But I guess that doesn’t count as long as she can’t see it, does it?
Tally looks at me with sad eyes, her lips forming a small pout. “Well, we’re all cheering for you when it happens, but until then, you’re still banned. Get out, lover boy.”
THIRTEEN
Surroundedby a ton of baby blue balloons and decorations and the hum of excited conversations, I stand amidst the cheerful chaos of Tally and Tim’s baby shower that’s in full swing at the restaurant. I glance at Tally, her radiant smile lighting up the room as she opens a gift.
We planned how to do this yesterday during our shift after Nash left since there weren’t many customers. Today, we spent all day with preparations and decorations, and when I say we, I mean Tim and I did, while Tally told us what to do. I gave them my present early, and they loved the pictures of them painting the nursery. They promised to frame some of them and hang them up in the new house, and Tally hugged me so fiercely that she choked me.
It’s more than fun, and it seems like the whole freaking town is here to celebrate with these two again.
We just finished playing a few games, everyone’s laughter filling the air as we competed in a diaper-changing race where Tim beat me by a devastating amount.
I’ve been helping out where I can, feeling grateful to be a part of this. But now I’m standing a little off, leaning against a wall next to Shannon, whose eyes are only on her daughter, her smileas radiant as Tally’s. I’m tired from another sleepless night, trying hard to suppress a yawn when I feel the familiar tingling tug at my heart, and I close my eyes with a smile.
“That’s a lot of blue,” comes from my left.
“That’s because it’ll be a boy, dummy,” I whisper when I open my eyes to look at Saylor. Save from Shannon, there is no one nearby, so I give him a quick smile before turning back to look at Tally, who is laughing, hands on her belly.
“Saylor?” Shannon asks from my right.
“The one and only.” Saylor nods. “Long time no see, Shan.”
“Why are you so… see-through?” She furrows her brows.
“Why aren’t you?” he asks right back. “It’s what the cool kids do nowadays.”
I roll my eyes at Saylor’s antics, but Shannon’s gaze finds mine, “Is that?—”
“Shh,” I hush her when Tim steps forward, holding a glass of something that’s definitely alcohol-free, tapping it gently with a fork to get everyone’s attention before he sets it down on the table with the presents.
The room falls silent, and all eyes turn toward him. “Hey, everyone. Thank you all for being here,” Tim begins, his voice filled with affection. “I just wanted to take a moment to say something about my beautiful wife and the mother of my son, who will make me a daddy soon.”
“I bet she’s already calling you daddy!” one of the fishermen in the crowd hollers, and everyone starts to laugh and snicker when Tally holds up her middle finger in his direction.
I glance at Shannon, who’s put her hand over her mouth, hiding her smile.
Tim half-smirks before he continues, “Ten years ago, Tally and I told you guys that we wanted to marry at the age of twenty. I’ll never forget the looks on your faces, especially Shannon’s.”He chuckles, looking at the ceiling. “I bet that was the only thing you were ever wrong about, Shan.” He smiles.
“At least it’s the only thing I will ever admit to being wrong about,” Shannon whispers beside me.
“Just about every person I told lectured me I was getting married too young because what I really needed to do was go out there and live it up a little, mix it up with other people before I settled down. And maybe that’s because they look at marriage as the end of the adventure rather than the beginning of it. I think this is pretty stupid because when you find someone you truly love, respect, and are passionate about, and they feel the same way about you, why would you not want to go through life with that person? Why would you not want to share those experiences?”
Tim reaches out to take Tally’s hand, looking at her lovingly. “Because life’s gonna throw you a lot of curveballs. You’re gonna have peaks and valleys, and believe me, there will be times when it’s you and her against the world. And when you come out the other side, you will have a whole new appreciation for what it means to have someone you truly care about with you through everything. So I’ll tell you what. If you find that person, keep them, no matter what.”
My fingers prickle, and I look down to find Saylor’s hand touching mine. My gaze comes up to his, and he smiles at me, his eyes soft. I smile right back.
“But even though we had critics and were told we shouldn’t do it, here we are…” Tim continues, his gaze fixed on Tally, “… ten years later, and I’m still so in love with you.”
“Disgustingly so!” Nash’s voice carries from the other side of the restaurant, and my gaze finds him immediately, next to North and Hunter, who must have just arrived.
Fucking perfect.
“Breathe,” Saylor commands softly, stroking the back of my hand when I turn to face him. “You just forgot to breathe there for a moment.”
Laughter erupts again, and Tim’s voice grows more serious as he looks back at Tally. “I love you disgustingly,” he repeats Nash’s words, his voice softening. “And I wouldn’t change a thing about my life with you. I loved every second of the last ten years we’ve been married and the three we were together before that because I had the honor of spending them with you.” Tears glisten in Tally’s eyes as she reaches for Tim’s other hand, her love for him evident in her gaze. “This is our next adventure, our next chapter, and since the last one started out so good with this song, I think we should try it again.”
A beautiful cover version of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” starts to play, and Tim extends his hand toward Tally with a tender smile. “May I have this dance?”
