Page 141

“Oh your speech!” Ali blurted suddenly, fork hovering halfway to her mouth. She told Charlotte she would help her and listen to her practice but that was before everything blew up. “Just speak from your heart. The words are in there.”

Charlotte smiled, leaning in to press a kiss to her lips. Her hand slid through the slit of Ali’s dress, warm as it wrapped around her thigh. One by one, Ali’s thoughts dissolved, pooling somewhere deep and quiet inside her, like rain soaking into earth.

Charlotte pulled back with a wink and rose to her feet.

With ethereal grace, she crossed to the microphone, the very air shifting as she took command of the room with a quiet authority. Light rippled through the skirts around her ankles, catching the silver threads and diamonds just so. Her posture was flawless. Her smile, radiant. Eyes bright and alive, leaping out from beneath dark lashes shadowing her lids.

She was resplendent, night triumphant.

“Hello, thank you all for being here tonight and for helping us celebrate Elizabeth and Sasha’s union. As some of you may have gathered, Lizzie and I are related.”

Chuckles echoed around the room and Natasha gasped dramatically, earning more laughter. Any second-hand nerves Ali had for Charlotte evaporated at the sound of the first laugh.

“Being twins, we found ourselves in a fair amount of trouble over the years. Usually Lizzie’s fault, of course.”

More laughter followed, and Charlotte’s lips curved into a genuine smile.

“We switched places all throughout elementary, middle, and even high school. And while this revelation will no doubt scandalize our mother,” she paused, glancing toward Diana, “it proved surprisingly useful when it came to helping each other pass certain classes.”

Diana shook her head in exasperation, adding to the amusement.

“But it was also useful when it came to standing up to each other’s bullies. Or helping each other flirt with our respective crushes. We were always there, looking out for one another. At eleven, just after we met James, Lizzie and I made a promise. No matter how our lives changed, no matter how our family grew… nothing would change between us.”

Charlotte took a breath, voice softening. Ali propped her chin in her hand, finding it impossible to ignore just how bright Charlotte shone when she had the attention of an entire room.

“But I’m happy to say things did change. Everything changed. We grew and became our own people. Our family shifted, our home expanded, and so did our hearts. We were blessed with a mother who loved us fiercely. A father who taught us to be brave. And when he left this world, it wasn’t long before he sent James to fill his shoes. We couldn’t have asked for a better second father.”

Charlotte’s voice wavered, and Ali blinked rapidly, chest tightening as she willed Charlotte to get through this.

“And when Lilah came along,” Charlotte continued, smiling through it, “we were handed this tiny little bundle. Lizzie and I made a new promise. We promised we would always fight for each other, but together, we would make sure that tiny baby was loved and safe.”

Ocean eyes drifted across the crowd, landing on her twin.

“Lizzie’s capacity to love is one of her greatest strengths. To be cherished by her is unlike anything else. There’s a ferocity to it. A protectiveness that shatters those made of lesser stuff.”

A murmur of agreement swept the room.

“I knew Sasha was the one before Lizzie did. Long before they ever went on their first date.” Charlotte peeked at Lizzie across the room, both sharing a silent conversation just for them. “You see, Lizzie will admit she had a crush the moment they met. But after their first date, I began to receive text messages. Messages longer than anything I’d ever received about anyone else. She planned their next twelve dates in meticulous detail. Romantic gestures included.” Charlotte smiled. “Of course, when she called me after their third date and told me she was going to marry Sasha, my suspicions were confirmed.”

Lizzie hid her reddening cheeks behind her hands. Sasha couldn’t look anywhere but at her fiancée with open adoration, her strong features softened into something almost reverent. Lilah’s cheeks were splotchy, her smile small and luminous.

“Over time their love has only grown,” Charlotte said. “They’ve built something unshakable. Watching our family evolve again through them has been a gift.”

Her voice gentled and Ali thought she’d never heard a better speech.

“There was a time when I was the person Lizzie went to first. And I was never sure I’d ever be okay with not being first. But after meeting Sasha, after seeing the way she loves Lizzie, supports her, challenges her, stands beside her without hesitation… I couldn’t be happier that my sister found her person.”

A dazzling smile bloomed across Charlotte’s face as she raised her glass of champagne.

“Welcome to the family, Sasha. To the brides.”

Charlotte floated across the floor to Lizzie, who waited with open arms, green eyes shining. Their embrace was fierce, filled with whispered words meant for no one else. Charlotte and Sasha shared a brief hug before Charlotte turned to Lilah, who stood with remorse in her eyes and tears clinging to her lashes.

Charlotte appraised her for a moment, then pulled her into a hug. Lilah melted into her.

Ali breathed a sigh of relief, everything was finally on the mend.

37