“There’s one more thing, Wildflower.”
He kissed my cheek and then took a step out of my embrace, reaching over to grab a guitar leaning on the side of the last row of benches.
He started playing the first notes of a song that sounded vaguely familiar, but when he started singing and I heard my name and the nickname he had given me, I knew it wasn’t a song I’d ever heard on the radio before.
It was the song he strummed when I had gotten sick at his house and he played it until I fell asleep. It was the tune he whistled constantly—while he worked, while we walked around town. It wasmy song. A song he wrote just for me. I couldn’t stop the tears from falling as the song came to an end. He set down his guitar and got down on one knee, taking a small ring box out of his pocket.
“I have lived in Love for all my life, but it wasn’t until you showed up here that Ifeltit. But beyond feeling it, you have taught me I’m also deserving of it. Your bravery and strength knows no bounds, and I am a better man when I get the opportunity to stand by your side. So, Stella, will you do me the honour of making me not only a better man but the happiest man alive and stand by my side for the rest of our lives?”
He opened the box he was holding and the dark emeraldgreen of the ring shone as bright and beautiful as his hopeful eyes as they looked up at me.
“Yes, Calvin. Of course.” I didn’t even try to stop the tears. From the benches to the song to nowthis, I was a puddle.
He wasted no time slipping the ring on my finger and then stood up to spin me around the space, pulling me into a tight hug. As he set me down and kissed me hard, cheers and hollers filled the rail house, and I pulled away to look at what felt like the whole town of Love.
All our friends and family gathered around us, clapping. Along with all the members of the Hart family, Teddy and Olivia were here, and so was Gloria and Simon. Carter tagged along, too, and Cami stood by with tears in her eyes. Even the Stewarts and the Watts were standing beside each other with huge smiles on their faces.
I looked at Calvin with confusion but was completely unable to deny my absolute delight at his shy smile.
“It’s really hard to keep a secret in a small town.”
I wouldn’t want it any other way for the rest of my life.
Two Months Later
“Gosh, Stella. You look stunning,” Trixie said, fixing my veil as we got ready to head down the aisle. “And that ring suits you perfectly.”
When Calvin told me it had been Trixie’s ring and that she gave it to him the same day I dropped the vase of roses when I had first arrived in Love, I bawled like a baby. This man had given me so much, not just his love, but also his family. And now I was getting his last name.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
I nodded at Trixie. “So ready.”
This might be moving quickly, but when you knew, you just knew. There was nothing I wanted more than to be a part of this family, and I didn’t want to waste any more time. That, and when I told Calvin I was pregnant with his baby, he was ready to forget about the aisle entirely and instead walk me down to town hall to sign a marriage certificate right then and there to make me his.
I guess when we decided to start our own love story andrebuild from the literal ashes in the rail house, we did more than just create our dream. We created a life.
Thankfully, I convinced him to wait until late spring when the rail house was completed, so our wedding could be the very first.
As Trixie walked me down the aisle, I smiled at all our friends and family who filled the space.
Gloria turned from the end of the aisle she was standing at, fluffing up an arrangement of flowers. She had been determined to fill this space with only the best blooms. It was like when she asked what kind of flowers I wanted, and I replied with “all of them,”she took that as a literal challenge to create a greenhouse inside the rail house. There were more flowers than I could name in every colour and shade imaginable and the smell permeated my senses. It felt like an enchanted garden, and I had no idea how she had managed it all.
“Thank you,” I whispered to her as we slowly walked.
“Love you, Stella,” she replied as she blew me a kiss.
“Thank you, too, Cami,” I said to my friend on the next aisle. The gorgeous vintage vases she provided to hold all the flower arrangements pulled everything together.
Her gracious smile mirrored all those around her, and I continued to echo my thanks to all the people who had shown up to celebrate our love on this beautiful spring day. It wasn’t lost on me how many people there actually were. Those feelings of being alone were so far behind me, but they taught me to always be grateful for everyone who stood by my side now.
As Trixie and I made our way up the staircase to where my groom stood, we passed by Olivia and Melody in matching dusty rose coloured dresses. I stopped to give them each a hug, expressing my gratitude to them both. For what? I couldn’t even begin to list everything. I’d miss my own wedding if I tried. But they both knew how much they meant to me.
As I pulled away, I looked across the open space to the staircasethat lined the opposite wall and gave a small wave to Garrett and Patrick, both looking as incredible as ever in their navy suits. I didn’t know what I would have done without any of them in my life the past few months.
We got to the top of the elegant staircase and Teddy first came into view.
“Oh, Teddy, you look so handsome.” I melted at my friend’s grandfather, who never ceased to remind me of my own. He looked dapper in his navy blue suit with a soft pink bow tie. Especially as his rosy red cheeks had tears streaming down them.
