“Alright, Merlin,” I say loud enough for everyone to hear. “Out with it. There’s still a wedding that still needs to happen.”
Laughter ripples through the crowd, but when Merlin clears his throat, silence falls again.
“Penny, Miles, I’m really sorry for interrupting your wedding,” he says, emotion thick in his voice. “I know this is selfish timing, but the only reason I left my phone on was because Coach Hayes said he’d be calling today to finalize the World Cup roster.”
A collective gasp flows through the backyard.
“No fucking way,” I blurt out.
And then all hell breaks loose.
Everyone is out of their seats, cheering, shouting, and rushing Merlin all at once. The poor bastard gets swallowed by hugs before he can even fully process what just happened.
Honestly, I’m a little pissed at him for stealing my thunder, but I’m too fucking proud of him to care for long.
If I have to wait another five minutes to officially belong to Penny, so be it.
Once everyone finally settles back into their seats, Merlin still looking shell-shocked, I nod toward the priest.
He clears his throat, fighting a smile.
“Well,” he says warmly, “it seems the MacAllister family has plenty of reasons to celebrate today.”
I exhale slowly as the weight of what’s about to happen settles deep in my bones.
Not because I don’t already belong to Penny. I do.
But this is different.
This is standing in front of everyone we love and saying,"This is my person." This is Penny taking my last name. This is checking the married box on paperwork someday. This is building a whole life together with our daughter running through the middle of it.
Fuck. That’s powerful.
“Penny, are you ready to say your vows?” the priest asks.
Penny squares her shoulders before glancing toward Ruin—her maid of honor—who passes her a delicate little notebook.
They share a smile before Penny looks back at me.
“Miles John MacAllister,” she begins softly, “when I met you all those years ago, I never thought you’d change my life in so many ways that I’d barely recognize the woman I used to be before you.
“For a long time, I thought I had everything figured out. My routines. My plans. My future.” Her gaze drops for a moment before returning to mine. “But looking back now, I think part of me was just lost.”
Her voice wavers, but she pushes through it anyway.
“With your bright humor, your steady presence, and the way you care so fiercely for the people you love, you showed me that I could still be fully myself without having to do life alone.”
Millie lets out a tiny sleepy sound against Penny’s chest, and my heart physically aches.
“And then somehow, as if loving you wasn’t already enough, you gave me the greatest gift of all.”
Her eyes drift toward Millie before coming back to me.
“There isn’t a single day that goes by that I’m not grateful for you and our daughter.
“I promise to be there for you. To love you and support you even when you think you don’t deserve it.
“I promise to be the best sous chef and copilot you’ve ever had.
