"Caleb, mate, it's time for you to go," I told him.
Caleb nodded and walked out, leaving me alone with Erin. She shook as she cried, letting all the anger and rage go; she allowed herself to finally feel the pain. I went to her, pulling her into my arms hoping I could alleviate some of her disappointment. As I felt her body tremble against me, I prayed that she could know her worth despite the way she’d been treated. Her sobs were agonizing expressions of deep loss, for the father she’d never really known, for realization of what he could never be.
As I held her close, I too, grieved the fantasy of a positive reunion with Caleb. I’d seen reconciliation in the cards, but maybe that was a complete pipe dream. What I did see, and what I knew, down to my very core, was that Erin was meant for me and I would do everything in my power to protect her and shield her from pain. I couldn’t make up for what had happened in her past, but I could make her happy future my absolute priority. I knew I wanted to be with Erin forever, she already was my family.
I gripped her chin and turned her face up to meet mine.
“Be my wife, Erin Walsh. Marry me and leave this pain behind.
I surprised myself with the declaration; I didn’t even have a ring. But those words were perhaps the truest I’d ever spoken. There was no one else for me. Whatever I’d been searching for my whole life, I’d found it in her arms.
Erin searched my face, maybe waiting for a catch, a grin, for another shoe to drop.
“You’re going to ask me that question here in a gym, my face all swollen from tears?”
“I plan on asking you again and again until you say, ‘yes’. Ultimately, I hope to ask you in a church.” I winked at her and saw the shy smile spread across her face like the dawn. “Erin Walsh, would you be mine?”
She buried her face in my chest and pretended to punch me in the gut.
"This isn't the best time for that question," she said.
"Sure it is. To have and to hold, in the good and the bad. Erin you make me happy and I want to share my life with you. I go after what I want and I don’t stop until I win. The only part left, to make my life whole and perfect, is to have you by my side, sharing the wins with me. I love you, Erin. I can’t imagine life without you.”
She jumped into my arms and I spun her around.
“What do you say, A Chara? Will you make me a happy man?”
Epilogue One
One year later
Erin
"You look beautiful," Caleb said, smiling at me.
"Thank you," I said as I took his hand. We’d come a long way in the last year. After the night, I confronted him, Caleb didn't go away and he refused to give up. He worked hard at reconnecting with Liam and me and every little gain he made, he earned, putting in the hard work.
We weren't a perfect happy family by any stretch, but we were getting there. We’d at least made it to a place where the past was the past, and we could look at the future unencumbered by the mistakes that were made. We were still a ways away from a healthy and happy relationship, but we were getting to know one another again and that alone was an improvement.
That’s why, when he asked to give me away, I agreed. He wanted to do things the right way from here going forward. Aiden reminded me that we only have one mother and one father and that most of us aren’t lucky enough to be given second chances. I trusted my husband implicitly and I’d never known him to be a bad judge of character.
“Are you ready?” Caleb asked me.
"I am," I said. I took his arm as we walked up the stairs into the church.
Aiden had insisted on a church wedding, although neither of us had attended regularly throughout our lives.
“We need tradition, Erin. It’s something important that neither one of us got.”
I’d agreed with Aiden, he was usually right. I wanted our children to feel the stability of present parents, of community, and yes, of church—all that had been missing from our tragic childhoods. As I looked up to see Aiden waiting for me at the altar, proud, loyal, and devastatingly handsome, I knew in my heart that I’d made the right choice. Liam stood by Aiden’s side looking like he was ready to cry. He smiled at me as I walked into their circle. My family was small, somewhat broken, but breathtakingly beautiful and perfect for me.
"There is no better man, I’ve ever known, Erin. It’s an honor to give you to my best friend," Caleb said tearfully. He guided my hand toward Aiden’s and bowed his head as he took his leave.