Epilogue
EPILOGUE
A FEW WEEKS LATER
ANDIE
“ D o you realize that when you take Liam’s last name your name will be Andie Graham?” Lacey rolls her lips together to stifle her laugh, but it does nothing to hide the mirth dancing in her eyes.
“What? Are you kidding? That can’t be right!” I say jokingly. As if I haven’t said the name a thousand times in my mind. Andie Graham.
“Wait, you’re messing with me right now, right? Like, seriously?”
I chuckle. “I think Andie Graham has a nice ring to it. Just think of all the conversation starters.”
“Fair point. But I won’t be able to say your name without wanting someone to sing to me and offer me candy.”
“Guess I’ll have to stock up on my candy stash. But hey, Andie Graham is definitely a name people will remember.”
Lacey laughs. “Naturally, you’ve figured out how to put a positive spin on it. ”
“It’s what I do, remember? I’m a people person.”
“Hmm, I don’t know about that,” Lacey says. She gives me a pointed look. “You’re a marketing and public relations person, and yet on the most important day of your life, you want no more than a handful of people around you. No church. No fancy aisle to walk down. No flower girls or ring bearers. No long, flowy white wedding gown. No veil. Not even any bridesmaids or groomsmen.”
“I have a Maid of Honor and Liam has a Best Man. What more do we need?”
“How does Liam feel about all this?” Lacey asks.
“Liam never gave his wedding much thought before now, and honestly, I think he’s relieved ours will be small and simple.” I smile, remembering Liam’s face when I asked him if we could get married in his parent’s backyard.
Walking to the window, I peer down to see the yard. Everything is just as I pictured it in my mind. Liam and I will recite our vows standing inside the covered gazebo, with Lacey beside me and Layton beside Liam.
I was surprised when Liam asked Layton to be his Best Man. Those two are always squabbling about something, but I suppose it makes sense. I didn’t want a long line of bridesmaids so that limited Liam’s options. How was he supposed to choose from Max, Alex, and Larson?
This way, Liam’s best friends can enjoy the ceremony sitting with their wives. They’ll have a front-row seat, because the only other people in attendance are my parents, Grams, Liam’s parents, his sister, Layla, and his brothers, Lloyd and Lenny. And of course, the photographer and the pastor. It’s the smallest wedding I’ve ever attended, and that’s exactly how I want it.
Oh, and I forgot to mention our guests of honor–Noah, Emma, and Ava. The three babies have been pinched, poked, squeezed, nibbled on, loved on, and fussed over by all the adults, and the ceremony hasn’t even started yet.
A knock sounds at the door and I turn around in time to see my mom and dad enter. Their smiles say it all.
“You look stunning, Andie,” my mom says. “Absolutely stunning.”
“You’re not disappointed I’m not wearing a traditional wedding dress?”
My mom tilts her head to the side and smiles affectionately. “Oh honey, you’ve never wanted the fancy wedding dress. And this dress,” she gestures down the length of my white summer dress. “It’s so perfectly you.”
I’m wearing a dress with off-the-shoulder drop sleeves because I know Liam will love it. He’s always loved the shape of my shoulders. The dress has a simple bodice with a fitted calf-length skirt and a slit up the back and on each side, so when I sit down, it reveals a whole lot of leg–something else I know Liam will love.
The back of the dress has a scoop neck that gives it a backless appearance–a little nod to the red dress I tore when I jumped out of the window the night of the Derek fiasco. The scoop isn’t quite as dramatic, but it flatters my back as well as the red dress does. Embedded in the material, are white flowers, but you can only see them when the light hits the dress a certain way.
Liam is wearing a blue short-sleeve shirt the same color as my shoes and the ribbon on my bouquet. His slacks are a dark grey. I’m glad he chose not to wear a tux. I know, I know, it’s a sharp break from tradition, but his shirt really makes his crystal-clear eyes pop.
“I didn’t break from all tradition,” I say with a smile. “My ring is old. My dress is new. Your pearls are borrowed, and my flowers have azure blue ribbons threaded through them. So, see? I’m more traditional than you think.”
