When I finally pull back, she laughs softly, her breath catching.
She turns toward me, eyes shining. “Hi, husband.”
That lands right in my chest.
“Hi, wife.”
She rises up and kisses me—brief, soft, perfect.
Music swells as Charlotte slides her hand into mine.
We turn to walk back down the aisle and—
Finn squeals.
Lila claps.
The entire front row bursts into laughter as both twins fling their arms up like they know exactly what’s happening.
Sophie’s eyes are bright, her smile big. Tessa steadies Lila on her hip, giving me a little nod that says she’s got them covered.
Charlotte squeezes my hand once. Tight. Full of everything we just promised each other.
I squeeze back.
We take our first step as husband and wife, and the room rises.
The aisle feels long and short all at once. David’s wiping his eyes, Erin’s smiling, Maya is bouncing, and my teammates are a row of crooked ties and smirks. Charlotte laces her fingers with mine.
We step through the archway of pine boughs as the coordinator guides everyone toward the reception.
Guests drift into the next room, snow falling outside the tall windows. It’s quiet for a beat—just her hand in mine, the weight of everything we just promised settling warm and steady in my chest.
When we walk into the reception, the room erupts—cheers, applause, a couple whistles I know are Torres and Tyler. Charlotte laughs, the sound hitting me like the first deep breath after a big win.
Sophie and Tessa are right behind us with the twins.
Finn frowns like the bowtie is an act of betrayal.
Lila kicks one shoe loose and looks proud of herself.
Charlotte adjusts my jacket.
“You ready?” she whispers.
“For the rest of my life? Absolutely.”
She rolls her eyes, smiling. “I meant for the reception.”
“That too.”
The DJ shifts the music, and the coordinator guides us to the center of the room. The opening notes of our song float through the air—warm, low, unmistakably ours.
Charlotte steps into my arms, soft and familiar.
She rests her cheek near my collarbone, and I swear my heart stops and restarts all at once.
“You’re staring,” she whispers.
