“I would have warned you. This was not on my bingo card. Should we get a table?”
“In a minute. One thing first.” Owen tips my chin up to give me a sweet, lingering kiss. His left hand settles automatically against my waist now, his thumb brushing softly over the diamond like he still can’t quite believe I said yes.
I pull him close and savor the warmth of his presence. We’re in no rush. I have a feeling tonight’s going to be strange, but there’s no one I’d rather share it with.
After everything we survived to get here, strange feels pretty perfect to me.
Epilogue
Owen
Adler scratches the back of his neck. “So, if your mom and her dad get married…”
My eye twitches. “Adler.”
“Will that make Remy your stepsister?”
“Adler.”
From Adler’s other side, Lenyx hisses, “Legally speaking, yes.”
Adler nods. “Kin-ky.”
I’m surrounded by actual idiots.
It would be extremely cathartic to throttle one or both of them. As soon as the thought crosses my mind, I fall into my habit of timed inhales. A year ago, I probably would’ve snapped at somebody by now. Progress. It’s harder today, mostly because my nerves are coming from a ton of different directions at once. I’m nervous about the ceremony. I’m deeply uncomfortable in this tux. I’m about to make a huge commitment, and while I’m absolutely sure that this is the right choice, it’s bringing up all kinds of questions about my dad that nobody will ever be able to answer for me. It’s a lot to balance.
Happiness feels strange enough sometimes that my brain instinctively starts looking for the catch.
And on top of it all, of course, there’s my team.
“Where’s Sofia?” Adler asks.
“There was a butt-related emergency,” Knight hisses. “She had to go home to change Kiera.”
“There’s a changing station in the bathroom, isn’t there?” Camden asks from somewhere down the line of groomsmen.
Knight grimaces. “Yeah, this was more of a full costume change and shower type of situation.”
Cam thumps his shoulder sympathetically. “Yeah, been there. But with dogs, obviously.”
I lean forward to glare around Lenyx. “Can you guys knock it off? This is mywedding.”
Knight snorts. “Consider this a warning. Babies are super cute, but you need emergency supplies at all times. They lull you into a false sense of security with their chubby little cheeks and big eyes and little rosebud lips, and then,bam!” He slaps the back of one hand across his opposite palm. “Literal shitstorm.”
Camden grins at him. “Yeah, but you love her.”
Knight’s eyes unfocus, and his smile turns dreamy. “Yeah, I really do. She’s perfect.”
Now I’m thinking about babies. I haven’t spent a lot of time around newborns, but I’m good with kids. And baby Keira is indeed one of the most adorable babies in existence. As one of her designated uncles, I am admittedly biased, but I will die on that hill.
Although I’m immediately alarmed by how easily my brain supplies an image of Remy holding a baby. I bet Remy and I would have evencuterkids, though. Little goalies with freckles. Not now, not for a while, but eventually. Which is apparently how my life works now. I accidentally think terrifyingly domestic thoughts and then just… keep having them. That’s a long way down the line, though.
The guys are still yapping when the music starts. We fall into a silent line as we wait for the doors to open and for Butch to guide Remy through. We know the blocking. We did a whole rehearsal last night.
But that was just the practice run. Last night, Remy was wearing a simple sundress, not the fitted sleeveless dress she’s wearing now. When I skimmed through the bridal catalogs theWAGs brought over, I couldn’t picture her dolled up like a giant creampuff. This dress, however, is perfect. The lacy bodice is an off-white color that’s probably called something like “French eggshell” or “fresh cream,” and the skirt bells out around her knees, embroidered with tiny flowers. Her hair is pulled up in a complicated braided bun studded with live blooms.
The ground tips beneath me. Every single thought in my head disappears at once.
