My Saving Grace

"Do you think the men are having as much fun as we are?", Alexa asked, inspecting her newly manicured nails.

"I hope so. At least we know Antonio isn't gonna have a bunch of strippers thrown at him," I remarked.

"Just because they're at Lake Tahoe doesn't mean they won't seek out strippers," Ella countered.

"Hmm, that is a valid point," Alexa agreed.

We all laughed.

It was two weeks before the wedding, and Alexa threw me a Bachelorette party in Las Vegas while the guys rented a cabin up in Lake Tahoe for Antonio's Bachelor party. The Rossi brothers loved hiking and the outdoors, so the location was perfect. Hopefully, they'd have the chance to work out their differences and connect again.

We were staying at The Bellagio hotel—Alexa, Ella, Kylie, and I. Kylie and her brother, Declan, were my closest cousins growing up. My maid-of-honor, of course, would be Alexa. Antonio had asked Carlo to be his best man, and he'd accepted. Whether out of family ties or willingly, I didn't know, but I was happy Carlo was making an effort. The two additional groomsmen were his best friends from college, Donovan Reid and Kade Grant.

In fact, Donovan was the one he'd gone to Rio with during our "break-up." Thirty-three, single, and classically handsome, he was definitely a catch. Kade was also good-looking, his features sharp with a face that screamed "I work on Wall Street and own ten cars." Indeed, he was an investment banker, but on West Street at Goldman Sachs in NYC.

To my amusement, Antonio had given him the title "asshole" when he first introduced us a few months back. Apparently, Kade had a history of leading women on then dumping them when he found a "better piece of ass." His redeeming qualities, though, were his love and devotion to his family, especially for his younger brother who had autism.

After our spa appointment, the girls and I indulged at the world-famous Bellagio buffet for an early dinner, and I ate so much crab, I thought I'd turn into one myself.

While we ate dessert, Ella got a call from Peter. They'd been dating for a little over a month now, and I couldn't be happier. Peter had been the one to confess his feelings for Ella right after a guy from work had asked her out on a date which went terribly, simply because he revealed he was married after drinking one too many Long Islands.

"I'm having a great time! We're all going to TAO tonight, too, so Sophia can dance her pants off," Ella said animatedly into the phone. I smiled—her excitement was so contagious.

At that moment, my phone buzzed with an incoming message from Antonio. I opened it to reveal a breathtaking picture of Lake Tahoe, the water so clear and blue, it almost looked like a beach. Green pine trees surrounded the perimeter of the lake as the snow-capped mountains loomed in the distance. I typed a response.

Me: That's an incredible view.

His reply came seconds later.

Antonio: It's more beautiful in person. How's the view in Vegas?

Smiling to myself, I texted him a picture of my giant plate of crab legs before putting my phone back in my purse.

Later that night, we all dressed up to go clubbing at TAO. I wore a white, one-shoulder dress with a side cutout, exposing my hard-earned tan, while the others wore little black dresses. Alexa even threw a gold "Bride-to-Be" sash on me, completing the look.

It wasn't until we arrived outside The Venetian hotel when I saw the headline: "Martin Garrix: Tonight at TAO."

I immediately spun to Alexa.

"Martin Garrix is here?!"

"Yup. Perfect timing, isn't it?" She grinned widely.

I wrapped my arms around her neck in a giant hug, my heart racing with the thrill of getting to see one of my favorite DJs live.

"You're the best," I said.

I had the time of my life at TAO, dancing the night away with my girls and downing my favorite cocktails, courtesy of several nice men who kept offering to cover our tab. At midnight, Alexa made a toast, pouring champagne for each of us.

"Here's to the future Mrs. Antonio Rossi." She directed her mischievous gaze to me. "May your upcoming marriage be filled with happiness and earth-shattering sex."

I laughed, feeling my cheeks warm up.

"You're too much. Thank you, ladies. You've all made this weekend one I'll never forget."

We all raised our glasses and downed our champagne before heading back onto the dance floor. The atmosphere here was like none other—it definitely beat any other club I'd been to.

