She giggles.
“Sounds like a pretty good Christmas to me. But I can’t wait till we head home.”
“And why’s that?” I ask her, drawing my fingers up her side until it finds her warm skin beneath her shirt.
“Because your real Christmas present will be waiting for you underneath the mistletoe, naked and wrapped in nothing but a bow.” She winks insinuating everything I get to look forward to later.
I shake my head. “You realize you just turned mistletoe into a weapon, right?”
She laughs. “Absolutely, nothing says spreading Christmas cheer, then you taking me home and eating the cookie I left out for Krampus this year.”
I’ve never been more excited to eat a cookie in my entire life.
“Well, ho, ho, ho, little lady, let’s get the fudge out of here. I got a cookie to devour.”
She beams with pride.
Yeah, I said fudge, and no I don’t regret it at all.
ChapterTwenty-Five
Mindy
(One Week Later: New Year’s Eve)
The beach smells of salt and warm sand, the kind of clean air that fills your lungs and makes you believe in fresh starts. My bare feet sink into cool granules as the waves roll in over our toes in a rhythm that feels ancient, like the ocean has been waiting for this exact moment to happen.
Amber stands at the edge of the water, sunlight catching in her blonde curls, her off-white dress dancing around her legs as the breeze teases it. Drac faces her, barefoot and solemn, dressed in all white except for the cut all three men wear.
The love in their eyes is unmistakable. It’s the kind of love you see after years of trials and tribulations, overcoming obstacles neither knew they were going to fight.
I barely know their story, but Rich has told me parts of it: the years they spent apart, the way the universe brought them back together. It’s the kind of story you only read about in fairytales, but here they are, holding each other’s hands on the cusp of the ocean, a fading sun setting in the distance.
Autumn squeezes my hand, both of us suppressing our tears as Drac takes Amber’s hands and her first tears fall.
A woman Amber knows is officiating everything, her smile just as beautiful as she is.
“We come here today, in front of the ocean, under the eyes of all those who passed before us, to celebrate the union of Amber and Eddie. This isn’t the first time they’ve shared their vows, but today they wish to do it in front of all of us, their closest family and friends.
Their baby cries, and Giovanni immediately snaps into action, putting on his best big brother pants. “Now there will be none of that today, Gage. Mommy and Daddy are getting married again, and you need to be quiet so they can say their vows.”
Everyone laughs, especially when Gage coos and gurgles at his brother.
“It’s okay, Lucia. Continue,” he says proudly.
Rich’s gaze meets mine, both of us longing to hold the other. But it’ll have to wait. Today’s not about us. It’s about them. Their journey.
Lucia’s words drift in and out, but it’s Amber and Drac who hold me captive. This isn’t about legality or obligation. This is about choice. About surviving hell together and still deciding to stay with each other till the end.
“I choose you,” Amber says, voice trembling as she chokes on her words. “Every version of us. The good… the bad… the fights that split us apart and brought us crashing together again. In every lifetime, I’ll always choose you,” she vows, barely able to hold his hand.
Drac’s jaw tightens, voice rough but still steady. “You and our sons will always be my life,” he murmurs, stroking her face with love. “Since the moment I met you, it’s always been you, even with the bumps and obstacles that tried to split us apart. You’rethe only woman I’ve ever loved, the only woman I’ll ever love. Now it’s about us, the four of us growing as a family, building strength out of the foundation of ash we rose from to find each other again. We’ve been through hell and clawed our way out of it. We’ve survived obstacles others only saw in movies. But we’re still here… surviving… growing together every day. I love you, Amber. I loved you yesterday. I’ll love you tomorrow. And I’ll love you every day after that. You and our sons are my world, and I’ll gladly spend the rest of my life showing you just how much my life revolves and centers around you.”
When he kisses her, the beach erupts in cheers, laughter, and tears. I feel mine stinging behind my eyes, emotion swelling unexpectedly.
Rich crosses over to me the second he can. “You okay?” he murmurs, caressing my locks in his shaking fingers.
I nod, swallowing hard. “Yeah. I just… I love this. Weddings always make me cry.”
