32. Damien
Damien
Three months later
D ani straightened the bow tie of my tuxedo. Her blue gaze met mine. “I’m happy for you, big brother.”
“We’re going to do it right this time.”
“Ella is right for you.” Dani shrugged. “I’m not sure how you convinced her to give you another chance, but I’m glad you did.”
At first, Jackie, Ella’s mom, was unsure about my best man being a woman and Ella’s maid of honor being a man, but somehow it felt right. Dani would stand with me and Niles with Ella. Ella’s niece, Kenzie, was our flower girl.
With the help of her mother and some input from mine, our wedding was planned. More than planned. The day was here. There were no limits on what I would do for my wife-to-be. The biggest and most extravagant wedding was Ella’s for the asking. Instead, with fewer than one hundred guests, we were to wed outside on a beautiful autumn day, surrounded by the oranges, reds, and yellows of changing leaves. Our reception will be in a beautifully restored barn. It even has a chandelier. According to Ella, similar venues were quite the rage these days.
“Do you have the wedding band?” I asked Dani.
“Oh damn.” She turned right and left.
“One job.”
Dani laughed, looking elegant in a slender black dress.
Black and white were our wedding colors. Ella said it was because life wasn’t black and white. It made sense to her, so who was I to argue?
“I have it.” Dani pulled the small box from her things. “You had plenty of time to get her a new band,” she said, lifting Nana’s ring.
“She didn’t want a new one.”
My sister grinned. “I love her.” She playfully hit me. “If you screw this up, we’re keeping her.”
“Thanks. I don’t plan on screwing it up.”
There was a knock on our dressing room door. “Ella can’t see you before the ceremony. I’ll answer it,” Dani said. After a peek, she opened the door wide. “Come in.”
“We needed to see our son before his wedding,” Mom said.
“Since we missed his first two,” Dad said with a grin. He patted me on the shoulder. “We’re proud of you, son. You’re marrying the right one this time.”
“I married the right one last time. It just wasn’t legal.”
Mom reached for my hand and for Dani’s. “We’re proud of both of you, and especially for how close you are.” She inhaled. “I’ve been afraid to ask. Did you invite Darius?”
That had been an ongoing point of contention. “Ella said we should as a sign of good faith.”
“You did?” Mom asked.
“Ella thought we should,” I explained. “I figured since we weren’t invited to his non-legal wedding to Amber, we could lose his invite. The final answer was no.”
Dad nodded. “I understand. It still makes me sad.”
“Not on our son’s wedding day,” Mom said, hugging Dad’s arm.
“Are we going to do this?” Dani asked.
I looked at my watch. “It’s about time.”
“Ella is simply stunning,” Mom said. “We stopped by her dressing room first.”
“I wouldn’t adhere to these stupid traditions if they weren’t important to her.”
Mom again reached for my hand. “That shows that you love her.”
“I do. I really do.”
After our parents left, I turned to Dani. “Thank you.”
“I’ve got your back.”
“And I’ve got yours.”
Gabriella
“You’re beautiful,” Mom said as she adjusted the veil. “I’m so happy that we’re with you for this special day.”
“Me too, Mom. Things all worked out.”
“They did,” she said. “And Derek is looking healthy.”
“Damien and I wanted you all to be here.”
“And me,” Kenzie said.
“You are beautiful, Gabby.” My sister Charlotte was one of the few people who called me by another name. “And Kenzie has been practicing her petal drop.” She turned to her daughter. “Are you ready?”
Kenzie nodded.
I reached for her shoulder. “Aunt Ella’s got you.”
“See, Mom. We’re good.”
I turned and met Niles’s stare. “You’re unusually quiet.”
“I was just thinking,” he said with a shimmer in his eyes. “You are visible, Ella. Definitely visible.”
My lips quivered. “Don’t you dare make me cry after that two-hour-long makeup session.”
“I’m saving making you cry for my maid-of-honor speech.”
“It’s about time for the wedding,” Mom said. “We’ll be the ones in the front row.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Charlotte and Mom left, leaving the four of us.
“What if I don’t want to give you away,” Dad asked, sporting a tuxedo.
“It’s tradition. You’re not really getting rid of me.”
“Tradition,” Niles said, looking dapper in his tuxedo. “Let’s make sure we didn’t forget anything. Old?” He began the roll call.
“My wedding band.”
“New?”
I looked down at the long white gown. “My dress.”
“Borrowed?”
Reaching up, I touched the pearl necklace my mother offered for me to wear. “Necklace.”
“Blue?”
I tugged the hem of the dress, revealing my garter. “Covered.”
Niles reached out his hand with something within his grasp. “And here, my friend, is a penny for your shoe. Jeremy wanted me to give it to you.”
“You’re the best.”
I removed my foot and slipped the penny into the sole of my shoe.
Dad offered me his arm. “Come on, let’s make this legal.”
Legal .
I grinned. Yes, this time, our marriage would be legal.
We applied for the license together, and our officiant was here, ready to sign. What Florida hospital chaplain wouldn’t accept an autumn trip to Indiana? I wanted Pastor Abrams to perform the ceremony, and Damien made it happen.
Niles was the first to walk down the aisle, followed by Kenzie in her white dress. As the music grew louder and the guests began to stand, Dad squeezed my hand. “I don’t know what Niles was saying about you being visible, but according to this old man, Ella, you’re the star. Damien’s damn lucky to have you.”
Lucky.
It all started with a lucky day.
No, on that day, it began to rekindle.
At the end of the aisle, my gaze met the navy-blue stare of my soon-to-be husband.
“We both are, Dad.”