Chapter 28 #2
“I do, and everyone else agrees. You deserve the best of everything, and we can’t wait to celebrate you guys. Your victory is one for all of us.”
“Thank you for being by my side today and always.”
“Love you both so much.”
“Likewise.”
Gage
Tyler is bouncing off the walls with excitement as Derek and I try to keep him contained for another few minutes. My dad and brother have gone to join my mother, sister-in-law and the other extended family members who’ve come from all over to be with me today.
“How soon until I walk Mommy down the aisle?” Tyler asks for the hundredth time in the last hour.
“Ten more minutes,” I tell him.
“He’s not going to make it,” Derek says with a laugh.
Thankfully, the club’s wedding coordinator comes a few minutes later to collect Tyler seconds before he spontaneously combusts.
“See you out there, hotshot,” I tell him as I adjust his bow tie and straighten his hair one last time. “Love you.”
He throws himself at me in a spontaneous hug. “I love you, too. Thanks for marrying us. We’re a lot.”
I laugh. “You’re just right. Take good care of your mommy for me.”
“I will.”
He runs for the door but gives me a look over his shoulder that says everything about the bond we’ve formed.
I give him a thumbs-up that earns me a big grin before he disappears through the door.
“Phew,” I say to Derek. “I thought he was gonna blow.”
“I know. Remember when we had that kind of energy?”
“I’m not sure I ever did.”
Derek comes closer to give me a last once-over. “You look good.”
“Thanks for standing up for me.”
“I’m incredibly honored that you asked me, and Roni is, too.”
“It’s funny when you think about who stood there the first time and how different life is now. How different everything is.”
“For sure. A whole new cast of characters in the after, with some of the original peeps hanging in there for the long haul.”
“Not as many as you thought, though.”
“The ones who matter are the ones who stay.”
“Yes, that exactly.”
“Those are your words. You wrote that in one of your posts, about how tragedy separates you from the people who aren’t meant to stay.”
“Did I? Well, that’s rather profound of me.”
He smiles. “You can’t know how much your words have meant to me over the years as I rebuilt my life. Any time I thought I couldn’t keep going, I’d fall into the Gage Collier rabbit hole and reemerge with the feeling that if you could do it, so could I.”
“That means a lot to me. Thank you for saying so.”
“It’s true for so many people. You took an unimaginable tragedy and turned it into such a gift to others suffering through loss.”
“It’s how I survived, by talking about it. I’m so glad it helps you and others.”
The wedding coordinator returns to give us the signal that it’s time.
My heart gives a happy, joyful lift. I can’t wait to see Iris and the girls.
Derek hugs me. “I’ll see you out there.”
“Be right there.”
Iris suggested that we ask Mimi and Stan to walk me in as a bridge between the past and future. They’ve been so instrumental in getting me through the worst time in my life. They’re a big part of the reason I survived and am so ready for this next step with Iris and the kids.
When they come into the room, they’re smiling and tearful and as overwhelmed as I’ve felt all day.
“You look so handsome,” Mimi says, her hand over her heart.
“Thank you for agreeing to do this.”
“Oh, my love… We’re so honored to be part of your big day and to represent Natasha and the girls.”
“They’re smiling down on us today,” Stan says gruffly. “I have no doubt about that. They’d love Iris and the kids as much as we do.”
“I want you to know… Your love and support have made all this possible. You never wavered. You welcomed Iris and her kids like they were family to you from minute one. You never made me feel like I was doing something wrong by moving on with my life. Those are the most incredible gifts you ever could’ve given me, and they’ve made all the difference. ”
Mimi wipes a tear from her eye. “We’ve loved you like a son for as long as we’ve known you, and we always will.”
We have a three-way group hug and emerge sniffing and laughing.
“Let’s get out there before they start without us,” Stan says.
We make our way to the back of the big room where the ceremony will be held. After Iris chose the flowers she wanted to decorate the space, I secretly called the florist and doubled the order, knowing how much she loves flowers of any kind. The scent is overpowering, and she’ll love it.
“It’s so beautiful,” Mimi whispers as she hooks her hand through my left arm while Stan takes the right one.
I catch my mother’s eye and see that she’s wiping away tears. They loved the idea of Mimi and Stan escorting me and fully understand the symbolism. I’ve been lucky to be so well supported by all the most important people in my life. Not all my widow friends have been so fortunate.
Iris and I chose Sting’s song “Brand New Day” to be played as the wedding party comes in, and as I hear the first notes, I’m filled with the emotion of the moment and everything the song represents to us.
As we make our way up the long aisle to where Derek stands waiting for me, I take in the glowing, excited faces of our Wild Widows, many of them with their new partners, and other friends and family who mean so much to me and Iris.
Taylor stands at the end of one aisle, smiling at me as I approach. I’m so glad she’s here, and Iris will be, too.
At the front of the room, I hug Mimi and then Stan. “Thank you.”
“Love you so much,” she whispers.
“Love you more.”
“All the best to you and Iris, son,” Stan says when he shakes my hand.
I’m too choked up to do anything but nod.
Our program identified them to our guests as Natasha’s parents and Ivy and Hazel’s grandparents. When I turn to face them, there’s not a dry eye in the room.
I hope my girls are close by today and know that I still love them with my whole heart and soul, even as I prepare to marry Iris and the kids.
When Sophia and Laney come to the doorway, wearing pretty white dresses with their hair up and lips tinged with color, I’m immediately in tears.
They’re so damned cute as they make their way toward me, dropping rose petals from the baskets they’re carrying, smiling as big as I’ve ever seen and delighted with everything about this.
All their grandparents are mopping up tears as the little angels come toward me.
I kneel to hug them both and whisper how much I love being their Daddy Gage.
We hold on to one another for a long time as our guests sniffle right along with us. I hope the videographer is getting this so Iris can see it later.
I finally release them, and they go to their assigned seats to wait for Roni as she makes her way down the aisle, smiling to me and Derek as she hugs the girls.
Next, Iris and Tyler appear in the doorway, and my heart aches with love for the woman who’s made this new life possible and the son I never had before Tyler.
They’re so adorable as Tyler escorts his mother down the aisle. His effort to take the occasion seriously is hilarious, as anyone who knows him can tell he’s barely holding it together.
As they arrive at the front, I kneel to hug him. “You did such a great job, buddy. I’m so proud of you.”
“Thank you.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
He takes his mother’s hand and turns it over to me, as we rehearsed yesterday.
Finally, I’m left with my bride, who’s so beautiful and sexy and perfect, she takes my breath away. I’m so thankful for the night she crawled into my bed and changed both our lives.
Our forever starts right now.