Epilogue #2
The officiant’s voice fades into the background as the sunlight shifts. It’s warm on my face and bright on the scar along his jaw. I swear Mama Hayes is somewhere in that light, smiling.
“Marriage,” the officiant says, smiling gently, “is a promise to keep choosing each other every day, in every way.”
Reed’s thumb brushes the back of my hand. He leans in slightly, his voice low and rough.
“You look so beautiful, baby.”
My heart pounds against my chest as the world shrinks down to just him and me.
The officiant nods. “Reed, your vows.”
Reed clears his throat, his voice already thick with emotion.
“Layla,” he starts, his voice gruff and soft at the edges. His hand shakes a little as he intertwines our fingers, his palm’s warmth calming my hand.
His thumb gently moves over my knuckles, slowly and with reverence. “I used to believe I was done,” he says, inhaling sharply. His eyes briefly glance down, catching the light, then return to mine, brimming with unspoken feelings. “I thought the fire had taken everything worth loving.”
His throat works as he swallows hard, a faint sheen of tears gathering along his lashes. “Thought I was gonna spend the rest of my life patchin’ holes that couldn’t be filled.” His voice cracks on the last word, and he huffs out a breath, his mouth twitching at the corners.
He meets my gaze and looks at me—truly looks—and a soft, trembling smile appears on his lips. “Then you showed up,” he murmurs, gently squeezing my hand. “You looked at me, and suddenly I didn’t feel broken anymore.”
He exhales slowly, his forehead nearly touching mine. “You stitched me back together just by stayin’.”
His voice cracks, and he swallows hard as tears start to surface. “You’re my home, sunshine. My reason. The proof that even the burned-out parts can bloom again.”
My vision becomes completely blurred.
I hear Catalina sniffling somewhere behind me, and even Carter is pretending to rub his eye.
When it’s my turn, I can barely get the words out.
“Reed,” I whisper, my voice trembling as I look up at him. My hands shake, so I tighten my grip on my bouquet, trying to steady myself. My chest rises and falls with shallow breaths, every word caught in my throat.
“When I first met you, I was quietly hurting,” I whisper, with trembling lips and tears blurring my sight.
Reed’s thumb softly brushes the back of my hand, providing comfort and silent encouragement to continue. “I was afraid, truly convinced that love existed only in other people’s stories.”
His gaze softens, his green eyes shimmering with unspoken emotion.
I swallow hard, my voice breaking as I go on. “But you saw me, really saw me, and you called me beautiful.”
Reed’s jaw tightens, a flicker of emotion passing over his face. He softly squeezes my hand.
I softly say, “You showed me that strength isn’t loud,” as I wipe away a tear trailing down my cheek. “It’s gentle. It’s steady. It’s you.”
A shaky breath escapes me as I lift his hand between us, my thumb gently tracing the small tattoo on his ring finger—444. The same number is also on my finger, concealed beneath lace and gold, symbolizing soulmates, protection, and divine alignment.
My voice softens to a whisper, trembling with emotion. “We were always meant to find each other,” I whisper, gently touching his scarred knuckles. “The universe connected us long before we met—an invisible thread that guided me directly to you.”
Reed’s breath catches, his eyes shining as he presses our intertwined hands against his heart. The space between us vibrates, alive with all we’ve endured, created, and still have to face.
He smiles through tears, his eyes gleaming. “I love you, baby.”
“I love you more.”
The officiant’s voice resonates through the chapel, gradually turning into a gentle hum in my mind. He discusses promises, forever, and love as a daily choice—yet all I focus on is him.
Reed’s thumb slowly circles my hand, his rough skin against mine, grounding me when I feel like I might drift away. His chest rises and falls unevenly as he breathes, and his lips tremor into a smile he can’t suppress—a tear balances on his lashes, catching the sunlight through his glasses.
The officiant finally says, “Do you, Reed Hayes, take Layla LeBlanc to be your wife?”
Reed’s smile widens, trembling yet confident. “I do,” he says, his voice breaking in the most beautiful way.
The officiant nods, turning to me. “And do you, Layla, take this man to be your husband?”
My throat tightens, my heart pounding against my ribs, and all I can do is stare at him—his scarred jaw, his tearful eyes, the way his thumb never stops tracing along me as if he’s afraid to let go.
“I do,” I whisper, voice barely holding together.
