Thirty-Six Wedding Lanterns All For My Younger Sister Chapter 09
The day Julian and I arrived in Australia, his parents were in the middle of packing for a flight to the States.
Four large suitcases sat open, stuffed with gifts they had prepared for my family.
The moment they saw us, they stared in shock.
“Mom, Dad,” Julian said, “we’re canceling the wedding back in the States. Let’s move up the ceremony here in Australia.”
Julian’s mom smiled and took my hand.
She didn’t ask a single question. She simply gave my hand a gentle pat.
A week later, Julian gave me a lavish wedding worthy of being called the wedding of the century.
When we returned from the hotel to our villa after the reception, the entire property was dark.
“Did the power go out? Why are all the lights off?”
The moment I finished speaking, all thirty-six mason-jar wedding lanterns wrapped in ivory ribbon flickered to life.
I stopped dead.
For a long moment, I couldn’t move.
Julian slipped his arms around me from behind and rested his chin on my shoulder.
—
“Well? Do you like it?”
I stared up at the wedding lanterns glowing just for me.
My throat tightened, and tears spilled down my cheeks.
I bit my lip, unable to speak.
Julian’s mom and dad emerged from the villa, each carrying one of the lanterns.
“Julian told us that where you’re from, the bride’s family makes thirty-six wedding lanterns for her send-off,” his mom said.
“You moved all this way to Australia with him. We know that wasn’t easy.”
“From now on, this is your home too. You’re our daughter now.”
“We’re the ones who should be making these lanterns for you.”
Julian’s dad looked up at the rows of glowing lights.
“We weren’t sure ours would look anything like the ones from your hometown. We looked up the tradition online and did our best. We were worried you might not like them.”
“How could I not? I love them.”
Then I noticed the tape wrapped around Julian’s dad’s hand, and my throat tightened again.
“You made these yourselves?”
Julian released me and draped an arm around each of his parents’ shoulders.
—
“They started three months ago. This is actually their third try.”
“They messed up the first two sets and threw them out.”
In that moment, I suddenly realized I wasn’t alone anymore, and tears poured down my face.
I threw my arms around Julian’s mom.
“Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Mercer.”
She wiped the tears from my face.
“This is your wedding. No more crying.”
Then she smiled.
“And now that you’re officially part of the family, what are you going to call us?”
I laughed through my tears.
“Mom.”
Her face lit up.
“That’s my girl.”
She beckoned, and a member of the household staff brought over a thick envelope.
“And in our family, that comes with a proper welcome-to-the-family gift.”
Julian’s dad immediately looked at me expectantly.
—
I smiled at him.
“Dad.”
Julian’s mom gave him a teasing look.
“My welcome-to-the-family gift is an entire castle. What are you giving her?”
Julian’s dad motioned to the family’s longtime butler, Mr. Whitaker, who brought over another thick envelope.
“Maya, take this. It’s Dad’s welcome-to-the-family gift, and I promise it’s even more precious than your mother’s.”
“Open it later.”
I tightened my fingers around the envelope as warmth spread through me in wave after wave.
Julian’s mom stared at her husband curiously.
“Well, look at you. Since when did you start keeping me guessing? Come on, tell me what it is.”
Julian’s dad started steering her toward the bedroom.
“You gave her yours, and I’m giving her mine. That’s perfectly fair. You don’t need to know.”
Julian wrapped an arm around me and kissed my forehead with a laugh.
“My parents are always going back and forth like this. You’ll see.”
I held up the envelope his dad had given me.
—
“You don’t want to know what Dad gave me?”