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“Repeat after me,” he instructs. “With this ring, I thee wed.”
Nix slides the band up my left ring finger until it meets my engagement ring. “With this ring, I thee wed.”
“Emma, repeat after me,” the preacher says again, handing Nix’s ring to me. “With this ring, I thee wed.”
“With this ring, I thee wed,” I repeat, sliding the ring onto Nix’s finger. Nix grabs my hand as soon as I’m finished and squeezes, exhilaration shining in his blue eyes.
“By the power vested in me by God and the state of Louisiana, I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the preacher says. “You may now kiss your bride.”
Grinning, Nix cups my face in his hands and pulls me to him, planting his lips on mine. The thought strikes me that I’m kissing my husband now and I smile against Nix’s mouth. He changes course, leaning down next to my ear. “I love you, Mrs. West.”
When he pulls back, I return his grin and say, “I love you, too, Nix.”
“It is my honor to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Phoenix West,” the preacher calls and everyone begins cheering as we turn to them, big stupid grins plastered on our faces.
* * * *
I watch as the last guest pulls out of the driveway, gravel crunching under the tires of their car and smile. Today felt like a dream. I’ve heard that things always go wrong but it was literally perfect. I couldn’t be happier.
The fact that I was living a nightmare not that long ago makes it all the more surreal. I didn’t know if I would ever get to this point. It scared me to hope for this. But now, I’ve got this incredible man as my husband and two little babies growing in my belly.
It’s more than I could have ever hoped for.
“You happy, baby?” Nix comes up behind me and loops his arms around me, laying his hands over my belly. I position my hands over his and lean back into him, his warmth and smell surrounding me, wrapping me up in him.
“Deliriously,” I answer and his lips stretch into a smile against my neck.
“I love you, Mrs. West.”
My heart flutters at my new name and I squeeze his hand. “I love you, too, Mr. West.”
“Ready to go inside?” he asks, backing away and turning me around.
“Dance with me some more?”
He smiles and pulls the remote for the sound system out of his pocket. “Anything you want, dear.”
“You’re catching on quick.”
A startled laugh slips out of his mouth and he shakes his head at me.
“You’re gonna keep me on my toes,” he says, almost to himself, and chuckles again.
“Definitely.” He grins at me while pointing the remote over to the stereo and a second later “Make it to Me” by Sam Smith rings through the air. He slips the remote back into his pocket and saunters over to me.
“Well, someone seems quite pleased with himself.”
He nods. “I am a very happy man today, wife.”
“Glad to hear it, husband.” His arm encircles my waist and he links his other hand with mine, holding it over his heart while we sway back and forth to the music.
After a moment, he leans back slightly to look at me. “Did you mean what you said in your vows? That you would go through all that shit again for me?”
“Nix, I meant every single word that I said to you today.”
He gazes over my shoulder, lost in thought for a moment before shaking his head. “I’m kind of speechless.”
I smile and cuddle back into him as we dance around our backyard. The chairs have been cleared away but the lanterns and pearls are still hanging from the trees and reflecting off the water. I know that this moment right here will be branded into my memory for the rest of my life. At night, I’ll no longer have nightmares about Ryan’s torment. It will be moments like right now that fill my dreams.
