“Oh great,” I mutter, my stomach doing a nervous flip.
There’s a knock at the makeshift door, and Alicia pokes her head in. “It’s time,” she says, and even though she only started at the company a little while ago, she gives me a thumbs up that makes me want to hug her forever.
“Alright,” Riley says, offering her arm. “Let’s go.”
I take her arm and step out onto the deck, the wind blowing through my hair just enough to confirm this is, indeed, reality. My eyes flick to the altar, which is an arch that takes in the glow of the sunset.
But the sun and city aren’t the best view.
It’sthem.
Beck is first in line, dressed in a pale gray suit, no tie, the shirt open at the neck. He gives me a look, his eyes wet, as he mouths,“You look beautiful.”
Caleb already has a tear rolling down his cheek, and he swats it away.
Adrian looks the most stoic, but there’s still plenty of emotion in his face.
I hold onto Riley, and together we walk the few paces to the arch, where the men are waiting. Adrian is in charcoal, asalways, and his mouth is bent in a smile that looks practiced, but I know it isn’t. Caleb is in navy, and his whole focus is on me, and the sight of it steadies me more than anything else could.
“You guys look so handsome,” I whisper.
“Only the best for the most beautiful woman in the world,” Adrian’s voice is thick with emotion.
I nod and glance out at the seated crowd. Adrian’s parents are front and center, both looking proud and slightly bewildered. Alicia is beaming from beside them, along with Caleb’s mom. A handful of people from the office are here too, some of whom I barely know, but who all look genuinely happy to be here.
Beck leans over, whispers, “Ready for this?”
I nod, my gaze bouncing between the three of them. “Absolutely.”
We stand together under the arch, the four of us. For a second, there’s just the sound of breathing, the pulse of the city below, and the warmth of the hands linked on either side of me, as Riley hands me off and heads to the microphone.
She stands in front of us, a grin on her face as she begins. “Today, we are here not to witness the union oftwopeople,” she says, “but to celebrate the possibility that love—messy, improbable, and real—can exist in more than one shape.”
She looks at each of us in turn, her gaze steady. “You’ve all chosen to stand together, to build something lasting out of fairness, transparency, and openness. That’s no small thing for four people to do.”
There’s laughter from the crowd, but it’s gentle.
She turns to Adrian. “Adrian Frank, will you share your promise to your bride and friends?”
Adrian’s jaw tightens, but he speaks clearly, voice even as he meets my eyes. “I promise to protect you, Maddy. I promise to always put our union among the four of us first, above my own selfishness. I will work every day to earn the trust you place inme. And when I fail, which I will, I promise to fix it. Every time. I will apologize, and we will work through hard times in a loving way. I will love you forever and always, Maddy.”
There’s a small sniffle from Adrian’s mother, and I see her dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.
Riley nods and turns to Beck. “Next.”
He grins, letting out a chuckle. “Okay, mine’s less formal, but here goes.” He straightens, pretending to read from an invisible cue card, as he winks at me. “I promise to always make you laugh, even when you want to punch me in the throat for it. I promise to never let a night go by without reminding you why we got into this mess in the first place. And I promise to make pancakes, or at least buy them, every Sunday until I die, or until you get sick of them, whichever comes first. But even if, at some point, you hate my pancakes, I will still love you. Forever.”
There’s real applause for that one, and I burst into laughter.
Caleb is next. He clears his throat, and for a second, I think he might freeze, but then he takes my hands, holding them tight.
“I’m not great with speeches,” he says, “but I know how to build things. I promise to make this the safest place for all of us. I promise to hold you up when you’re tired and catch you when you fall. I promise to never let you doubt that you belong here, with us. I promise to love you always, and care for you through all of life’s seasons.” There’s a tremor in his voice, and it cracks something open in me.
And I swat my tears away.
“That was beautiful,” Riley breathes out, and then gestures to me while wiping her own tears away.
I swallow, and the wind tugs at my hair, but I don’t even need to look at the paper I wrote on. “I spent most of my life thinking I had to earn my place. That love was a thing you got if you worked hard enough, or if you were perfect, or if you never needed anything too much. I don’t have a family there for me.But you all,” I look at each of them, steady, “You taught me that it’s okay to want, to need, to ask for more than what the world says you’re allowed. You taught me that family doesn’t have to be conventional, and that we can work, if that’s what we want. And that’s what I want more than anything. I love all three of you with every ounce of my being.”
