Isla
“By the power vested in me, I now declare you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride”.
Cheers resonated among the friends and family gathered on the small beach as the newlyweds walked down the aisle hand in hand. My sister Amara winked at me as she passed by, and I couldn’t help but shed a tear, feeling a mix of happiness, anxiety, and anticipation about the future. I reflected on her resilience after everything she’d been through, which made me feel both proud and uncertain. As I watched her start this new chapter, I felt a surge of hope intertwined with my fears about what lay ahead. She seemed truly happy, and she deserved nothing more. I’m glad she was starting a new chapter of her life.
She had met Kyle at the teen shelter. He went to great lengths to befriend her (probably had a crush on her the entire time). She eventually gave in, and we all became friends, along with Kyle’s best friend, Ivan. Being the youngest, I always felt like I had these older siblings to protect me, which made me feel safe and cared for.
As I reminisced about the old times at the shelter, all the guests were making their way to the reception. I grabbed a glass of champagne and walked up to the couple. “Congratulations guys! I am so happy for you,” I say as I hug them both.
“Thank you, Isla, you look gorgeous in this dress! You know a lot of my friends in attendance are single-” Amara darts an elbow to her husband’s ribs.
“I don’t think she is interested in your old and boring finance bros.”
“Well, tech bros would be more accurate.” And there they were, arguing about my potential love life, featuring a finance-tech bro, on their wedding day. I must admit, it was very on brand for them. I let out a small laugh.
“Did we say something funny?” Amara asks. “Nothing, dear sister, thank you, Kyle, for the offer, but since I am moving soon and will be very taken by my classes, I’m not interested in dating anyone.”
I managed to get into NYU law school, not without sleepless nights studying and five meltdowns a day, but in the end, I got in. I was supposed to go live with Amara and Kyle, and while that might not have been ideal for a newlywed couple, they were basically my adopted parents.
My sister took custody of me when she was 21, and I was 15, but she basically raised me my entire life. When she and Kyle started dating, he filled the shoes of the brother, father, and best friend I desperately needed as a teenage girl. I will forever be grateful to them for sacrificing so much to give me the keys to succeed in life, even though they were so young and had so much to learn themselves. My sister was barely an adult when she stepped in and took me in as her “kid”; that’s mainly why we have such a deep bond.
When they found out I got accepted into NYU, they offered to let me live with them in Brooklyn, and I’ve been super excited about it ever since.
“Isla, we need to discuss your move,” whispered my sister hesitantly
“We originally did not plan on discussing it today, but since he’s here, we might as well.”
“Wait, what do we need to discuss exactly, and who’s he?” I couldn’t understand why they both looked so uneasy. What was it? Did they just not want me to move in anymore? And who were they referring to?
“I think they meant me, Isle.” I turned around at the sound of this familiar voice, and my eyes collided with azure blue eyes, beautiful but icy and almost soulless.
Ivan Novak, renowned mixed martial arts champion, feared businessman, and the biggest asshole known to mankind.
