A Wedding Thing - Shea Serrano & Larami Serrano - ★★★★.½

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AUTHORS: Shea & Larami Serrano
SERIES: The One, #3
GENRE: Short true-life narrative.
RATING: 4.5 stars.

Would you like to read a story that's perfect for Christmas time but has no mention of Christmas at all and isn't even set during the holiday season? Try this one! It will warm the cockles of your heart.

This story tells us about Shea and Larami Serrano's wedding day in March 2007. They had been together for seven years and had been planning the wedding since fifteen months. However, just two days before the big day, Larami, who was four months pregnant, went into labour. What happens next?

If this were a novel, I'd have said that it is too good to be true, that the ending is way too perfect, that the characters are unrealistically sweet, that there are too many coincidences,...

But this isn't fiction!

As Neil Gaiman once said, 'Life is always going to be stranger than fiction, because fiction has to be convincing, and life doesn't.' And life truly pulled the rug from under the wedding plans of the Serranos. But when the going gets tough, the tough get going, right? (Note to self: What’s with all the clichés in this para!?)

Shea and Larami Serrano's story covers everything we love in romance stories: love, tragedy, comedy, emotions, suspense (just a little), and a happily-ever-after. I loved the couple's decision of writing this narrative in a 'He said, she said' format. It made the whole experience even better for me as I could actually picture them sitting in front of me and recounting what happened all those years ago.

Am I going to praise the couple about how they are so perfect for each other? No.
Will I gush over Shea for his understanding attitude towards Larami during that scary period? No.
Will I appreciate Larami for letting go of her brave façade and relying on her partner for strength? No.
Because these are things that every couple should be doing. These two shouldn't be treated as the exception but as the expectation. Every relationship ought to be like this, nurturing a mutually caring-and-sharing attitude in times both good and bad. Both of them just followed their heart and did the right thing for their relationship.

I'd have loved to read more about this sweet couple, but as this is just meant to be a story of their wedding, it serves its purpose well and stops just at that. The included wedding photo is a bonus.

Why did I call this a Christmas read? Simple! It represents everything that is truly Christmassy without the commercialisation – love, sacrifice, adjustment, waiting, kindness, patience, and celebration.

Strongly recommended. This beautiful anecdote will infuse that little bit of warmth in your chilly heart during this wintry season. (Unless if you are in the Southern hemisphere and tackling summer right now, in which case I'll say: ‘This beautiful anecdote will provide the right level of air-conditioning to your sweaty heart.’ 😛)

This standalone story is a part of the “The One” collection, and is currently available free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

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