The bikers file out of the van and take their places in the folding chairs that are set up in the sunroom. Stella comes over to me, her eyes wide. “What the hell, bitch. You’re not even close to ready.”
I smile, totally unworried. Stella picked out a dress and shoes, which are lying on my bed upstairs. I’m showered, so all I need to do is change my nursing bra to something more suited to the strapless design, and I’ll be good to go.
“I’m fine,” I tell her. But she grabs my hand and drags me through the house, calling Ivy’s name.
My little sister meets us as we’re headed up the stairs.
“Your sister needs hair and makeup. Let’s go.”
My sister follows Stella, and I just shrug, not really caring if I have hair and makeup. Today is a party. A chance for everyone to get together, for the families of our blood and our hearts to come together. To spend time with little Johnny. And to celebrate with us. Whether I have lipstick on or baby spit-up on my shoulder, it’s going to be an amazing day.
An hour later, the prospect known as Jizzy—his real name is Dylan, and now I can never not think of him as Dylan—knocks on my bedroom door.
“Photographer’s here!” he yells. “You wanna let her in?”
I whirl on Stella. “Who hired a photographer?” I ask. “We agreed we were just going to let our families take pictures with their phones.”
“It’s your wedding present from the club bunnies,” Stella explains. “You should have pictures to capture the first day of the rest of your life.”
I smile, warmed by their generosity. “I think the first day of the rest of my life was the day I met all of you,” I say.
“That was a great day,” she says, giving me a hug. She opens the door and barks orders at the photographer, a cute young woman who takes her work very seriously. She poses me, my dress, and calls up the parents for some pre-ceremony pictures.
Finally, we’re ready.
I kiss Daphne and my mom, and I hug Ivy and Stella. Then they all head down the stairs while I take a moment in the room I share with Shadow. I look in the mirror.
So much has changed about my life. A year ago, I was terrified, alone, on the run from a man I didn’t even realize was stalking me. I had high hopes for the future, but a detour on my path derailed every single plan I had. I could not be more grateful for storms, for unexpected journeys, and for the destination I never even knew I wanted to reach.
As I walk down the stairs of the home I share with my husband and son, I feel every eye in the sunroom on me. Music is playing from a small portable speaker, and my dad is waiting at the foot of the stairs to walk me down the short aisle through the folding chairs that leads to Shadow.
Holding my dad’s arm, I hear the click of the photographer’s camera, and I smile without even having to try.
I’m so, so happy.
I have everything I could have ever wanted—and so much more.
I stop when I reach Shadow, who is standing with Johnny in his arms. Phantom, who arranged for the minister to come to the house for this ceremony, stands apart from the folding chairs, looking over at the bikers, the women, and the river.
I frown when I see the baby. “What happened to his tuxedo T-shirt?” I ask Shadow.
Shadow shakes his head. “Spit-up. A big one.” He leans close to me and whispers in my ear. “Don’t yell at me for this. The onesie is a gift from the club.”
Shadow holds our son to show me he’s wearing a white onesie with a motorcycle printed on the front. The text on it reads, I’m proof a bike isn’t the only thing my daddy rides.
I groan and cover my face with my hands, careful not to smear the makeup Ivy insisted on putting on me, but then I laugh. And I laugh so hard, tears leak out of my eyes, and a little milk seeps from my nipples. Perfect. Real. Honest. I couldn’t imagine it any other way.
I kiss my baby’s cheek, and he scratches at my face with a soft, chubby hand. He’s so gentle and sweet, and he’s very much at ease with his father, our parents—everyone at this point. I hope he always stays so mellow and happy. Smiling is a new thing, but he does it often. And I feel like he’s doing it now.
Shadow juggles Johnny in one arm and takes my hand with the other. “You look beautiful, sweetheart,” he whispers, loud enough that I’m sure the minister hears him. “I can’t wait to smear that makeup and mess that hair.”
I laugh and rest my head on his shoulder. “Same,” I tell him. “Now, let’s get married and have a party.”
As the sun sets over the river, it casts a beautiful golden glow over the sunroom. Shadow and I exchange simple vows, and my sister reads a poem she picked out just for the occasion. As a librarian, I approve of the choice, but it’s Shadow who seems incredibly moved by her words. I notice him wipe a tear from the corner of his eye when she finishes.
After we exchange I dos, my mother takes baby Johnny, and everyone snacks at the buffet we had catered. The van to take the bikers back heads out around seven. Mom, Dad, and Ivy have changed into pajamas and are playing with Johnny while Daphne and Gary remind them to call if they need backup.
Shadow lugs our overnight bags down the stairs and takes them out to the car. I kiss everybody goodbye and try not to cry saying goodbye to my baby for the first time since he was born.
