We’d transformed the outdoor area behind the clinic into a wedding venue, with chairs arranged in rows and a simple white tent in case the weather turned. The chairs faced the spot where wild daisies had grown last autumn – the same ones Sam had picked for his proposal. This year’s cooler fall meant no daisies bloomed there now, but I’d made sure pale pink peonies decorated the chairs.
I smoothed the front of my wedding dress – ivory silk with sleeves that hid the small bump I wasn’t quite ready to announce publicly – and watched my son adjust his tiny bow tie with the seriousness of someone handling nuclear materials.
“Leo, sweetheart, you look perfect,” I said, kneeling carefully to straighten the pillow tied to his wrist. Our rings were secured safely, but Leo had been checking them every five minutes since we’d gotten dressed.
“What if I drop them, Mama?” Leo asked. “What if they fall in the grass and we can’t find them?”
“Then daddy and Uncle Jack will help us look,” I said, smoothing his hair. “But you’re not going to drop them. You’ve been practicing for weeks.”
“But what if—”
A blur of black and white shot past us, and Leo’s worry immediately vanished. “Rocket! You’re supposed to stay with Daddy!”
“Ready?” Harper appeared beside us, beautiful in her matron of honor dress, with Emma bouncing next to her. “Leo, time to show everyone what an awesome ring bearer you are.”
I looked toward the makeshift altar Sam and Jack had built, where Sam waited with the officiant – a judge from the county courthouse who’d known Sam’s family for years. Even from here, I could see him watching for me, that crooked smile playing at his lips.
Leo took Harper’s hand, then looked back at me with sudden shyness. “Mama, are you happy?”
The question caught me off guard with its sweetness and sincerity. I cupped his face in my hands. “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my whole life,” I told him honestly. “Are you happy?”
Leo considered this seriously. “I’m happy we’re all gonna have the same last name now.”
“Mitchell,” I said, trying it out. “Dr. Chloe Mitchell.”
“And Leo Mitchell,” he added proudly. “And Baby Mitchell,” he whispered, patting my stomach gently. The gesture was so tender it made my throat tight.
“And Baby Mitchell,” I agreed quietly. We hadn’t told anyone about the pregnancy yet, but Leo had figured it out last week. The perceptiveness of children was both amazing and slightly terrifying.
Harper suddenly became very interested in adjusting Emma’s flower girl dress.
“Time to go, Leo, Emma,” Harper said gently, her voice carefully neutral. “Your daddies are waiting.”
Leo walked down the aisle with careful dignity, his tongue poking out slightly in concentration, and successfully delivered the rings without dropping them. Emma scattered flower petals with enthusiasm, throwing entire handfuls into the air and laughing when they landed in her hair.
When it was my turn to walk down the aisle, I saw only Sam – his face lighting up the moment he saw me.
The judge kept the ceremony simple and heartfelt. We’d written our own vows, and when Sam’s turn came, he looked between Leo and me with tears in his eyes.
“Chloe,” he said, his voice steady despite the emotion, “almost two years ago, I stood outside the Rosewood Inn and told my best friend I couldn’t marry you. Which might be the stupidest thing I’ve ever done, and I once tried to fix a leaking keg with duct tape.”
The crowd laughed.
“But you taught me that love isn’t about perfect moments. It’s about being honest when you’re scared, asking for help when you need it, and trusting your partner, especially when things get messy.”
Sam squeezed my hands. “So I promise to always talk to you first, before I spiral into my own head. I promise to include you in every decision that matters, from Leo’s bedtime to what color to paint the bathroom. I promise to support you through midnight calving calls and emergency puppy deliveries, to never complain when you come home covered in hay and horse hair or smelling like an alpaca, and to always have coffee ready when you’ve been up all night with a sick animal.”
“Daddy, tell her about the cookies, too!” Leo burst out, unable to contain himself.
The crowd chuckled as Sam continued, grinning now. “I promise to close the bar early when you need me, to help you chase escaped chickens, and to never, ever, judge you for the number of stray animals you bring home. Even when it’s definitely too many.”
“It’s never too many!” I protested, laughing through my tears.
“See? This is what I’m signing up for,” Sam said to the crowd, who laughed with him. Then his expression softened as he looked at me again. “You chose me when I didn’t deserve it. You stayed when I gave you every reason to leave. You took my secrets and fears and mess, and you loved me anyway. So I’m choosing you back, Chloe. Every day. Muddy boots, stray animals, terrible middle-of-the-night farm calls, and all. Forever and always.”
“Go, Daddy!” Leo cheered, doing little fist pumps that made everyone laugh.
When my turn came, I looked at Sam first. “Sam, you taught me that real love isn’t perfect – it’s honest, messy, and brave. I promise to trust you with my fears and my dreams. I promise to choose this family every single day, through bar inventory and breakfast chaos, through Leo’s soccer games and your terrible attempts at animal-shaped pancakes. I love you with all my heart. Today, tomorrow. Forever and always.”
