Epilogue
Mackenzie
We get married at Christmas, which to me is the most perfect time of the year.
It’s the twentieth of December and there’s about a foot of snow in Empire.
On our wedding day, the skies are clear blue and the air is crisp and cold.
Queen Street has holiday decorations and there is cedar roping hung on the fronts on the open stores.
We had a parade again this year, the first time in a while, and Opa was delighted to play the part of St. Nick again.
Madison found me the perfect dress. It was designed by Vera Wang, and is a sleek column of ivory satin, with a sheer back and a row of tiny buttons down my spine.
I feel like a movie star, with my red velvet cloak, red lipstick and the cascade of red roses in my arms as I climb the steps of the church with Opa and my mom.
My veil is epic, a swirl of sheer cream, that Madison fusses over once we’re in the church.
The church is decorated for Christmas too, hung with green boughs.
There’s a cluster of potted poinsettias near the altar, all white and red, and there are ribbons on the ends of the pews.
The church is crowded with well-wishers, but all I see is Jake at the altar, impeccable in his tux, a red rose in his lapel.
He grew back his beard this fall and seeing him now reminds me of meeting him at that reception.
It’s hard to believe it was only six months ago.
My whole world has changed in that period and I know that Jake is responsible for a lot of that. Everything feels possible for us in this moment, as if we’re on the cusp of an amazing adventure, one that we’ll undertake together.
Opa murmurs to me. “Yes?” he asks, as if I would ever change my mind about Jake.
“Yes,” I say with resolve and he smiles.
“Yes,” he agrees with satisfaction and nods to the organist. The Wedding March begins and I take the first step of my journey down the aisle on my grandfather’s arm.
Jake smiles, watching me approach, his eyes glowing with a happiness that echoes my own.
When I come to a halt beside him, he widens his eyes a little and whispers “wow.”
I smile because that sums up everything so perfectly.
It’s not just how good he looks or the smell of his cologne or the heat of him beside me, which I can feel even though we’re not touching.
It’s that I know he has my back and I have his.
We’re a team and together, we really are more than the sum of the parts.
I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together.