* * *
Lizzie and Mariana scrambled down the hall, their hands covering their mouths. It wasn’t like Mom and Alex hadn’t already heard them. But the grownups needed privacy for all the kissing stuff.
Mariana followed Lizzie into her room and they leapt on the bed and buried their faces in the covers.
“We did it! Now we’re going to be sisters for real.” Lizzie threw her arms around Mariana, the tears she’d been holding in for what felt like years streaming down her cheeks.
Epilogue
Lizzie linked her arm with Mariana’s, and together, they stepped onto the white runner that covered the aisle to where Alex waited for them with the preacher. Finally, after waiting for what felt like for-ev-er, Mom was marrying Alex. And Mariana would be her sister. She’d had lots of friends before who felt like sisters, but there was something different about Mariana.
Then they had the idea to get their parents together. Mom had been really frustrated when Lizzie missed the bus that day, but she’d noticed Mariana’s dad, and that was what they’d wanted.
It hadn’t been easy. Introducing their parents hadn’t been enough because they were stubborn. She and Mariana had to keep inventing ways for them to get together.
But it all worked out, because here she was, stepping up next to her new dad, waiting for Mom to walk down the aisle.
And then the music changed, and Mom and Grandma stepped onto the white fabric. Lizzie whispered in Mariana’s ear. “Look at how pretty Mom is.”
Mariana whispered back. “I can’t believe she’s going to be my mom.”
“And your dad will be my dad.”
Alex lowered his head between the two of them and put his fingers to his lips. But he was smiling. And as soon as he looked at Mom, his smile changed. There were tears in his eyes.
He really loved Mom. That was good. She needed someone in her life that would love her. Lizzie was going to grow up one day, and then what would Mom do?
Lizzie shifted from one foot to the other while the preacher said a bunch of words. She tried to listen, but she just wanted to get to the part where Mom said I do and she knew for sure that Alex was her dad.
“Alex, do you take Cameron to be your lawfully wedded wife…” The preacher’s words faded out after that. Lizzie stared at Alex until he said, “I do.”
She let out a breath and turned to Mom.
“Cameron, do you take Alex to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to—”
“I do.”
Everyone laughed. Mom hadn’t even let the preacher finish. Maybe she was as excited to get married as Lizzie was for this to be a done deal. Nah. There was no way Mom was more excited than Lizzie was.
Lizzie was all ready for the preacher to tell them to kiss when Mom and Alex bent down to her and Mariana.
Mom said something first. “Mariana, this ring signifies that I’ll love you like my own daughter but also that I will honor your real mother and never let you forget her.”
Mom slid a ring with a light blue stone on Mariana’s right hand.
Lizzie was still looking at Mariana’s ring when Alex put his hand on hers. “Lizzie, this ring signifies that I’ll love you like my own daughter but also that I will honor your real father and never let you forget him.”
Tears sprang to Lizzie’s eyes. She hadn’t known Mom and Alex were going to do this. He slipped a ring that matched Mariana’s onto her finger and then squeezed her hand. She couldn’t wait anymore. She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed.
The people in the church laughed as Alex lifted her off her feet and hugged her back. He lowered her to the floor and whispered in her ear. “I love you, Lizzie. Just let me finish marrying your mom, okay?”
She nodded.
A few minutes later, the preacher said the words and Alex pulled Mom into his arms and kissed her. Mariana threw her arms around Lizzie and they hugged and cried. They were finally a family.
* * *
Lizzie hadn’t realized that weddings were followed by parties. It was so fun. Mom and Alex had told her and Mariana that each of them could invite a friend to hang out with them