“No. I’m really not.”
“That’s a good thing. It means you have one less thing to worry about,” she said.
“I think my biggest worry right now is going into labor during my wedding.”
“You’re getting married today even if I have to hold you up with my bare hands. Nothing is stopping this from happening. By the time today is over, you will be Mrs. Graham Alexander.”
“Joanna?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you for being my matron of honor.”
I turned around and hugged my friend, holding her as close as I could get her. This was it. We were minutes away from walking down the stairs to get ready for the ceremony. I tried to keep the tears at bay as Joanna rubbed my back, cooing in my ear that things would turn out just fine. It wasn’t that I was worried about my future. A life with Graham was the only thing I wanted from the moment I watched his daughter dance on that stage.
But I was worried about raising three kids that technically weren’t mine.
“You’re going to be a spectacular mother,” Joanna said breathlessly. “To all of those kids.”
“How can you always read my mind?” I asked.
“It’s a gift,” she said. “And it comes with a great deal of responsibility.”
“You’re insane.”
“And you’re ready. Want me to help you down the stairs?”
I took Joanna’s hand and we went to take our place at the same altar I had watched Logan say his vows at all those months ago. The music struck up and she processed down the aisle, her beautiful bouquet of flowers in hand. I gripped my flowers tightly as I focused on the beautiful pinks and yellows and reds. Neither Graham nor I could decide on which two colors to pick, so we simply went with all three. Pink for the dress I wore that he first saw me in, yellow for the sun Graham claimed that shined against my body in the mornings, and red for the fiery passion that had been stoked between us.
He was such a romantic, and it was one of the main reasons I loved him.
The music changed to my processional and I drew in a deep breath. I raised my head as two men opened the doors for me, and I felt the air leave my lungs. There was Graham, in a tailored tuxedo, looking straight at me. With his crimson-red button-down shirt and a pale-yellow tie, he had a light pink flower attached to the collar of his tuxedo jacket. He looked spectacular with his piercing eyes and his strong stance.
I wanted to go to him.
I wanted to run into his arms and never let go.
“Are you ready, princess?”
I looked over at my father as he offered his arm to me.
“Are you okay, Daddy?” I asked.
“I have to admit; your mother and I were worried about how quickly the two of you were diving into this. But I see the way he looks at you and I see the way you look at him. It’s reminiscent of the way your mother and I used to look at one another.”
“Probably not the best omen to start my marriage with,” I said with a grin.
“If there’s one piece of advice I can give you, princess, it’s this. Don’t allow yourself to get caught up in the small things. Your mother and I did that. We focused so much on you that we lost ourselves. The anger from our arguments made us focus on things that didn’t matter. Where we were spending holidays, what presents to get you for Christmas, stupid things like that. Take time to be with Graham. It’s okay to use the nanny if you need time off. And never, ever, ever go to bed upset. Always resolve. Always compromise. And always cling to one another. Even if you can’t stand to look at him.”
“Thanks, Daddy,” I said breathlessly.
I threw my arms around my father, willing my tears to stay at bay. I linked my arm in his and we started down the aisle, my mother peeking her head around from the crowd to get a glimpse of me. Lizzie was standing by Joanna up at the front and Jake was
wrangling Deacon and Daniel in his arms. It had been a doozy meeting Jake, and he sure was a wild one. He was insistent on Graham having a bachelor weekend in Las Vegas, and when the two of them returned Graham looked like he had been run through a wood chipper.
He was a good friend to Graham, and though he was wild and very boisterous at times, I enjoyed being around him. He was supportive of the two of us and very excited at the idea of Graham having another child.
Despite him being a party boy, he really was good with the kids.