Page 171 of Sparks Fly

Outside the tent the air was cool in that perfect early-fall way that made everything feel crisp and alive. Trees surrounded the property, their leaves bright with color, and every time I stepped out toward the edge of the lawn the scent of dry leaves and distant woodsmoke drifted through the evening.

It was elegant.

It was relaxed.

It felt exactly like us.

Someone had started music almost immediately after dinner ended, and now the dance floor was already crowded with people who had clearly decided they were done pretending to be dignified guests.

Benji was in the middle of it, of course, dancing with a level of enthusiasm that made the rest of the groomsmen look embarrassed by association. Vic had joined him, laughing while Jay tried to keep up with whatever chaotic rhythm they had invented.

I stood near the edge of the floor with a glass of champagne in my hand, watching it all with a kind of quiet disbelief.

For so long I had imagined this moment as something tense. Something complicated.

Instead it felt easy.

A warm presence settled beside me, and I glanced over to see Lilly sliding into the empty chair at the table.

She looked tired in the particular way that only came with being the parent of a one-year-old, but she was smiling at me with the same steady affection she always had.

“Well,” she said, lifting her glass toward me, “you did it.”

I laughed softly and clinked my glass against hers. “I did.”

Her eyes softened as she studied my face. “I’m really proud of you,” she said quietly.

The words hit me deeper than I expected. Two years ago I had sat across from Lilly at a coffee shop and tried to explain something that felt impossible to say out loud. I had been so afraid of losing her that my hands had shaken the entire time.

Now she was sitting beside me at my wedding. Nothing about that felt small. I followed her gaze across the dance floor.

Sawyer stood near the far edge of the tent, one arm wrapped securely around a small bundle of pink tulle and curls. Rose—Rosie, as Lilly insisted on calling her—was tucked against Sawyer’s chest while Sawyer bounced gently in time with the music.

Rosie clutched the lapel of Sawyer’s suit with determined little fingers while Sawyer swayed carefully so she wouldn’t drop her.

Lilly let out a soft laugh beside me. “That,” she said, nodding toward them, “is not something I ever expected to see.”

I watched Sawyer grin down at the baby while Rosie squealed and smacked one hand against her shoulder like she had discovered the greatest toy in the world.

My chest warmed. “It’s a pretty amazing sight,” I admitted.

Sawyer shifted Rosie onto her hip and started spinning slowly in a circle while Benji cheered from the dance floor.

Rosie squealed louder.

Lilly smiled as she watched them. “She likes her,” she said.

“She likes everyone,” I pointed out.

“True,” Lilly said. “But she doesn’t laugh like that with just anyone.”

I took a slow sip of champagne and watched Sawyer again.

Something quiet settled in my chest. “I think I want one,” I said before I could overthink it.

Lilly turned toward me, eyebrows lifting slightly. “A baby?”

“Maybe,” I said, my voice softer now. “Not right away. But… one day.”