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I roll my eyes. “Oh, you know, it’s just glorious.”
“No, really,” she says. “Single lady asking here.”
“I... it’s hard to explain,” I admit.
“Try me.”
“It’s good. I’m really happy,” I say.
Josie’s golden lashes flicker as she shifts in her satin blue bridesmaid’s dress. “Why do I feel like there’s a ‘but’ in there?”
I shrug a little with a laugh. “You always find new things to want, to hope for.”
Sierra nods. “The ol’ human condition bit.”
I grin. “But being with Emerson has already taught me a lot. It’s made me realize how I want things to be for our son. How I want to be for our son.”
“Which is?”
I gesture around at our surroundings. Our family and friends are gathered here, all in celebration. The wafts of delicious food, roasted meat of every type, every side dish you could think of, and enough pastries to gorge yourself and die happy.
“This,” I say. “Happy. Or as happy as I can be.”
Josie snorts. “So, basically, you’re going to become me?”
I chuckle. “Up on yourself, much?”
She blows me a kiss.
“Seriously, though,” I say, more quietly now. “How do you do it?”
“Do what?” Josie asks.
“When something shitty happens, I’ve seen you get upset, but... it doesn’t ever seem to stick. How?”
Josie takes a few seconds to think about it.
“I don’t know,” she finally admits. “I just... for me, it’s always been more practical. Maybe I’m just really good at lying to myself and seeing only what I want to see, but it’s always turned out better that way. It’s just a choice. A habit. A repetition.”
I nod. “I can do that. Maybe. I can try, at least.”
Just then, Emerson approaches the table, his eyes on me.
“All right, all right,” Sierra says to him with a sigh. “We’ll let you have your wife back.”
A smile pulls up the side of his mouth. “Thanks.”
“First dance?” I say as I rise.
“First dance,” he says.
And suddenly, the band is playing a Whitney Houston song.
Emerson takes me to the dance floor, puts his arms around me, and we move together.
I give a little happy twinge under the intensity of his gaze. “Stop it.”
“Stop what?” he asks.
“How you’re looking at me. I’m going to trip over my own two feet.”
His response is instantaneous, sure. “Then I’ll catch you.”
“Jerk.”
“Wife.”
I chuckle. “Ugh, just say it, then.”
“Say what?”
“Emerson.”
Still, we’re dancing, moving, though I’ve lost track of everything else other than him.
“Can’t we just enjoy this dance?”
My smile is merciless. “Nope.”
He tries to frown and fails. “Fine.”
“I’m going to release some songs, I think,” he says. “Dedicate them to you and our son.”
“That’s amazing, but...”
“Why now?” His gaze goes faraway. “It sounds stupid but... forget it.”
“No,” I hiss. “You are not holding out on me on our freaking wedding day, Emerson Storm.”
“All right.” A smile touches the corners of his lips. “You’re my miracle, Wynona Storm. After you, I stopped believing in second chances or that life was anything other than a toss of random happenstance, good or bad, that we had little choice over.”
“And now?” I say softly.
“Now, I don’t know what I believe. Except that second chances are possible, way more than I ever thought. And it’s because of you.”
He kisses my next words out of my mouth, and the crowd goes wild. Somewhere along the way, the song changes, and the patch of grass where we’re dancing is filled with other happily dancing couples.
The rest of the night is a dream. We dance and eat and drink lemonade until the moon comes out to watch. And then, without warning, Emerson pulls me away.
“I’ve one more surprise for you.”
“What is it?” I ask.
“It’s our honeymoon.”
I get tired running up the hill, so he carries me. At the crest, he holds me, and we look down. On the horizon, in the moonlight, I can see...
“Is that...” I begin.
“It is,” he says. “It’s our future. Our honeymoon.”
“Hold on.” I spin to study him, his face, for signs that he’s joking. But I don’t find any. “But that’s...”
“A castle,” he says. “Yeah. My brothers and I bought it together. Right now, you and I have it to ourselves for as long as we want.”
Even from far away, I can see that it’s massive, gorgeous, surrounded by sprawling empty hills.
“Come on,” he says, and he takes me there. “It’s ours. All of it.”
Inside, it’s even more beautiful. Ceilings so high your voice echoes, gorgeous antique furniture. And in our room, in our four-poster bed, we make love for the first time in our castle home.
As we come in each other’s arms, I understand.
This is what happily-ever-after feels like.
~The End~
