Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Travis
From the moment I told my family that I intended to officially marry Gage, they’d come up with a dozen suggestions as to how we should do it.
At the church, at the resort, in the park.
Full wedding party, half wedding party, no wedding party.
Decorations, a big reception afterward, color schemes, themes.
I'd pretty much heard every variation there was, from small and basic to a wedding to rival the royal family.
As was the case with most of the debates with my siblings, there’d been some arguing and bartering, maybe a little bit of bribery thrown in. Admittedly, Zoey was pretty good at that, but I had stood my ground.
In the end, my idea was simple: Gage and I by the magnolia tree at my parents’ house. I gave them the option of getting on board with the idea or making themselves scarce for the big day. They eventually gave in, realizing I wasn’t going to back down.
I wasn’t looking for some grand gesture; I only wanted to fulfill my wife’s wish, and I wanted my husband to know I was committed for the long haul. As far as I was concerned, no one had to attend except for Gage and Pastor Bob.
Although my sisters-in-law had been disappointed that they wouldn’t get to plan a big to-do, they had rallied behind me.
But I should’ve known putting my foot down didn’t necessarily mean I would get everything I wanted.
They’d snuck in a few things without my consent, but since they’d kept it simple, I could honestly say they’d had the right idea.
And they were all there, seated behind us in rows of chairs.
Kaleb and Zoey, Zane and V, Ethan and Beau, Braydon and Jessie, Sawyer and Kennedy, Brendon and Cheyenne, plus all twenty-three of their kids.
My mother and father were also there, as were Kylie’s father and stepmother.
For me, that would’ve been plenty, but someone had slipped in a few additional invitations. Several of my cousins, aunts, and uncles, and some good friends were also in attendance. There to help keep the little ones in line during the ceremony, or so I'd been told.
And fine, perhaps it was better this way. My entire family there to witness us pledging our love to one another.
But there was one attendee I hadn’t expected.
According to Gage, the magnolia trees likely wouldn’t produce flowers for years.
While they were already several years old at this point, having been transplanted from whatever farm they were grown on, it would still be a while before their flowers made an appearance.
Yet there it was, a single bloom on the magnolia tree, the flower open fully as though seeking the warmth of the sun.
As far as I knew, the other three trees had yet to produce a single flower, and I couldn’t help but think it was a sign.
So, beneath the warm Texas sun on a beautiful spring day, Gage and I exchanged our vows.
Nothing elaborate because, again, it wasn’t about the pomp and circumstance. I held myself together, kept a smile on my face throughout. But it was when the rings were brought forward that I got choked up.
At our wife’s request, Gage had taken our rings to a jeweler in the neighboring town, along with Kylie’s, and had them melted down together and two new rings created.
The result was two platinum bands, each with three tiny diamond chips across the center.
While the largest diamond and the other smaller ones had been saved for the girls, Gage had decided the three diamonds—signifying the three of us—would be a reminder that even without Kylie with us, she was still in our hearts, still part of us.
When Pastor Bob proudly pronounced us husband and husband, I kissed my groom and held on to Gage for long minutes afterward.
Today was a day I would always remember, a good day. And while we were still grieving, would be for quite some time, these were baby steps to moving forward.