Epilogue
MERCS
Six Months Later
The last six months have been really hard on us all.
There are days when I still wake up with that hollow feeling in my chest, like something vital has been scooped out and hasn’t quite been put back properly.
I’ve missed Kiera more than I can ever express in words.
Even when she was only a hospital wing away, it felt like she was miles from me.
When she got sick after the treatment, when everything we thought would fix her almost took her from us instead, it was the most difficult time of my life.
I never thought I would recover from that night.
Life without her in it felt empty and cold.
I caught glimpses of what that world might look like, and it terrified me.
Not having her by my side every day is still the hardest part, not hearing her laugh, not seeing her eyes light up when she teases me and not having her roll her eyes at my bullshit.
Some days, I still find it hard to function.
But I push on.
Because she would expect me to.
Because she made me promise.
And today isn’t about regret.
It isn’t about how close we came to losing everything.
It’s about moving forward.
It’s about honoring a promise I made when she was too weak even to open her eyes properly. She made me promise I would marry Effa, that I wouldn’t waste time, and that I wouldn’t let fear dictate my future.
So that’s exactly what I’m here to do.
The sun is blazing through the canopy of lush green trees lining the forestry of Linn Run State Park.
We’re just under seven miles out of Ligonier, but this place feels like another world entirely.
When Effa said she wanted somewhere picturesque, connected to the earth, and alive, I knew Linn Run would be perfect.
Evergreen forest, a natural trout stream winding through stone, somewhere where nature is untouched.
It’s grounding.
It’s wild.
It’s Effa.
When I brought her back here at Christmas, she stood still for almost a full minute just breathing it in. Then she turned to me with that smile of hers and said, ‘This is it.’
We booked it that day.
And now, six months later, I’m standing at the edge of the stream waiting for her, adrenaline pumping through me like I’m about to step on stage for the first time.
Except this is bigger.
Way bigger.
I glance at the guests gathered below, and my chest expands. Half of Ligonier is here. And not one paparazzi asshole in sight. The town protects its own, and right now, I’ve never been more grateful for that.
I lean toward Tank. “Do you think she’ll be here soon?”
He grins at me, dressed up for once in black pants and a crisp white shirt, sans tie, looking almost respectable. “Calm your farm, bro. She’s not even late yet. And isn’t that tradition or some shit?”
Jay chuckles beside him. “Yeah, Mercs, I swear if you smile any more, your face might actually explode.”
“Shut the fuck up,” I mutter, adjusting my shirt for what has to be the fiftieth time.
At the end of the aisle stands a circular arbor draped in white and pale pink fabric. Flowers cascade down its sides in soft waves. A white silk carpet stretches toward me. The entire setup screams boho elegance. It’s whimsical, it’s intentional, it’s us.
Toward the back, I spot Lilah and Shane seated together.
Shane’s arm is wrapped around her shoulders, and she leans into him naturally.
It makes me smile. Things have settled. The past isn’t as sharp as it once was.
Shane and I have rebuilt what we broke, and Lilah deserves someone who looks at her the way he does.
Then I see Gran. She’s moving carefully through the crowd, and she’s arm in arm with her.
My chest constricts.
Kiera walks beside her in a soft purple dress, looking breathtakingly delicate and impossibly strong at the same time. Her hair is growing back in delicate tendrils of chocolate, brushing over her scalp in silky waves. It’s not much yet, but it’s all hers.
And she’s here.
Roaul is standing guard behind her, like the protective boyfriend he is. I swear the guy hasn’t left her side since she coded in the hospital. He even took time off from the tour to spend with her, while I stayed on tour, to make sure she was okay.
I hate to admit it, but that did give him bonus points—the guy is okay in my book.
But he better not knock her up!
I don’t even think. I run down the aisle toward them. “You made it,” I murmur, bending down to kiss her cheek.
She smiles at me. That smile that once nearly vanished from the world. “Of course, you think I’m going to miss the wedding of the century because I’m a little weak? Please.”
I laugh, though my eyes sting.
She’s been in and out of the hospital for months. There were nights when machines kept her alive. There were nights when doctors said words I still refuse to repeat. She coded three times. Three.
Each time, she fought.
Each time, we fought with her.
And eventually… she chose to fight for herself.
