He nods. “Can I be like you guys?”
I pull him in for a hug. “We’ll figure it out, buddy.”
I step out into Walker’s backyard and feel like I’ve crossed into another world.
Soft lights glow everywhere, warm and golden, strung through the trees and wrapped around posts like something out of a storybook. Lanterns flicker along the paths, their light dancing over petals scattered across the grass. The air smells like flowers and champagne. Maybe hope.
An acoustic version ofToday Was a Fairytaledrifts through the space, gentle and dreamy, the kind of music that settles right into your chest. It mixes with the sound of laughter and low conversation, the clink of glasses, the soft hush of people moving carefully like they don’t want to break the magic.
I stop walking without meaning to.
Everything feels hazy and unreal, like I’m inside a dream I didn’t know I was allowed to have. The night air brushes against my skin, cool and light, carrying the warmth of bodies and joy and celebration. Even the ground under my feet feels softer somehow, like it’s cushioning every step.
It really does look like a fairytale.
I’m still taking it all in when Violet appears in front of me, eyes shining. She doesn’t say a word. She just smiles and pulls me into a hug, tight and warm and grounding, like she knows I need a second to believe this is real.
I wrap my arms around her and breathe it in.
For once, the world feels beautiful instead of heavy.
And for a moment, I let myself believe in the magic of it all.
“You deserve your fairytale, Poppy. Now, before we go in, Ollie wants to have a moment alone with you before we formally announce you as a couple.”
I nod and look around, nervously. “Where is he?”
She turns and points. He’s in the gazebo with his back to us, looking out at the frozen lake. Heaters are everywhere, keeping it warm out here, not making it feel like Wyoming in January.
I make my way to the gazebo, and he turns when I get close, wearing his emotion on his face. Our eyes lock on each other as I make my way up the steps and he reaches out for me. “Wife.”
“Husband.”
We stand looking at each other as if we’re not real. Finally, he says, “I have something for you.”
My eyes widen in surprise as he pulls out a velvet box from his pocket. “Tucker brought this back from Jackson for me this afternoon, and it almost didn’t make it in time. I had it resized for you, and it wasn’t ready before the wedding. But I have it for you now.”
I cover my mouth. “Ollie...”
He nods. “Only the best for you, Poppy. I love you. I know we agreed to pretend. And if that’s all you can give me, I’ll take it. But I’m not pretending with my love for you. I love you and I always will, Poppy Grace Kendrick.”
He opens the box, and it’s a beautiful gold ring set in an antique-style band, its large diamond sparkling. I freeze when I realize it is his grandma Wilder’s ring.
“Is that?” My hand goes to my mouth in surprise.
He nods. “It was my grandma’s. Cami and I both agreed that it would be perfect for you.”
“It’s exquisite,” I tell him, as he slides it on my finger. “And on theiranniversary.”
He leans down and kisses me softly, like he’s savoring it. Like he already knows this moment matters.
“Yes,” he murmurs. “It’s a very special day.”
My heart is pounding so hard I’m not sure how it hasn’t given me away already. It thuds against my ribs, loud and frantic, like it’s trying to escape. My throat tightens, heat rushing up my neck, my eyes burning suddenly and I have to say it. I have to.
It just spills out of me, driven by nerves and adrenaline and the dizzying feeling that I’m standing on the edge of something that could change everything.
“I don’t want to pretend, Ollie,” I blurt.
