The Perfect Combination

"You know you don’t have to this" Iker tells me as he plays around with my hair "You could do so much better than Sergio" he finishes off as I try to hold in a laugh.

"Iker stop" I say as I fix my hair again.

"So that’s the code word?" he asks as he continues to joke around.

"No there is no code word" I tell him as I pinch him on the arm.

"Wow you and him deserve each other" he teases me while rubbing his arm. "You are both very violent creatures"

I glare at him and it that moment my mom and the twins walk in.

"Everything ok here?" she asks me as Salma tugs on my dress.

"Everything is perfect" I reply as I look into my daughters eyes.

We are currently in the changing rooms of the church where me and Sergio are set to get married. It’s been a crazy six months since the start of the New Year. I’ve been preoccupied with the fashion line, being a mom and planning the wedding as well.

It’s all gone fairly smoothly, except for an incident with Terry and a male stripper at my bachelorette party. But that should be Terry’s tale to tell, not mine.

My favorite part however has been the involvement of the twins in our wedding. Sergio has been very insistent on them being involved and considering how cute they look in their outfits I can’t blame him for wanting them in the wedding party.

"Nati, you ready?" my mother asks as she puts finishing touches to my dress.

"Yes" I reply as I make my way out of the room.

I watch as the twins wobble their way down the aisle, followed by my bridal party.

"Your turn" my mother says as she pulls the veil over my eyes.

I start to tear up as we walk down the aisle, seeing my family and friends all here to witness this moment with us.

When we get to the altar my mother turns to me, removes the veil from my face and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

She then turns to Sergio and gives him a kiss as well.

"She’s your problem now, so take good care of here" she jokes as she takes her seat next to his parents.

Once she is sitting down the priest starts on his speech, but me and Sergio tune him out as we hold hands and stare at each other.

In that moment I can’t believe how lucky I am. Here I am getting ready to marry the man of my dreams, who has also provided me with two great gifts.

"Natalia are you ready to say your vows" Father Dominquez asks me, forcing me out of my daydream.

"Uhm yeah" I mumble as I rack my brain trying to remember my speech. Once I’m certain that I remember it I take a deep breath.

"Sergio… It’s hard for me to articulate how much I really love you. You came into my life when I was 15 and ever since that day my life has never been the same. For some stupid reason I chose to ignore my feelings for you and that meant me and you spent a lot of time making a whole bunch of other people unhappy" I say as everyone laughs. "But thankfully we finally came to our senses and decided to stop punishing ourselves and other people. And here we are, standing in front of our friends and family, ready to make a lifetime commitment not just to each other but to the life we already have. I love you. I know it sounds like a simple sentence to others but to me it’s the three biggest words I can give you. The love I have for you can never be measured or counted because it’s limitless. I just hope that from this day on my actions can show you how much you mean to me" I conclude as I, and some members of the congregation, wipe away a few tears.

Father Dominquez clears his throat, indicating to Sergio that it is now his turn to say his vows.

"Uhm I don’t know if I can top that" he jokes and we all laugh. "Lia, you are honestly the greatest thing to come into my life. Waking up in the morning and seeing your face is my favorite thing to look at. You’ve also gone on to give me the two cutest gifts that any man could ask for and for that I am truly thankful. I thank the heavens for you every day and today in front of our friends and family, I make a promise to always love you. Even when you are unstable, grumpy and stubborn. I also promise to show you every day how much I love you and how much you mean to me but most importantly I promise never to throw up when you cook. Because we both know that you aren’t very gifted in that department" he teases me. "But seriously Lia, I promise to always love not just because you are my soon to be wife and baby mama, you’re also because you are my best friend. I love you" he says once again as he ends his vows.

We both look at Father Dominquez to carry on with the ceremony.

He does so and we are soon proclaimed man and wife. The whole church erupts in celebration when Sergio pulls me to him and gives me a kiss.

When we pull apart we are both wearing huge grins.

"Hello Mrs. Ramos" he says, breaking the silence.

"Hello Mr. Ramos" I greet back before I realize that someone is tugging on my dress.

I look down to see a smiling Jose gesturing to me to pick him up. I do as he asks while Sergio takes Salma from his mother.

"Ladies and gentlemen I introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Ramos" Father Dominquez announces just as Sergio gives me another kiss.

~

"You know my offer still stands" Iker says while we are dancing. "Just say the word and I can get you outta here and as far away from his as possible" he offers and I roll my eyes.

"Thank you so much for the offer Iker but I think I’m gonna stick with him" I confirm and Iker shrugs.

"You’re trading down you know?" he continues and I can’t help but laugh.

"I know but love is blind" I add dramatically that both of us end up laughing.

"What’s going on here?" a slightly tipsy Sergio asks as he approaches us.

"Just letting your wife know she can do better" Iker announces before running off.

Sergio releases a round of swear words behind him and I laugh at his childishness. When he sees my reaction he turns to me and gives me a kiss.

"Eww you smell like brandy" I tell him as we slowly begin to sway to the music.

"I know. My dad said I deserved one because I’m a real man now" he announces proudly as a smile spreads on his lips.

"Well congratulations on joining the man club babe. It’s only taken you 25 years to achieve it" I tease him and we both laugh.

Once we have settled down we silently sway to the music, with my head on his chest listening to his heartbeat.

"It beats for you now" Sergio says, breaking our silence.

I look up at him and smile as I announce that mine beats for him now as well.

We then drift back into silent dancing.

After a few more minutes of silence I look up at him and asks him a question that’s been on my mind since the day we met.

"Why do you call me Lia, when everybody else calls me Nati?"

He laughs at my question before he answers.

"Because I never wanted to be like everyone else in your life" he answers simply. "And Lia is easier to remember plus it’s the name of the Princess in the Star Trek movies"

"Star wars" I correct him.

"What about it?" he asks confused.

I laugh at him before I answer.

"The princess you are referring to? She was in Star Wars"

He shrugs at my answer before speaking.

"I never watched the movies anyway so who cares. All you need to know is that you’re my favorite Lia" he proclaims before he twirls me under his arm.

"See this is why me and you are so good together" I say as he pulls me closer to him.

"Why’s that?"

"It’s because I’m the smart one but you are better with words" I announce as he kisses me.

"That is so true. I guess that why we make the perfect combination" he whispers in my ear as we continue to dance.