EPILOGUE
Skye
TWO MONTHS LATER
Callie gasped beside me.“You look so beautiful!”
“You really do,” Lola confirmed as she adjusted the cathedral veil.
Tears formed in my eyes as I stared at the reflection in the full-length mirror, and my gaze met Ri’s. “You really are stunning.”
A wide smile spread across her face. “I know, right?”
“Kurt is a lucky man.” Lola sniffed.
“Damn right he is,” Ri confirmed as her hands ran down the bodice of her Vera Wang custom dress. The off-the-shoulder, strapless mermaid style hugged her curves, and the deep pointed V and fishtail skirt gave that extra splash of drama that was Ri. The second she’d tried it on Callie and Lola had both started crying and Ri and I just looked at each other silently, communicating that this wasthe one.
I had to admit that I’d been a little skeptical when Ri told me a couple of months ago that she was going to marry Kurt. I should never have doubted her. Ten days ago, he’d popped the question in the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge as the sun was setting. And here we were, at Casa de Love, as Ri called it since Callie, Lola, and I all moved in, and Ri was about to become Mrs. Rose.
Ri claimed she decided to take Kurt’s last name for two reasons. Reason one: Her favorite TV show wasSchitt’s Creek,and the family on it had the last name Rose. Reason two: she liked the alliteration of Rihanna Rose. I was sure both of those statements were true. But I also think she had a little bit more of a romantic side in her than she was willing to admit, and she wanted to take Kurt’s last name for a more sentimental reason.
A soft knock sounded on the door, and when it opened, Nick walked in looking like he had just stepped off the pages of GQ in his tailored Ralph Lauren suit. He had a five o’clock shadow that had left beard burn on my inner thighs that morning. Every time I took a step, I was reminded of how he’d woken me up.
I searched his eyes to see if he’d read the special email I’d sent him an hour ago. I’d found out some very big, very life-changing news this morning. There was no way I would announce it today; I didn’t want to take away from Ri’s wedding. But I couldn’t keep it from Nick, so I’d emailed him with a callback to how and where our journey started.
Our eyes met, and he gave me a private smile before calmly announcing, “We’re ready.”
I knew then that he hadn’t seen it. If he had, he would have been dragging me out of the room, or at the very least, telling me that we needed to talk.
Lola and Callie clapped as they followed Nick out of the room, and I turned my attention back to where it needed to be: on the bride.
“I’m sorry your parents couldn’t be here.” I had a feeling part of the reason Ri didn’t plan a huge wedding was because it wouldn’t be the same without her mom and dad.
Her plan had been to elope, but when Nick offered to have it at the house, she’d jumped at the chance. I’d been concerned about pulling a wedding together in two weeks, but it was amazing how things came together, how vendors jumped through hoops, and how deliveries happened without any hassle when you had an unlimited budget. Money didn’t buy happiness, but it sure made life a lot easier.
Ri lifted her hand and touched the tiny heart locket that she wore around her neck that held their pictures. “They’re here.”
I nodded in agreement. “You ready to do this?”
“Yep.”
We walked out of the room that had been Naomi’s, and I felt her spirit with us. I missed her; we all did. But we were keeping her alive in our hearts, and if I had anything to say about it, her legacy would be remembered for generations.
Ri and I stopped at the accordion doors that led out to the backyard, where the ceremony was set up, and waited for the cue. Since Kurt and Ri decided against having a wedding party, I wasn’t her maid of honor. Since I wouldn’t be standing beside her, she’d asked me to walk her down the aisle.
She squeezed my arm as she took in a deep breath.
“Are you good?” I asked.
Her head nodded as she exhaled. “I just want to be his wife already.”
It was still strange hearing Ri say things like that. All her life, she’d been so fiercely independent and on a soapbox about not needing the government to be involved in her love life. But all that changed when she found the man who, quote, “I wanted to be legally obligated to wake up next to me every day.”
I knew that she knew that wasn’t actually what marriage was, but I thought it was sweet that it was how she felt. I could relate.
Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” began to play, which was our cue.
“This is it.” I squeezed her hand.
