during the week. They had been helping out the head chef and his team, taste-testing to ensure that the flavours were as authentically French as possible.

The hors d'oeuvres would include pork rillettes, cheddar, gougères, mini tartes flambées, reblochon tarts with bacon and fingerling potatoes.

Sophie sampled the provençal vegetable tarts and nodded, "These are perfect!"

Daniel had nodded in agreement before he eagerly tried the smoked salmon croque-monsieur, which were faultless, "Oh oui, parfait en effet!"

"Of course, we must have a classic cheese fondue," Sophie had added in excitement.

As Hannah continued to look at the hors d'oeuvres being prepared, she was satisfied that everything was going well. She then walked just outside of the restaurant on to the large back terrace where there were huge pots of curry, all lined off in a row, being cooked. Her mouth watered at the aromas that were filling the air.

The caterer, Jenny, saw Hannah and smiled. The Indian lady was a caterer friend of Cynthia's and was known to make some of the best curry on the island. Her team would ensure that all the food would be finished in time for dinner, everything would be hot and fresh.

"Hi Hannah!" Jenny greeted her.

Smiling, she replied, "Hi Jenny, how's everything coming along?"

"Just great, the roti skins are being prepared off site as discussed. And I know how much Cynthia and them love their amchar mango, so there's going to be a very large pot of that so we don't run out!" she answered with a big smile.

"Perfect! I love amchar mango too! Mikayla makes it for me sometimes," Hannah replied.

"Yea? It's so nice to see little Mikayla all grown up!" Jenny commented.

They went over the menu making sure that nothing was missing. The meats consisted of ginger curry shrimp, king fish in curry tomato sauce as well as curry chicken, duck, and goat. There would also be curry body and pumpkin as well as rice and dhal.

"What about the baigan and aloo curry? There are so many pots here I can't really tell what is what. But I just know that Mikayla will kill me if she doesn't have it, she really loves her eggplant and potatoes," Hannah chuckled.

Jenny nodded knowingly with a smile, "Cynthia would have my head too if I mess it up. Not to worry, we've got everything covered."

Happy that the preparations were going well, Hannah spoke with Heather and updated her on all the details before handing everything over to her.

"Stop fussing Hannah, everything will be perfect, now go get ready before Mikayla sends a hunting party to look for you," Heather said as she laughed.

With a smile, Hannah made her way back into the main lobby of the hotel. By now it was just before mid-afternoon and she knew that she needed to shower then get her hair and make-up done. Entering the designated hotel suite, she was immediately bombarded with the voice of Mikayla.

"There she is! Woman you need to go and bathe!" Mikayla exclaimed.

"Yes, yes I'm on it," Hannah replied, quickly disappearing into the large bathroom.

————— ▲ —————

The smell of the ocean wafted over the wedding guests as the gentle and cooling breeze caressed their skin. The heat of the sun was descending and the sky was beginning to change into beautiful shades of pinks and purples.

Heather and her team had done an amazing job at transforming the beachfront. There were electric candles and lanterns scattered throughout the seating arrangements. The altar was in the form of a large tent with sheer draping and a crown of flowers surround the top as well as the poles on each side. There were also lanterns inside of the tent, illuminating everything in a romantic glow.

Mikayla wanted things to be simple, from the decorations to the clothes that they wore. Hannah was waiting by the tent with Crystal, one of Mikayla's cousins. On the opposite side stood Damien, Tariq and Mikayla's cousin Rajesh, with whom Damien had formed a good friendship over his numerous visits.

Hannah and Crystal wore casual beach attire in the form of simple V-neck wrapped bodice knee length dresses. There was a small belt at the waist from which elegant ruffles cascaded. The light from the candles cast gorgeous shades against the flowy lilac coloured material. Their hair was styled in simple low buns that were twisted against their napes.

Similarly, the attire of the men was also casual as it consisted of khaki pants and white cotton shirts. Damien's trousers came down to his calves while his groomsmen's pants were just below the knee.

The soft music of the violin accompanied by the sound of a steelpan was suddenly heard, signalling that Mikayla was about to enter. Everyone stood still as the bride came into view with her step-father Roger leading her down the aisle.

