Chapter 13 Avery
Chapter thirteen
Avery
Istand in a small garden venue in Napa Valley wearing a simple white dress and holding a bouquet of peonies. The late afternoon sun filters through the oak trees, casting everything in warm gold, and I breathe in the scent of roses and fresh grass and possibility.
Through the archway draped with white fabric and more peonies, I can see Dylan waiting for me at the altar.
He's wearing a charcoal gray suit that fits him perfectly, and even from here I can see the emotion on his face.
Thomas stands beside him, beaming with pride, while Jake fidgets with his boutonniere, looking uncharacteristically serious for once.
"You ready?" Jessica whispers beside me, squeezing my hand. She looks stunning in the dusty rose dress we picked out together, her eyes already bright with unshed tears.
I nod, not trusting my voice, because ready doesn't even begin to cover what I feel. I'm certain. Completely, absolutely, unshakably certain.
The string quartet begins playing, and Jessica starts down the aisle.
I watch her go, thinking about everything that's led to this moment.
Breakup with Oliver and having to pull myself together.
The promotion to Senior Legal Counsel—a position I got through hours of documented merit and glowing performance reviews from third-party clients that no one could question.
I already worked over-time before this, but this time, I put in so many hours that the Board practically begged me to take my accumulated vacation leave.
Two months of wedding planning where we learned to compromise and build traditions together, choosing what mattered to each of us and letting go of what didn't.
The music shifts, and suddenly it's my turn. I step though the archway, and every head turns, but I only have eyes for Dylan.
His face transforms when he sees me, and he presses his fist to his mouth for a moment before dropping his hand and just... looking at me. Like I'm everything. Like I'm exactly where I belong.
The walk down the aisle feels both endless and instant. I pass Madeline and other colleagues from Vance Enterprises, who've become friends, Dylan's extended family, who've welcomed me like I've always belonged.
Then I'm there, standing in front of Dylan, and he takes my hands with a grip that's steady despite the tears in his eyes.
"You look beautiful," he whispers, just for me.
"So do you," I whisper back, and Jake snorts softly, earning an elbow from Thomas.
The officiant begins, talking about love and commitment and the journey that brings two people together, but I barely hear the words. I'm lost in Dylan's eyes, in the way his thumbs stroke over my knuckles, in the absolute rightness of this moment.
When it's time for vows, Dylan goes first. He clears his throat, pulls a folded paper from his pocket, then sets it aside without looking at it.
"Avery," he begins, his voice steady despite the emotion, making it rough around the edges.
"When you first walked into my office and told me my filing system was archaic, you were right.
And you've been right about almost everything since then.
You challenged me every single day to be better, braver, more honest about what I wanted.
You taught me that trust is earned through actions, not words, through showing up consistently, through proving with every choice that you're worthy of someone's heart. "
He pauses, squeezes my hands tighter. "I promise to spend every day earning yours.
I promise to support your dreams even when they scare me, to celebrate your victories like they're my own, and to stand beside you through whatever challenges come.
I promise to never ask you to be less than you are.
I promise to love and to cherish you fiercely and honestly and completely, exactly as you are, while also loving whoever you become. Till death do us part."
I'm crying openly now, not even trying to stop the tears. Jessica hands me a tissue, and I dab at my eyes, trying not to ruin the makeup she spent an hour perfecting.
"Your turn," the officiant says gently, and I take a shaky breath.
I had vows written. Beautiful, polished vows that I practiced in front of the mirror. But standing here, looking at Dylan's face, I forget every word.
"Dylan," I start, my voice wobbling. "Months ago, I was broken.
I thought I knew what love looked like, but I was wrong.
So wrong. And then you showed me what healthy love actually looks like.
You taught me that love isn't about control or possession—it's about celebrating the person you love exactly as they are, not as you want them to be. "
I have to pause, swallow hard past the lump in my throat.
"You proved every day that I could be vulnerable without being weak.
You gave me your family when I needed support, wrapping me in this warm, chaotic, wonderful embrace that made me feel like I belonged somewhere for the first time in so long. "
Thomas makes a soft sound, and when I glance over, he's wiping at his eyes. Margaret is openly sobbing into her handkerchief.
"You gave me patience when I needed time," I continue, looking back at Dylan. "You gave me faith when I doubted myself, when I was so scared of ruining everything that I almost ran. You stood by me when it would have been easier to walk away."
Dylan's eyes are bright with tears now too, one escaping down his cheek. I reach up and wipe it away with my thumb.
