Epilogue
Serenity
One Year Later
My palms are sweaty as I adjust my wedding dress, which isn’t necessary considering it’s a simple knee-length off-white dress. I drag in a deep breath as I put on my heels. My old bedroom at Sully’s house feels about ten times smaller with all of my vow renewal preparations cluttering the space.
But he insisted we have it here so he and Harmony could help prepare now that I’m a wife, mom of two, and run the clinic with Dr. Evans.
I reach for my necklace Victor bought me when I gave birth to our son, Callum, and wrap it around my neck. My hands tremble, and I can’t clasp it.
There’s no need to be nervous when you love the heck out of your husband.
A knock sounds, but the door swings open without waiting for my response. Isabella stands there, her brown eyes wide. “I’m sorry. Your sister opened the door.”
I wave her off. “It’s okay. I’m dressed.”
She wears a powder pink bridesmaid’s dress, and a blush tints her cheeks red. Over the past year, she’s been around more while training with Victor, and we’ve grown closer. It’s been agonizingly slow, but it’s a work in progress.
“Do you need me to help you with the necklace?”
I nod. “Please. I’ve never been great at doing it myself.”
She glides over. I’ve learned her every movement is always effortlessly graceful while I look like a charging bull. I hand the necklace to her, and she wraps it around my neck.
Harmony stands right outside my room with Callum, who is now six months old, on her hip. He came a few weeks early. His little chubbiness looks adorable in his gray suit. Summer bolts inside behind them.
“Mommy, look!” She twirls, and her flower girl dress swirls around her. She picked this dress because it sparkled with all the little gems adorning the fabric. “This is the prettiest dress I’ve ever seen.”
“That’s because the prettiest girl is wearing it,” I reply with a wink.
Isabella finishes with my necklace and moves to the side, as I’ve often seen her do. She grew up in the same family as Victor—one with no affection—and hasn’t grown accustomed to our lively, loving bunch yet. But I’ll live to see the day where she actively takes a part in the craziness.
“Are you only saying that because I’m your daughter?” Summer asks, pulling my attention back to her.
I can’t stop the laugh that bubbles out. She’s been in this “do you only love me because you’re my mommy?” phase for a few months.
I walk to her side and kneel beside her. Pushing a red ringlet behind her ear, I say, “No. I really think you’re the prettiest.”
“Can I interrupt?” Elias asks from the doorway.
“You already did, sweetie,” Harmony chirps.
He flashes us a smile. “Victor wants to speak to Serenity before the ceremony.”
My heart flips. After everything we’ve been through, he can’t be having second thoughts. No, he knows better. “Tell him I’ll be right over.”
Elias nods, always a man of so few words, and disappears.
“I wonder what the groom has to say that can’t wait until after,” Harmony muses. “Maybe he’s nervous.”
I take Callum from my sister, and Summer follows behind us. “I guess I’ll find out.”
My heart pounds as I near his room. We’ve already sorted through all of our issues, so I really don’t know why he can’t wait a few more minutes when the ceremony starts.
I raise my hand to knock, but the door cracks open, and Victor pulls the three of us inside his room. His normally bright blue eyes darken as his hungry gaze sweeps down my body, but the look vanishes as quickly as it came when he suddenly remembers the kids are present.
Our appetites for each other hasn’t died down. No, I think it’s only grown.
He takes Callum from me and stares down at him with as much love and affection as he does for Summer. Then he goes to Summer and plops a kiss on the top of her head. The pieces to my heart all finally found their way back and have been patched back together.
“The ceremony is about to begin. Is something wrong?”
Victor grins. “Sorry. I think I’m a little nervous you’ll escape.”
“We’re already married, you fool.”
He chuckles. “I wanted to make sure Harmony didn’t teach you her escape skills.”
I can imagine being ditched at the alter would give him nerves, but we’ve already been married for almost two years. This vow renewal is for Victor and me considering our first wedding was a sham.
“I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me for life.”
“For life? I like the sound of that.”
I roll my eyes, but butterflies flutter from within my chest. I can’t believe when he first came to me, I tried to shove that feeling down. “I need to go. I’m pretty sure we’re a necessary part of today’s festivities.”
His smiles so big his white teeth blind me. “I’ll see you out there. I’ll be the one waiting for you at the end of the aisle.”
Rolling my eyes, I head toward the staircase, and Harmony takes the kids. When I turn the corner to head down the stairs, Sully stands at the bottom in his black suit. He’s shifting from one foot to the other.
“Are you ready?” I ask.
He’s been more like a father to me than my own ever was. The way Sully’s eyes lit up when I asked him to walk me down the aisle is something that will stick with me forever.
“I’m ready when you are.”
I carefully step down the stairs, still not used to heels with more than two inches. When I reach the bottom, Sully offers me his arm.
“I wish your mother was here to see you.” He turns to look straight ahead, but I didn’t miss the tears gathering in his eyes. “She’d be so proud of the woman you grew to be.”
My eyes also dampen at his words, and my heart squeezes. I’d give anything to see my mom again. But I know she’s looking down on us, watching my big day. “Thank you.”
We don’t say anything else as he guides me to the back door. Isabella, Summer, Harmony, and Callum all wait for us. Callum reaches out for me, and I move closer to give him a little peck on his forehead.
I never dreamed my life could be so full of love.
The music starts, and Isabella strides out first. My heart is beating to the music as Summer steps out next. Harmony gives my arm a gentle squeeze before she and Callum go out.
Sully straightens as we step up to the door. “Are you ready?”
I nod, and he guides me out into the sunshine. Half of the town is in attendance. After everything Victor went through to gain acceptance here, my heart swells with pride. I’m pretty sure him funding the clinic was the final act for everyone to believe he’s a good man.
Victor’s father stands as the rest of the crowd does. This man brought us together, and I couldn’t be more grateful. He enjoys complaining about how bland his food is, but it will help keep him in our lives longer.
Next to him is his wife. She still has a glower on her aging, beautiful face, but she says nothing. She and Victor have been working on repairing their relationship ever since he found out she was trying to protect him all these years.
I finally shift my gaze to my groom. He stands tall at the end of the aisle, his eyes firmly on me, with the biggest smile gracing his lips. Seb stands beside him, but instead of looking at me, his focus is on Isabella. Interesting, but that’s a thought for another day.
I take my first step down the aisle, toward the love of my life, and return his smile. He’s it for me. I’ll renew our vows every year if he lets me.