The transplant worked.
Slowly.
Painfully.
Miraculously.
She’s in remission now.
Still fragile, still rebuilding, but here.
The band just returned from a short promotional run in Australia, and being away from her during that stretch was hell. But she pushed me to go. Told me not to hover. Told me to trust that she wasn’t going anywhere.
I still don’t think I’ll ever fully relax again.
“You look beautiful, booger-butt,” I tell her.
She snorts. “Oh, this old thing? Please. But you… you scrub up well for a man who used to run around wearing Gran’s red heels naked.”
I bark out a laugh. “I love you.”
She beams, eyes bright and a little wild with contained excitement.
“Here’s your wedding present. I had my follow-up this week.
No more weekly medical check-ins. No more tests unless I actually need them.
” She draws in a breath like she’s been waiting to say it out loud. “And they cleared me to travel.”
For a second, I stare at her.
Six months ago, I thought I was planning a funeral. Now she’s standing in the middle of a wedding reception, telling me she’s free to get on a plane and live her life.
“You’re serious?” I ask because part of me still expects someone to step in and take it back.
“Completely serious,” she says, smiling wider. “Gran says I can fly out to the next concert when you guys start up again. I’m not stuck anymore, I can be with you and Raoul.”
My chest swells so hard it feels like it might crack open.
“She’s coming!” Andi calls out.
I glance at Kiera. “Guess that’s my cue.”
She squeezes my hand. “Go marry the best thing that ever happened to you.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I kiss her cheek again and jog back into position.
Then I wait.
Finally, a car pulls up, and my breath catches.
Kristy steps out first in pale pink, Alana follows in yellow, but I barely register them. Then Raoul moves around the car and offers his hand.
Effa’s hand exits the door, and then she slides out. My breath is knocked from me completely as she stands there in front of me… a vision… an angel. Completely mine!
Her hair is down in soft waves, beautifully blonde, and on top of her head a wreath of intricate flowers which looks almost like a crown.
It’s so Effa. I glance down at her dress.
The neckline is low, and the dress is nearly see-through.
The lace covers her breasts, coming down in a V between her perky tits that I really want to smother myself in right now.
I swallow hard, following the line of her body-hugging dress that caresses her hips, then fans out in a mermaid tail at the bottom, forming a sort of train.
It’s elegant, but not overdone. It’s definitely Effa’s style, and it screams Effervescent.
I’m sure she had it designed especially for her, and it’s fucking perfect.
My cock twitches in my pants while my eyes glance up and down her body.
Her eyes catch mine, and we smile at each other.
I feel like every part of me is going to explode if I don’t touch my woman soon.
Alana hands her a small bouquet of daisies with wisps of baby’s breath, and Kristy starts the walk toward me. I don’t even look at her… my eyes stay focused only on Effa. Donny steps up to Effa’s side and links his arm with hers.
Tank leans into me with a slight chuckle. “You should see your face right now, bro. Fucking priceless,” he whispers.
I shake my head, but keep my eyes locked on my girl.
Alana walks down the aisle behind Kristy, and then Effa and Donny make their way toward me. I’m anxious to touch her. She looks so fucking good I can’t stand it. I can’t focus on what song’s playing while she gets closer and closer to me.
I feel alive, so fucking alive as my breaths start to become shallow. My woman is fucking radiant, and everyone here is staring at my bride, just like I am, in awe of how utterly perfect she looks today.
Donny walks her to me. I take the last step toward them, and he places her hand in mine. A spark so intense shoots through my hand when she touches me that I fucking shudder from the shock.
She ignites me.
She makes it so fucking hard to breathe.
But fuck if I don’t love that she’s the one to take my breath away.
Donny leans in to kiss her cheek, then walks off to stand with Lettie.
Effa smiles at me, the energy between us intensifying. I feel it bouncing between us in waves. She takes both my hands in hers and glances at me in the eyes. “You look so good,” she murmurs.
“You, my bride, look better than good. I have no fucking words.”
She giggles as the marriage officiant smiles.
“We’re gathered here today to witness the eternal joining of Vespa Marie Carrington and Kaden Edward Mercury, to be bonded together in a sacred union.
The coming together of these two blessed souls is divine and extraordinary.
And they call upon you all to bear witness. ”