Epilogue One
Charlie
Five Years Later
“There’s still time to make a run for it. We can steal the limo and ride off into the sunset and say fuck these guys,” Amelia says, adjusting the clip to the veil in my hair.
I laugh softly, my thumb toying with the engagement ring on my finger. “I love you, Amelia.”
Her eyes turn glassy as she wraps her arms around me from behind. She rests her cheek next to mine and holds my eyes in the mirror. “Love you too, bitch. You may be about to walk down the aisle to him, but you’ll forever be my ride or die.”
Amelia has weathered her own storms with David.
I spent years worrying about her, watching her shoulder pain in silence.
Her miscarriage shattered something inside her, and it took ages for her to find her way back.
But now, when I catch the light of happiness flickering in her eyes, I know she’s finally okay.
Love can shatter you, but it’s also the force that gathers your pieces and makes you whole again.
Mom flutters anxiously around the room while Norma smooths every last wrinkle from my train.
A gentle knock interrupts the bustle, and Dad peeks in. Tears well up as he takes in his first glimpse of me in my dress.
“Charlie-girl,” he chokes out, his eyes roaming over me as he comes into the room. “You look stunning.”
“No crying, daddy,” I say with a watery laugh.
“You can’t tell me not to cry when I’m about to hand my daughter over to another man,” he grumbles, taking the tissue from my mom and wiping his eyes.
Amelia presses a kiss to my cheek before stepping aside, and Dad takes my hand, spinning me gently to face him.
“Are you ready for this, kiddo?” he asks softly.
I smile at him, lifting to my toes and brushing a kiss against his scruffy jaw. “I am.”
He clears his throat and places my hand in the crook of his arm. “Then what do you say we get you to that impatient man waiting for you at the end of the aisle?”
Mom and Norma each kiss my cheeks before slipping out. At the door, Kayla and Vin wait patiently, but Amelia breaks formation, rushing back to my side.
She cups her hands around my cheeks and places her forehead against mine. “You'd better name them after me.”
I jerk my head back in surprise, my eyes searching hers. “You know?”
Nobody knows yet. Not even Keaton.
“You’re my best friend. Of course, I knew. Next time, don’t worry so much about me. Let me celebrate with you.”
“Ride and die,” I whisper.
“Ride and fucking die, babe.”
She plants a quick kiss on my nose, then darts back to join the bridesmaids.
Since Keaton’s betrayal, I’ve witnessed his tears more times than I can count.
But watching tears slip down his face as my father leads me to him is a memory I’ll never let go of.
My dad places my hand into Keaton’s. “I loved her first, boy. But I’m trusting you with her now. Remember how precious her love is and know that she finds you worthy of it. Don’t take that for granted again.”
Dad doesn’t give him a chance to reply as emotion overcomes him. He kisses the top of my head and takes his spot beside Mom in the front row.
The beginning of the ceremony goes quickly, and then it’s time for Keaton to say his vows.
“Charlie, there are so many things I want to say, but we all know I suck at words. So, I’m going to keep it short and do my best. I love you.
More than I’ll ever be able to show you.
I wish I could because if there’s one person on this earth who is worthy of every beat of my heart.
As cheesy as it sounds, you really do complete me.
Coming home to see you dancing around the house is my favorite highlight of every day.
My arms feel empty when they’re not wrapped around you.
It’s been such an honor watching you grow into the beautiful person you are.
You don’t falter, and you never fail, no matter what life tosses your way.
Your smile steals my breath and your love…
fuck, Char, your love gives me life. The day you agreed to be my wife after the hell I put you through was one of the humblest moments of my life.
I love you, Charlie. There’s never going to be another day that I make you doubt that. ”
I smile at him through blurry eyes, mouthing ‘I love you’ as I squeeze his hand.
Then it’s my turn.
Inhaling deeply, I blow out a silent breath.
“Keaton. This…standing here in front of you and about to become your wife is something I’ve dreamed about since I was a little girl.
You were always there for me. My person.
My endgame. Then life happened, and I didn’t think we’d make it here.
It’s been a long, hard road, huh, dragon boy?
” His hand cups my cheek and I lean into it with a watery laugh.
“The truth is, I’d rather walk the most painful road with you, knowing the beauty that waits for us on the other side, than love anyone else.
I love you. So much. And I can’t wait to call you my husband. ”
Our friends and family shout their excitement when we’re finally declared husband and wife.
Keaton cups my face in his hands and rests his forehead on mine. “My wife,” he whispers reverently.
“My husband,” I whisper back.
Amelia tells me at the reception that while everyone was watching me, she was watching him.
She wanted to see that moment. The one that ensured it was finally okay to trust him with my heart again.
Amelia said that when the first tear fell from his eyes, she knew it was okay to let go of her distrust. She said the man that stood at that altar knew what he held in his palm and there was no way he’d ever take it for granted again.
I believe her because it’s something Keaton shows me every day we’re together.
The day Keaton broke my trust changed us forever. But together, we rebuilt something sturdier, something almost unbreakable.
We’ll always bear the scars of Keaton’s betrayal. They’re faint, almost invisible, but they linger—a quiet reminder of how fragile love can be.
People only ever talk about the love stories that crumble after infidelity.
No one tells you about the ones who survive.
But we’re here.
We’re quietly rebuilding.
We’re growing stronger.
We’re learning to love again.
And we’re thriving.
This has been the hardest road we’ve ever walked, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
I watch the love in my husband’s eyes deepen as I place his hand on my stomach and tell him he’s going to be a father, that I understand something so fundamental to me…
Every struggle was worth it for this moment, right here.