Chapter Forty-Two
Devin’s POV
Today was New Year’s Eve and Mam, Emilia and I were getting ready in my grandparents' room while the guys were getting ready in the study across the hall.
Mam and Emilia had picked out a simple, white dress with lace and beading on the bodice of the dress.
It made me look like a fairy. The dress was stunning and fit perfectly without alterations.
I was still completely floored that all of them were able to pull this off without me noticing.
I looked at myself in the mirror again, still unable to believe this was me.
The long sleeves were lace and there was some slight beading on the back of the dress.
There was sheer material on the back, with buttons going from my butt to my neck.
I was deeply in love. With the man and the dress.
My hair was down, letting my crazy red curls flow. Cash had even gotten me a white cap to keep me warm for pictures around the property. He’d honestly thought of everything. We were getting married close to the sea and then coming back to the family home for dinner, drinks, and dancing.
I didn’t think I had ever been this excited for a New Year’s party.
None of my past or future New Year’s celebrations would ever top marrying this man.
Sitting in front of the mirror, I saw as Mam stepped out to get the guys moving and make sure that the guests were on their way to the edge of the property.
I looked in the mirror, staring at myself.
Never thought I’d have been here again, but couldn’t imagine being here with anyone else.
I laughed a little at myself for thinking that Caleb was my forever.
I never thought that he and I would have been here.
Both of us having a baby with someone else, and me, in love with and marrying someone else.
I’d always thought we’d make it through anything, and that it wouldn’t be us that ended.
I used to tell myself, ‘not us’ when I thought horrible thoughts like that. Now?
Now I was thankful that my marriage to him fell apart.
I wouldn’t have Cash or Calen otherwise.
I wouldn’t be here with all of his siblings, and my parents, and my siblings, and him.
I wouldn’t be marrying the man I know soul-deep that is my forever.
My soul is calm in a way it never was with Caleb.
My world has become brighter, and more beautiful.
It was fuller, and fuller, than I ever could have imagined in the past. I felt the tears lining my eyes again.
A knock on the door had me blinking the tears away, trying not to ruin the makeup we spent all afternoon on, after spending time with the friends and family who flew in to watch us get married, all while jetlagged.
Thankfully my grandparents' home, our family home, was big enough for most of the guests to stay here and not at a hotel farther away.
Eddie poked his head in, along with Pa. Both of them teared up as soon as they saw me. This was all I could have wanted when I pictured marrying Cash. The love of family and friends.
“We have to meet them at the spot in fifteen minutes,” Pa smiled at me, tears filling his eyes, “Let’s get going, Fia, a stór, the sun is setting,” Pa held his hand out to me as tears filled my eyes.
“Dear. Pa!” I got all mushy for a second, the endearment taking me back to a time when he and Ma were my world, and I was barely three feet tall. I blinked as hard as I could, trying to make the tears go back to where they belonged until after photos.
“You used to call me that all the time when I was little. So did Daideó,” The traitorous tears attempted to leave my eyes as Eddie fanned them, trying to help stop the rush of emotions.
So many memories were quickly flooding me and I wished now more than ever that Cash could have met them, Pa’s parents.
“Don’t ruin your make-up, babe. We worked hard all day to get you together,” Eddie whispered to me, hands working double-time to dry my eyes before the tears spilled over.
Once I had collected myself, we made our way out of the manor.
Pa and Eddie helped me onto one of the ATVs that were set up to transport everyone and take us to the edge of the property by the sea where we would be married.
As we pulled up, everyone was standing in a half circle around Cash, Calen, Emilia, and our minister.
Everyone was holding either candles or jumbo sparklers, giving us all the light we could need and making this the most romantic wedding I’d ever attended.
Each of the ATVs was lined up off to the side waiting to take everyone back to the manor.
There were lanterns set out all over the place, outlining the aisle and where people could stand.
The hexagon Pa built and Mam decorated with flowers, was holding up lights to help illuminate the space once the sun set.
There were metal posts holding solar lanterns up above where everyone was standing, and where we would be standing.
Pa and Eddie helped me off the ATV, and I was on the verge of tears already, as soon as we pulled up.
That proposal with all the candles in that purple living room had nothing on this wedding.
My eyes locked on his, the second I stepped down from the ATV.
The pride and love that swelled in my chest couldn’t be contained as it erupted throughout my body.
I felt like I was floating on Pa’s and Eddie’s arm towards Cash.
I remembered the conversation I had with Cash on our way from the airport to the family home. He was so disappointed that we wouldn’t be able to get married by the sea at midnight.
“They said it’ll be too cold out. But we’re going to party til at least midnight so I can bring in the new year with you as my wife, okay?” I just smiled and nodded at this sentimental man.
This man…he’d give me the world if I asked for it.
Everyone parted to one side or the other, making way for us, the first tear fell. My eyes had been glued to Cash, and I knew it had been since long before tonight. He had tears streaming down his face as he smiled at me, that goofy smile that said ‘pinch me, I’m dreaming’.
“I’m leaving that hexagon up. That way you two can celebrate here every year forever,” Pa whispered to me as he walked me to my future, my breath hitching sharply in my chest, breaking eye contact to look at the man I had admired since before I could remember.
The second tear fell, and he swiped his big papa bear claw across my cheek to wipe it as we slowly made our way forward.
My heart stuttered at what he was telling me, more tears threatening to fall at a breakneck speed.
“You were never this sentimental when I married Caleb,” I mused quietly. I looked back to Cash; he smiled just as big as me. I heard my Pa huff.
“There’s a difference between a boy and a man. You needed to learn that lesson on your own, though. The difference is, I know Cash will take care of you forever,” he kissed the top of my head as we reached Cash.