We say I do, and it doesn’t feel like a ritual or a formality. It feels like a heartbeat—two finally syncing after years of searching. His fingers tighten around mine, anchoring me to everything good and real.
Maverick’s voice booms on Reed’s side. “Hell yeah, they do!”
The entire chapel bursts into laughter. Even the officiant smiles and shakes his head.
Reed laughs through his tears, pressing his forehead to mine as the room fills with joy and applause. “There’s my damn brother,” he murmurs, chuckling softly.
The officiant adjusts his glasses and mutters, “You may now kiss the bride.”
He kisses me, gentle at first, then deep enough to steal the air from my lungs.
The crowd cheers, but everything blurs—the music, the light, the sound—until it’s just us, standing in front of the tall glass windows, sunlight pouring over the pine trees.
Wrecked hearts. Stitched together.
Two souls who made a home out of the ruins.
He presses his forehead to mine, whispering, “You and me, always.”
I know that invisible string never stood a chance of detaching us.
The reception feels like a dream as the chapel is cleared for the dance, and warm strands of lights hang from the beams, enveloping the room in gold.
Our song floods the chapel, and Reed turns to me, his hand outstretched, that boyish grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Dance with me, Mrs. Hayes.”
Mrs. Hayes.
My heart actually skips a beat.
I laugh, slipping my hand into his. “God, that sounds so good when you say it.”
He pulls me close as his hand settles at my waist, the other lacing with mine. “Better get used to it, sunshine. You’re stuck with me.”
The first notes of Fade Into You by Mazzy Star drift through the air, the same song that played the night we danced under the stars before I left for LA.
I sink into him, my head resting against his chest, and feel his heartbeat beneath my palm.
Reed’s eyes are glossy, revealing the quiet storm of emotion he no longer hides from me.
“My wife,” he murmurs against my temple, his voice thick with awe. “You’re my damn wife.”
The way he says it makes me press closer. “Your wife,” I whisper back, smiling into his shoulder. “Guess you’re stuck with me, too.”
He chuckles softly, guiding me gently across the wooden floor.
Life hums softly around us.
Catalina and Carter are slow dancing near the windows, her hand resting on her belly, his other hand covering hers as if he’s holding the world there. She laughs at something he whispers, glowing in a way only she can.
Maverick spins Amelia near the center, his blonde hair catching the light. Leo’s in his arms, giggling as his parents sway. Amelia’s dress skims her small bump—pregnant again, radiant as ever—and she leans her head against her husband’s chest, love spilling from every look.
I stand there, my chin tilted toward Reed’s chest, taking it all in.
Family. Safety. Peace.
All the things I once thought I’d never have.
The song slows as Reed’s thumb moves in slow circles on the back of my hand.
I’ve been keeping this secret for a couple of weeks, and I think I can finally tell him.
“Baby,” I whisper, my breath trembling as I find the courage.
He leans down, his brows furrowing. “What is it, sunshine?”
I press my lips together for a moment, looking up at him, my voice barely a whisper. “I need to tell you something.”
His grip tightens slightly, worry flickering. “You’re scarin’ me.”
A tear slides down my face, but it’s a happy one.“I’m pregnant.”
He stares, like he’s trying to make sure he heard right.
His eyes widen, glassy with disbelief. He laughs, cupping my face, and kisses me once, twice, and again, whispering against my lips, “You’re serious?”
I nod, smiling through tears. “Yeah. We’re having a baby, Reed.”
He closes his eyes as he presses his forehead to mine, tears sliding down his scarred cheek. His voice cracks when he says, “You just gave me everything I never thought I’d get.”
Around us, the song fades, but he keeps swaying, his thumb brushing my jaw. “You saved me,” he whispers. “You took a wrecked man and made him whole. Now you’re giving me a family.”
I shake my head, tears catching in my throat. “No, Reed. We saved each other. Two wrecked hearts, we stitched them back together.”
He smiles, resting his hand on my stomach, his fingers trembling. “Guess that’s what we do, huh? We build somethin’ beautiful from the wreckage.”
Two souls rediscovering their path through the ruins.
Two hearts that refused to stop beating.
And when Reed kisses me again, tender, trembling, and reverent, I know deep down that Wrecked Hearts isn’t just our story.
It’s our beginning.
Two wrecked hearts. One steady rhythm. Forever beating as one.
THE END.