Mikayla's white dress was simple, the spaghetti straps and flounced sleeves created a soft and romantic look atop a grosgrain waistband skirt that stopped above her ankles. Her long and thick curly hair had been blown out then lightly crimped, upon which a small delicate crystal vine flower hair-accessory was added. The bouquet that Mikayla held was stunning in its simplicity as the light pink rose and lily blue eucalyptus flowers added a nice touch.

Roger exchanged a handshake and hug with Damien, both men's eyes were glassy as Mikayla was handed over.

Damien's vows were beautiful, his words of love and affection for Mikayla prominent in each line. His speech was intimate and particular as he included memorable moments of their time spent together so far. By the time he had finished reading his vows, a single tear had escaped his left eye, to which Mikayla tenderly wiped away.

Mikayla's vows were a bit different as hers took on the form of a poem that she had simply titled 'A Vow'. As she began reading, her voice quivered slightly, her tears flowing freely, as Damien gently dabbed at her cheeks.

Hannah did her best to keep her tears at bay as Mikayla and Damien exchanged their vows.

Tariq's gaze was soft and loving as their eyes locked. The emotions of the ceremony not lost on him, his eyes told Hannah just how much he loved her and perhaps one day, if she allowed it, they could have their own happily ever after.

The look in Tariq's eyes caused Hannah's breath to catch in her throat. The love that she saw there radiated strongly, she had never seen him look as intensively at her as he did on this night. She knew that he loved her, even if he had not voiced it, as his actions and touches said it all.

His gaze caused a familiar fluttering in her stomach, her growing emotions for him had not gone unnoticed these last few months. She sent him a small smile before their eyes refocused on Mikayla and Damien.

Many of the attendants were wiping their eyes by the time the officiant announced, "You may now kiss the bride."

Everyone clapped and cheered as the newlyweds shared their first kiss. By now Hannah was unable to keep her tears from flowing down her cheeks as she watched her best friend get married.

Many pictures were taken, while the guests mingled and munched on the hors d'oeuvres which had been beautifully laid out on a deck behind the location of the wedding ceremony. Once the cocktail hour began to come to an end, everyone was asked to move across to another part of the beach where the reception area had been beautifully decorated.

The area was littered with even more coconut trees and lanterns were strewn overhead the large round tables. Each table had a simple flower arrangement that was decorated with electric candles.

Hannah was so happy at the way everything had come together. Heather had taken Mikayla's vision and turned it into a reality.

Everyone enjoyed the food, and the speeches left many people crying. The special father daughter and mother daughter dances had every guest feeling the love. When it was time to cut the cake, Hannah watched as Mikayla and Damien fed each other delicately.

The five-tier butter cream cake would definitely feed everyone. All five of the layers were made of buttery Victoria sponge. An almost semi-naked buttercream finish was the perfect canvas for stunning creamy roses and blush dahlias. A final touch of pale pink champagne truffles completed the cake.

A part of Hannah was a bit on edge, wondering if one of them had planned to make a mess while feeding to the other. However, no cake was smashed against anyone's face.

As the party progressed, Hannah was taking a break from dancing, her thoughts getting lost as she looked at the light of the lanterns.

"You can relax now," Mikayla said as she hugged her best friend from behind, her rings glistening in the light.

Mikayla's wedding rings were now a perfect pair. The oval Musgravite gem was violet-coloured, flanked by two small trillion-cut Taaffeite stones. The engagement ring was now accompanied by an elegant eternity band made of matching Musgravite gems.

It had been revealed during one of the speeches that it was Tariq who had sourced the stones for Damien. The bride's love of purple, accompanied by the wealth of her husband was evident in the rings that she wore.

"Congratulations again Mrs. Arnaud," Hannah replied while hugging back.

"Thanks, hun, I could not have planned any of this without you," Mikayla sincerely said.

Hannah blushed slightly, "It was nothing, you would have done the same for me."

"Oh yes, I will most definitely do the same for you," Mikayla replied with a grin.

As Hannah opened her mouth to interject but she was interrupted.

