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She pushes out of her chair. “I’ll go get ready.”
She leaves us in the kitchen. “That was easier than I was expecting,” Victoria admits.
I find as the hours pass, I grow nervous—the weight of the vows pressing down on me. My father took his vows seriously every single day of his marriage, and it showed in how he treated my mom. I intend to be the best husband I can be. I love Emma more than my own life, so I don’t reckon it should be all that hard.
“To you, brother. Always be happy and always, always keep your wife happy,” JJ toasts me as he places a shot of tequila in front of me. I throw it back in one and nod.
Brothers have been giving me their version of advice all afternoon, and it’s not until Mom and Alannah bring my son into the bar that I genuinely grin.
He’s wearing a pair of black jeans, a small white shirt, and then, for the best part, his very own, made-to-measure so it fits, Lost Souls cut.
“Now that’s what I call a Lost Soul!” Sparky cheers.
“It suits him, no?” Alannah beams.
“Fuck yeah.”
And all I can see is his future if patching in is what he chooses to do. Mason and I didn’t have a choice, but it wasn’t a fight for us to go against our grandpa or Dad. We wanted the patch and everything it entailed. We enjoyed it so much we could taste the freedom in the fabric of the patch before we earned one.
I hope Tommy one day patches in, knowing he’ll have a family much more extensive than ours, having his back every single day. But if life chooses another path for him, I’ll still be proud, there to guide him in any way I can, if he lets me.
“Time to hit the road, brother,” Mason tells me as I take my son from Mom.
I warned Emma not to be late, and I won’t be either. I want Emma as my wife so bad I can’t concentrate on much else. The hour between leaving the club and arriving at the church is lost to me. I greet everyone showing up, and I have one last smoke before I take my place at the altar.
Tommy sits on Mom’s lap, and when the music begins, everyone stands.
This is it.
Though we’ve been together for the last few years, this, today, feels like the beginning.
Penelope is first to walk down the aisle, scattering her flower petals, courtesy of her aunt Victoria. She’s beautiful in her dress and with her hair pinned back, falling in curls down her back.
“Hey, Daddy. Mommy is waiting outside!” she excitedly tells me.
“That’s good. Go sit with Aunt Victoria and Uncle Luca.”
She skips over to the front row and slides onto Luca’s lap as Victoria has her hands full with River. Luca freezes, and it’s not until my sister elbows him in the ribs that he relaxes and makes sure Pen’s secure. I laugh to myself. The fucker’s family, whether he accepts it or not.
Since Emma’s Dad isn’t in the picture and my dad… well, he’s no longer with us. She had no one left to walk her down the aisle. I asked Mason, my brother, the one I trust most with my back and hers, to walk her to me. Mom was right. We’re the head of the family now, which means we are there in times of need.
My lips are bordering on splitting from smiling so much, and when they reach me, and Mason hands her over to me, I can’t even imagine it getting better than this.
“You ready?” I ask her.
She smiles. “More than you’ll ever know.”
I’m going to be okay.
Mason’s going to be okay.
Our whole family will be okay.
Life continuously moves on, not caring what crap you’re going through or the good times. The trick is to take your life in the palm of your hand and control it. I will be a good husband and a great father.
I will be at my brother’s side when he takes back his peace from the assholes who tried to steal it and humiliate him.
We will be there for our mom.
