See you soon,
Hollis
I exhale deeply and set the note on the bed. I haven’t even walked down the aisle yet, and he’s already trying to ruin my mascara with his sweet words.
I lift the lid of the box and gasp. I knew there would be moonstones, and from the wording, I gathered they were earrings, but I was unprepared for how stunning they would be.
“That man,” I whisper under my breath. The moonstones, set in white gold, are teardrop-shaped. Their milky white color catches the light and shimmers with hues of blue, purple, and green. They’re simple and elegant, just like my dress. I turn to my mom. “Can you help me put them on?”
“Absolutely.” She takes the box and pulls them out one at a time. While she helps hold back my hair, I place them in my ears. When I’m done, I take a minute to look at myself in the mirror.
My mom stands behind me, tearing up once again. This woman is always crying. She gives me a gentle squeeze and asks, “Ready to get married?”
“Yeah.” I smile.
“This time, maybe try to remember it?”
I choke out a laugh. “I’ll do my best, Mom.”
HOLLIS
I can’t breathe.
That is how I feel the moment our eyes meet. The moment I see her in that dress.
Like the oxygen has been ripped from my very lungs.
She looks so fucking pretty. There are flowers in her hair and sand between her toes.
I want to race down that aisle, meet her halfway, and scoop her up in my arms, but I force myself to stay put. I’ve been waiting all day. I can survive thirty more seconds.
It feels like a damn eternity, though.
Did it feel like this the first time? Like my heart’s about to beat out of my damn chest from the all-encompassing awe that this woman has chosen me.
The tequila haze I was in after the bachelor party gave me some of the memories back from that night, but the actual wedding? Still fuzzy.
Maybe someday we’ll remember it.
But at least I know I’ll never forget this.
She reaches the end of the aisle and kisses her father on the cheek. God, Lance. I’ve been so focused on Pres that I barely even noticed he was there. He’s looking sharp in a slim black suit and a crisp white button-down—no tie. He whispers something in Presley’s ear, and she nods before stepping forward.
She looks up at me, and I take her hand.
Fucking butterflies, I swear.
“Most people try to get married once. And only once,” Hendrix begins, pausing for effect. “But apparently, my sister and Hollis like to do things the rock and roll way—go big, go to Vegas, and then…not remember any of it.”
The small crowd chuckles. Yeah, everyone knows we accidentally got married now. Apparently, none of the women at Presley’s bachelorette party can keep a secret from their significant others.
I doubt any of them are ever gonna let us live it down either.
“But in all seriousness, we are all here today to celebrate a love that’s been twelve years in the making. And I think we can all safely say, we’re so glad you found your way back to each other.”
A few whoops and cheers fill the air. The moonstones hanging from Presley’s ears catch the light, and I smile. They look just as beautiful as I knew they would be.
“Now, this is usually the part of the ceremony where the officiant might talk about love being patient and kind, but we know from their first wedding that neither of these two is patient.” He smirks. “So we’ll just skip ahead and focus on what really matters—the vows. Pres, you want to go first?