"There will be no arguing with what I say. It's my day, so I'm calling all the shots today!" Mikayla grinned as she continued, "Now go find your man and take a walk on the beach by the jetty."

Hannah grumbled and did as she was told. It was not hard to find Tariq among the wedding guests as he towered over most of them seeing as he was 6'2. He always seemed to fit in effortlessly wherever he went and it was something that she could not help but admire about him.

Mikayla's wedding was full of so much love among family and friends alike and a part of Hannah could not help but feel a pinch of sadness. Now that the hecticness of the day was over, her mind could now mull over the thoughts that she had been suppressing all week. She could not fathom what her own wedding would be like if she ever were crazy enough to go through with one.

With her fragmented family, she could not picture her father Robert walking her down the aisle or having a father-daughter dance. Likewise, where her mother was concerned, Hannah could not picture Marcia being with her every step of the way, helping her plan the way in which Cynthia had been supporting Mikayla.

However, Hannah knew that she had a family in Mikayla and Damien and with them at her side, she knew that she would have all the love that she could ever need. She also knew that Roger, Mikayla's step dad, would have no problem with walking her down the aisle as he had been the only real father figure she ever had. Plus, Hannah realised that she would gain more family with whatever relatives that her own husband would come with; she would build upon and create her own family.

Shocked at where her thoughts had wandered, she took a deep breath. Hannah forced the fresh unshed tears back into her eyes as best as she could, discreetly rubbing its corners. Tariq's gaze caught hers, as no matter where he was, his eyes never left her for long. Excusing himself from the group of people, he made his way over to her.

"The boss lady has ordered us to go take a walk on the beach," Hannah told him with a pout.

"I got similar orders myself," he countered.

Smiling, he took her hand in his and led her away from all the noise of the party. They enjoyed walking in silence, the demands of the day finally catching up with them.

"Are you pleased with how everything turned out?" Tariq asked when they finally stopped by the jetty.

The area had been lit with small bulbs, the sound of the water as it hit the shore surrounded them.

"I am, Mikayla is happy so by default so am I," Hannah said with a smile.

Leaning up against one of the pillars, Tariq smiled as he looked at her, taking in her beauty under the moonlight.

"You look like you want to kiss me," she teased.

With a serious look on his face, Tariq pulled Hannah into his arms. He momentarily got lost in the blue colour of her eyes. They reminded him of the Caribbean ocean, so full of life, yet laced with something undefined. The blue hues were like strong emotional currents that he wanted to repeatedly drown in.

When Tariq found his voice, he softly whispered, "Hannah, I always want to kiss you."

Cupping her face, his lips told her how much he had missed her. They had barely seen much of each other for the entire day. The way he held her made her knees weak as his soft kisses soon turned rougher as his pent-up passion began to unleash.

"I've been wanting to do that all day, I missed you so much," he murmured against her lips.

"I... I missed you too," Hannah slowly said.

Tariq's eyes slightly widened as he looked at her. It was the first time that she had ever verbally expressed anything like that to him. The words may have seemed simple to the unsuspecting onlooker, but to anyone that knew Hannah, those words were a big deal for her.

He wanted to tell her that he loved her, but he did not want to ruin the moment. Tariq knew that Hannah had feelings for him, though to what extent, he was not sure. However, with her admission of missing him, he felt his heart swell even more for her.

It was as though she had said she loved him. A part of him could not help but hope that she was beginning to slowly fall for him, because he was already in love with her, and could not see a future without her in it.

She was not sure why she had said what she did, but she meant it. The need to verbally express some of the things that she felt was beginning to suffocate her. Hannah was not sure when she chose to acknowledge it, but she knew without a doubt that she liked Tariq a lot. In fact, she might even be falling in love with him, if she was being honest with herself. A part of her though was still very much afraid.

Based on their time spent together, she knew that Tariq would not rush her, and deep down, she knew that she could take a chance with her heart on him. However, she needed her brain to catch up to her emotions.

With a small smile, he let her know that he understood the severity of her admission and his hazel eyes told her how much he appreciated it. Pulling her back into his arms, Tariq kissed Hannah once more, their lips continuing to silently say what their voices could not for the time being.