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“You’re a vision in white.” His voice is thick with emotion.
“Thank you, Daddy.”
Dad gives my hand a squeeze, “Mark is a lucky man.” His voice takes on a serious tone. “I wouldn’t have been able to give my blessing to a lesser man. You be good to each other.” I nod. “Love each other. Support each other.”
“Yes, Daddy.” If he’s trying to stop me from crying, he’s doing a terrible job. “All I’ve ever wanted is to love someone and be loved as much as you and Mom love each other. In case you haven’t figured it out, you guys are kind of relationship goals.”
“You’re never going to have a marriage like your mom and I have.” His words take me aback, but he continues, “Because you and Mark aren’t us. Just like you aren’t Helen and Jack. It’s up to you what kind of relationship you build. There isn’t a secret formula that you can calculate. It’s like your ring.” I look down at the ring consisting of both our mother’s diamonds. “For better or for worse, the marriages that those came from made you and Mark. They helped shape how you see the world and how you respond to it, but they aren’t you. It’s up to you and Mark what type of legacy you will leave for your children. Some of it will be good, and some of it won’t be as good, but it will all be worth it if you put the effort into it.”
I nod, not knowing what else to say.
Dad gives my cheek a kiss and settles my arm into his. “Now how about we head outside and get you married.”
I squeeze his hand and follow his lead out to the patio.
As we make our way to the top of the aisle, I look at all our friends and family who are here. All my brothers, including Ben who is standing up by Mark, and my sister and my sisters-in-law (including my sister-to-be, Rosie) who are standing with me. Helen and my mom are sitting together with bright smiles and shining cheeks. A majority of Quimby is here, as are members of Lexington. There are even members of the Ridgeview Hawks baseball team here, all to support their now officially official assistant coach.
My nieces do a beautiful job as flower girls, even if Ashtyn had been disappointed she couldn’t be a groomsman. I look and see my best friends take their places with Jonathan right by my side. He gives me a wink then turns to face his brother and gives him a thumbs up. The small gesture makes all the emotions I’m feeling that much more intense. They are still far from the close relationship that I have with my siblings, but they’re trying.
I don’t dare look at Mark until I am almost right in front of him, I know I’ll be completely undone as soon as I do. As soon as I look at him our eyes lock. The rest of the world disappears; we are the only things that exist.
As he takes my hand, he gives it a squeeze and leans down to whisper in my ear, “I’m all in.”
I smile up at him.
“I’m all in.”
Bonus Epilogue
Mark
18 Months Later
Inever really thought about what married life would look like. For most of my life, I was convinced I never would get married, but Millie changed everything. Well, once I allowed myself to let Millie change everything.
I never knew it was possible to love someone so deeply that you’d want to put their wants and needs above your own. I never saw that with my parents. Dan and Norah just seemed too ideal, and they still kind of are, but theirs is a love that Millie and I strive to emulate in our own way.
We didn’t send Jack an invitation to the wedding—well, technically we sent one, but it arrived purposefully late. I wasn’t ready to face him after all that had happened, and Millie respected my decision. We did end up going to see him when we were back in Charleston helping Todd move to Ridgeview a few months after the wedding.
Millie’s got it in her head that he moved to be closer to Trina, but I think she’s got love on the brain, and since most of her friends have already made their own matches she’s moving on to mine. Todd and Trina met for the first time at our wedding. Pretty sure Millie is trying to orchestrate a real-life Hallmark movie. I really need to cut her off from watching them, but then again, I’d lose my excuse to watch them, so maybe we can just limit it to a few a week.
Mom and Norah have been more than thrilled that they’re finally related. It’s their dream come true. The only thing better (which they remind us repeatedly) would be to have a shared grandchild. Dan is constantly telling them how ridiculous they are, but I’m pretty sure he’s hoping for the same thing.
Shortly after we got engaged, I started the updates on my townhouse. What started as a way to spend time with Millie turned into starting our lives together. Thanks to Jake and Drew’s latest business venture, Jacobson Bros Construction Company, we were able to pretty much finish everything before the wedding with a few last-minute touches after Millie moved in. A year and a half later and we still haven’t decided what to do with the spare room but are using it as a home office for the time being.
I walk into the door after a long and grueling session in the gym with some of my players. I have a few who are being looked at by scouts, and it’s important to keep them in tip-top shape. When I signed the official contract to be a coach, I promised the whole team that I would be with them every step of the way, just like my coaches were with me. That means training even in the off seasons.
The house is strangely quiet, which if you’ve met my wife is highly suspicious. I suddenly get the urge to check behind corners and look above doors. She’s been home all day, so there’s no saying what mayhem she could have concocted. If there’s one thing I have learned about the entire Jacobson family since becoming a member, it’s that the whole lot of them love pranks. The bigger the better. Idle hands and all that.
After a few minutes of searching, I call out, “Mills?”
“In the second bedroom!”
I follow her voice and find her pinning paint swatches to the walls.
“What are you doing?” I ask, equal parts amused and confused.
“Trying to decide what colors to paint the walls,” she says matter-of-factly.
