Epilogue
Mitch
I shouldn’t have touched my tie. Now it’s crooked.
The small back room smells like cologne, burnt coffee, and the faint bite of cigarette smoke still clinging to Luke’s clothes. The window’s cracked, letting in that warm early September air.
“Would you leave it? Come here,” Luke says, grabbing the front of my suit jacket and tugging me closer with a groan, fixing the knot again.
Brad stands by the mirror, hands shoved into his pockets, studying his reflection. “I wouldn’t have pegged Callie for yellow,” he says, glancing down at his tie. “But I don’t hate it.”
Dark blue suits. Crisp white undershirts.
The yellow ties are soft—lighter and brighter than I expected.
The girls’ dresses match. Callie said she wanted it to look like a September wedding.
After I suggested dark red or light purple.
She was quick to tell me yellow is September, and navy blue, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. I laughed and won’t forget it now.
Planning a wedding in two months might have been one of the most stressful things I’ve ever done.
Actually, that’s a lie. Having a baby at eighteen was way worse.
Still, I’m excited for the honeymoon. To relax.
To breathe again after life’s been moving a hundred miles an hour for more than a year straight.
We’re only going away two nights. A fancy resort, two and a half hours away. Pool, suite, food, all-inclusive. Courtesy of friends and family who wanted to make sure we had a moment to ourselves.
Luke steps back, inspecting his work. “Alright. Don’t touch it again or I swear I’ll duct tape your hands.”
I laugh and he leans back against the counter, grabbing a piece of fruit from the tray of snacks my mom was in charge of. “So. What’s the plan anyway?” Luke asks.
“For what?” I say.
He tilts his head. “You know. Baby number two. You guys trying to create more chaos or…?”
I stare at him. “What are you smoking?”
Brad snorts immediately.
“Just asking,” Luke says with a shrug.
“No. Absolutely not,” I say. “Check back with me when we’re both legal to drink.”
“Smart man,” Brad says.
Luke squints at me like he’s not finished. “Alright. Good. You got stuff then, or is she on something?”
“What?” I blink. “No. I’m just gonna be careful.”
Luke belts out a laugh. “Well, gee, Mitch…with that mentality it’s no wonder you got her pregnant.” He shakes his head. “Are you that stupid?”
“That time doesn’t count,” I say quickly. “I wasn’t thinking clear. I’ve got it under control now. Don’t worry,” I say, brushing him off.
Luke just stares at me. Blank. Unblinking. Like he’s waiting for the punch line. Then he looks past me at Brad. “Go out to my truck and get the condoms out of my glove box.”
Brad’s already moving, laughing as he heads for the door. “On it.”
I shake my head, laughing despite myself. “You’re too much.”
“No, I’m just…experienced,” he corrects.
The door opens a second later and Tanner steps in, his face tight, jaw set.
“What?” My stomach drops instantly. “What’s wrong? Is Callie—”
“No. No,” he says quickly, holding up a hand. “Callie’s great. Josie’s just…a hormonal mess.”
“Oh.” Relief hits hard. “Thank God.”
He stares at me.
“For me,” I add. “Not you. And I already dealt with that pregnancy hormone crap, so…”
“Yeah, well—” Tanner starts, but Macy’s voice carries from the doorway, her head just poking around the corner.
“Tanner, Josie needs help with—”
“Coming,” he says, already turning and leaving the room.
Brad reappears a few minutes later, holding a black box triumphantly. “Crisis averted.” He hands them over. “You’re welcome.” He hits me in the back.
I hold the box awkwardly in my hands. I didn’t expect it to be this big. The mental image of Brad walking through the church with this thing is something I refuse to fully process.
Tanner walks back in and freezes when he sees the obnoxiously large box of thirty-six—yes, thirty-six—condoms sitting in my hands.
“Good Lord,” Tanner says. “I’d lower your expectations there, bud.”
The room fills with laughter again. For the first time all morning, my shoulders loosen.
* * *
“Alright, boys, I think we’re ready,” Pastor Miller says, stepping into the room.
Just hearing the words makes my stomach flip again.
We fall into place, filing toward the door. He pats my shoulder as we pass, voice low and steady. “Take a deep breath. Enjoy the day.”
I nod, even though my chest feels tight.
Out in the hall, the girls are already lined up, bouquets in hand. Soft music hums from the auditorium beyond the doors. Everything suddenly feels quieter, like the building itself is holding its breath.
Maddie steps toward Luke, smiling like she’s got a secret she’s dying to use against him. Her dress is satin, fitted but simple, the kind that looks effortless. Her hair is pulled back into a low bun, a few loose pieces framing her face just enough to soften it.