"I promise to choose you every single day," I say, my voice stronger now. "Because my life is fuller, richer, better with you in it. I promise to build a life with you. To be your partner in every sense of the word. Forever."
"The rings?" the officiant asks, and Jake fumbles in his pocket before producing them with visible relief.
Dylan slides the band onto my finger, his hands steady now. "With this ring, I marry you."
I do the same, the weight of the moment making my fingers tremble slightly. "With this ring, I marry you."
"By the power vested in me by the state of California," the officiant says, smiling broadly, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. Dylan, you may kiss your bride."
Dylan frames my face with both hands, looks at me for one perfect moment, then kisses me like we're alone in the universe instead of in front of fifty guests. It's soft and deep and full of promise, and when we finally break apart, everyone is cheering.
"I love you, Mrs. Cole-Vance," he whispers against my ear as we turn to face our guests.
"I love you too, Mr. Cole-Vance," I whisper back, and we walk back down the aisle together, rose petals falling around us like snow.
The cocktail hour passes in a blur of congratulations and happy tears. Margaret pulls me into a hug that nearly crushes my ribs, whispering, "Welcome to the family officially, sweetheart. "
Thomas kisses my cheek and says, "You're the woman we always hoped Dylan would find. Thank you for making him so happy."
Even Jake gives me a genuine hug, muttering something about how I'm way too good for his brother, but he's glad I don't know it.
The reception is everything we wanted—intimate, warm, full of laughter. Jessica's maid-of-honor speech has everyone reaching for tissues. Jake's best man speech provides comic relief, full of embarrassing stories about Dylan that I file away for future teasing.
As the sun sets over the vineyard and fairy lights begin to glow overhead, Dylan pulls me onto the dance floor for our first dance. The song we chose—a slow, acoustic version of a song that a musician was playing on that Parisian bridge—fills the space.
"Happy?" he asks, spinning me slowly.
"Completely," I answer without hesitation.
He pulls me closer, and we dance as if we're alone in this world. I rest my head on his shoulder.
I catch Jessica's eye across the dance floor, and she raises her glass in a silent toast. I know what she's celebrating.
Not just a wedding, but a woman who learned to break all her rules and remake her world.
A woman who learned that the strongest thing you can do isn't build walls—it's choosing to let them down for the right person.
The night continues in a perfect blur.
We cut the cake, smashing it gently on each other's faces despite Jake's encouragement to really go for it.
Jessica pulls me into a ridiculous dance move we perfected in college.
Dylan dances with Margaret, and I watch them together, this woman who raised him to be the man he is, and my heart feels too big for my chest. During the bouquet toss, I accidentally-on-purpose aim directly for Jessica, who catches it with a resigned sigh and pointed look that promises revenge.
"I need to find someone who doesn't run screaming from my interrogation tactics first," she says, but she's smiling.
As the evening winds down and guests begin to leave, Dylan and I steal a moment alone on the terrace overlooking the vineyard. The moon is rising, casting everything in silver, and I can hear laughter drifting from the reception.
"No regrets?" Dylan asks, wrapping his arms around me from behind.
"Not a single one," I say, leaning back against him. "Now I know exactly who I am.”
I'm Avery Cole-Vance. Senior Legal Counsel who earned her position through her own merit. Sister who survived heartbreak and came out stronger. Daughter-in-law to the two most wonderful people I know. Wife to a man who sees all of me and loves me despite my sharp edges.
Dylan kisses me then, slow and deep and full of promise for all the years ahead.
"Ready to go?" he asks when we break apart.
"Ready for everything," I tell him.
As we walk back through the reception, Thomas and Margaret hug us both goodbye, extracting promises to visit soon. Jake slaps Dylan on the back and tells me to call if his brother gets too boring. Jessica squeezes me tight and whispers, "You did it, Ave. You really did it."
As Dylan leads me to our car, decorated with cans and a "Just Married" sign courtesy of Jake, I take one last look at the venue. The fairy lights are still glowing, the last few guests are still laughing and talking, the whole scene is like something from a dream.
But it's not a dream. It's real. This love, this partnership, this life we're building together—it's all real.
"What?" Dylan asks, watching me look back.
"Just thinking," I say.
"About?"
"About how this is what happily ever after actually looks like," I tell him.
He opens the car door for me and helps me navigate my dress into the seat.
As we drive away, cans clatter behind us, and both of us laugh at the noise.
The road ahead stretches out before us, lit by moonlight and possibility, and I reach over to take Dylan's hand.
He interlaces our fingers, his wedding ring cool against my skin, and I know with absolute certainty that this is exactly where I belong.