“I just don’t like being the center of attention,” I say. “It’s something I dread like nobody’s business. ”
“I know,” my mom nods. “Unlike that husband-to-be of yours, who loves to live in the spotlight.”
I suppose it’s a good thing Liam enjoys being the center of attention because rumors are circulating about getting revenge on him for the fight he started the night before Max and Maizee’s wedding. I haven’t figured out exactly who, what, or when this whole revenge thing is supposed to go down, I’m just hoping I’m not caught up in the middle of it.
I also made sure to have photos of Liam’s friends and their wives taken this morning, before any potential wardrobe mishaps. Between the Graham siblings and Liam’s friends, one cannot be too careful. Liam and I took engagement photos last month, which have been plastered everywhere you can imagine. The local newspaper, the office staff email, social media, you name it. I’m surprised we haven’t shown up on a milk carton.
“I don’t know one tradition from another when it comes to fancy weddings. But I do know this, your mother is right. You’re a stunning bride, honey, and Liam is one very lucky man.” My dad hugs me, and if I’m not mistaken, liquid is pooling in his eyes.
“We will have no tears,” I order. “Do you hear me?”
My dad chuckles and swipes at his eyes. “Ah, honey. Can you blame me? For five years I was afraid your wedding would be to a man I didn’t respect. I’m so glad you saw through him before you made a giant mistake.”
“When I was with Derek, I was settling for less than the dream. I’d given up on my Prince Charming and decided the magic wasn’t realistic.” I shrug my shoulders. “They say love is a choice, a verb, that we can choose to love just about anyone. I tried hard (too hard) to love Derek despite the lack of magic.”
“Liam and you are free spirits, albeit not in the same way. He has always complemented you, even when the two of you were in high school.” My dad clears his throat when his voice cracks. “ I know he’ll treat you right, Andie. He’s a good man with a good heart.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Now it’s my turn to swipe at the teardrops on my cheek. “There will be no crying! Everyone got that?”
“What do you say we get you married, eh? Make you an official Andie Graham?” Lacey cracks up at her own joke. It’s a dad joke if ever I’ve heard one.
Last night, Liam and I snuck onto the roof and laid down to watch the stars so we could re-create a moment that took place fifteen years ago–the night before I left for college. That night, a shooting star had passed overhead so we both made a wish. Liam wouldn’t tell me what he wished for, but he said it began with a kiss. And then he kissed me. As for me, I made up a second wish–that Liam and I would always be close, regardless of where life took us. It sounds like a reasonable wish, right?
But it was a lie.
Not the sentiment, just the fact that it wasn’t what I wished for. Last night, as we lay on the roof and gazed at the stars, I confessed that my real wish that night was finally coming true. I wished that no matter where life took us, our paths would intersect again, and when that happened, we would stand up together and pledge ourselves to each other forever.
I realized how sappy my wish sounded, which is exactly why I didn’t share it with Liam fifteen years ago. I went with the safer option. But today my real wish is coming true because Liam is my dream. He always has been, even when our paths were miles and miles apart. Liam said his new wish begins the same as his old one did. And then he kissed me–and did a thorough job of it.
Lacey claps her hands in front of my face. “Earth to Andie.” My gaze snaps to hers. “Are you ready to get married?”
Smiling, I loop my hand through my dad’s arm. “Let’s do this.”
“Um, Andie? You might want to come see this.” My mom gestures for me to come to the window, where just a few moments ago I saw that everything was perfectly in order for my wedding.
There’s a loud commotion, and I get to the window just in time to see Layton, Max, Alex, and Larson, all hanging onto Liam’s arms and legs. Liam struggles to free himself, but Layton’s tickling him so he’s spending too much of his strength laughing instead of focusing it on fighting his friends.
The four men carry Liam to the pool, swing him three times, and launch him into the water.
LIAM
The moment the music begins, I know I’m in trouble. I can see the wheels spinning in my friends’ minds and the way mischief sparks in their eyes. They’re up to something, I’m just not sure what the something is.
When Max, Alex, and Larson approach me, I smile nervously and pretend I don’t suspect anything’s amiss.
