Liam opened the envelope to find photographs — him and Morgan as children, playing hockey on the frozen pond behind their childhood home. One showed him, no more than eleven, helping a young Morgan, about seven, lace up her skates.
“You were always the one who took care of everyone,” Morgan said softly. “Even back then. You taught me to skate. You stood up to the boys who teased me. You were my hero.” Her voice broke. “And I repaid that by trying to sabotage your happiness.”
Liam set the photos aside and pulled his sister into a hug that she returned fiercely, her tears dampening his shirt.
“I’m so sorry, Liam,” she whispered. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when Kate died. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for the girls. And I’m sorry about Sunny.”
“You’re here now,” Liam said, his own voice rough with emotion. “That’s what matters.”
Morgan hesitated. “Don’t mess this up,” she whispered fiercely in his ear. “At least one of us should be happy in this life.”
After she left, Liam changed his cufflinks for his grandmother’s, the weight of them unfamiliar but comforting against his wrists. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.This is really happening, he thought. He was marrying Sunny today, taking a step he’d never imagined taking again after losing Kate. And somehow, impossibly, it felt right.
Liam
The large garden at the back of Liam’s home had been transformed. White chairs formed neat rows on either side of a flower-lined aisle, and an arch woven with blue hydrangeas and white roses stood at the front. It wasn’t elaborate — neither he nor Sunny had wanted that — but it was perfect, intimate and meaningful.
Liam stood beneath the arch, Tyler at his side, watching as guests found their seats. His teammates filled a row, uncharacteristically subdued in their suits and ties. Beth sat near the front, dabbing at her eyes already though the ceremony hadn’t even begun.
Mrs Finley, Sunny’s former neighbor who’d given Liam the first clue to finding her, sat proudly in the second row, wearing a hat that seemed better suited to a royal wedding than their modest garden ceremony.
His gaze caught on an unexpected sight in the front row, and his heart stuttered. Kate’s parents, Laura and Richard Taylor, sat stiffly on the bride’s side, though they’d never met Sunny. He’d called them last month, one of the hardest phone calls he’d ever made.
“I’m getting married again,”he’d said, after the initial pleasantries.“I’d like you to be there, if you can.”
The silence had stretched so long he’d thought they’d hung up.
“Do you love her?”Laura had finally asked, her voice tight.
“Yes,”he’d answered simply.“And she loves the girls. She makes us happy.”
Another long pause.“We’ll think about it.”
He hadn’t heard from them since, had assumed they wouldn’t come. Now Laura caught his eye and gave him a small, tight nod. It wasn’t enthusiasm, but it was acceptance. He’d take it.
Behind them sat several children from Sunny’s new in-home childcare business with their parents. She’d started small, just two families at first, but word had spread quickly about the warm, capable woman who treated every child like her own. Now she had a waiting list and was talking about converting more of the house to accommodate her growing business.
Coach Hendricks slipped into a seat near the back, a welcome surprise given the drama with team management. His presence felt like a benediction of sorts, a nod to Liam’s decision to prioritize his personal happiness over the team’s narrow definition of acceptable behavior.
The string quartet — a touch Sunny had insisted on, remembering how Liam had once mentioned Kate’s love of classical music — began to play, signaling the start of the ceremony. The guests quieted, turning expectantly toward the back.
Maddie appeared first, taking measured steps down the aisle, scattering rose petals with serious concentration. Hailey followed, her enthusiasm resulting in less even distribution as she tossed handfuls of petals in joyful bursts. They took their places near Liam, Hailey giving him an exaggerated wink that drew chuckles from the guests.
The music shifted to the wedding march, and everyone stood, turning toward the back of the garden. And then Sunny appeared, and the world around Liam seemed to fade away.
She wore a simple dress, nothing like the elaborate gown Kate had chosen for their first wedding. This was pure Sunny — elegant in its simplicity, a flowing sheath of ivory that caught the sunlight as she moved. Her dark hair was pinned up with tiny flowers, a few curls framing her face. But what struck him most was her smile, radiant and sure, her eyes finding his immediately.
Her bouquet was a small cluster of wildflowers and roses, and woven into it was a single maple leaf — the one she’d brought back from Kate’s grave. The sight of it caught in his throat, not with pain but with gratitude for her understanding of how to honor the past while embracing their future.
As she neared, Liam caught a glimpse of Maddie’s expression — a mixture of joy and something else, something that for a split second reminded him so much of Kate’s smile that his heart constricted. But there was no fear in the recognition, no guilt. Just a sense of completion, of circles closing and new ones beginning.
When Sunny reached him, Liam took her hands, suddenly unable to speak past the lump in his throat.
“Hi,” she whispered, squeezing his fingers.
“Hi,” he managed, his voice rough with emotion.
The officiant began the ceremony, but Liam barely heard the words. He was lost in Sunny’s eyes, in the journey that had brought them here, in the miracle of finding love again when he’d been certain that part of his life was over.
