“Why?” I asked in surprise. Juliet had been there for everything.
“Something about a guy…” Gabriella whispered curiously, glancing back down at her phone.
“Hmm.” I pursed my lips, thinking about the date she brought to the party. “I’m sure she’s okay.” I reassured Gabriella.
I watched as she typed out a quick text and hit the send button. A moment later, her phone pinged. Gabriella looked a little morerelieved. “She said she’ll call me later. She’s just not up for a party,” she read from her phone.
I gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. “She wouldn’t want you to miss this.”
Gabriella nodded and set her phone face-down on the table.
“This place is incredible,” said Grace, looking around.
“It’s the perfect home to raise a family,” said my mother with a warm smile.
“I can’t believe this place exists in the city.” Wyatt shook his head.
“You have a freaking garden!” said Sadie excitedly.
“Thank you all for coming.” Gabriella, looked around the candle-lit table at everyone who sat around us. All the people who had supported us through this unexpected time in our lives.
“I’d like to make a toast,” said Penn, raising his glass of wine and standing up in that confident CEO fashion of his that would probably never fade away.
“To my beautiful daughter, Gabriella, and to Chandler, the man who has not only replaced me as CEO—”
“Co-CEO,” Gabriella said loudly as a reminder, which made us all laugh.
“But also replaced me as the main man in my daughter’s life,” continued Penn. “I couldn’t ask for a better future son-in-law.”
I couldn’t help the tears that stung the backs of my eyes as everyone raised their glasses to clink together. I looked to Gabriella beside me, her eyes glistening with tears too. We never thought we would be here, from hating each other to loving each other, but life was beautifully funny in the way it worked out.
Epilogue
Gabriella
I adjusted the delicate, small flower crown that rested on top of Melodie’s head. Her dark curls wrapped around the leaves making her look like a fairy princess. I held back my tears for fear of ruining my makeup, and gave her rosy cheeks a little pinch with my fingers.
“You look beautiful, baby girl,” I said softly.
“She is like the miniature version of you and Chandler,” said my mother, scooping Melodie up into her arms.
And she was. With his green eyes and my light skin, his dark hair with my curls. I couldn’t get over how beautiful our daughter was, and how much more beautiful she grew with each day that passed. At six months old, she was really starting to look more and more like us, coming into her features. Coming into hervivacious personality. We were going to have our hands full if she also inherited our stubbornness.
“Are you ready, honey?” asked Sandy, approaching with a bouquet of white and blush roses.
“More than ever,” I said with a smile.
I was about to marry the man of my dreams. I couldn’t wait to see Chandler.
“It’s time,” said the wedding planner, popping her head in the doorway with an excited grin. I thanked her and smoothed out the train of my dress, feeling my nerves creep up from my stomach to my throat.
How she had pulled off such a beautiful wedding at a highly coveted hotel in just under six months was beyond me. She really was a miracle worker. I knew I had wanted to wait until Melodie was born to get married to Chandler, wanting her to be a part of the day. But I also knew I couldn’t wait to marry him. The day after she was born we found our wedding planner. Some called us crazy, juggling parenthood, being the CEOs of a company, and planning a wedding, but we were determined. And stubborn. Always stubborn.
I followed my mother, who carried Melodie, and Sandy, who carried a small basket of flower petals, out the door and down the ornate carpeted hall of the hotel toward the ceremony space. It warmed my heart to see them walking in front of me holding my daughter. She was loved by many.
“We’ll see you in there,” said my mother, leaning in and planting a kiss on my cheek. I could tell she was holding back tears by the way she quickly turned toward the door and began fussing with Melodie’s tulle pink dress.
“Love you, honey,” said Sandy, leaning and planting a kiss on my other cheek.
