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She always survived.
Even the girl she was as a child was a survivor. She would always survive, and I had always just wanted to help her live. I wanted to give her a life she always deserved. I didn’t need to protect her.
Once I had gathered myself, I pushed open the back door. The storm door squeaked and Wren looked my way.
She was barefoot, dressed in some black sweats, a cropped shirt, and a cardigan over it.
“Good morning.” I grinned at her.
Wren wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me. I leaned up against the door frame, slipping my hands under her cardigan and pulling her tight to me.
“Good morning yourself.” She beamed. “You ready for today?”
“Of course.” I nuzzled her neck, enjoying her warmth on me. Today would be a busy day, and moments alone would be scarce.
“Excuse me?” Riley walked down the hall, already popping my little bubble, a black clothing bag in her arms. “It’s bad luck to see the bride on her wedding day.”
I scoffed, pulling Wren tighter to me. “Red, if you really thought you were going to get me to sleep in the guest room last night, you are delusional.”
“Don’t come crying to me when you have bad luck for the next seven years.”
She laid the bag over the back of a chair.
“That’s breaking a mirror.” I rolled my eyes at her. I liked Riley, she made Wren happy, and that was all that mattered to me.
“I’m pretty sure all the bad things happened to us,” Wren said, looking between Riley and I. She shrugged. “It can’t get any worse.”
I stared down at her before I picked up her hand and brought it to the wooden door. “You knock on wood right now.”
“Hah! See! You are superstitious!” Riley shouted.
Wren started to laugh and slipped out of my arms, hooking anarm through Riley’s. “Alright, you two, I have a wedding to get ready for, and you do too.”
I stood at the end of the dock, looking out onto the lake. The sun was setting. casting an orange hue over everything. The trees around us, dressed in their fall colors, looked like they were on fire.
Soft music played on the outdoor speakers that had been set up for the occasion. I could still hear nature’s music, frogs and wildlife singing the last of their songs before it got too cold for them.
I could hear the click of Foster’s camera as she took photos for us for the occasion.
Wren wanted a wedding. So, she got a wedding.
She hadn’t been too happy with my forging her signature. It was the first time I had taken her choice away from her. There was no excuse in the world that could justify it.
I offered to sign divorce papers, and to my relief she didn’t want that either.
She wanted a wedding at our home, so all our friends got together to help us set up and plan it.
“You ready, man?” Troy asked as he, Gavin, and Mario joined me out at the end of the dock, taking their spots.
“I’ve been ready.”
Mario had gotten an officiant’s license online as soon as Wren asked him to be the one to marry us. Ezekiel and Nikolas took it upon themselves to get me fitted for a suit. It was all black, with the green cufflinks.
The music grew louder, and we all turned. Riley came down the aisle first. She wore a forest green dress with a small burgundy bouquet in her hands. Once she was in place, the music changed, and Wren stepped out of the house.
She followed the stone path to the dock.
Her dress was a two-toned long sleeve. The top was black lace that gradually flared out to a white skirt, the bottom looking like it had been dipped in black ink. Her hair was down in her natural curls. A larger burgundy bouquet in a teardrop shape was in front of her.