Poor Antonio was probably stuck in his cabin, drinking scotch with his groomsmen while playing cards or God knows that. In the time that I'd known him, he definitely didn't seem like the wild type.

"I see we've got a bride-to-be in the house, tonight," Garrix announced into his mic as his classic hit, "Animals," blared through the speakers.

"Oh my god, he's talking about me! Is he talking about me?", I grabbed Ella, shaking her by the shoulders.

"Yes, he is!"

She grabbed my arm and threw it in the air.

Martin Garrix directed his eyes to me from the stage, and my drunk self gave him a friendly wave. He smiled, waving back.

"Congratulations!", he said.

"Thank you!", I exclaimed.

Everyone around us started whooping and hollering, offering their congratulations. Next thing I knew, I was in the dead middle of a circle of bodies, and with the alcohol fueling my senses, I grabbed Alexa, and the two of us bust out our classic college bar moves.

I vaguely recalled slapping her butt at one part, which earned us a round of laughter from the crowd.

"Mind if I join?", some random guy asked.

"Sure thing, sexy," Alexa slurred, pulling him by the arm until he was sandwiched between us.

The rest of the night was history.

It wasn't until nearly three in the morning when we got back to our hotel room. Funny enough, the last thing my shit-faced self saw before passing out was a picture of my equally shit-faced fiancé with some busty chick's tits in his face under the text, "Professor Rossi be wildin."

Unbeknownst to me, Kade Grant had meant to sent the text to one of their old fraternity brothers from college.

***

I walked into the familiar café shop in Santa Monica exactly a week before my wedding, scoping the place out for Chase. He'd told me the last time we met that he came here most Saturdays.

Eventually, I spotted his familiar dirty blonde hair at one of the more private tables in the corner and made my way over.

"Hey," I greeted. Immediately, he looked up, and his handsome face broke into a wide grin.

"Sophia, good to see you again." He stood up to give me a hug then I pulled out the chair across from him, taking a seat.

"You, too. How's life? I've been busy the past couple of weekends and haven't been able to come," I explained.

"No worries. Your wedding is coming up, isn't it?"

"Yup. Next Saturday." I smiled.

"Congratulations again. I'm happy for you." His smile was genuine.

He was wearing a T-shirt today, so I quickly noticed the change.

"Nice ink," I commented, gesturing to the tattoo sleeves he had on both arms.

"Thanks. I, uh, wanted to cover up my scars."

"From the needles," I added quietly, the memory of the scars he'd shown me years ago coming back as clear as day.

He nodded solemnly.

"You've got some muscle now, too," I said playfully, reaching out to give his bicep a light punch. That earned me a smile from him.

"Haha yeah. They made me work out a shit ton for my role."

It was then that I noticed he had a laptop out, which he'd pushed to the side of the table when I'd come.

"Were you working on something? Sorry if I interrupted."

"It's all good. I was just going over the details for an event I'm planning."

My curiosity piqued.

"What kind of event?"

"It's nothing huge. Just a philanthropic dinner to raise awareness for victims of domestic violence. All the proceeds go to shelters nationwide."

His tone was so casual, it was as if he'd simply said, "I'm planning a barbecue in my backyard."

"Chase, that's wonderful." My heart swelled with utter awe for the man sitting in front of me.

"I've been doing it for four years now. Every year, I have a keynote speaker for the event— a former victim of domestic violence who was able to seek help and get out of their situation."

I simply nodded, too moved to form any words.

"The very first year, I was the keynote speaker, and I talked about my own experiences growing up. It wasn't easy, but it was honest. I think people appreciated that."

His expression suddenly turned grim.

"Sophia, are you crying?", he asked, reaching for my hand.

"No, I'm not. Am I?"

I quickly wiped at my cheek and felt the dampness.

"I'm just...I'm so proud of how far you've come, Chase. For Christ's sake, you're an actor now. But more importantly, you're an incredible human being with an incredible heart."

Moisture began to form in his blue eyes as he spoke his next words.

"It's all thanks to you, princess."

I shook my head.

"Don't thank me. You made the decision to right your life."

