Epilogue
Six Months Later
Mara
Bash and Lainey are getting married in paradise. The archway behind the officiant is covered with purple and white flowers, the ocean a sparkling backdrop.
They wanted to get married at sunset, so the setting of the sun could represent the end of their separate lives and the start of their new one together as a married couple.
A year ago, I would have secretly cackled about that being cheesy.
But since I fell hopelessly in love with Leo, I get it.
We’re borderline ridiculous sometimes. We rub noses when we’re alone and no one can make fun of us.
He leaves love notes taped to my steering wheel when he has to leave before sunrise for road trips.
I sleep in his t-shirts because they smell like him.
“If I can’t have a Pretty in Pink theme, at least I still get to be pretty,” Dex says, admiring his reflection in the mirror.
I roll my eyes at him, smiling. The rest of the bridal party overruled him on Pretty in Pink , because purple is Lainey’s color and it’s her wedding.
The maid of honor, Lily, is wearing a pale-lavender dress with a halter neck.
Suki and I are both wearing the same style of dress in the sleeveless version.
Harry and Dex are wearing white tuxes with purple bow ties that match the dresses.
“Who’s out there now?” Lainey asks, a line of worry between her brows.
I smooth out the line with my fingertip while Dex peeks around the corner from where the bridal party is waiting out of sight from the handful of guests.
“No fretting on your wedding day,” I say.
“I don’t want to be sweating in the photos,” she says. “Let’s fucking go.”
She’s just nervous, like any bride would be.
But Suki has planned this day down to the smallest detail, and Lainey is a radiant bride.
Her bright-red hair is smooth and straight, a crown of tropical flowers sitting on top.
Her dress is flowy and white, with a cinched waist and a plunging neckline.
The vibe is island princess, and it’s perfection.
“The groomsmen are out there,” Dex says. “My lord, Mara, I’m jealous of the railings you get from that absolute unit of a man. He’s wearing the fuck out of that tux.”
“Focus, Dex!” Lainey barks.
“Okay ... there’s Bash, he’s there with the groomsmen. He’s drinking from a flask.”
“What?”
“Kidding. That would be funny, though. The officiant is up there. Should I signal your dad?”
She takes a deep breath in and blows it out. “Yes. I’m ready.”
She turns to her friend Lily. “Does my face look sweaty?”
“It’s perfect. You are a stunning bride.”
“Thank you.”
Lainey’s dad comes and says a few words to her that make them both teary, and then the music starts up. That’s our cue to walk down the aisle and take our places.
Olivia, Charlotte, and Hallie are all flower girls. Hallie goes first, the guests smiling when they see her in her frilly lavender dress. She was adamant that her dress be “fancy.” She drops her white petals onto the sandy beach as she walks, running out before she’s halfway down the aisle.
“Look at her, trying to look like she planned it that way,” Suki cracks.
Charlotte goes next, followed by Olivia. Then it’s Harry’s turn.
Harry’s boyfriend Aden is one of the guests.
They’re still going strong. Now that the hockey season is over, we’re all staying in Hawaii for a vacation after the wedding.
Bash and Lainey will be with us for a couple of days here on Maui, and then they’re moving on to Kauai, where they have a luxury treehouse rented for a week.
Dex follows Harry, and I try to angle my neck in front of the fan while I watch him walk. My hair is all up, but my neck is still sweaty. I don’t know why I’m a little nervous—I’m just a bridesmaid. I don’t have to worry about tripping because we’re all wearing flip-flops in the sand.
When it’s my turn to walk, I hold my bouquet of lilies in front of me, my eyes locking onto Leo. My stomach flutters nervously when he smiles at me.
So that’s why I’m nervous. It’s because I’m walking down an aisle toward Leo. Granted, it’s not the aisle—we’re incredibly happy but not ready for engagement yet. But it’s an aisle, and I’m getting a preview of what I hope for us one day.
Our first six months together have been a dream.
He missed five weeks of his season rehabbing his knee and didn’t have to get surgery.
We spent as much of his time away from his team as we could together.
I gave up my apartment and officially moved in with him, so his house no longer looks like a model unit that no one lives in.
Things just fell into place during that time. We became a couple in every way. It was hard when he had to go back to work, but also okay, because he was so excited to be returning to his team to play the game he loves.
I can hear the crashing of waves over the music, and it calms me. I’m kind of a wave myself. I have highs and lows. I can be loud and dramatic. But I’m also steady.
Leo has helped my inner confidence grow. I always looked confident on the outside, but now I feel more sure of who I am and what I want than I ever have.
I’m walking toward what I want. My future. And his eyes promise me everything I never even dreamed I’d have.