The tears fell with reckless abandon, make-up be damned, as Cash took my hand from Pa, shaking his and Eddie’s hands. We turned toward the minister and looked over the scene before us.
That night, as the sun was setting over Northern Ireland, on the property where my grandparents and other generations had promised to love each other, and built a life here, I made the same promise.
To a man who’d proved over and over again that he’d always put me first. That he’d love me more than anyone else ever could.
I promised to love and cherish him, as he promised the same. We promised to work hard at us, at choosing to love each other, until our dying breath.
Everyone cheered as he picked me up, spinning me around while kissing me, lost in our moment.
*****
Cash’s POV
Seeing Devin as she walked down the aisle towards me, she lived up to her middle name.
Wild. Her hair was blowing, bright red curls wildly dancing in the wind.
The way her eyes sparkled impossibly brighter in Ireland than back home, had to be a trick of the eye.
The words in her vows to me were pure poetry, showing her parents picked the perfect names for her.
The love that poured out of her as she promised to always try her best, but knowing there would be days she fell short because she was human, was overwhelming.
She didn’t know yet that even on those days, the ones where she’d convince herself she had somehow fallen short, I already loved her more than I’d ever loved anyone.
Kissing her as the minister pronounced us to everyone, and finally being able to call her mine, my wife, was everything.
It felt like time had slowed down, cementing that moment permanently into my soul.
This was the moment I wanted to come back to when I was old and senile.
This moment where I’d never felt more loved and at peace, where we were young and in love.
Marrying her, hands down, had to be my single greatest achievement in life. My mom was a sobbing mess with both of Devin’s parents not even halfway through the ceremony. I didn’t think there was a dry eye in the whole crowd.
We made it back and the formal dining room, which was previously used for balls and galas and the like, had been transformed into something similar.
There were tables, candles, lanterns, a DJ, and desserts everywhere.
It looked wonderful, and everyone flooded in, sitting wherever and talking with everyone.
We danced and were able to talk with each guest that was there.
We got to know my siblings better, the younger one’s mother’s better so we could still try to maintain some kind of relationship, even if it wasn’t as close siblings with the huge age gaps.
Over the months, I had come to really like Jason, and invited him to visit us anytime, the same with Bodhi and Lennon and their significant others.
They all seemed to like Calen too, who had been unusually quiet for the whole day.
I noticed him fidgeting and poking around at his food.
I excused us, mid-conversation, to have a chat with him.
We walked outside at 11:50 to talk, but he still wasn’t saying much. I kept trying to figure out what was going on, but he wasn’t giving me anything to work with. The only hint I got was it had something to do with Devin. That’s when it clicked. Those two sneaks planned something I wasn’t in on.
“You’ll see soon enough,” was all he said before walking back in, zipping his lips and tossing away the key. I followed behind him, confused as hell, straight to my wife.
“There he is!” The DJ boomed into the microphone as soon as I stepped onto the dance floor, before handing it to my lovely wife.
My wife. I’ll never tire of saying that.
She motioned for me to come over to stand next to her as she started thanking everyone for coming.
“I know you all flew from various parts of the States to be here with us tonight. I hope you all enjoy our family home and have a great time exploring Ireland while you’re here.
It was home to me many summers growing up with my grandparents.
I’m hoping that” her voice choked as she held my hand, looking up at me with tears in her eyes, “We get to spend many more summers here with our child. And I’m hoping that next year we can all make that first trip out.
All four of us. Together.” I smiled, unsure what she was saying as gasps and screams rang out. I was confused.
Who was screaming and why?
I looked at her, more confused than ever. She rolled her eyes, smiling with tears in her eyes as she grabbed my hand and put it on her belly. Calen came up and took off his dress shirt in front of everyone to reveal a completely different shirt underneath.
“World’s Best Uncle” and he was beaming.
No.
No fucking way!
I looked at her, mouth open, looking between my hand on her belly and the tears streaming down her face.
I pulled her against me, kissing her like a thirsty man because I would never get enough of her.
Our families came rushing up to congratulate us.
Our mothers wrapped us in a hug and sobbed into us. Happy to be grandmothers.
Devin didn’t let go of my hand, not once the whole time we hugged people. This woman couldn’t be any more amazing if she tried.
*****
But of course, I was wrong.
She was more amazing than ever, all these years later.
She gave me three beautiful children and we raised them well.
We took trips every year out to Ireland.
We took them to where we were married, and where Fia grew up.
When the time came, we buried her parents next to her grandparents, and visited them when we came.
We had some good years, some hard years, some years I thought she might be done with me.
But throughout it all, and most importantly of all, we loved each other.
We loved harder than the day before and never gave up on that love. Never letting anything come between us, always putting each other first, being completely transparent with each other. It was our saving grace some days, others, was finding the humor in the things that used to piss us off.
We retired early and moved to Ireland to live here full-time. Our kids joined us every year, every summer, without fail. Eventually bringing their significant others, and the little ones.
As we stood here, celebrating thirty beautiful years together, at the exact spot, on the day she became my wife. I smiled, knowing tomorrow would be greater than today, and today was already better than yesterday.
“You know, love, I never thought my life would ever be as full as this. And I have you to thank for it.” I kissed her temple, holding her hand. I looked down at where we held each other, more wrinkled than the day we promised forever.
She laughed at me, gently swatting my chest, before leaning over to kiss me.
“I think you have Caleb to thank for everything messing up.”
I laughed at that because it was true. If he hadn’t cheated with that crazy woman, I’d never have met my Devin.
My wife.
My life.