"Grandma! How could you do that?" Serena’s voice was filled with disbelief as she stared at Mabel Hawk.
The elderly woman, however, seed utterly unbothered, calmly enjoying her al as she t Serena’s gaze with a serene smile. "What on earth is so wrong with that?" she replied, her tone light and dismissive. "Serena, my dear, you and Aiden are a couple. In this day and age, where social dia is flooded with couples flaunting every detail of their lives, this was nothing more than a simple, intimate photoshoot. It’s practically quaint compared to what everyone else is doing."
"Grandma, your daughter in law is shy. And you know it. Poor her, when the photographer asked her to take off her clothes and get into the hoth tub, she near lted."
Serena shot Aiden a sharp look, her cheeks flushing with embarrassnt as he winked at her. lted? More like she had nearly blown a fuse. She could still feel the heat of her anger from that mont, her fingers twitching as she recalled the sheer effort it had taken to stop herself from launching at the poor photographer. Aiden had barely managed to withhold his laughter, and it had taken all his strength to actually physically keep her from turning the photoshoot into a full-blown disaster.
Thankfully, the photographer had gained so sense of self preservation and shouted that it was Grandma’s idea. Or else...
Grandma’s laughter rang out, rich and full, as she shook her head in amusent. "Okay, okay, I know you two didn’t go for that. But mark my words, you’ll regret it later when you’re looking back at these pictures and wishing you’d taken the plunge for those sassy pictures. My Aiden is handso and my Serena is a beauty. The pictures would have been beautiful for the two of you. But, then again, you can take such pictures later. For now, though, I’m quite satisfied with these pictures. At least they introduce the two of you well.."
Grandma showed the pictures to them and as Serena looked at them, she could not help but be amazed. The photographer had indeed been a genius. Despite the tension and bickering that had marked the entire session between her and Aiden, the pictures told a different story. In each fra, she and Aiden appeared as if they were deeply in love. Even Serena, who knew the truth, couldn’t help but be impressed by the illusion he had created.
And as she looked at them, she couldn’t help but wonder on the pictures that Owen had given her. While she was montarily lost in thought, Aiden looked at the small sample pictures and casually picked up one while the other two were not paying attention and slipped it into his pocket. It was her holding him while he sat on the chair and staring down at him. To anyone else, it would look like she was holding onto him as if he were her world. A Perfect illusion.
While each of them was busy thinking about their own goals, Grandma was staring at them. Thoughtfully, she stared at them and raised the topic thoughtfully," I think we’re going about this the wrong way, instead of just holding a celebration, why don’t we plan a formal wedding? What do you think, should I make this your engagent party and then we can organize a large, fairytale wedding?"
Both Serena and Aiden stared at Grandma in shock, their expressions mirroring each other’s horror and spoke unanimously, "No."
Grandma looked at the two of them and chuckled, before turning to Serena,"Well, I can understand his reluctance. Aiden’s never had a romantic bone in his body He used to even scowl at his own birthday parties and would happily stick to sitting alone in a room that socialise. But Serena, child, why don’t you want a large wedding? Every girl dreams of a grand celebration."
Serena grimaced and shook her head," Grandma, I’ve never wanted a large wedding. and Aiden are in agreent with this. It was why we never held a wedding in the first place."
As the words left her lips, Serena suddenly stilled, a strange sensation washing over her. The conversation felt oddly familiar, like a mory long buried beneath the surface. She could almost hear her own voice from the past, echoing in her mind. "No, Aunt, I’m happy with just being with him. I want nothing more. I don’t care about these things."
The aunt’s voice had been sharp, tinged with disapproval. "You might not care, but what about the rest of us? We deserve a celebration too. He is our only son. Why must we marry him off as if we were stealing a bride. I don’t care what you wish. You will host a large wedding and invite everyone or else there won’t be a wedding!"
And then, she heard a man’s voice, echoing," Mother! The wedding is for and Rena! What does it have to do with the others. We are only getting married for love. So, will you please stop harassing her. If you do not wish to give us your blessings then so be it. and Rena will be happy without it!
Serena felt her heart skip a beat as the mory resurfaced, so vivid and yet so blurred it was as though she was living it all over again. Why?Why couldn’t she see their faces? Why was there always sothing blocking her mory from accessing that.
As she tried hard to think and focus on the faces, the room about her seed to spin, making it difficult for her to breathe. The pictures slipped from her hand.
"Serena?" Aiden’s voice sounded distant to her, muffled as if he were calling to her from another world. She tried to respond, but the words stuck in her throat, and the pressure in her chest grew unbearable as she tried hard to catch her breath. The last thing she saw was Grandma’s concerned face before everything went black.
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