I walk through the living room and out the back door, and my breath catches sharply in my throat.
The backyard has been completely transformed.
White folding chairs are arranged in two neat sections with a wide aisle down the middle, maybe thirty seats in total. String lights hang from the massive oak tree in the corner, looping gracefully across to the fence on the other side, creating a canopy of soft golden light even though it's still afternoon. There are flowers everywhere—white roses and blue forget-me-nots and sprigs of fresh greenery—in mason jars lining the aisle, in elaborate arrangements on the small table at the front where we'll sign the marriage certificate.
And there, at the end of the aisle, is an arch made of white-painted wood, wrapped lovingly in more greenery and flowers. It's simple, clearly handmade, imperfect in all the right ways.
Diana and Destiny are positioning the last few chairs, arguing about spacing with the intensity of engineers.
"They're supposed to be even," Diana insists, measuring with her eyes, stepping back to check. "This one is like two inches closer than the others. Maybe three inches."
"Nobody's going to notice two inches," Destiny counters, hands on her hips. "We've been doing this for an hour. It's fine."
"It's not fine. It's Jay and Ivan's wedding. Everything has to be absolutely perfect."
"Girls," I call out, walking toward them. "It looks amazing. Really, truly amazing."
They both turn, and their faces light up like Christmas morning.
"Jay!" Diana abandons the chair spacing debate immediately and runs toward me. She's wearing a pale blue dress with a delicate ribbonat the waist, her dark hair braided beautifully with small white flowers woven throughout. "You look so fancy! Like a movie star!"
"So do you. Both of you." I look at Destiny, who's in a matching dress, her braids pinned up in an elaborate crown around her head. "You both look absolutely beautiful."
"Mom did our hair," Destiny says, touching her braids self-consciously. "It took forever. Like, an hour for each of us. But I guess it looks okay."
"It looks way more than okay. It looks perfect."
"That's what I said about the chairs," Diana mutters, shooting her sister a pointed look.
"The chairs are perfect too," I assure her, looking around at everything they've done. "Everything is perfect. You've all worked so incredibly hard on this."
"We wanted it to be special," Diana says quietly. "You're family now. Officially family. After today, you'll really be our brother. For real."
Brother. Family.
Things I never thought I'd have, never thought I deserved, things I convinced myself weren't meant for people like me. And here they are, offered freely and genuinely by two eleven-year-old girls in blue dresses who chose to love me.
"I already feel like your brother," I manage past the thickness in my throat. "The ceremony is just making it official on paper."
Diana hugs me then, fierce and tight, wrapping her arms around my waist. Destiny joins in after a moment's hesitation, and I wrap my arms around both of them and hold on tight, blinking hard against the burning in my eyes.
"Okay, okay," Destiny says after a moment, pulling back. "Don't mess up our dresses or our hair. Mom will kill us."
"Right. Sorry." I release them, wiping at my eyes with the back of my hand. "Where's Caleb? I haven't seen him yet."
"Inside, driving Mom absolutely crazy," Diana says, rolling her eyes affectionately. "He's been asking every five minutes if it's time yet. Every. Five. Minutes."
As if summoned by his name, the back door bangs open and Caleb comes flying out, Rosalyn close behind trying to catch him.
"Jay! Jay! Is it time? Is it starting? Can I get the rings now? Please?"
Caleb is wearing a tiny gray suit that matches mine perfectly, his hair slicked back with what looks like half a container of gel. He's buzzing with pure energy, clutching a small velvet pillow in both hands like it's the most precious thing in the world.
"Almost time, buddy," I tell him, crouching down to his level. "The rings are still inside, remember? In the safe spot. You'll get them right before you walk down the aisle."
"But what if I forget what to do? What if I drop them? What if I sneeze and they go flying into the grass and we can't find them?" His eyes are wide with genuine concern.
"You're not going to sneeze."
