Your Forever Love (The Bennett Family 3)

It made perfect sense to have the wedding here. For one, it’s a small wedding with only immediate family and our closest friends attending. It’s simple too, with a small ceremony officiated by a close friend who is ordained. The party will be in a beautiful and elegant tent outside in the garden.

I have a connection with this place, which is hard to describe. The second I stepped inside, it felt like home, even though it looks nothing like it used to.

The room we’re in right now used to be our bedroom. Alice and Summer had twin bunk beds, while I had one for myself, which garnered me progressively more jealous looks from both of them as they grew up. The walls were a light pink color with a stain next to the door that never went away. Even though it’s gone, I can point out exactly where it was. The walls are a beautiful yellow now, giving the room a bright and cheerful appearance, as does the king-size bed.

“Nervous?” Summer asks, watching me in the mirror.

“No.” I smile at my sister, who looks a little unconvinced. I can’t explain why I’m not nervous. Last time I did this, I was a wreck the entire time during the preparations and the wedding itself. I was borderline nauseous the entire day. Now, I’m oddly at peace. I have butterflies in my stomach and a grin I can’t seem to tone down, but I’m not nervous.

A kn

ock at the door startles the three of us.

“Can I come in?” Mom’s voice resounds from outside.

“Sure,” I reply.

The door opens, and Mom steps inside with Julie at her side. Julie is lovely. She’s wearing a white satin dress, looking like a princess.

“Julie, you are so pretty,” I say.

“So are you,” she replies.

Mom doesn’t say anything, merely pulling me in to a hug. She was right, of course. There are several kinds of happiness. As I stand here, surrounded by my family with the man I love waiting on the other side of the door, I feel happier than I ever have.

“Mom, don’t ruin her hair,” Summer calls.

“It’s okay,” I assure her, and linger in my mom’s arms for a while longer. My blonde hair is styled in waves with a few pins here and there, so there’s not much to ruin about it.

“Oh, look, I did undo one of your pins,” Mom says as I pull out of her hug. She focuses on righting my pin next, but I think it’s an excuse for her to regain her composure because she’s misty-eyed.

“Mom,” I whisper. “I’m not nervous at all. Is that weird?” I look at her in the mirror, holding my breath.

“No, honey. It means you know deep down it’s right.” She offers me a warm smile and squeezes my hand. Julie is quietly looking at me, as if she wants to say something but doesn’t have the courage.

“What is it, sweetie?” I ask her. She glances at my sisters and Mom, then to her feet.

“We’ll go outside to see if everything is okay,” Alice says, getting the drift. “But you should hurry up. It’s starting in ten minutes.”

The three of them leave me alone with Julie.

“Let’s both sit on the bed, and you can tell me what’s wrong,” I say, leading us both to the bed.

“I asked Dad and he said yes, and I’m hoping you will too.”

“Okay.”

She licks her lips several times, wiping off some of her cherry lip gloss. “Can I call you Mom? I know I’m not going to be your baby the way they will be,” she says quickly, pointing to my stomach, “but—”

I hold up my hand, stopping her. “You are my baby. Don’t think for a second that I will treat any of you differently. And I’ll be honored if you call me Mom.” I pull her in to a hug just like my own mother did with me moments ago. Damn it, I’m way past misty-eyed. I’m downright tearful.

“Sister,” Max’s voice comes from the corridor. “You’d better come out soon.”

“We’ll be right out.”

Julie opens the door for me. I walk out of the room with small steps, careful not to step on my dress. Max is at the end of the short corridor, which opens into the spacious living room. My family waits there, along with Eric.

He wears an elegant navy suit that highlights his blue eyes, and a small strand of his rebellious hair shadows his left eyebrow.