I smiled at him, gently stroking his palm then withdrew my hand back to my lap.

"I'm gonna grab a hot chocolate. You want anything?", I announced.

"Nope, I've got my coffee right here." He motioned to the cup in front of him.

"Good. You'll need it cause I'm about to talk your ears off about my awesome life events from the last month. Then, you have to return the favor."

He chuckled, his eyes gleaming with interest.

"Sounds like a deal."

True to my word, I spent the next hour telling him all about the house Antonio and I had recently bought, my Bachelorette party in Las Vegas, and the upcoming wedding in Coronado Island. I even brought up Ella and Peter, two of my best friends who'd finally found love with each other.

At one point, I'd said, "You know, you're allowed to say "shut up, Sophia," whenever, right?".

He'd simply laughed and encouraged me to go on, saying how we'd been apart for too long, and he genuinely wanted to hear about my life updates.

I learned that Chase was currently working on a new film and would get to attend his very first Oscars this coming February. His girlfriend's name was Gwen, and she was a journalist he'd met at the opening night of his film, "Live or Die."

"Any wedding bells in the near future?", I asked teasingly.

"We're taking things slow at the moment. She and I are both really busy and constantly out of town."

"Fair enough."

It started to near seven when the both of us got ready to leave. Chase packed his laptop away as I went to return our cups.

"If you're in town in two weeks, I'd love for you to come to the event," he spoke once we were outside.

"Thanks for the invite. But I'll be in Hawaii."

"Honeymoon?"

"Yup. Otherwise I totally would've."

"It's alright. Well, I guess this is the last time I'll see you as Sophia Grace Weston."

I smiled, stepping into his open arms for a farewell hug.

"It was great to see you, Chase."

"You, too, princess. I wish you nothing but happiness on your wedding day. He seems like a great guy from what you've told me."

"Thank you," I said, my voice muffled from his T-shirt.

We pulled apart, and with a final wave, Chase turned the corner to where his car was parked.

As for me, I got into my Jeep and began the short drive to my fiancé's apartment. He was making seafood linguine for dinner—his grandmother's recipe—and I couldn't wait to try it.

***

The weather couldn't be more beautiful that Saturday, July 7th. Sunlight spilled through the glass windows of the Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church in La Jolla—the same church my parents had pledged their wedding vows—as my dad walked me down the aisle to the familiar chords of Westlife's, Beautiful in White.

Moisture began to gather in my eyes as I saw so many familiar faces in the pews on each side, all except my beloved mother. Still, I felt her presence from above and in my heart.

And there, standing at the end next to the priest, was the love of my life, looking impeccably handsome in a black fitted tuxedo. The look in his warm brown eyes when they landed on me was one I'd store in my memory for as long as I lived.

Marvel, love, and devotion.

It wasn't until we stood directly across from each other that I saw the tears he was trying hard to control.

I was in a trance the entire time the priest spoke, even during the exchange of our vows and rings. Then, at last, I heard the all too familiar words from the many romances I'd watched growing up.

"Sophia, do you take Antonio to be your wedded husband to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health and forsaking all others, be faithful only to him so long as you both shall live?"

"I do," I promised, mirroring the words Antonio had voiced merely seconds ago as his gaze held me captive.

"Then, by the power vested in me by the church and State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Antonio, you may kiss your bride."

And boy, what a kiss it was.

Our reception was held that evening on Coronado Island at Centennial Park, and the bay and downtown San Diego served as the most stunning backdrop. One hundred of our closest friends and family were present—some from as far as Italy and Australia.

A beautiful chandelier hung over the bridal party table, and on stage, the band was performing songs from our requested playlist. Over the past few months, we'd accumulated a list of songs we wanted to be played on this special day.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look, Mrs. Rossi?", Antonio asked, curling a strand of hair that had escaped my bun around his finger. We were having dinner, and the main course was Salmon Oscar, a favorite of mine.

"Only like ten times," I said teasingly.

"Good."

"Have I told you how badly I want to jump your bones?"

"Nope. Luckily, we'll have plenty of time for that tonight." He grinned devilishly.

