Page 84 of Bossy Bride: Emma and Jesse

And Jesse… well, Jesse just grins like a man who just won a thirteen-year do-over.

“But wait,” Tony says, forcing our father to move aside so he can squeeze in. “You’re missing the best part.” He flips the book to the back and reveals a whole section of pictures that are not Photoshopped.

Because they had people photographing us for every single moment of our fantasy wedding day.

Jesse tasting wedding cake.

Me choosing a dress from the roller-skating fashion show.

Our screaming faces on the roller coaster.

Jesse swinging from the ropes on the pirate ship.

Our combined terror and excitement during the skydive.

The huge Italian wedding.

A picture of the ass-end-of-wedding-day getaway car, tin cans trailing behind us.

They even have a pic of our kidnapping!

And, of course, the real wedding at the aquarium.

I am stunned into silence as I look at all the memories we’ve collected.

Jesse leans in next to me and whispers in my ear. “This is just the beginning, Mrs. Boston. You haven’t seen anything yet.”

I lean back into the seat cushions, Tony on my right and Jesse on my left.

And I sigh.

Because even though it’s a fantasy, it’s still real.

EPILOGUE - JESSE

I win.

That’s all there is to it.

But Emma did have another present for me inside the Santa Machine. She waited until all the festivities were over before she told me that. We opened up all the presents. We ate a huge dinner. Hell, we even watched Home Alone, which I had never bothered to watch before, but I totally relate to Kevin. And then, once all the locals went home and the Dumas family was tucked up tight on the Jesse and Joey floors, she took me over to the Santa Machine and handed me a lanyard with my name on it.

“Go on,” she said. “Scan it.”

And look, I’m not gonna play this cool. I was freaking excited about the Santa Machine. She did not have to tell me twice. So I scanned.

And then I got an email notification on my phone.

A letter from Santa!

And this is what it said:

Dear Jesse,

Santa Machine hears that you’ve been a very good boy this year. So Emma Elf wanted me to present you with the Emma’s Fantasy Christmas Pick Three Buffet.

But there’s a catch, of course. You don’t get to choose. She chooses for you.

I hope you’re ready.