Epilogue #3
The sight melted her heart.
The backyard had been transformed into something magical.
White chairs arranged in neat rows faced an archway draped in ivory fabric and winter greenery.
Delicate lights were strung overhead, twinkling like stars even in the late afternoon sunlight.
White water lilies floated atop the swimming pool’s blue surface, while the sprawling grassy property stretched toward the hills.
Nerves humming, heart soaring with excitement, Heavenly stepped onto the patio, casting a quick glance over the small group of family and friends before her gaze landed on Beck and Seth.
Butterflies dipped and swooped in her belly.
They looked so devastatingly handsome in their crisp dark suits, standing side by side beneath the ivory-draped archway, watching her with such raw devotion, fierce possession, and blinding love, that Heavenly nearly forgot how to breathe.
Her impatient, dominant men each lifted a finger and pointed to the empty space in front of them. A wide grin spread across her lips as she began her walk down the aisle, acutely aware of their gazes tracking her every step.
As she moved between the white chairs, she caught glimpses of their family and friends—Nikolai and Jericho in the back row, the unlikely pair looking oddly comfortable beside each other.
Zach sat with Hannah, their hands clasped.
Matt, Danny, and Maggie watched with little Anna perched on Danny’s lap.
But Heavenly’s focus kept pulling back to Beck and Seth, mesmerizing and inevitable.
Raine sat between Hammer and Liam in the next row, tears already streaming down her face. River grinned and gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up as she passed.
In the front row, Grace clutched a tissue, her smile trembling with joy, beside Carl. Hudson sat proudly next to them, flanked by Jack and Connor. Across the aisle, Buddy held Gloria close.
And there, on a pedestal beside the archway, sat the framed photo of her father.
Abel Young smiled out at her—that gentle, knowing smile she’d carry with her forever.
For a moment, the ache of his absence threatened to crush her.
But then she felt it—his presence, palpable and warm, his blessing washing over her like the hugs he’d given so freely when he was alive.
I’m here, sweetheart, she could almost hear him whisper. I’m always here with you.
Every person had fought for them, protected them, loved them.
But like magnets drawn to steel, her eyes returned to her men. Her future.
When she finally reached the archway, she turned to face their guests as Beck and Seth moved in beside her. Calm. Confident. Faces etched in love, they each extended a hand. Heavenly drew in a deep breath and placed her trembling fingers in their palms.
The warmth of their touch spread through her while the rightness of their connection settled deep in her bones.
This was where she belonged.
With them.
Between them.
For a long moment, they simply looked at each other with expressions that spoke of everything they’d survived, everything they’d become, and everything they’d share in the future.
Beck cleared his throat, his voice deep, strong, and firm as he began.
“Heavenly, when I first met you, I was convinced you were too young and innocent for someone like me. I tried to stay away, god knows—” He shook his head.
“But couldn’t. Your kindness, your strength, your endless ability to love made the pull I felt too strong to resist. Winning you over took a long time and a tremendous amount of patience—which has never been one of my strong suits. ”
Everyone laughed, Beck included.
Then he sobered again. “But when you finally let me in, I fell completely and irrevocably in love with you, Heavenly Young.”
Tears slipped down her cheeks as she fought the urge to throw herself into his arms.
“So from this day on, I promise to protect you, to cherish you, to honor the gift of your love every single day. I promise to be the husband you need and the father our children deserve. I promise that no matter what challenges we face, I will stand beside you—beside both of you—and fight for the family we’re building.
You are my heart, little girl. My forever. ”
The silence that followed was profound, broken only by sniffles from the guests, especially Gloria and Grace.
Heavenly swallowed tightly and sent the men who’d become her whole world a watery smile. Then she inhaled a shaky breath, praying she could keep herself together long enough to recite her vows half so eloquently.
“Beck, Seth...I stopped believing in fairy tales years ago. I was convinced happy endings didn’t exist. But then you both walked into my life and showed me what love could be.
It started out messy and complicated. Nothing was ever easy, and so many times I nearly let fear win.
But together, we worked to make our love real and true.
