30. Epilogue
30
EPILOGUE
MICHELLE
I ’m stunned to the core. I can hardly believe what I’m looking at. This is wonderful, much more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. The fact that it’s in our back yard only makes it even more incredible. And knowing that Jordan planned this for me all on his own, with my friends in on the secret but not quite telling me about it… which is incredible for them. They are usually such gossips who can’t ever manage to keep their mouths shut, but they did this just for me.
“This is so romantic.” I grab Jordan and kiss him softly on the lips, my heart fluttering as I do so. “I might not have ever been the girl who sat around dreaming about her wedding, but if I ever was, then this is exactly what I would have imagined.”
Other women might want thousands of family members surrounding them, and of course, I would love to have my people here if that were possible, but I can feel them, all of them. I can sense them with me, supporting me at all times. My mother’s spirit, watching over me and wishing me well, my father sensing that I’m happy at last, and my brother too.
My God, my brother is alive and I’m getting married. What sort of day is this? It’s absolutely incredible.
“Actually, just before we walk down the aisle, there’s something that I want to tell you.” I tug on his arm and keep it with me for a moment. “I came home with some news of my own, but you kinda overshadowed me with all of this.”
“Oh, no, I’m sorry.” He looks horrified, as if this beautiful evening he has set up for us is a bad distraction rather than the best thing in the world for me. “I didn’t mean to. I just thought that this would be nice… I didn’t mean to overshadow…”
“Don’t be silly.” I giggle, stopping him before he gets too far. I didn’t mean for him to panic like that. “No, this is just more good news to add to the day of incredible news. I can’t wait to tell you. This is really exciting.” I grab onto Jordan’s hands tighter, almost bursting with the thrill of this. “I just want to tell you this before we say our vows and everything.”
“You’re killing me here.” He’s shaking with the nerves that I have shooting through his body. “What’s going on?”
I take his hand and press it to my stomach. “I found out today that I’m having a baby. Our baby. We’re going to be parents.”
They say that things come in threes, and this is proof of that. But these are the three bits of best news that I’ve ever heard in my life. It feels like it’s all come together in the most incredible way possible, proving that despite everything, we’re meant to be together and happy. We’re supposed to move forward with this relationship and be together forever.
No one has ever made me as happy as Jordan Miller, and I know no one ever will. There isn’t another man like him on the planet. He truly is one of a kind. I couldn’t do this journey called life without him, and I wouldn’t want to.
“You’re… you’re pregnant?” Jordan is pale as anything, clearly very shocked by this news, but he’s happy too. “We’re having a baby? Oh, my God, that’s so awesome, Michelle. That’s the best news ever. We’re having a freaking baby. This is just… it’s the best news ever. I’ll admit that you’ve knocked me off my feet, but in the best way ever.”
He picks me up and spins me around, cheering the whole time. We might not have been actively trying for a baby, but we’ve also discussed that we would be more than happy for it to happen, and now it has. I barely even noticed that it might be possible, aside from a little bit of nausea hitting mostly in the mornings, until I suddenly noticed how late I am.
My God, when I was in the work bathroom with my friends, taking that pregnancy test at lunchtime, I didn’t think it was going to be my wedding day. Good thing I’m dressed up nicely, huh? Good thing I’m more than ready for this. It’s almost as if fate has me right where I need to be. I fucking love destiny for bringing me here to this beautiful moment.
“You’re going to be the best mom ever,” he tells me happily. “I’ll try my best, but you… wow, I’m lucky to have you.”
I grab him and kiss him. “You’re gong to be the perfect father too. I wouldn’t have a baby with you otherwise.”
We’re both all choked up and emotional. I don’t know if we’re going to be able to get through this in a moment. We might both end up weeping with happiness and emotion. I need to try and get us moving before we fall apart completely.
“So, do you want us to get married, then?” I chuckle. “Since you’ve set all of this up? It seems like the perfect time for us to celebrate absolutely everything, don’t you think? Especially since my friends are here and ready for it.”
“You wait here. I’ll go to the end of the aisle so you can walk up to me. Let’s do that bit right.”
He half runs to the other end of the aisle and turns to stare at me with sheer love in his eyes. I can feel the zinging of chemistry from over here, and it makes me want to race over to him and cling to him forevermore. Being pregnant only makes it even more intense. I can see our future spilling out in our minds and it looks amazing. Jordan and me, growing old together with our children surrounding us, with our grandchildren too. Just a normal, quiet life, the sort of life I never thought I would be able to have. It’s perfect. I’ve honestly suffered enough drama to last me a lifetime.
“I love you,” I mouth as I slowly start walking toward him. Music is coming from somewhere, which I attempt to keep in time with, but it’s really freaking hard when I’m in agony because I want to be with him so badly. “I love you so much, Jordan Miller.”
“I love you too.” He has tears in his eyes. “You are so beautiful. I hope you know that.”
I can really appreciate Jordan from here. It’s reminding me of just how gorgeous he is. I knew that from the moment I first saw him, even if he really didn’t like me back then, but he’s even more beautiful with a smile on his face and love in his eyes. My God, it’s no wonder my heart skips a beat every time I look at him. No wonder our chemistry is off the scale. The passion floating between us will never die down for as long as we live, I just know it. By the time I take his hands, I’m really hit with it.
Wow . Electricity. It’s crazy and overwhelming, but in the best way possible. But because I’m so sucked into the sensations rocketing through me right now, I barely hear Daniel, who is apparently officiating this whole deal, when he begins his speech. I get the feel of what he’s saying, and it’s a nice speech about love lasting forever, but I’m lost in Jordan. I’m swimming in the eyes of the man I’ll have by my side for the rest of my existence. Oh, my God, that’s so thrilling.
Finally, it’s time to say our vows. Luckily, because this is all last-minute, we haven’t had time to write specific vows. For a second, I fear that Jordan might burst out with this beautiful, lengthy speech, leaving me very embarrassed when I can’t do the same. I know I’ll be able to pull a speech out from my heart, but it’s better for us just to do the traditional vows for now. We spend every single day telling each other how we feel about one another. We know how deep our feelings go now, so that’s something we can keep private, just for us. I like the traditional vows, anyway. They symbolize a lot to me.
Freedom, the American dream, my new life, everything I’ve always wanted. I have it at last. The name Michelle Miller will finally be mine, and I can’t wait for it. I’ve come so far and escaped so much to be here, which only means I’m going to appreciate every single second of my happily ever after. When I think about all the ways that this could have gone…
Wow, I got so lucky. I must have done something right to end up here, right? After all the hardships, it’s all finally heading in the right direction. Well, from here on out, I’m going to make the most of every single day. America is mine, and this man belongs to me too. My child is going to have the most incredible life, and I can’t wait to see it all.
The words ‘You may kiss the bride’ are the most liberating words I’ve ever heard. I grab Jordan and kiss him hard once more, claiming him at long last and loving every second of it. My life is incredible.