~ Bonus Chapter 1 ~
The Wedding
The vineyard felt like it was holding its breath.
Rows of vines stretched endlessly under the late-afternoon sun, leaves whispering in the breeze like they knew something sacred was about to happen.
White chairs lined the aisle, but Eva barely noticed them.
What she noticed was the way her chest felt too full, like her heart had grown faster than her body could keep up with.
Sandra was crying.
Not soft tears.
Full-on, dramatic sobs.
"I cannot believe my best friend is getting married," she wailed, mascara miraculously intact. "I remember when you wouldn't even talk to men."
Eva laughed shakily, reaching for her hands. "You're going to make me cry before I even get out there."
Cassie sniffed, hugging Eva tightly. "If you don't cry at your own wedding, I'll be offended."
Parker stood slightly apart, watching Eva with that quiet, grounding presence she always had. She stepped forward and adjusted the delicate strap on Eva's dress. "You're ready," she said gently. "Not just for today. For him."
That was what did it.
Eva's eyes filled instantly.
On the other side of the vineyard, Reed stood still.
Not pacing.
Not fidgeting.
Just... breathing.
Ryan, Felix, Caleb, and Vinod hovered nearby, all dressed far better than usual and visibly uncomfortable about it.
Felix tugged at his collar. "If I die in this suit, tell my story."
Ryan glanced at Reed. "You good, man?"
Reed nodded once. "Yeah."
Caleb studied him, softer than usual. "You look calm."
"I am," Reed said honestly. Then, quieter, "I just don't want to blink and miss her."
His dad stood a few steps away, watching him with a look Reed recognized — pride layered with memory. Matteo fidgeted beside him, tugging on his sleeve.
"She's pretty," Matteo whispered.
Reed smiled. "She's everything."
When the music shifted and everyone stood, Reed's breath caught hard in his chest.
Eva appeared at the end of the aisle.
Barefoot.
Glowing.
Not trying to be anyone else.
She looked nervous and sure all at once, eyes locked on his like the rest of the world had simply fallen away.
He forgot the vineyard.
Forgot the guests.
Forgot the noise.
There was only her.
Sandra whispered loudly, "OH MY GOD," and Cassie elbowed her, but Reed didn't hear it. He barely registered the walk, the way the sunlight caught her hair, the way her dress moved like it was part of her.
When she reached him, he took her hands immediately.
They were warm.
Steady.
Real.
"You look..." He exhaled a laugh, overwhelmed. "You look like my whole life."
Eva smiled through tears. "You're shaking."
"Only a little," he admitted.
The officiant spoke, but Eva barely heard the words. She watched Reed instead — the way his jaw tightened when he was emotional, the way his thumb brushed her knuckles like a quiet reassurance.
When it was his turn to speak, Reed didn't hesitate.
"I've spent most of my life building things," he said, voice low but steady. "Structures. Plans. Futures. But loving you taught me what it means to build a life. You are my home. You are my safest place. I choose you — today, and every ordinary day that follows."
Eva's hands trembled as she spoke. "I spent so long wondering if I was enough. And then you loved me like I never had to ask that question again. I choose you. In the quiet. In the chaos. Always."
When the officiant pronounced them husband and wife, the cheer that erupted felt like joy breaking open the sky.
Reed kissed her like the promise he'd just made.
Later, when the vineyard filled with laughter and music and clinking glasses, Eva watched Reed move through it all — laughing with his friends, hugging her parents, kneeling down to talk seriously with Matteo like it mattered.
She felt something settle deep inside her.
This is my family now.
When the night finally slowed and they slipped away to their room overlooking the vines, the world felt hushed again.
Eva unpinned her hair slowly, dress pooling around her feet. Reed stood by the window, watching her like he still couldn't quite believe she was real.
"You okay?" he asked softly.
She turned to him, eyes warm and sure. "I've never felt more sure of anything."
He crossed the room, hands settling at her waist with reverence. The kiss they shared wasn't rushed or hungry — it was deep, intentional, full of promise and memory and want.
They undressed each other slowly.
Carefully.
Like this moment deserved.
Later, wrapped together in white sheets, Eva traced the ring on his finger with quiet wonder.
"Hi, husband," she whispered.
Reed pressed a kiss to her hair. "Hi, wife."
Outside, the vineyard slept.
Inside, they began the rest of their lives.