“Gross,” Calvin said, coming up behind them.
“There is one other person we’ll have to get on board,” she whispered. “But he loves you almost as much as I do, so I don’t think it’ll be an issue.”
Alex smiled. “You want to tell him, or can I?”
EPILOGUE—Seven Months Later
It was hot, and Alex MacDonald was sweating. Poised to enter a room full of family and friends, he was about to make the most important move of his life. A trickle of sweat slid down his back. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and stepped up to the sanctuary doorway.
“Okay, little dude. This is it. You ready?”
Calvin looked at Alex with earnest eyes. “I won’t trip.”
“I know you won’t. You’ll do fine.” He handed Calvin a satiny white pillow, which held an obscenely-expensive set of rings, and straightened his tiny bow tie. The miniature tuxedo was a replica of the one he wore.
“Come on, you two. You’re next.” The wedding planner waved them up to the end of the aisle. His brothers, their wives, and Julia’s sister awaited them on separate sides of the preacher.
Calvin went first, walking slowly and holding the pillow in both hands. Halfway down, he stopped and turned to Alex with a look of panic. Alex reached him in two strides and laid a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll go together,” he leaned in to whisper.
They made it to the front of the church and went to their positions. Then, they turned to wait.
The last seven months had been a blur of condo selling, house hunting, and wedding planning. They’d looked at a lot of houses but finally decided that what Alex had already purchased was perfect. At the end of January, they consolidated belongings, packed up, and made the move. Alex proposed in March, and now here they were. Ready to make it official.
The wedding march started, and the audience stood. All eyes swung to the woman who would soon be his wife.
Words could not describe Julia’s radiant glow. The white strapless gown clung to every curve and flowed behind her like water. Escorted by her stepfather, she made her way up the aisle, and Alex had to swallow the lump in his throat. She glided to his side after giving Calvin a wink.
Once the preacher pronounced them man and wife, he planted a tender kiss on her that latest longer than he’d planned.
“Gross,” Calvin said, giggling.
Alex’s coworkers whooped and hollered, and the rest of the crowd joined in the cheering. He scooped up Calvin, grabbed Julia’s hand, and raised it high before walking back down the aisle.
The reception that followed was in a banquet hall nearby. White lilies adorned the tables, and a full, catered buffet lined one wall. The open bar was an especially big hit. Julia and his sisters-in-law were huddled up, talking in hushed tones.
Alex left them to it and plopped down next to Calvin, who was scarfing down a piece of chocolate cake. Probably fearing Julia would take it from him if she saw. “You having fun, bud?”
“I like cake,” he said, licking frosting from the fork, causing Alex to laugh.
“Who doesn’t? Is Sam keeping you company?” He was worried Calvin would be bored at the reception. He’d made friends in their new neighborhood, but they weren’t at the wedding.
“Sam had to go home,” Calvin said, suddenly very serious. Alex sat up straight, figuring he should handle this carefully.
“Oh, really? Well, her parents probably missed her a lot.”
“Yeah.”
Julia came to sit with them. “Sam went back to her parents’ house,” Alex informed her. “I was thinking we should tell him about the thing.”
Julia’s eyebrows shot up. Sam leaving was huge news, and she caught his meaning that maybe their announcement would help ease the void. She nodded.
Alex took Julia’s hand. They hadn’t told anyone yet, but a few days ago, Julia had taken a pregnancy test and passed with flying colors. A bright pink plus popped up, letting them know life was about to change again. She was excited. He was scared shitless. But together, they would handle it.
“Cal, you think a baby brother or sister would make up for Sam leaving?”
Calvin’s eyes lit up. “Oh, yes. I’ll be a good big brother. When can we get him?”
Alex and Julia laughed. “It’ll be a little while, bud,” Alex said. “He has to grow in your mom’s tummy.”
