Though we’d agreed on one gift each, I was still a brat, and brats bent the rules sometimes. My final gift to him was burning a fucking hole in my pocket, the anticipation almost enough to break me.
Turning the final light off, I slowly made my way to our bedroom, taking deep, calming breaths with each step. Pausing at the door, I shook my arms and wiggled my body, trying to get all the nervous energy out of me before turning the knob. I pushed it open, gasping when I looked down at the floor.
Daddy was on one knee right behind the door, a huge, bright grin on his face. In his hand was a small box—a very familiar-looking box. He opened his mouth to speak, but I didn’t let him.
Instead, I lunged forward, getting on my knees in front of him, and put a hand over his mouth. “Oh, fuck no!” His eyes went wide, staring at me before his eyebrows came together in confusion. Keeping my hand where it was, I used my other one to fish the ring box out of my pocket. “No, Daddy, don’t you remember? I told you I won’t say yes. I won’t say yes, because I’ll be the one to propose.”
He tried to move away from my hand, shaking his head.
“No.”
He grabbed my wrist, pulling my hand away. “Brat, I swear to god?—”
I had never spoken faster in my entire life. I’d had an entire speech planned, rehearsed down to the fucking comma, but I let it all go. “Will you marry me, Daddy?”
“Oh, baby.” Daddy’s eyes softened, his lips pulling into a smile. “Of course I will. Will you marry me, brat?”
I finally opened the ring box, just as he opened his. “Of course I will. Loving you for eternity would be the best gift ever.”
We looked down at our rings. His ring was a simple, classic silver band. Mine was a black band with a gorgeous line of diamonds in the middle. They were perfect together.
With the rings snug on our fingers, Daddy leaned forward, wrapping his arms around me. The moment he squeezed me against him, the tears I’d expected to shed during my speech finally started to stream down my face. He was so bright and warm and comforting. He was everything I’d ever needed and more. He was Emerson Blake, the love I’d been waiting for, and he was mine from now until forever.
Thank fuck I didn’t let him say it first.
1.5 Years Later
I stood, anxiously waiting for Moon’s entrance. The music had already started playing, which meant he was close, though not close enough. Elio and Crescent, now husbands themselves,smiled at me from their seats. Star looked absolutely torn to pieces, a manicured hand swiping tears from her cheeks as her boyfriend rubbed her shoulder. Mom and Dad were complete messes, with Mom borderline sobbing into her handkerchief.
Nobody was going to stand beside us. No groomsmen or bridesmaids. Nobody was going to walk Moon down the aisle. The officiant—one of Star’s friends named Carter—was the only person who’d be up here with us.
We didn’t need fancy decorations, or a fancy venue, or anything special when our love was the most special thing there.
From the corner of my vision, I saw him. I smoothed my hands down my tuxedo, glancing over to the three empty chairs that were sitting in the grass. One for my mom, one for my dad, and one for Harrison. I imagined they were all there, watching with tears in their eyes and love in their hearts. I knew, without a doubt, that they’d love Moon and his entire family. His family, who’d taken me in as their own even before I’d taken their last name.
Looking back, Moon had come around a tree and was walking down the grass, his eyes never leaving mine. He looked so fucking handsome. He looked like mine. He looked like the next step in our long, amazing future with each other. The dark blue of his tuxedo perfectly contrasted the bright white of mine.
I couldn’t break the wide, ear-to-ear grin on my face, tears starting to flow down my cheeks as he stood right before me. Just one more step, and then a shuffle to the side. One more, and we’d begin our everlasting tie.
One step. One shuffle. He leaned forward, whispering to me. “You look fucking amazing, Daddy.”
I was sure Carter could hear us, but I couldn’t bring myself to give a fuck. “As do you, brat.”
Carter began once the music ended, clearing his throat. “Dearly beloved and honored guests, we are gathered here todayto join Moon Miller and Emerson Blake in their union of life through marriage.”
He paused, looking around at everyone before turning a page in the notepad he was holding. “Marriage is more than love. It is a promise. A promise to choose each other every single day, no matter the qualms, or the anxieties, or the arguments. Marriage is the promise to hold each other and love each other until death do you part. Moon, Emerson, please join hands.”
We held our hands out to each other, holding on as the world around us fell silent. No birds were chirping, the wind had stopped blowing, and we were surrounded by nothing but love.
Carter held our rings in one of his hands. “Moon, do you take this man, Emerson Blake, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself unto him for as long as you both shall live?”
A stray tear rolled down his cheek as he smiled. “I do.”
Carter turned toward me. “Emerson, do you take this man, Moon Miller, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself unto him for as long as you both shall live?”
I gripped Moon’s hands in mine. “I do.”
“Moon and Emerson will now exchange rings as a symbol of their love and commitment.”
