Josie looks at the bouquet with confusion. “The lilies?”
“It’s the smell.” I breathe through my mouth so I don’t have to smell them. “As soon as they’re out, then I’ll be all good.”
“Sadie.” Cassidy fixes me with her best clinical stare. “Let us help.”
I look at the two of them. On their knees in front of me in their wedding finery, worried and absolutely relentless.
“I'm pregnant,” I say.
Dead silence.
Josie grabs Cassidy's arm with both hands. Then they're both screaming and crying off their mascara and hugging me and it’s exactly the reaction I didn’t know I was needing, deep-down.
When I told Momma a few days ago, she just said, “That didn’t take long.”
I suppose she’s right.
Jonah walks me down the aisle. He’s got his chin up, shoulders back, holding my hand with both of his. He takes his job as the man escorting me with a seriousness that makes my heart swell. Five years old and he already knows how to show up for the people he loves.
He’s going to be such a good big brother.
My mother sits in the front row. Eyes dry. But she came. She's here, which is more than I can say for my father. When I catch her eye, she gives me the smallest nod. I’d like to think it means,I see you. I'm proud of you. You did good.
Josie and Cassidy are both crying, which they warned me they would. They give me huge, watery smiles as Jonah walks me down the aisle.
Maybe this is what it's like to have sisters.
I think I'm going to like it.
When we get to Walker, my soon-to-be-husband’s eyes are bright, and he’s not trying to hide it.
Jonah tugs on my hand, the way he does when he wants to whisper something in my ear. I bend down.
“I heard Aunt Josie say you’re having a baby,” he whispers.
Oh boy. So he heard that scream too. I glance at Walker, who immediately senses there’s a big conversation happening right here, in front of several dozen of our family and friends, and he comes down to one knee by us.
Jonah looks at his dad. “So I’m gonna be a big brother?”
Walker straightens the purple lupine pinned to his jacket. “That’s right, JoJo. You’re gonna have a little brother or sister.”
His eyes widen. Then he looks at me, and there’s a hint of hesitation there. “Will the baby call you mama?”
“When they start learning words, sure,” I say gently.
“Can I…” He takes a breath. “Can I call you mama too?”
My heart melts. “Oh, sweetheart. Yes. I would love that.” I pull him into my arms. “I love you.”
We have a three-sided family hug right there. Four, if you count the baby. Which is an idea I’m still trying to wrap my head around.
Both Walker and I wrote vows. He starts reading from a piece of paper, stops, folds it, tucks it back in his breast pocket.
“I had it all written out,” he says. “But I've been writing songs my whole life and the best ones never come from a piece of paper. They come from here.” He takes my hand and wraps it in his own before putting it atop my heart.
“I’ve made a career out of finding the right words for things. Love songs, heartbreak songs, all of it. I thought I knew what I was writing about. I didn't have the first clue, as it turned out. Because you showed up. And suddenly all those words I'd been reaching for my whole life just made sense. Like they'd been waiting for you the whole time.”
He takes a breath.
