My gown falls in elegant folds, ivory silk catching the light, the pearl sleeves shimmering with every breath. The tiara adds just enough fairy tale—a whisper of magic without being overwhelming. The necklace gleams at my throat, the sparkling infinity symbol resting against my pulse. And there, barely visible in my hair, the antique comb anchors me to the women who came before, the love that traveled through generations to reach me here.
This is who I am now. This is the woman I've become. Not despite everything I survived, but through it. Everything is waiting for me. The man who loves me, the child growing inside me, the future stretching out like a promise.
In a few minutes, I'll walk toward Nick. He'll see me for the first time in this dress, and I'll watch his face for the love he doesn't try to hide anymore. I'll walk down an aisle lined with people we cherish, and I'll marry him again—this time for the world to see.
And tonight, in the quiet dark of our bedroom, he'll take it all off. The gown, the tiara, the pearls. Piece by piece, layer by layer. His mouth on every inch of skin he uncovers, reclaiming what three hundred witnesses only got to admire. Until I'm just Avery again.
Nick's Avery.
His wife.
Counting the hours.
I press my palm flat against my belly and I look at the woman in the mirror.
She smiles back.
Go get your fairy tale,her expression seems to say.
My heart is on the verge of exploding, joyful and eager for the next step Nick and I are about to take together.
Yes,I think, and I nod to my reflection.
I’m ready.
44
NICK
The energy coiling throughme has nowhere to go.
I'm ready. I've been ready since I went to bed alone last night in an empty hotel room instead of going home to Avery. I’m ready to make her my wife… again.
Standing in front of a mirror in the church vestry, waiting for someone to tell me it’s time, I glance at the clock on the wall and heave an impatient breath. My reflection stares back at me from the gilt-framed glass. Charcoal tuxedo suit, crisp white shirt, black tie, every line precise.
I look like a man in control. Inside, I’m vibrating with anticipation.
Today I’m marrying Avery.
TheIcarusceremony was ours, and I wouldn't trade that day for anything. But now I want everyone to see her walk toward me. I want all of the three hundred people inside this sanctuary to witness her choosing me.
After today, the entire world will understand what I've known since the moment I first touched her. Avery is mine forever.
The door opens behind me.
Beck enters with Gabe a step behind him, both in dark suits, both looking sharp and serious. Beck's gaze sweeps over me approvingly.
"You look like a man on top of the world," he says, grinning now.
I smile too. "Never better, brother."
"I'm glad. Truly." He cuffs my shoulder, giving me a solemn nod. After more than a decade of watching me operate, he knows patience has never been my problem. But patience and restlessness are different animals, and the one currently pacing inside my chest isn't interested in strategy or timing. It just wants my wife in front of me, where she belongs.
"Won't be long now," Gabe says, after his phone chimes with an incoming text. "Eve says the ladies are en route and almost here."
I let out a breath. "Fuck. Now, I'm getting nervous."
My two friends chuckle. I reach up to adjust the knot of my tie and Beck shakes his head. "Leave it alone. It's already perfect."
