Epilogue
Emily
one year later
The proposal happened at Christmas. Two rings, matching small diamond solitaires on delicate bands.
“Marry us. Be ours forever, not just here,” Heath said, tapping his chest, then Wyatt’s, and finally mine. “But in front of those who love us, too. Daniel and Rosie will come. Your family will, too. We can do it at the cabin.”
So now we’re back on Virgin Peak, exactly a year after we came together that first time.
The house is overflowing with people, and the wedding preparations are underway.
Legally, it’s a little more complicated, but Heath’s lawyers are on it. They’re going to draw up a trust and powers of attorney that ensure that no matter what, the three of us will be able to honor every vow we make today.
The love part is locked in forever.
In sickness and in health? Absolutely.
What’s mine is theirs and theirs is now, apparently, mine. And each other’s. Where other people draw up prenups to limit what one has access to, Heath’s pre-nup contract is utterly generous to both Wyatt and myself. He wants us to know without a shadow of doubt that we’ll always be taken care of.
I don’t like to think about that too much. Not when there are wildflowers to pick and a pretty white dress to slip on.
Rosie and I climb the trail behind the cabin in the morning to find enough flowers for bouquets and boutonnieres, and then I get dressed in my childhood room, which has now been converted to our room, in a pretty white sundress I found at a vintage store.
My parents weren’t sure of what to make of my fiancés, until they met them. By the end of the first dinner, Heath and Wyatt had won them over.
There’s a knock at the door. “Em?”
“Come on in, Mom.” I smooth the front of my dress.
She peeks in, then gives me a beaming smile as she closes the door behind her. In her hand is a faded velvet jewelry box. “I found this in storage. Your dad says it was his mother’s.”
My hands shake as I open it up. Inside is a pearl necklace. I hadn’t planned on wearing anything around my neck, but now… “They’re beautiful.”
“Your grandparents were very happy here,” she whispers. “We hope you will be, too, with your men.”
I blink furiously, then give in to the tears for a minute. They’re happy tears, after all. That’s allowed on a wedding day.
She grabs a tissue and dabs my cheeks, then hugs me fiercely. “We only want you to be happy.”
I squeeze her back and promise her that I am. So very happy, always.
After we touch up my makeup, we go outside and find my father. Together, my parents walk me around to the back of the cabin, where everyone is gathered—and my men wait.
There’s no aisle. No music. Just the wind in the trees and the birdsong overhead as our friends and family circle around us.
The officiant welcomes everyone, and reads a moving passage about lifelong commitment.
And then, after I pass Rosie my bouquet to hold, the three of us link hands.
“Heath, do you take Emily and Wyatt to be your forever partners?”
“I do.”
“Do you bind yourself to Emily as her husband, in every sense of the word?”
“I do.”
“Then repeat after me.” She lowered her voice to a a whisper, so it was only Heath’s voice that rang out to our friends and family gathered to watch this.
Tears threaten, and wild butterflies take off in my chest. A storm of emotions, all centered on this man. My husband. My partner. And his promises.
“Emily, today I take you, together with Wyatt, as our wife. I promise to love you and cherish you, support you and protect you, every day of my life. With everything that I am and with all that I have, this is my solemn vow.”
I squeeze his hand, swaying toward him.
I love you, he mouths.
I mouth the same back, then it’s Wyatt’s turn.
“Wyatt, do you take Emily and Heath to be your forever partners?”
“I do.” He grins, repeating it again to the next question, and then it’s his turn for his vows.
“Emily, today I take you, together with Heath, as our wife. I promise to love you and cherish you, support you and protect you, every day of my life. With everything that I am and with all that Heath has, this is my solemn vow.”
Everyone bursts out laughing on the last line, including Heath, and Wyatt grabs him in a one-armed hug, because his other hand is holding onto me.
“Just kidding,” he says, sobering up. “With everything I am, and with all that I have, this is my truly solemn vow.”
I wipe away the happy tears that slide loose at his humor. Because now it’s my turn.
I squeeze both of their hands as I say I do twice. “Heath and Wyatt, today I take you as my husbands. I promise to love, cherish, support and protect you, both of you, every day of my life. With everything I am and with all that I have, this is my solemn vow.”
“In honor and recognition of these vows, it is my greatest joy to recognize you as husbands and wife. In an orderly fashion, you may both kiss the bride.”
Heath grabs me first, pulling me in between them. And it’s Wyatt whose mouth softly closes over mine, who kisses me first, and sweetest, before turning me to my other husband for a searing embrace to mark that I am his. Theirs. Forever.
And then Wyatt needs to meet that heat, and I’m back in his arms again, and he’s dipping me all the way back.
By the time I’m standing and Rosie is giving me back my bouquet, I’m all out of breath and my cheeks have to be fiery blazes.
I don’t care. Because everyone is cheering, and my husbands both have shit-eating grins on their faces.
We did it.
And now forever can begin.