I Never Let You Go (I Never 3)

Her love radiates off her as she approaches me. That smile, God, it’s making me weak in the knees.

Before the minister gets a chance to speak, I notice something on Lo’s cheek.

“Lo, you have a…”

I swipe a tiny eyelash off her cheek.

With my thumb resting lightly against her lips as to not ruin her lipstick, I whisper, “Make a wish, baby.”

She closes her eyes and purses her tips together, blowing the eyelash away.

I lean in, kissing her cheek briefly. I don’t want to mess up the flow of the ceremony kissing her before I’m supposed to, so I settle on my lips against the soft skin of her cheek.

When she opens her eyes slowly, her smile grows wider than I ever thought possible. “I wished for you. I’ve always wished for you.”

As the ceremony begins, and Lauren and I recite our vows promising each other forever, there is a looming feeling in my heart knowing there is an empty chair next to my mom where my father should sit. But I also know that he is smiling down on me.

“You may now kiss your bride,” the minister announces.

I slide my hands along my wife’s cheeks and pull her to me to claim her lips for our first kiss as a married couple. The smile on her face lights up the evening sky. Just before our lips touch, I think to myself, Well, Dad, I finally got the girl.

Cookouts at our house are beginning to become a regular thing. Life couldn’t get much better in our little family, and it is about to grow even bigger. My niece and nephew are due to arrive in just a few months. Zach and Haylee’s family will be growing by one more too. Her due date is right after Dani’s.

Babies, babies everywhere.

I run my hand over my flat stomach, and I can’t wait for the time when it will be my belly growing and shopping for the cutest baby clothes. For now, I will settle for spoiling the crap out of my nieces and nephew. One day, Finn and I will welcome a bundle of joy of our own, but for now, I’m perfectly content with spending this time just the two of us. Of course, that doesn’t mean we haven’t started trying.

Standing at the island, I continue to mix the pasta salad when I feel two large, rough hands wrap around my waist. I feel the scruff of his neatly trimmed beard along my neck—a new look Finn has been rocking as he settles into his new life. He trails soft kisses along my neck, and I try not to laugh as the hair tickles my skin. He makes his way to my ear.

“Hello, wife.”

I smile at that word—wife. I waited my entire life to be Finn’s wife. There was a time when I never thought that would ever happen, that my happily ever after could be achieved. My heart rate accelerates with him being this close. I have that constant feeling of butterflies in my stomach when he is around.

Finn spins me around in his arms, and my back presses against the cold granite. I love the renovations Finn has been working on at the house, adding his personal touches here and there just like he has on my heart. He places his hands on the island, caging me in.

“Hello, husband.”

I bring my hands to cup his cheeks and run my hands over his beard. While still leaning against the counter with one hand, he brings the other over one of my hands, enclosing his hand around mine. He brings our joined hands to his mouth and brushes his lips against them.

“What’s in that pretty little head of yours?” Finn asks, caressing his knuckle along my temple.

“I’m just realizing how much I love you.”

He grips my hips and lifts me on the counter. I shriek before he settles between my legs. I instinctively wrap my legs around his waist, not even caring that we have guests outside. My hands drape over his shoulders, and my insides turn to mush at how bright his smile is.

“Oh, you’re now just realizing that, huh. It wasn’t before you agreed to be mine forever.” He closes the distance, capturing my mouth with his. My fingers play with the hair on the nape of his neck.

We are quickly interrupted when the door that leads out to the backyard swings open. Finn places his forehead against mine and groans at the loss of my touch.

“I can’t believe you allowed Zach to bring that damn karaoke machine here. Actually no, I can’t believe that Dani an

d Kyler gave him that god-awful machine,” my sister yells from the back door before making her way into the kitchen. “Ugh, will you two get a room? There’s food being prepared here. I’m pretty sure you two are breaking like half a dozen health code violations.” I slide off the counter.

“Oh, Kate, you know if you don’t like where I make love to my wife, you could always leave,” Finn spits back jokingly. The banter between Kate and Finn is hilarious to watch. She might be on team Finn, but she loves rousing him up and giving him a hard time. It was always like this growing up but has gotten better with age.

“You’re going to let him talk to me like that? Your own flesh and blood? We shared a womb.” Kate slaps her chest dramatically as if she’s extremely offended. The glint in her eyes tells me she has a hard time keeping a straight face.

I wrap my arms around Finn’s waist from behind, burying my face in his back, using him as a shield between my sister and me. “I’m staying out of the middle with you two.”