35. Epilogue
Epilogue
Two months later
Ezra finished tightening Lucas’s bow tie and was actively fighting all the emotions that wanted to spill over. “You look great,” he rasped out as he took in his son in a tux, standing next to Tiago, Rowan and Bradford. They’d been his “boys” since he was eighteen and now he had a new one, and oh shit, he couldn’t cry.
“You really do.” Tiago clapped him once on the shoulder. “You’re gonna show up your old man for the big day.”
Lucas full-on grinned and casually did that thing where he dusted off his shoulders. “I can’t help it.”
Violet, the wedding planner, stuck her head in and was, as always, the epitome of calm. “Ezra, I need you. Well, the bride needs you, so chop-chop.”
“I feel like she needs German subtitles,” Bradford muttered, making the others laugh.
Violet looked at the others, her gaze narrowing on Bradford. “You four, get in place now.”
As his friends all straightened, Ezra headed for the door. He hadn’t wanted to jinx things before the wedding by seeing Magnolia in her dress, but if she needed him, he was going to be there.
“We’ll see you on the other side, Dad.” Lucas called out as he eyed himself in the full-length mirror, still messing with his tie.
Ezra blinked and met Lucas’s gaze in the mirror.
His son grinned and turned away from his reflection. In that moment, he was all Magnolia. “I’m trying something new out. I like it.”
“I do too.” Aaand he was definitely going to cry.
As a man who’d cried twice in his entire life that he remembered (which according to Magnolia was not healthy) he couldn’t get a handle on his emotions today.
“Is everything okay?” he asked Violet as she ushered him down the hall, her heels making angry-sounding clicks.
The last two months he, Magnolia and Lucas had gotten into a routine, one he loved. He didn’t even feel like he was figuring out his place in their lives, he was simply part of it now. And that realization had nearly bowled him over as much as Lucas calling him dad all casually only moments ago.
And even though things between Magnolia and her father were still rocky, the man was in their lives. He’d apologized, sincerely, more than once after Ezra had saved his and Abigail’s lives. And while Ezra didn’t think he’d ever throw back beers with the guy, he was willing to move forward, albeit cautiously. Now he was worried that something had happened.
“Of course everything’s fine.” Apparently that was all the answer he was going to get before she knocked on the door at the end of the hallway and poked her head in. Then she nodded at Ezra to go in.
Magnolia was standing by a window of the historical building that had once been a speakeasy but was now a venue for all sorts of events. In a lilac gown covered in soft little sparkles that glittered in the light, she was a walking dream. Her dark hair was down in soft waves and—
“Hey, what’s wrong?” He was moving before he realized it at the expression on her face. “Whatever it is, we can fix it.” He didn’t care where they got married, as long as they were together. Gathering her in his arms, he held her close, loving the way she fit perfectly against him.
Her blue eyes were brighter today, probably because of the dress color, as she looked up at him. She set her palms on his chest. “I need to tell you something and I should have told you before this morning, but I’ve been all up in my head. And I feel like such a fool that I’ve waited so long and I’ve built everything up—”
“I know you’re pregnant. If that’s what you want to tell me.”
Her mouth parted slightly. “You do?”
“You switched to decaf a couple weeks ago.”
She blinked once. Twice. “Oh. Are you…okay with this?”
“I’m thrilled.” He tightened his grip slightly. Though thrilled wasn’t the right word. How about over the moon?
“Why didn’t you say anything?” she whispered.
“I thought you just needed time to tell me and things were so perfect between us I… I don’t know. I talked to my stupid therapist—”
“Not stupid,” she murmured, almost on instinct, her mouth curving up into a smile.
“Fine. My annoyingly insightful therapist brought up that the last time you told me, or tried to tell me, I disappeared. So maybe you were simply being cautious, even subconsciously.” Stupid, absolutely brilliant therapist that she’d insisted he talk to.
“Wow, okay, she’s not wrong. Every time I tried to tell you, the words got caught in my throat. Because you’re right, things have been perfect and this is a huge change.”
He hugged her even closer. “A change I’m ready for. I missed the first time around and I’m excited about this. I want to be there for you for everything. Also, Lucas just called me dad for the first time.”
Magnolia’s eyes filled up with tears so he quickly swiped them away. “Mari said you weren’t allowed to cry until after pictures,” he murmured.
Making Magnolia laugh. “That sounds about right.”
“Okay, so we’re ready to get married? No more secrets? Because I love you more than life itself, and I want to call you my wife.”
Smiling as bright as the sun, she kissed him, then nodded against his mouth. “I love you too. Let’s go do this, my soon-to-be husband. ”
Even though they weren’t supposed to, they walked down the aisle together, because screw tradition. He’d waited too long to claim her and he wasn’t going to be separated from her another second.
Thank you so much for reading Fighting for Magnolia.