Epilogue
Harrison
* * *
I remember the first time I did this, waited at the end of the aisle for the love of my life to appear. This time though, things are different. For one, we’re in our backyard. We have less than twenty people in attendance, and in my arms is my baby girl. She’s four months old today, and she’s wearing a little pink lace dress with a matching pink band around her head. This time, I know the pain that comes with losing the love of your life. I know the joy of rekindling that love. There is, however, one thing that remains the same. My love for Winnie. No matter if we were together or apart, my heart was hers. Now, in front of our family, our closest friends, and our daughter, I get to vow to love her until I take my last breath.
“You ready?” Chase asks, standing behind me.
“Is that a real question?” I ask him.
He laughs and reaches for Sophia. “Come to Uncle Chase,” he coos. I have to say my best friend is quite enamored with my daughter. Then again, we all are.
“Get your own,” I tell him, just as the music starts, and I see Gabby appear on the back porch. Chase turns his head, and his hands fall to his sides. “You’re drooling.” I chuckle under my breath. He doesn’t respond. I don’t even think he hears me as his eyes follow my sister-in-law down the aisle. She and her sister look a lot alike, but no one compares to my Winnie.
Gabby stops next to me and places a kiss on Sophia’s cheek before taking her spot across from me. Her eyes flash to Chase, and I don’t have to look over my shoulder at him to know he’s watching her. Instead, I turn my attention to the back door.
Watching.
Waiting.
“Damn,” I mutter when I see her. She’s wearing a short white dress, covered in lace. It’s not a traditional wedding gown, but she looks phenomenal in it. She’s been at the gym a lot, working on “losing the baby weight.” To me, she was perfect, but she insisted she needed to feel ready. I didn’t push her, no matter how badly I wanted to. I tried to tell her there was no need because as soon as she let me, I’d be knocking her up again. However, I could tell it was important to her, so in turn, it was important to me. With Gabby working at the gym, she helped out with Sophia, when she could wrangle her away from Chase. My wife and I worked out together. It was a couple of weeks ago when she told me she was ready. Since it’s close friends and family, here we are. I called our mothers, and it was a done deal. Nothing elaborate. Just me and my wife becoming legal in the eyes of the law.
“Look at Mommy, Soph,” I say to my daughter. I don’t bother to lower my voice. As far as I’m concerned, this is just going through the motions. She’s always been my wife. “She’s beautiful,” I tell our daughter as Winnie stops to stand in front of me. Like her sister, she leans over and kisses our daughter on the cheek. “What about me?” I ask her.
She smiles, her green eyes shimmering in the sunlight. Standing on her tiptoes, she places her lips on my cheek. Well, she intended to, but I turn my head in time and capture her lips with mine.
“Guys.” Gabby laughs. “We’re not there yet.”
“We’ve always been there,” I tell her. Everyone laughs. It’s nothing new for me to show my wife what she means to me. Why should today be any different? We’ve taken a twisted road to get here. Why should the path go back to being straight and narrow?
“I have strict instructions from the groom to make this fast.” The minister chuckles, as does everyone else. He goes through the traditional vows, then asks for the rings.
Turning, I hand Sophia to Chase, and pull our rings out of my jeans pocket. I hand mine to Winnie, and we take turns repeating our vows and sliding the rings onto our fingers. They’re new—both of them. We’re saving our originals for Sophia.
“By the power vested in me—”
I don’t hear the rest. I slide my hand behind her neck and pull her into a kiss. One that promises today, tomorrow, and forever. “I love you, Mrs. Drake,” I say, pulling back and resting my forehead against hers.
“I love you, Mr. Drake.”
Sophia squeals and we pull apart to look at her. She’s bouncing in Chase’s arms. Her little arms flying around. She has no idea what today means, or how important it was for us to have her here with us. “Is thirteen months apart far enough?” I ask Winnie.
She smiles up at me. “Let’s get her out of diapers, then we’ll talk.”
“How long is that?”
“Two and a half years or so, some longer.”
“We can afford diapers,” I tell her. Two and a half years… that’s too damn long.
“We’ll play it by ear,” she says, kissing the bottom of my chin.
“I can be very convincing.”
“Mmm.” Winnie wraps her arms around my waist. “You’ll have to show me. You know I’m a hard sell,” she says, resting her head against my chest.
“Challenge accepted,” I murmur, kissing the top of her head.
Winnie
* * *
The moment I see him standing at the end of the aisle, holding our daughter, I feel like the world tilts on its axis. Sure, he holds Sophia all the time, but today… wearing dark jeans that hug his powerful legs and an untucked, crisp white button-down shirt? Yeah, I feel the ground shift beneath my feet.
He’s mine.
Forever.
And the look on his face as I slowly make my way toward him lets me know exactly how happy he is that today is finally happening. Pure radiating love. That’s what I see when our eyes connect. That’s what I feel as I start the short walk in his direction.
“By the power vested in me—” the pastor says, but the rest of his words fade away. Harrison’s lips are on mine, claiming me as his own. Today, tomorrow, and forever.
“I love you, Mrs. Drake,” he whispers, resting his forehead against mine.
“I love you, Mr. Drake.”
My arms are wrapped around his neck. He places one more chaste kiss on my lips as our family and friends cheer us on. It’s the pastor’s chuckles that finally have us pulling apart, though Harrison only releases me long enough to take our daughter from his best man. As soon as she’s in his arms, he wraps one around my waist and pulls me into his side. We’ve always fit like puzzle pieces, and standing here now, in front of our family and friends, just solidifies it.
We are one.
Husband and wife.
Father and mother.
And yes, maybe someday soon we’ll add another little one to our family, but I’m not ready yet. I want to enjoy our time with Sophia before we divide our attention amongst more. Even though I long for a big family, I want to take our time and do it right.
Do it right.
I actually giggle aloud at the thought.
“What’s so funny?” Harrison asks, glancing down at me.
“I was just thinking how we didn’t do any of this in the right order,” I tell him with a smile.
He huffs. “When have I ever done anything based on society?
?s standards?” he asks, the corner of his lips turning upward.
“Very true,” I reply, leaning my head against his chest.
His hold on me tightens as he whispers, “Thank you for marrying me again and making my life so full.”
Glancing up, I give him a warm smile. “Thank you for coming home with me after the divorce and doing me against the wall.”
Now it’s his turn to bark out a laugh. “I don’t think you’re supposed to refer to doing it with a pastor standing two feet away,” he teases, his eyes dancing with mischief.
I shrug. “When have I ever done anything based on society’s standards?” I mirror.
“Touché, Mrs. Drake, touché. Now, what do you say we enjoy some dinner and dancing with our family and friends? Then, this little princess is off to a sleepover with her Aunt Gabby, which means I get to take you inside and do you against the wall. Again. As husband and wife.”
“I love the way you think,” I tell him as I reach over and hold our daughter’s hand. She instantly tries to put my finger in her mouth.
“And I love you,” he adds, just before swiping his lips across mine once more.
I thread my hands into his hair, careful not to squish Sophia, who’s grabbing hold of my hair and trying to eat it. As our guests mingle in the yard and snap photos with their cell phones, I can’t help but smile. Everything in life has led to this.
This moment.
This man.
Our future.
This is our love story.
It’s not perfect, but it’s ours.
Forever.
* * *
The End … for now.
Thank you