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As Russ paused, he smiled and nodded knowingly in my direction. “At this time, I think there’s something Julian has prepared.”
“More?” she said, shocked.
I’d never been particularly eloquent at expressing myself. Suddenly, the whole thought of serenading her acapella didn’t sound as romantic as it did petrifying. I’d sung in front of thousands of people without accompaniment before, but for some reason, baring my voice in front of her scared the ever-living shit out of me. Maybe it had to do with the fact that this was supposed to be the moment all little girls dreamed of their whole lives. Or maybe I was scared I couldn’t get the words out without fucking breaking down.
Whatever the reason, her wide eyes stared at me, waiting for my next move. Regardless of my male pride, this was happening. Success or failure, she’d know immediately where I stood. So, I did the only thing that’d ever given me confidence. I let my lyrics speak for me as I sang to her.
“You’re the fire in my soul and the beat in my heart. The road’s been hard, but for you, I’d do it again, all from the start. Just to see eyes so blue. You paint a world full of color, movement full of motion. Music dies when you’re not around. You bring life to my world, my wife. Breathing you, I’ll never come down.”
Emotion hit me hard. It burned my chest, and the honesty almost brought me to my knees. She wiped the mascara running down her face and opened her mouth to speak, when Russ’s voice interrupted her.
“I think Julian has something else he’d like to share.”
She stared in amazement as my confidence gained momentum. “Phoebe, when I sang this at your birthday party, it seemed like the perfect song. But after all we’ve gone through, now it means even more. You’re in every song, every word, and every note I sing.” Taking the deepest breath I could hold, I sang the first notes to U2’s Iris.
The song said it all. She told me not to fear what I couldn’t see. She taught me to stand up to what tried to tear us apart, and she pulled back the darkness to show me that hiding behind it was the strength of our own character. And in the song, the one line that brought me back to it each time caught my voice hard.
The world wasn’t desolate because of the life living inside of her.
I held the last note until it faded into the back of my throat. I had nothing left.
“Do you, Julian James Bale, take Phoebe Nicole Ryan to be your wife?”
Slowly opening my eyes, my mouth dried as I watched the tears roll down her face.
“I do.”
“Phoebe?” he prodded. “Would you like to say anything?”
Nodding her head, she glanced back at me with no fear in her eyes. Her look was steady and strong—the look I’d waited to see from her. “Julian, you stole my phone and my heart that night at the club and I didn’t know it.” I chuckled softly. “I see a man in front of me with artistry in his soul and integrity in his heart. I’ve never had to wonder where I stood with you. You’ve always made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world…even as a pregnant mess. I want forever with you.”
“Do you, Phoebe Nicole Ryan, take Julian James Bale to be your husband?”
She answered without hesitation. “I do.” A panicked look crossed her beautiful face. “Do we have rings?”
A smile broke my concentration. She was cute. I’d had rings since I’d placed the engagement ring on her hand back in New York. I’d wanted them all to match, so I figured, why the hell not? They’d been burning a hole in my pocket ever since. Fishing them out, I handed them both to Russ and winked at her.
The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur. We slipped the rings on each other’s fingers, her hands shaking, my big thumbs fumbling with the tiny circle. It was almost comical. Finally, as the rings were in place and all vows had been repeated, Russ grinned and said the words I’d been waiting to hear.
“By the power vested in me by the State of California and the internet, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.” He turned away to give us some privacy, a smile crinkling his eyes.
Phoebe chewed on her cheek and smiled back. Without hesitation, I pulled her against me, my hand rounding the back of her sticky head. The kiss was slow, purposeful, and raw.
From the other side of the greenhouse, Russ called over his shoulder with a wide grin, “It’s my honor to announce to a perfectly empty room, Mr. and Mrs. Julian Bale.”
