Hi everyone! My name is Autumn Summers and I have been on Wattpad since 2015. During my time on here I have had the pleasure of publishing four books and one collection of short stories for my readers. I'm so happy to have been chosen to take part in this wonderful event and am delighted to share an extra chapter from by book "Menacingly" that many people have been asking about. So here it is!

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"Clara dear! Can you help fix my hair?" Angela called from inside her bedroom although her daughter was very busy in the living room trying to reorganise the bouquets after the florist's slip up earlier that morning.

"Lucile, can you go help mom out? I'm kind of busy here..." Clara tried not to take her horrid humour out on her younger sister, although she was not doing a very good job of it.

"Sure. I'll be right up mom."

"And where the hell is Tommas? He can't even be on time for his own parents' wedding." Clara mumbled the last part more so to herself than Lucile, who was already making her way upstairs to her mother. Lucile had heard enough about her tardy and unreliable brother's bad habits to last her a lifetime, although Clara would never stop her incessant pestering- that was what older sisters were for wasn't it?

"Oh my god mom, you look so beautiful." Angela could not avoid blushing even at her own daughter's words. She had wished she would grow out of it but even still in her early-fifties, she had not been able to shake it yet.

"Thanks Lucile. I must say, that colour looks amazing on you, if I do say so myself." Angela referred to the bridesmaid dress she had picked out for her two daughters.

"You have good taste, I suppose I had to get it from somewhere." Lucile grinned in the mirror at her mother as she put the last two pearl pins in her hair.

And just like that, Angela was ready to head downstairs and out to the back garden where the grass ended and the sand began- a place she had spent so many times with Adriano sitting at throughout the years of living in this wonderful house that was thick with memories. Each step she took down the stairs, through the hallways and leading up the aisle, she remembered a memory of starting a new life in California with her soon-to-be husband, of raising her children and of sharing an unconditional love that only family could bring.

With her son guiding her up the aisle as a stand in for her father who had passed away only last year, and her daughters trailing in front of her, Angela soon reached Adriano who had a huge grin from ear to ear that no even the darkest of days could dim. She let out a nervous laugh once she finally looked him in the eye as she stood in front of him.

"You look beautiful." He mouthed out to her, and it was the truest thing he had ever thought.

Throughout the years, her face had begun to show age; she had wrinkles from laughter and lines from smiling but it only added to her beauty, he thought. She was beautiful, not just in appearance but in anything she did, in her thoughts that were always kind and her actions that were always from the heart. It was the proudest thing he had ever done in his life so far- saying 'I do' and finally being able to call Angela his wife.

The day was one of the happiest they had shared together, not only as a couple but as a family. Because the two older children were working or off at college for most of the year and Lucile was busy with her studies in high school too, it was rare to have everyone together without someone being preoccupied. Adriano was as smitten as ever before with Angela, all the guests could tell, some were even surprised they had managed to still share the same love for each other as they had more than twenty years ago.

"Sadie, come get in the picture with us." Adriano insisted, motioning the young girl to join himself, Angela and Tommas in yet another picture that day after the ceremony and dinner. He wanted to make sure there was plenty of memories to look back on in every picture taken that day and hoped it would be a good way to introduce Sadie to his son again.

"Oh, I'm not so sure-" she hesitated, feeling like she was intruding.

"Come on." Angela smiled at the girl who had been working for she and Adriano since she was sixteen. Sadie had become a close family friend in the short time she knew the couple and their children.

After the picture was taken Tommas tried to make a run for it to the other side of the garden although his father told him to stay where he was.

"I love your dress Mrs. Morreti. It's so pretty." Sadie had been calling Angela Mrs. Morreti ever since she had met her- although this was her first time it was actually correct. Sadie didn't notice, but right as she spoke Tommas rolled his eyes and Adriano nudged him subtly.

"Thank you dear."

"Sadie, this is Tommas. Our son." Angela watched as Adriano tried to play matchmaker at his own wedding but said nothing.

"Hi, nice to meet you again." Sadie held her hand out to shake Tommas's, although he just eyed it with disinterest.

"Again?" he asked. His rudeness made her quickly put her hand by her side again and avoid eye contact with him.