And absolutely beautiful. I would be alone and empty without you. ”
As the words poured from her heart, they gently strummed their thumbs over the inside of her wrists, silently supporting and encouraging her to continue.
“Beck, you taught me that darkness and light can exist together, that protecting someone doesn’t mean shielding them from the world but giving them the strength to face it.
You showed me what it means to be cherished, to be pampered, to be someone’s priority, and to be loved with an intensity that still takes my breath away. ”
Beck’s smile quivered as he squeezed her hand.
“Seth, you taught me that love can be fierce and protective while still being tender. That broken people can heal. That even when fear screams at you to run, love is worth fighting for. You showed me that vulnerability isn’t weakness—but the bravest, most sacred thing we can offer another person.
And you gave me hope that family isn’t just about blood, but about choosing each other every single day. ”
Seth’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard.
“I promise to love you both with my whole heart,” Heavenly said, her voice slightly cracking.
“To be the loving, caring wife you need, a loving, nurturing mother to our children, and the woman who will stand beside you and support you throughout our lives. To choose you—to choose us—every day for the rest of my life. You are my family. My home. My forever.”
Seth’s jaw tightened for a moment before he found his voice.
“Angel, I was dead inside when you found me. Walking through life but not living. I was afraid to feel, afraid to love, afraid to hope for anything more than the next empty day. Then you crashed into my world and demanded I wake up. You refused to let me hide in grief and fear. You pushed me, challenged me, loved me even when I didn’t deserve it. ”
Heavenly’s breath hitched on a sob.
“I know I wasn’t easy to love,” Seth admitted, his eyes glistening. “But you never gave up on me. Never stopped believing that I could be more than my past. And because of you—and Beck—I learned to live again. To hope again. To believe in tomorrows instead of drowning in yesterdays.”
When he lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, she nearly crumpled against him.
“I promise to spend the rest of my life making you happy,” Seth vowed.
“To be the man you can trust to protect your heart. The father our babies deserve—present, protective, and unafraid to love unconditionally. And to be a husband and partner who is totally committed to you and Beck. You saved me, Heavenly. And I will spend every day of my life treasuring that gift.”
Seth reached over to the pedestal beside Abel’s photo and retrieved the three rings resting there.
Beck and Seth each took one side of Heavenly’s ring, their fingers overlapping as they slid it onto her finger together, settling it perfectly against her engagement ring. The symbolism wasn’t lost on anyone—one ring, two men, binding her to both of them.
“With this ring, we choose you, Heavenly Hope Young,” they murmured together, their stares full of devotion that nearly made her cry again.
Seth handed her the other two bands.
Heavenly trembled as she took Seth’s ring first—a platinum band with Celtic knot work—and slid it onto his finger, her eyes locked on his. “With this ring, I choose you, Seth Michael Cooper.”
Then she lifted Beck’s ring—dark tungsten with a subtle brushed finish. As she slipped it onto his finger, she repeated, “With this ring, I choose you, Kenneth Edward Beckman.”
Beck’s thumb immediately went to the unfamiliar weight on his finger, his smile wide and full of joy.
Soft sobs and sniffles echoed through the crowd as Beck and Seth crushed her between them, holding her tightly. Heavenly closed her eyes and breathed them in, her heart soaring to the stars.
Suddenly, Liam’s Irish accent rang out, his voice carrying warmth and joy. “Well then, lads, I think it’s time to—kiss your bride!”
Beck and Seth didn’t need to be told twice.
As laughter, applause, and celebratory shouts echoed across the patio and into the twilight sky, Beck captured her mouth, kissing her with a thoroughness that made her dizzy.
Then he cupped her face and turned her to Seth, who claimed her with a spine-bending kiss overflowing with passion and promise.
When they finally broke apart, Heavenly looked out at the faces of their family and friends. Everyone was on their feet, clapping and cheering, celebrating this unconventional union that had been forged in fire and tempered by love.
Grace was wiping tears from her cheeks, her smile radiant. Carl had his arm around her, looking equally moved. The twins were whistling and tossing fist pumps into the air, while Hudson smiled softly as if he finally believed he belonged.
“Let the party begin!” Hammer announced, and everyone surged toward the trio to offer their congratulations.