I was her whole world once, and now… I’ll just be part of it.
This is the part of being a father that sneaks up on you and hits you right in the heart. You spend your whole life protecting that precious little girl, only to one day rely on someone else to be there for her when you can’t be.
I know my daughters are more than capable of protecting themselves, but if it were up to me, they’d never have to.
“Papa?” Nevaeh laughs. “This is where you compliment me.”
I step closer until I’m standing in front of my first baby, holding her face in my hands. “You look beautiful.”
I pull her into a hug, careful not to ruin her dress and makeup.
“You sure about this? Because if you’re not, we can still make a run for it. Elijah would hide us in hell.”
I’m only half joking.
Fuck, I’m not ready to lose my little girl.
Nevaeh sniffs, stepping back. “I’m sure. I love him, and you know how much he loves August and me.”
There’s no hesitation in her voice.
The way her eyes light up and a soft smile brightens her face when she thinks about Anxo makes this a little bearable.
If I’m going to lose her, I might as well lose her to the best man I know.
I turn to Grace and pull her into a side hug, mindful of her growing belly.
“I’m glad I only have to do this once. I couldn’t survive losing both my girls to idiots.”
“So, if Harvey and I got married again just so you could walk me down the aisle this time, you wouldn’t want that?” Grace asks, but she already knows the answer.
Of everything I missed, not being a part of her wedding is my biggest regret.
“Stop torturing me.” I groan, tipping my head.
“Come on, we don’t want to keep Anxo waiting, or he’ll come here to get you himself.”
August is waiting for us in the hallway, a flower basket clutched in his hands, a determination written all over his face. He’s taking his role as flower boy way too seriously… and it’s adorable as hell.
His guard dog—hellhound—sniffs the basket then sneezes at the scent and recoils like the flowers offended him.
The second he sees Nevaeh, August runs straight into her arms. His eyes go wide as he circles her, taking in every detail of her dress with awe.
“How do I look, kiddo?”
“So pretty! Papa looks pretty, too, but you win.”
The hellhound lets out a low growl like he agrees.
Nevaeh cups his cheeks and presses a loud kiss to his head.
“Thank you, baby. Are you ready?”
“Yes!”
Beyond the doors lies the waterfall where the ceremony is set to take place.
A flower-draped arch glows in the warmth of the setting sun, petals scattered across the ground. The sky melts into shades of gold and blush like the whole world has slowed for this moment.
