Keely shook her head. “If you had listened to the rumors carefully, you would have noticed that they were about Susie potentially marrying a Barry, not necessarily Matthew.”
Covering my mouth with my hands, I laughed and looked at Matthew.
“Told you they were hitting it off.” He pulled me in for a tight squeeze. “The important thing now, is that we found each other and we’re going to get married.”
I looked at him. We hadn’t even discussed the possibility.
With a furlong look on his face, he turned to me. “That is, if you’ll have me.”
I smiled as the room suddenly fell quiet. Keely, Abbie and Ayra looked at us with bated breath.
“Of course, I’ll have you, Matthew. I’ve waited all my life to have you.”
The silence was quickly replaced by more cheers and applause. Then someone loudly cleared their throat, and we all turned to the source.
“Kenneth,” I muttered, so surprised to see him out of bed.
Next to him stood Susie, so cute and petite next to Kenneth’s towering frame.
“Not to upstage you, little brother,” Kenneth said, “but I may have an announcement to make of my own.”
Susie leaned into him and smiled with such adoration.
Squeezing her to him, he looked over the crowd. “Susie and I are to be married.”
More explosive cheers erupted.
Kenneth and Susie came up to us, and we exchanged hugs and congratulations.
“I had no idea,” I said to Susie.
“I didn’t want to step on your toes and take over nursing Kenneth, but when you got so busy...”
“And not that I didn’t appreciate your attentive care,” Kenneth added. “But Susie brought a...let’s just say...a more personal touch.”
I laughed, so happy for them both.
We emptied our flutes of champagne which were quickly filled again.
“This is going to be a celebration to end all celebrations,” Matthew shouted.
