The Tale of Your Ordinary Girl

Chapter 28- Luciana

~8 years later~

"Luciana, Darling, are you ready?" My mom calls in. Knocking on the door

"You can come in mama." I call back fixing the gown, my hair already brushed and pinned back. Ashton and I didn't want anything too extravagant, but something small and beautiful was definitely doable and in order. My aunt made the cake, my mother gave me her wedding veil that had been passed down in her family since before WWI. We borrowed the wedding cake topper from Ashton's uncle. And my gown was the first I tried on that I fell in love with when we went out to find one. I look down at the small ring on my finger. It's not a traditional wedding ring, and it's the same ring he used as our promise ring 10 years ago, but I couldn't bear to part with it in exchange for a real engagement ring. My mother helps me finish getting ready when another knock sounds at the door.

"Luce." My father calls in.

"Come in Daddy!" I call back as my mother fixes the pins on my veil. "Hi Daddy."

He smiles with tears in his eyes I go to hug him. "Ashton better take care of you." He says.

"He will Daddy." I assure him with a smile of my own.

"Are you ready baby girl?" He asks. I nod and let him lead me to the chapel. I hear the music playing. Butterfly Kisses, one of my favorites. The small crowd of about 30 or so of our family and friends stand. My mother gives me the bridal bouquet and I head inside. Ashton stands at the front looking right at me, our eyes locking on each other. He smiles at me, I smile back as I walk down the isle. I remember our firsts of just about everything. The first time we officially met. Our first date. The first time we got into a fight. Our first dance. Our first kiss. How at first I couldn't stand him, and now look at me, I'm marrying him. I remember the proposal:

~~

630. Come on just a few more chapters. Jenny, my roommate of five years going on six. She's going into the medical field. We're both almost done studying for our masters. We finished studying for the bachelors together and just kept chugging along for the next Princeton Scholarship kept me in school, and my side job as a local high school tutor keeps me fed and clothed. Jenny is studying to be a cardiologist so she's still got a ways to go, she works at the local clinic as a part-time secretary. I haven't seen Ashton since Christmas break when we both went home, which is only an hour long car ride for me. We're both heading home for Easter and spring break in a few weeks, I'm excited to see him.

T-tap. T-tap. Jenny goes to see what's tapping on our window, it was probably just a couple branches hitting the window from the tree. No one can throw three stories up.

"Hey, Luce, It's for you." Jenny says heading back to her desk to finish studying for her own finals. I stand up and make my way to the window expecting it to be a big joke. Instead I see a familiar head of hair, He looks up to the window and I meet his eyes.

"Come down my beloved Juliet." He jokes, "Before I start reciting Shakespeare." He continues.

"I wasn't expecting to see you until the weekend." I tell him.

"I finished my finals early and got an earlier flight, I thought I'd surprise you!" He calls back, "Now come down!"

"I'll be right there!" I call back coming back inside and racing out the door just grabbing my room key. I launch myself into his arms and hug him tightly not wanting to let go. "Missed you!"

"I missed you to Luce." He tells me burying his face in my hair before kissing my I smile and kiss him back my arms still wrapped around his neck. He wraps his arms around my waist and picks me up so my feet just hover above the ground. We both pull back and he takes my hand and we walk around the campus in the dimming light. "I guess you're surprised?"