“Bridger Bogart Kingman, don’t you dare try to make me laugh when I am angry!” Everett mimicked in a high-pitched voice.
“Remember that night when she was mad at you for getting us all riled up before bed?” Declan grinned. “She said you were going to have to put us all to sleep, and you insisted you couldn’t because you had to go to the bank. When she asked why, you said you needed to get your quarter back. She sprayed you with the hose from the kitchen sink.”
We all laughed, but it was tinged with sadness. We were the lucky ones. We got the most time with Mom, the most memories to treasure. For my younger siblings, she was more of a concept than a memory. And for Jules and Isak, she only existed in pictures and the stories we told.
“I just really want what you and Mom had,” I said. “You two set the bar so high. I want nothing less for Trixie and me. I’ve seen the pictures from your wedding—you both look so in love. It was the perfect day, and I wanted that kind of start for us too.”
“Who told you our wedding day was perfect?” Dad’s eyebrows shot up. “The pictures lied, son. That day was pure chaos.”
“What do you mean? I never heard this.”
“The wedding started twenty minutes late because your grandfather accidentally slammed your mother’s dress in the limo door and ripped it. Your Aunt May had to crawl up under her dress and fix it with a stapler from the church office. The flower girl got bored at the altar and started eating the rose petals out of her basket. I was so nervous I called your mother April Heraine De La Haine during our vows. My defensive line got so drunk at the reception they streaked on the golf course. And your grandfather’s weird friend gave us the ugliest teaset you’ve ever seen—one of the cups was even chipped. Your mother swore there was a curse on it.”
“What did you do with it?” Declan asked.
“It disappeared. Your mom used it one day when Mrs. Bohacek came over, served her some Earl Grey. She swore she put it back in the cabinet, but we never saw it again.”
“I had no idea,” I said. “You never told us.”
“Because none of it mattered, Chris.” Dad smiled, and I felt the knot in my stomach ease. “At the end of the day, April was my wife, and that’s the only thing that counted. It doesn’t matter what happens today. It matters what happens tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that. That’s what I want for all of you—to find the person who makes your heart feel like it’s been struck by lightning and to keep choosing each other, no matter what.”
“I have,” I said.
“Me too,” Declan said. “She makes me better in every way.”
“Same,” Everett agreed.
“Speaking of those chuckleheads,” I said, trying to lighten the mood, “where are they?”
Everett checked his phone. “Isak and the twins had to run back to the house for some kind of chicken emergency. They should be back any minute—said something about meeting Hayes at the supply trailer.”
As if summoned, Isak, Flynn, and Gryff burst through the tent flap, followed by Hayes and Nana Kingman. Nana was pushing a stroller-like contraption decorated with flowers, and inside it sat a very angry Luke Skycocker. I swore when the rooster saw me, his eyes narrowed into a glare that promised he would plot my demise if only he had thumbs.
Hayes looked slightly disheveled and out of breath.
“What happened?” I asked.
“Jules called,” Flynn explained. “Apparently Luke was not a fan of his wedding garb and managed to break out of his Roostermobile, fly over the fence, and take up residence on the roof of Dad’s shed.”
“None of the girls could lure him down, and Mr. Moore has a bad back, so we needed to perform a high-stakes chicken rescue,” Isak added.
“It involved two brooms, a ladder, and Dad’s old fishing net.” Gryff raised an eyebrow. “Weird thing, though—we found the ladder on the side of the house instead of where it normally hangs in the garage. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you, Chris?”
“Absolutely not,” I deadpanned. Little shit brothers.
“Anyway, Luke managed to tear his tuxedo while trying to escape, and Hayes remembered you bought a backup.” Isak clapped Hayes on the shoulder.
“I made a spreadsheet of all the emergency supplies and synced it to my phone,” Hayes explained.
God, I loved that kid.
“But he did not want to go gently into that good night,” Flynn said. “We ended up calling Nana in for backup to get the damn thing on him.”
“I haven’t had that much trouble getting a small creature dressed since Everett was a toddler,” Nana said.
“In fairness, Nana, I still don’t like being dressed,” Everett interjected.
I took another look at our prisoner of war. “How can we be sure he isn’t going to bust out of that thing again in the middle of the wedding?”
