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It takes both Ali and Mary to pull my wedding dress off the wooden hanger, seeing as the dress is taller than both of their tiny bodies. Shrugging off my robe, I step into the all-white structured dress that hugs every dip and curve on my body. I slip my hands through the armholes, the off-the-shoulder straps perfectly drape my arms, and the sweetheart neckline is making my girls look better than they ever have before.
As Mary begins to fasten the countless satin buttons running up the spine of my dress, Ali stares at me through the full-length mirror in awe, her eyes glossing over.
“Stop,” I request. “Al, you never cry.”
“I can’t help it.” She sucks in a quick burst of oxygen. “I’ve watched it all happen for you and Maddison. And now you’re getting married.”
“Screw it.” Mary pokes her head around my body, meeting my gaze in the mirror, her eyes welling up. “I’m a mess already too.”
“You guys aren’t even the sappy ones in the family,” I remind my girls.
“Oh lord,” Mary laughs. “Jack is going to lose it when he walks you down the aisle.”
Eli’s stepmom continues to fasten my dress as Ali places my shoes down in front of me. As I put my jewelry on, Mary secures my new charm with my parents’ picture around my bouquet.
My dad might not be here to walk me down the aisle, but he’s here in my heart, and I’ve got the next best guy to do it.
I bend down, allowing Ali to pin my veil into my hair before standing up and checking myself out in the mirror.
My dress is simple yet flattering, and Mary, Ali, and I had the best girls’ weekend in Chicago shopping for it. I wanted something that showed off my figure but didn’t distract from me. I also wanted to make sure my tattoo was visible, so off the shoulder was the perfect choice.
“Cami!” I call out into the hall. “You can come back in now.”
“Damn.” Cam’s eyes are wide as he turns the corner. “Maddison is going to lose his mind.”
“We should get down there.” Mary hands me my gorgeous bouquet of all white flowers. “Ready?”
I give her a smile and a nod, taking the flowers from her hand as Ali gathers up my train and follows me out of the room.
As I cautiously make my way downstairs, I sneak a peek out one of the windows. Marc and Eli aren’t at the altar yet, but plenty of people are seated in front of the lake, and that alone makes my heart race.
I miss Eli already, and I can’t wait to see him. We tried to do the traditional ‘don’t see each other until the altar’ thing, but Eli only lasted thirty minutes of sleeping on the couch before he snuck into his room here where I was in his bed, cuddling his big-ass body on top of mine, and needing me to hold him.
Honestly, I wouldn’t have wanted our wedding day to start any other way.
It seemed only fitting to get married at Jack and Mary’s house outside of Minneapolis. So many of the milestones in our relationship happened in Minnesota—in this house. I didn’t want to tie the knot anywhere else.
The scenic lake backdrop is absolutely stunning, the July sun glistening off the water. I’m not big into frills and this beautiful space, right outside of Jack and Mary’s back door, didn’t need anything other than a small riser on the lake’s edge. However, I am looking forward to seeing the tent where the reception will be held. I let Mary go all out with decorations for that, and I’m sure it’ll be stunning.
“You look so pretty, Logan,” Ian tells me at the base of the stairs. “I like your hair.”
“Thank you, Ian.” I bend down to be eye-level with him. “You look pretty handsome in that suit.” His forest green suspenders and bow tie are too adorable for words.
Ian’s pale cheeks turn pink, just as they do every time I compliment him.
Eli’s mini-me has turned into quite the hockey player, and at seven years old, he’s completely grown out of his stutter. But something that hasn’t changed in the years I’ve known the blond-haired boy? His ability to flirt with me. If anything, he’s gotten better and knows exactly how to get under Eli’s skin.
What can I say? He learned from the best.
One thing that has changed over the years is Ian no longer demands to go by ‘Maddison.’ Eli encouraged that, since he was getting so good at hockey, he needed to go by his own name instead of someone else’s because everyone will end up knowing it one day. He lets us call him Ian, but if it’s hockey-related, he goes by his last name, Davis.
“Logan, you look stunning,” Stacey says, hugging me. “I’m going to go find my seat. Ian, do you have the rings?” Ian nods his head as he grabs his little brother Seth’s hand and stands at the back door. Stacey gives both her boys a kiss on their cheeks before ducking out the side of the house to find a spot to sit in.
“I’m gonna go find EJ so he can walk me to my seat.” Mary squeezes my hand. “I’m so happy for you two.”
Mary and Jack cross paths, her going to find the boys and him on his way to see me. They give each other a quick kiss in passing as Jack’s gaze finds mine.
He looks great in his suit, matching with the rest of the boys, his tall frame taking up the entire entryway where he’s currently frozen as he stares at me.
