“Why do you say that?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” She inhaled, then exhaled. “He’s such an amazing man, but he has his battles, you know?”
“I do.” I nodded. “But now that he has you, he will not face those battles alone.”
“That’s true.” She turned her eyes to the ceiling. “It’s just so crazy how life happens, you know? One minute you feel like the saddest, most hopeless person on the planet, and then it turns intothis.” She lifted a hand, gesturing to the entire venue.
“It is bittersweet at first,” I admitted.
“Yes. And I will never say that to him, but I can confess this to you because you get it. It’s not easy moving on.”
“No,” I agreed. “It is not. Some days I feel like I do not deserve to move on.”
“Same,” she murmured. “But we do deserve it.Youdeserve it.” She grabbed my hand and gave it a friendly squeeze. “Octavia is head over heels for you, and she loves you so much. And one thing about my sister is that she’ll be there no matter what. You can count on her foranything. So take care of her, okay?” Davina’s eyes watered. “Because she deserves to be loved too.”
“Yes. She does.” As I said that, I looked to my right, and Octavia was making her way to us. Her face was calm, and she was so beautiful beneath the dim gold lighting. “Your sister will be taken care of, Davina.”
“Promise?”
I looked into her eyes. “I promise that and more.”
“Good.” She released my hand and sniffled. “Let me blink these tears away before she starts acting like my mama.”
I chuckled as she turned a fraction, and Octavia finally made it to my side.
“Cat has run off with your daughter,” she informed me, hooking an arm through mine.
“Has she?” I pressed my lips. “I guess that just leaves you and me, then.” I leaned down to kiss her cheek.
“Vina?” Octavia tilted her head to look at her sister.
“Hmm?” Davina was avoiding looking at her.
Octavia pulled away from me to step in front of her sister. “Were you crying?”
“No! What are you talking about? No one’s crying.”
“Yes, you were!”
She unleashed a laugh. “Okay, fine, but it’s because today has been so amazing.”
“Aww, sis. Was it everything you dreamed it would be?”
“Oh, it was more, Tavia. Definitely so much more.”
Octavia hugged her sister.
“Oh, Lord.” Davina looked past Octavia, and I noticed she had her attention on Deke, who was now surrounded by several people. All of them seemed to be asking questions at the same time. He looked at Davina with wide eyes that screamedHelp me, and she covered her mouth to suppress a laugh.
“I’d better get over there and whisk him away.” She was already walking away. “Enjoy yourselves! I’ll catch up with you in a bit.”
When she was a good distance away and Octavia had returned to my side, I said, “She looks very happy.”
“She is. Deliriously so.”
The music changed to a slower tempo, and Octavia squealed before snatching my drink out of my hand and placing it on a nearby table.
“I love this song.” She grabbed one of my hands and tugged on it. “Dance with me—wait, you do know how to dance, right?”