That was my first mistake. My second mistake was underestimating their strength. My third mistake was assuming Layton wasn’t in on it. Now that I think about it, of course, Layton would be involved, which I wouldn’t mind, except that he knows the way to zap my strength is to tickle me. So, when the four men grab my arms and legs, I know I’m done for. Layton begins tickling my ribs and armpits, and though I thrash and struggle to free myself, I’m laughing too hard to get away from them.
I guess you could say laughter is my Kryptonite.
And that is how I end up at the bottom of the deep end of our pool.
My brother and my friends go back to their places and leave me to fend for myself. Any minute now, Lacey will take her place in the gazebo and Andie’s dad will walk her through the yard and to her spot next to me.
And then, Andie will marry a drowned rat, because that’s exactly how I’ll look when I crawl out of the pool.
I’ve gotta hand it to them, it’s pretty sweet revenge if you think about it. The night before Max’s wedding, I attacked Larson because I thought he was two-timing Nell. Alex and Max jumped in when things got heated, and by the time the fight broke up–stifled by a fire extinguisher–the four of us were worse for the wear. Max and Maizee’s wedding photos tell the story and trust me, nobody came away from that scuffle unscathed.
Today, my friends have exacted their revenge on me, but you know what? I’m going to roll with it and take it like a man because the only thing that matters today is that Andie and are getting married.
I climb out of the pool and in my wet shoes, I squish-squash my way across the yard to take my place next to a very smug-looking Layton, who’s waiting for me under the gazebo. I give Layton a sideways glance. He’s not even trying to hide his grin.
Lacey approaches, her eyes taking me in. When she glances at Layton, I notice the subtle lift of her mouth–her smile growing a little wider. Was Lacey in on the throw-Liam-in-the-pool ruse too? Or has she fallen under Layton’s spell? If the latter is the case, Andie will need to warn her to keep her distance.
The music changes, and Andie and her father appear at the back door. Andie has her hand wrapped around her father’s arm in some sort of death grip. Her eyes are a little too wide, her fingers shaking, and her lips trembling.
This just won’t do.
Leaving my place in the gazebo, I bypass the three stairs and leap to the ground. I meet Andie and her dad at the halfway mark and immediately see the relief in Andie’s eyes. She gives me a grateful smile, hands me her bouquet, and then rests her free hand on my arm.
Bending down, I place a soft kiss on her lips. “You look radiant, Darlin’. Perfect.”
Andie chuckles. “I can’t say the same about you.”
I shrug my shoulders. “No big deal. I’ll just do that thing where I shake myself, and everything will fall back into place.” I give her a wink, and her face splits into a giant grin.
The three of us walk to the gazebo together, and when we arrive, the ceremony begins. Andie’s dad places Andie’s hand in mine. I return Andie’s bouquet to her, and in just a moment, she and I will give our hearts to each other.
This amazing Wonder Woman is about to become my wife.
And she doesn’t even care that I look like I’ve just been dragged through a carwash.
That’s love. And one more reason Andie is perfect for me.
As tradition dictates, at the end of the ceremony the pastor declares us man and wife, and I kiss my bride. The complicated way. I think it’s Alex who threatens to throw me back into the pool if I don’t cool my jets.
Layton steps forward, “Time for me to kiss the bride.”
“Yeah, that will happen when hell freezes over,” I say, turning Andie toward our friends. Layton’s chuckle follows us from behind, and I can’t help but smile.
“Everyone make your way to the pool,” the photographer says. Andie wants shots of the pool in the background because the color of the water matches her ribbon and shoes. My friends grumble, probably because they’re hungry. They argue that since they aren’t technically in the wedding party, they don’t need to be in the photos .
“Stuff it, people,” Andie says. “Everyone here is part of the wedding party. And since I planned this so you didn’t have to wear a suit or a tux, and you were able to sit with your wives, I expect you to repay me with thirty minutes of your time.”
Wow, Listen to her! Go, Andie!
