Epilogue
EPILOGUE
Scarlett
A YEAR LATER…
“ I can’t believe it’s your wedding day!” Anna says as she touches up my makeup one more time.
“You look stunning. And this dress…it was made for you, Scarlett.” Leah is behind us fixing her lipstick in the other mirror.
I turn to see her more clearly. “Excuse me, but who have you been smooching?”
She blushes and Anna snorts out a laugh and then laughs harder trying to cover it up. I point at her and narrow my eyes. “My two best friends aren’t allowed to plot and smooch people behind my back. Especially on my wedding day when I can’t help you plot.”
“I’ll tell you about it later. It’s a?—”
I cut her off, “A long story. Leah, I know. But seriously, was it him?”
She nods and Anna presses her lips together. She knows bits and pieces of Leah’s love…complication. Only what she’s told her, because it’s Leah’s story to tell, not mine. And Anna would never press.
“Okay, more later, but for now you’re going to focus on being happy,” I tell her.
“I hear you loud and clear. Besides, Anna has a date today. I’ll live vicariously through the two of you,” she says and wrinkles her nose.
About that time, Mom and Dad come in holding Atlas. He’s decked out in a white tux with a black bowtie. “Ma-ma,” he says and smiles as he reaches for me. He waves his arms wildly until he’s in my arms.
“Hey there, baby boy. Are you ready to help Pap escort Mommy down the aisle?”
He laughs and says, “Da-da.”
“That’s right. We’re about to see Da-da.”
My own dad walks over to me and pulls me in for a hug. “My little girl. I’m so proud of you. You are a wonderful mother and you’re about to make Zander the happiest man in the world by becoming his wife. I couldn’t be happier for all three of you.”
“Thanks, Daddy. But you’re going to mess up my mascara and Anna worked so hard on it,” I laugh and swipe under my eyes as he takes Atlas back.
“We’ll be waiting for you in the hall.”
Leah and Anna follow Dad and Atlas out, leaving me and Mama alone. She rakes her gaze over me and then fixes my veil. “This dress, Scarlett, it’s breathtaking. You look right in it. I knew with the other one…well, it just wasn’t like this.”
I take her hands in mine. “I know, Mama. It’s funny how you can feel things like that. Or see them the way Zander can. But he’s the one for me. This is how it was supposed to turn out.”
“Oh, I believe that, sweetie. I’m so happy for you, and I love you. The whole picture is finally in focus,” she says. “I have something for you.”
She pulls out the necklace from Grammy one more time and helps me put it on. “Now, you look perfect,” she says as she kisses my cheek.
She starts to leave, and I stop her. “Mama?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you. I’m glad you and Daddy chose me and you chose each other. Just like me and Zander and Atlas.”
It’s her turn to swipe under her eyes. She nods. “I’d choose the same a million times more.” Then she’s gone to take her place in the church where Grammy is already seated. Grammy doesn’t know who we are any more on most days, but today she seems clear and I’m thankful she’s here to witness my marriage to the man of my dreams.
After the “I do’s” were said and the dances were danced and the cake was cut and eaten, we had just enough light left to do a mini photo shoot with help from the photographer Zander chose for our wedding pictures.
Once the pictures were taken, the guests were waiting in the reception hall. We told them to hang out if they could for a picture-perfect surprise.
When we entered the reception hall, everyone got quiet. Zander, Atlas, and I all have paint on our joined hands, and we made handprints stacked on top of each other’s on the front of Atlas’s tux and Zander’s, but the ones on my dress are right over my abdomen. Zander and I took our paint-covered hands and made a heart and Atlas put two handprints in the center.
Our parents rush over and hug all of us as the rest of the crowd tries to figure out what’s happening. Then Zander’s dad cups his hands around his mouth and shouts, “They’re having baby number two!”
The reception hall erupts into laughter and applause. Our parents congratulate each other and dance with Atlas after he kisses us both and cups our faces with his paint-covered hands…and this kind is washable.
What I thought was the end with the trashing of a dress was really just the start of this whole wonderful life with a man who has given me everything…including his last name.
Zander
Our parents are taking turns watching Atlas tonight so we can have our wedding night to celebrate finally saying our vows in front of our friends and family. My favorite muse lights up the studio we added to the back of the house earlier this year. She convinced me to share my art and my photography with the world again because she says I have this gift. An eye for beauty and creating it that I shouldn’t keep to myself.
But there is one piece of beauty that’s all mine, and she’s posing for my photos and sketches right now. Once I’m done, I help her out of the last wedding dress she’ll ever wear, and I trace every line, every perfect inch of her skin with my fingers and spend the night wrapped up in her. “I love you, sunshine. I knew we’d get here. I told you when you know, you know.”
“I love you. I guess you did know and gave me your last name after all,” she says with a wink.
I place my hand over her slightly swollen abdomen which is now home to our second baby. “You give me something special every day. Thank you for choosing me,” I tell her.
“I’ll always choose you, Zander. Your heart is safe with me.”
The End