Later, we made the rounds to all of the guest tables, receiving memorable toasts from our loved ones—several emotional and humorous, and of course, there was a raunchy toast.

Said raunchy toast was made by none other than Alexa and Kade.

When dinner started coming to an end, Antonio and I headed back to the center where our beautiful, towering white four-tiered wedding cake stood surrounded by rose petals. Just as I'd expected, he'd approved of my choice the moment he'd laid eyes on it.

Hans Zimmer's, "The Maestro," from one of my favorite rom-coms, The Holiday, played gently through the speakers as we both cut into the rich layer of the cake, and everyone erupted into applause.

"How's it taste?", Antonio asked after feeding me a piece.

"Amazing." I swiped my tongue over my lips to get all of the icing off when he bent to give me an all-consuming kiss, effectively taking care of the job.

Before we knew it, the sun had set, and our first dance was to Diana Ross's, "When You Tell Me That You Love Me." Once again, I couldn't stop the tears from falling as we swayed to the achingly romantic lyrics beneath the stars.

I looked over his shoulder to see my dad standing next to his best friend, Keith. He had tears in his eyes as he watched us, and I gave him a smile. He gave me a thumbs-up, smiling back.

"I'd like to make a toast," Antonio announced after the music was over, grabbing the flute of champagne he'd set at our table.

"First of all, thank you to everyone for coming out tonight to celebrate with us. To my family, I love you all from the depths of my heart. I wouldn't be where I am today without you. Carlo, I remember attending you and Chelsea's wedding eight years ago like it was yesterday. I've finally caught up to you, huh?"

Carlo chuckled, emotion masking his features as he held his wife.

"I know I never told you this, but I've always wanted to be like you. Your ambition and drive are contagious. That's what makes you such a wonderful professor yourself."

An amused expression formed on Antonio's face as he continued.

"I remember getting into trouble when we were kids. You'd always take the blame, though, for things I did."

"Only because the sooner the conflict was resolved, the sooner I could go hang out with my friends," Carlo joked.

"Whatever you say. But I love you, bro, and I definitely want to see you more."

"Me too, Ant. Me too." He raised his wine glass.

He then turned to Donovan and Kade, who were both standing next to my cousin, Kylie.

"Donovan, if it weren't for your constant lecturing in Rio, I would not be standing here next to my wife today."

Well, that was definitely news, I thought to myself, feeling grateful for Donovan.

"And Kade, I love you, man, even if you did accidentally leak our Bachelor party photos to Sophia."

Everyone erupted into laughter, including me. Then, my husband's eyes were on mine.

"Now, lastly, I'd like to make a toast to my beautiful wife. You're going to make me the happiest man every day. I can't wait for us to explore the world, watch your cheesy rom-coms, and grow old together. I love you, mia bella."

"I love you too, Professor," I said quietly so only he could hear, and we kissed as applause rang in the air.

People began to join us on the dance floor, and Nick stole me away for a couple of songs before our dad came.

"Dad, Nick, I love you both so much," I said, throwing my arms around the men who had shaped me into the person I was today.

"We love you, too, Soph. And did I tell you, Dad booked out half of Hotel del Coronado for any wedding guests from out of town," Nick remarked.

"You did?" I looked at my dad in utter disbelief.

"It was barely a dent in my pocket. Don't worry about it, pumpkin." He smiled, the lines around his eyes adding to his handsome, distinguished face. "Now, may I have this dance?"

He offered me his hand, and I took it.

"You may, Mr. Weston."

We both laughed.

Faith Hill's, "There You'll Be," started to play as my dad led me onto the dance floor. I had requested this song to be played to honor my mom. Not only had Pearl Harbor been her favorite movie soundtrack of all time, but the lyrics were perfect.

"I'll keep a part of you with me," I sang aloud when the chorus played.

"And everywhere I am, there you'll be," my dad finished. "Your mother loved this song."

"She made us watch that movie every December 7th."

"Indeed she did." He smiled wistfully.

As I danced in my father's arms, I knew that she was smiling down on us.