"I'm sure I've met you before, in the restaurant a couple of times." She felt embarrassed because she had remembered him, but it was not mutual recollection.

"That's weird, I don't remember you." Adriano shot his son a glare that was not as subtle as his previous nudge. He could kill him for being so rude but would check him later for it.

"Hey Sadie, c'mon, Desmond is looking for you. Sorry to steal her from you guys." Lucile, who was close to Sadie's age and had become close with her over the last couple of months had noticed the awkward exchange and came to her friend's rescue. Sadie said goodbye for then and was swiftly taken by the arm by Lucile, leaving a furious Adriano glaring at his son.

"Seriously Tommas?" He questioned him.

"Adriano..." Angela gave her husband a knowing look.

"What dad? Can you please stop trying to play cupid for one night?"

"But you two would be great to-"

"She's too eager." Tommas said truthfully although he had taken Sadie's kindness and obliviousness to his father's matchmaking up the wrong way.

"She's just being nice."

"I don't need you to find me a girlfriend and besides, Stacey and I are together."

"Oh, it's back on now is it?" Adriano's snide remark earned a scowl from Tommas while Angela took Adriano's hand in hers. "It's fine, I'll go introduce her to Michael in a while. Maybe he'll be friendlier."

"Can you two not do this right now? It'll ruin the mood."

"Sure mom, but only for you." Tommas used a sweet voice when speaking to his mother, a complete change to the hard and cold tone he had used with Adriano only moments ago. Once he left his parent's side to go back to partying, Angela gave Adriano a knowing look.

"What?" he held his hands out, acting as though he did not know what the problem was.

"Adriano... Can you stop trying to plan the kids' lives out for them please? You're doing it again..." she was trying to hide a smile, her playfulness shining through in her voice.

"I know, I'm sorry. I just want what's best for them and I really think Sadie would be great for Tommas. I'm such a meddler, aren't I?"

"Yes. Of course you are." Angela was blatantly honest, it had become one of Adriano's flaws over the years although she knew he just wanted the best for their children. "But they're all old enough now to make their own decisions and we need to trust them."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." He kissed her on the cheek before wrapping an arm around her.

"Want to race down to the shore?" she asked, knowing what his answer would be.

"Of course. But right now? I mean we're just over dessert."

"Well while you think about it, I'm going to get a head start." Angela grinned as she took off her heels.

"Hey, that's not fair." He almost whined.

In a split second, Angela had already taken off with Adriano hot on her tail. Despite her hear start, it was Adriano that reached the shore first but stopped as soon as the sand felt wet on his feet. Celebrating his win, he waited until his wife finally reached his side before lifting her up and swinging her around. Angela screeched aloud, laughing at the sheer happiness and joy he was bringing her in that moment while they snuck out of their own wedding party.

Once he sat her down on the sand gently, he fell to his knees and soon made a spot for both himself and Angela in the dry sand. The beach was empty, the sky was beginning to turn dark and the only sound that could be heard was the gentle waves in front of them.

"Oh god, I think I'm getting too old for this." Angela groaned beside him, scooting closer until he draped a hand over her shoulder.

"Never too old for a race to the shore. We've been doing this since we moved here, and we'll be doing it until we leave." He sounded so sure of himself, pretending as if he did not know the true meaning behind her words. They spent a couple of minutes in silence, taking in the tranquillity of the beach and the joy brought to the forefront of their minds from the day they had just spent together.

"I love you." She admitted like she had countless times before.

"I love you too." Adriano then leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her lips. "Always."

There could be no denying their love for each other, that was still strong from many years of trials and tribulations to the day they had finally decided to call each other husband and wife. Their love had taken a beating, it had taken many arguments and apologies, it had pushed through the stresses of life and the unexpectedness of how quickly your world could be turned upside down. Through everything, their feelings for each other had never changed, never weakened or dimmed, and that was the way it always would be.

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I left the ending for people to decide Adriano and Angela's fate for themselves, but this is how I always imagined it to end. Hopefully you enjoyed my post and if you are interested in my writing, I have plenty more for you to check out on my profile. Thank you for reading!

Love,

Autumn xo

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