She responds by dragging my lips down to meet hers. And after minutes of passionately kissing the woman I’m going to spend the rest of my life with, I slide my mother’s ring onto her left ring finger.
“A perfect fit,” she says as she admires the square diamond under the starry night. “Now let’s go pick up those lollipops from the front walkway before they go bad. You’ve single handedly resupplied me for life,sweetheart.”
“Sweetheart’s not bad, but it sounds too smart-alecky from your mouth.”
“Sugar?”
“Old ladies call me that,” I scoff. “You can do better.” She raises an eyebrow, then a wicked smile crosses her face.
“Labbie,” she says, matter-of-factly. “As in labrador. If I get Bully, then you get Labbie.”
“No. Not in a million years. I’m fresh out of that friendly, loyal labrador zone.” I take her head between my hands and show her just how out of that zone I am.
Epilogue
Hadley
I’mstillintheprocess of trying to recover from reading Braxton’s written vows to me when Mama walks into the room.
“Mama, I’m so happy you’re here!” I embrace her, careful not to wrinkle my dress. It’s big, sparkly, and poofy. Everything I imagined I would wear if I ever got married.
Married.
My brain wanders back to his vows. I’m going to have that sheet of paper memorized before the night’s through if I keep thinking about his soulful words. I’m glad we decided to exchange them on paper before the ceremony instead of in front of everyone. I didn’t see him, and he didn’t see me, but we stood back to back and read aloud the vows we wrote to each other.
“I’m glad they let me out of that rehab facility to witness my only daughter’s wedding.” Her voice is strong, nothing like the weak rasp it was while she was on drugs and drinking alcohol. She got to come home for Thanksgiving, and now she’s home for my wedding. Hopefully they will let her out to celebrate Christmas, which is only two weeks away, with Braxton and me.
“Mama, will you walk me down the aisle?” I didn’t ask her earlier just in case she couldn’t come. She bursts into tears, nodding emphatically. This is the perfect day. We hug again before Lucy pulls me away.
“We have to watch the makeup and hair,” she says, her voice too high for her own good. She may be more excited for this wedding than I am.
Ha, who am I kidding?
I’ve been dreaming about this day since Braxton asked me back in October. We didn’t want to wait long because…well, you can guess why, but I also wanted to wait until I was sure about what I believed.
“God, thank You so much for everything,” I whisper aloud, trying my hardest not to cry and ruin Lucy’s masterpiece. She wouldn’t let me do my own makeup even though I’m fantastic at it because “the bride shouldn’t lift a finger on her wedding day.”
I’m so thankful for my best friends and the work they did to make this intimate wedding happen quickly. From the flowers and minimum decorations to the seats and tables borrowed from the Juniper Grove Church, the one Braxton’s dad pastors at, this wedding couldn’t be more perfect. My dress was from an off-the-rack place, but it fit me perfectly and was just what I was looking for. Lorelai and Lucy held my hand every step of the way, constantly reassuring me when doubts tried to creep in.
Goodness, I’m fixing to tear up again.
“I’ll never tire of hearing you talk to God,” Lorelai says beside me. I knew Lucy and Lorelai were Christians too, but I didn’t know they were praying for me to surrender like Braxton was. I get it now. I understand.
I’m still not perfect, and never will be, but now I have His help to fight off my demons. That crazy love Braxton talked about…I feel it now. And even when I don’t feel it, I know it’s there.
“You look beautiful, baby. You’ve never looked more radiant,” Mama says. I’ve tried to talk to her about God and what He’s done for me, but she is still skeptical. She redirects any God-related conversations like I used to do.
“Thanks, Mama.” I kiss her cheek.
“It’s almost time,” Lorelai says. She’s been keeping Lucy and me on task through the whole process.
“Lorelai. Lucy,” I address each of them, taking their hands in mine. “I love you ladies more than words can say. Not as much as Braxton,” they both laugh, “but y’all are a close second. You’ve both been there for me so many times throughout my life, and I hope to repay you both for it one day. Y’all are thebestbest friends a girl could ask for.” Lucy squeals, refraining from jumping on me with a hug. Lorelai lets a small smile escape and nods her head once.
“It’s time,” Lorelai says, holding out my bouquet filled with pink roses and white daisies. I wipe my hands down the front of my dress before taking my bouquet from Lorelai.
“Maddie, where are you?” Lorelai calls for one of Braxton’s cousin’s daughters. She’s seven, so she makes the perfect flower girl. I’ve met her several times in the past when they were visiting with Braxton, but they live across the state line in Tennessee. Maddie, in her adorable, frilly pink dress, comes running into the room from the guest bathroom, the one where I fell on top of Braxton while we engaged in a Nerf gun war. I’m happy to report we’ve played a lot more since then. And I’ve won the majority of them.
The girls walk ahead of me, leading me out of my room as their pale pink dresses swish around them. I didn't want traditional Christmas colors even though it’s two weeks from the holiday, so I stuck with pink, which is basically a very light shade of red.