Luke grins, biting the inside of his cheek. “Andie Anderson,” he says in a different tone, exaggerated, like he’s quoting something.
Brad and I glance at each other, brows pulled tight in confusion.
Maddie’s smile widens. She steps closer, loops her free arm around Luke’s neck, and leans in. “And that is why I love you,” she says, all bright and teasing, right before their lips meet.
His hand slides over the satin and settles at her waist like it belongs there.
“Who the hell is Andie Anderson?” Brad mutters to me.
The way he says it makes it click.
“Oh. A movie,” I say. “I’ve seen that movie. I forget what it’s called.”
Luke and Maddie pull apart at the same time.
“How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” they say together, perfectly in sync, then laugh. Maddie looks way too pleased with herself.
“Oh,” Brad says flatly. “Movie nerds. That’s real cute, Luke.”
Luke shrugs like he doesn’t care, but his eyes are already back on Maddie, taking her in like he’s trying to burn the image into his brain. He steps back, gestures, and she spins once, laughing.
Macy walks over then, eyes landing on me.
“How you feeling?” she asks, sincere.
“Not too bad,” I say honestly. “How’s Callie?”
“Nervous,” she laughs. “But good. Really excited.”
“Good. Where’s Landon?”
“With Mom or Wrenley, I don’t remember. Everyone was fighting over him,” she says, shaking her head with a smile.
That eases something in my chest.
Callie was worried about that. About him getting fussy, about wanting her if he saw her, about the day becoming more about managing a baby than about us.
He’s six months old now, likes to be attached to her as much as possible.
So knowing he’s content, being passed around and spoiled, makes it easier to breathe.
I follow Pastor Miller to the front as everyone else lines up the way we rehearsed.
My heart is thumping so loud I swear the people closest to me can hear it.
I haven’t seen Callie at all today. She didn’t want to do a first look.
I didn’t care either way. But standing here now, knowing the next time I see her she’ll be walking straight toward me, feels surreal.
I’m not afraid of crying. Do I want to cry in front of a hundred people? No. But I’m not going to think about that.
The guys all have bets out. Tanner thinks I’m going to cry. He cried when he saw Josie at their first look, and then again when she walked down the aisle. Luke and Brad don’t think I will. Only time will tell.
I take my spot at the front. Pastor Miller stands beside me, calm and steady. I scan the front row without meaning to. Landon’s there with Callie’s mom, completely unaware of what’s happening. No crying. No fussing. Just wide eyes and drool. I let out a quiet breath.
The music starts. Piano. Soft at first.
The doors open and the bridal party begins to walk down the aisle just like we practiced. Slow. Smiling. Somehow polished.
Luke and Josie first. Then Brad and Macy. Tanner and Maddie follow, Maddie’s hand tucked into his arm, all of them glowing.
Then Nash comes down the aisle, three years old and gripping the pillow with the rings like his life depends on it. Like someone told him if he drops it, there will be no cake later.
Holland follows next, basket on her arm, flower petals scattering in her wake. She’s smiling like she knows exactly how cute she is. Six years old but going on sixteen. Wrenley’s twin in every way.
Then the music changes. It gets louder. Everyone stands. And my heart does something I can’t control, because…
This is it.
I blink and Callie’s standing at the end of the aisle with her dad beside her, white bouquet held tight in her hand.
Her dress is not at all what I was envisioning she’d wear, but it’s absolutely beautiful on her.
The bottom half has a lot of fabric, not tight to her body and fitted, and it moves when she does.
Her hair is down, curled loosely down her back.
My chest tightens. I don’t cry. But my eyes burn and my throat closes up like never before.
I swallow hard and force myself to breathe.
In through my nose, out through my mouth.
Pastor Miller told me not to lock my knees.
He didn’t say anything about my heart feeling like it’s about to fight its way out of my chest.
She smiles when our eyes meet, her lip wobbling with every slow step.
And suddenly it’s like our entire relationship flashes before me, I think about everything that led us here. The lake, bonfires, church, fishing at the creek, ice cream at Lulu’s. The late nights, the fair, the dock, the ultrasound. The tears, the stress, the arguments, the prayers. All of it.
She gets closer and I can see it all over her face. The strength. The softness. The way she looks at Landon like he hung the moon. The way she looks at me like I’m her safe place.
I blink hard now.
The guys owe Tanner twenty bucks.
When she reaches the front, her dad gives her a hug, kisses her on the cheek, and then gives me a look that says it’s all on me now, and to take care of her. I nod once. I will.