Lisa glanced nervously at the big wooden clock hanging over the wall. In another thirty minutes, she would be married. She still could not believe that the once so beautiful dream all girls have at the back of their mind could make her heart squeeze so painfully.
She unconsciously drifted back to her first meeting of her soon to be husband and wondered again how she could have been such a foolish swan.
Dominic Gladden was all a woman could wish. His hair was black and shiny, it hung in waves to just his ear. His skin was the most wonderful color, a golden olive, he just screamed healthy and outdoor active. 'He'd have to be active to get a build like that,' she remembered thinking, examining his near perfect physique. Even his hand which was waving at them appeared large and muscular. Despite wearing a simple polo shirt and casual slacks, he had an unmistakable air of authority. And those eyes, they were blue grey she noticed and very pleasant to look at.
"Hello" he said in a rich husky voice. "Hope you had a nice voyage." He smiled and a white set of teeth showed their way up.
"Oh yes, we did have a nice journey but as you guess, we were very impatient to reach. How is my kid brother doing?" asked Dad. Dominic sobered, "His condition is stable for the moment. We should probably rush. Lisa, I presume?" he asked looking at her. His eyes were so piercing that she felt him baring her very soul. "Where are my manners?" Dad interrupted, "Dominic, meet my daughter Lisa and Lisa, this is Dominic – Dom".
He took her hand and gave it a hearty shake. She felt an electrical bolt; her mouth dried and only managed to stumble a week "Hi". Was it her or did Dominic have the same physical jolt reaction? It seems that her knees could least carry her.
'Get a grip Lis!!' She scolded. 'Don't make a complete fool of yourself.'
"We should get going", She said. Dad agreed and we proceeded towards the car.
Dad seems increasing anxious as we reached the hospital. She held his hands and did the best she could to comfort him silently. She knew this was difficult for him, to meet his twin brother after so much time, especially when the brothers had drifted apart because of property dispute. Dad had always made a point to let know who 'family' was. She had known that Uncle Harry lived in San Francisco with his family, wife and son, being Dominic, even though, they had never visited.
Alfred Gladden had a golden heart and he had showed it to her numerous times starting from the first time he had saw her in Mary's Kinder orphanage. His late wife had never been able to beget children and thus, they decided to adopt a child. Alfred as he mentioned time and again had 'fallen in love' with those messy curly blonde hair and green waterfall eyes once he had set his eyes over her.
It was how Lisa had been liberated from the orphanage life to the princess existence she lived and she was ever grateful to this man, who trembled a little as they reached the room.
"I think its better we give them some time" the voice of Dominic stopped her reverie. She nodded. "I guess you have not eaten yet" said Dominic, "let's go to the cafeteria and take something to eat for Uncle Al as well. Are you okay? You seem awfully quiet."
"Am sorry, hospitals bring back too many memories" Lisa apologised.
"I can understand" offered Dominic. 'He must know of the circumstances of her adoption' Lisa though but did not supply any more information.
Chasing the dark thoughts off her mind, Lisa decided to move to a safer subject matter.
"So, what would you have...?"
They ordered everything and set back to Uncle Harry's room where they found Al seated across the hospital bed gazing over his brother.
