Becoming

                                    

                                          
By the time all of the decorations for the wedding arrived 2 months had passed by. There were rugs and drapes imported from India, food brought in from all around the world and more that 200 invitations had been sent out. Needless to say I was feeling the weight of everything. Even after all this time here I never had learned to enjoy being the center of attention. Every time I thought about the hundreds of people there it made my brain and heart both work into overdrive. What if I tripped. The dress arrived yesterday after being measured and fitted to my body. 
                          
 Tiffany came and helped me with some of the stuff she could. She was five now. She picked a strawberry cake and pink frosting to match. I overruled the frosting and decided to go with white and little pick decorations to appease her. Joseph left all of the decoration and flowers to me and said that he would take care of all of the invitations and the seating seeing as how everyone coming were people he knew. 
                          
Now there were only 3 days left. Three days until I would be Mrs. Copland. I was only recently turned 19. I had no experience in love. Love was a curious thing. It's like you don't realize you have it until it's gone. 
                          
"Jessica?" Joseph waved his arm in front of my face. "What are you doing here?" He asked me and sat on the bench next to me. The men he previously walked with left us in privacy. We were in the garden that I had escaped to with Cameron in my first couple of days here. The beauty of the place was incomparable. 
                          
"I just remembered how beautiful this place is. Do you remember the first time you found me here with.." I trailed off. I had vowed to myself that I would never say his name out loud again. 
                          
Joseph quickly filled the silence. "Yes I remember quite well." He rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Though I try to forget. I am so sorry that I ever hurt you." He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his embrace. 
                          
"I know you are. It's been almost a year since we met. Since that happened. I think that we have both grown up since then." I said as I stared into his deep green eyes. He ran his thumb along the line of my jaw. 
                          
"No you have changed me. I don't know where I would be without you. Before you came along Jessica people called me a cold hearted tyrant. Now they say I'm becoming soft, but I can't bring myself to care as long as I have you to come home to every night." Some how he always knew what I needed to hear. I was worried that we were rushing into this whole marriage but his confidence in our love restored mine. 
                          
"Joseph what is this place? I know that there's a secret door at the back. What's behind it?" I asked not able to hold in my curiosity any longer. Whatever it was it must be important because it was kept locked at all times, and I had a good idea that the key Joseph wore on his belt everyday was what opened it. 
                          
"Well I suppose that if we are to be married you have a right to know. I don't trust banks. So I keep this place to keep everything important to me safe." He pulled me up and lead me to the door slightly hidden in the vines climbing the walls. If you didn't know it was there you wouldn't see it. He pushed the key into the door and it swung open. We stepped into a small room that was all grey shiny steel. It was hardly big enough to hold the 2 of us. I was about to ask Joseph what this was but he shushed me. 
                          
"Welcome. Please step up to the retina scanner." A voice came over the speaker installed in the ceiling. Joseph put his eye up to the small opening in the wall and a red laser ran around his eye.Just like in the movies. Next he put his hand on the little finger print scanner. This was crazy. I watched with my eyebrows raised. 
                          
"What?" He asked when he glanced back at me. He laughed a little and turned his head forward again. "These are my most prized possessions and a great bulk of my fortune. I have to take every precaution." I nodded it was understandable I just felt like I was about to enter a secret headquarters for some government project.