I’ve never wanted anything the way I want her.
The officiant begins, but I barely hear the first few words.
Charlotte’s standing inches from me, hands clasped in front of her, breathing slow and steady like she’s anchoring herself to this moment. To us. And I’m truly trying to listen to the officiant.
“…joined today in front of family and friends…”
“…a partnership built through trust, patience, and love…”
But it’s useless.
Every time she looks up at me, something in my chest pulls tight and warm, like muscle memory I didn’t know my heart had.
My fingers twitch. Her lips part on a soft, nervous exhale.
Yeah. I’m gone.
The officiant nods gently. “Declan. Your vows.”
Right.
Those.
I take her hands. Her fingers fit against mine the way they always have, like she’s holding me together.
I swallow once. Twice.
Then I speak.
“Charlotte… I didn’t know it was possible to be this sure of anything.”
My voice is low, rough around the edges.
“Before you, everything in my life was about surviving the day in front of me. Being a captain. Being a dad. Keeping everything under control.”
Her eyes shine, and I have to blink hard to stay steady.
“But you changed that. You didn’t ask me to be perfect. You didn’t ask me to be anything other thanme. And somehow, that was enough.”
I exhale, slow and uneven. “You taught me what it feels like to trust again. What it feels like to come home to someone.”
Her breath catches.
“You are my teammate in every way that matters. You make the hard days feel manageable. You make the good days feel… unreal. You make our family feel complete.”
Her fingers tighten around mine.
“I promise to show up for you. To choose you. Every damn day. Even on the days when life is loud and exhausting and the twins are melting down and Sophie’s rolling her eyes at both of us.”
A soft ripple of laughter moves through the room.
“And I promise you this—whatever comes next, however big or small—you’ll never face it alone.”
Her eyes shine harder now. Mine probably do too.
I finish quietly.
“I love you, Charlie.”