Everyone gravitates to the pool deck and the photographer pulls us together in various groupings. It’s definitely not as formal and elaborate as Max and Maizee’s wedding, or Alex and Bree’s wedding (the church one, not the Vegas one). It’s more like Larson and Nell’s wedding, which was also very small and intimate. And so perfectly Nell.
As soon as the photographer has me line up with Max, Alex, and Larson, I know something’s about to go down because I can read it in my brothers’ eyes. Layton, Lenny, and Lloyd charge forward and barrel into my friends and me, taking us all into the pool with them. There’s a short scuffle in the water, but nobody takes it seriously because everyone is in good humor.That is, until the photographer steps to the edge of the pool and gives us a reproving look.
“Alright, you guys, I’m on the clock here,” the photographer taps her finger against her watch. “Andie has a list of photos she wants taken, so climb out of the pool and get your butts over here.”
Again, the four of us line up–all looking like drowned rats now–and smile pretty for the camera. At least this time, nobody has a black eye or cracked ribs.
The photographer takes several shots of us and then motions for the women to join us.
Layton dries his hair with a towel and surveys the scene. “There’s something wrong here,” he says. “The women are too dry. Guys, go get your wives.”
I hope the photographer is on her toes because all three of my friends have tossed their wives over their shoulders and are heading for the pool. Nell is laughing too hard to fight Larson, but Bree and Maizee are shredding Max and Alex, which leads me to believe there may be some cracked ribs after all. Layton made sure Lacey didn’t miss out on the fun by picking her up from behind and jumping into the pool.
“I should have known,” Andie says under her breath when she sidles up to me.
“Yep,” I chuckle as I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her in for a kiss. “Are you disappointed?” Andie’s brows pull together in confusion. “You know, with the way the photos are going to turn out?”
She laughs. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I just hope your parents aren’t disappointed.”
“Are you kidding me? They were beginning to believe none of us would ever get married. We could have taken wedding photos in the nude and they’d be okay with it.”
Andie shakes her head. “Do you ever listen to the words that come out of your mouth?”
I tighten my hold on her waist and silence her with another kiss. When we finally break apart, we stand there for a few moments and watch our friends frolic around in the pool, until the photographer gives Andie the signal that time is running short.
“Okay you guys,” Andie claps her hands. “Everyone out! Let’s get these photos finished so we can all eat.”
Laughing, Layton looks up at Andie and stretches out his hand for her to help him up.
“Andie, no–” I try to warn her, but I’m too late. Layton pulls my bride into the pool. There are several audible gasps in the small group of onlookers–brides are supposed to get a free pass on their wedding day. No shenanigans. But when Andie’s head pops up from beneath the water, she is all laughter and smiles.
And so, I do the only thing I can. After all, I just promised to cleave to my wife for better or worse. With a running leap, I cannonball into the pool. When I come up for air, once again, I wrap my arms around Andie’s waist and pull her to me.
“How are you so perfect?” I say through my grin.
Andie responds by wrapping her legs around my waist and threading her arms around my neck. “Like I told you before, it’s a gift,” she says, shrugging her shoulders.
The smile on her face does something strange to my insides–it’s like this simmering heat in the base of my belly that spreads warmth to every cell in my body. I want to be the man who puts that smile on Andie’s face so I can experience this heat every single day.
“Are you just going to stare at me, or are you going to kiss me? Because I–”
Andie doesn’t get to finish her sentence because her mouth is otherwise occupied. She tastes like happiness, like joy, and I can’t believe I get to hold her every day for the rest of our lives. This woman–my high school crush, my first love, my best friend, and my wife–is everything to me.
After a few more minutes of roughhousing, we finally manage to get everyone out of the pool and finish the remainder of the group photos, before everyone settles in for lunch.
These people are the people I love most in the world. My family and my friends. And you know what? I’m no longer the seventh wheel because Andie has evened out the score.
The number eight is the symbol of infinity or eternity. Andie is the eighth wheel, making our friend group complete.
I’ve heard it said that we should choose our love and then love our choice. Today I chose to marry my best friend, and I plan to love her in an infinite number of ways, for now and forever .
And you better believe plenty of afternoon naps are included in that plan.
The End