Okay, I'm just gonna post this even though I'm not sure about it. I mainly wanted to leave you guys with happy feels about Maksyl. Its short, sweet and to the point.
Its a thank you for reading Old Normal. Who knows? Maybe I could branch a story off of Old Normal! I guess I'd recommend listening to this while you read! (I wrote this while listening.)
Thank you. Love you! Always. -J
This ones dedicated to you, Sam.
Meryl stood looking at herself in the mirror. She never thought this day would come, let alone with him. The past year had been a whirl ride for them. Being together was easy- they loved each other and that should have been enough. But life wasn’t a fairy tale, it was life- dirty and mean and sometimes if you hope enough it’ll work out in your favor.
Her hair had grown back, not as long as before but longer than when she had first seen Maks. She had it pinned up in a 1920’s style that complimented her dress. It was form fitting and accentuated her petite waist and her curves. She knew he'd like it.
Meryl turned from the mirror and watched as the sun set over the lake. The same lake the Maks had surprised her at after their week in Detroit. She looked down at the floor as she remembered that day. You broke a man’s heart that day, she thought lamely. Jake was someone you’ll never forget, he’s a kind, gentle and honorable man. But you also started your journey with the right man.
She heard a small knock on the door and answered for them to come in.
Paul walked into the room and let out a breath, “Meryl, baby, you're gorgeous.”
She went to him and looked down, “Not too bad, huh?” She pushed the tear down his cheek away. The wedding day had made her overly emotional but she didn’t scold herself like she normally would.
Her dad brought a neckerchief to his eyes and mirrored his daughter, “So, a young man with an accent asked me to give this to you.” He winked.
She took the small wooden box from his hands and opened it. Inside were three things: a letter, a picture, and her lucky ring. Her eyes welled again as she quickly slid the sentimental piece on her finger. “Oh wow, I can’t believe I forgot about this.”
“You had a very busy year.”
She opened the letter, it was from his mother:
My dear Meryl,
I always used to think it was a mother’s job to teach her children to grow and become wise. I was wrong. You have taught my son so many things; he has become patient and kind, willing and happy. You have brought a love much different from mine into his heart, and I thank you. The moment I met you, I knew he would never let you go. The Chmerkovskiy boys are all the same. Welcome, my darling.
Love, C
Meryl was shaking, tears flooding her cheeks as her dad rubbed her back, “I always told you, you would change the world. Look at how much you’ve proved me right.”
She swatted at him, trying to tell him he wasn’t helping the crying. She laughed. Then she found the picture. It was a picture of her, a year ago. It was in that hotel room. She was smiling, her eyes closed, but clearly asleep. He wrote on the back, “I am ready to wake up to this every day and call you wife.”
She put the letter and the photo back in the box, dried her tears and thanked her dad for bringing it to her. A few minutes later the wedding planner had arrived and said it was time.
“Ready, daddy?”
“I don’t want to let you go.”
“I would never let you.”
He held his daughters hand until they got to the double doors at the front of the cabin that lead them to the archway where Maks was waiting. She squeezed his hand and waited for the music to change.
The instrumental to song enveloped the area. Meryl slid her arm through her dads. She turned and smiled at him.
“Meryl.”
“Yes, daddy?”
“I’m so proud of your for choosing for yourself.”
Meryl kissed him on the cheek and nodded, not having any words to thank him.
They walked down the aisle to the man who had swept her off her feet. Someone she never saw coming but never wanted to leave. He was everything.
She saw Maks’ breath was taken away as she walked towards him. He thumbed his not shed tears from his eyes when they got to him, and hugged Paul. He quickly took Meryl’s hand. They looked over the crowd to see all of their loved ones in support of them. They turned to the pastor who smiled at them and started the ceremony: “Dearly Beloved we are gathered here today…
The ceremony went beautifully the pastor turned to the couple and said, “The couple has chosen to write their own vows… Meryl would you like to start?”
….
“Maksim, I believe in you. I believe in the you, the you, you want to be and will be. With my whole heart I agree to be your wife no matter what. I will love you when you’re here, I will love you when you’re far away, I will love you when I’m angry and when I’m happy. You have taught me to be genuine and true to myself and I can’t wait to get even stronger with you. Your my old normal, but your also my only normal. I’ll always be your princess if you’ll always be my teddy bear.”
She was shaking as she gave her folded her vows back, “I love you,” Maks whispered.
“Meryl, Your strength and compassion fuel me to be the man I want to be. You’re never ending ability to turn my mood around, to make me smile when I don’t want to; it never ceases to amaze me. When I met you over four years ago I didn’t think I would be here. I used to not believe in soul mates. I thought I knew what love was and then you walked into that studio and changed my life. I don’t know who I can thank for doing that, but I owe them everything. Your my one, my only, my always.”
He kissed her on the forehead and heard the pastor tsk. She laughed and squeezed his hands, and whispered, “I love you more.”
Every word was true. She had never been so happy in her life. She looked up at her new husband and knew that there was no way she could end up with anyone else. He was her soul mate. They brought the fire back into each other’s lives.
--- They never talked about those three years they were missing from each other but they spent the rest of their lives making up for it.
