"You look stunning, darling." My mom puts her hands on either side of my face and kisses my forehead. I smile as best as I can and accept the love she's trying to show me. Years of hurt cannot be replaced with her apology, but the fact that she gave custody of Travis back over to me without a fight was a huge step in the right direction.
My wedding dress is ivory satin, with a lace overlay. I didn't think I'd opt for something so feminine, but when Tenley brought it to me during our girls’ wedding dress weekend in Phoenix, I humored her by trying it on. Then I fell in love with it.
But not nearly as in love as I am with Wyatt. That man once drove me crazy, and he still does now, but in an entirely different way.
Dakota comes in and tells me it's all set. Colt kicks his legs to get down out of her arms but she holds fast to him. His behind-the-ear hearing aid is hardly noticeable, and his loss of hearing hasn't stopped him from turning into a headstrong toddler.
I take one last look in the mirror. Travis comes forward, extending his bent arm toward me. He will walk me down the aisle.
My son. When it comes to him, I'm filled with regret. I can only hope time heals us, that we form new memories, and use those as our foundation. Like my own mother, the apology doesn't replace the pain, but as long as we spend every day trying, we'll get there someday.
The music starts up, and that's my cue. I walk toward the chapel where Dakota and Wes married, and Warner and Tenley. It must be good luck to follow those two couples.
Fairy lights are woven into the flower garlands that wrap around the columns of the chapel. A long white runner extends out the open doors and down the steps. Candles flicker in tall candelabras on either side. Dakota decorates the same way she lives life. With so much love.
"You ready, Mom?" Travis asks. He's been calling me Mom for a few months. I didn't say anything when he started it, fearing it would make him stop. Every time he says it, it's like my heart gets a little hug.
"Let's do it."
Dakota hired a string quartet for the ceremony, and she gives them the signal to start playing my wedding march. The first notes fill the air, and the small crowd turns around. All eyes are on me, but there's only one place for my gaze.
Wyatt, at the end of the aisle. Wyatt, with his dark hair slicked back, so handsome in his tux. The man my heart gravitated toward for years, who had his own demons to slay before he could love me.
I'm halfway there, halfway to him, when he wipes a tear from his face. It prompts my own. I can't believe the journey we had to go on before we were given to each other.
We reach the end of the aisle, and when the pastor asks who is giving me away, Travis says, "I'm giving my mom away," and kisses my cheek, and it's everything I can do not to break down.
Wyatt and I promise to love each other through it all, to honor and cherish one another. We exchange rings, we sayI do, and he kisses me in a way that is appropriate for the given audience but promises more later.
Later, after pictures and cocktails, Wyatt leads me out to the pecan trees, past the point where the lights reach. The food will be served soon, so we don't have more than a few minutes, but we make the most of it.
"You are so beautiful tonight, Jo," Wyatt whispers against my skin.
I giggle. I've already had two glasses of champagne. "You've said that twenty times, husband."
"Be prepared to hear it twenty more," he growls into my ear, dragging his teeth along the outer edge.
I make an incoherent sound. "Take me home."
"I think we'd be missed."
"Fine, we can stay."
He laughs and kisses me senseless, until I'm certain my lips are bruised. When we rejoin the party, Shelby gives me a knowing look. She picks at my hair. "You literally have bark from the pecan tree in your hair."
"Oopsie," I sing.
She laughs. "You're not even drunk enough to be acting like that."
"Drunk in love," I remind her. Two arms encircle me from behind. I look down and spot Wyatt's newly appointed gunmetal gray wedding ring on his finger.
Shelby gives him a look. "I have something interesting to tell you."
"Oh yeah?" His deep voice tumbles over me. "What's that?"
"Your buddy Dan Howard was fired from the force yesterday. Someone anonymously sent the sheriff photos of Dan having himself quite the party."
"I hope it was worth it," Wyatt responds.
