Epilogue
Three years later
Anna had never been the girl to dream about getting married or having the house and the white picket fence and two-point-five kids. It just had never seemed realistic for her.
So that she was currently at her own small, intimate wedding reception at a beautiful restaurant right on the lake still didn’t seem real. On one side of her sat Great-Aunt Ruby, smiling and bobbing her head to the music, watching Ky and Sami and also Wendy and Hayden dance on the small dance floor. On the other side of her sat Owen, with Michelle and Louise in his lap.
Anna had Annabelle in hers.
Her new husband smiled at her. “I’m pretty sure your sister thinks this is her wedding.”
Anna watched Wendy shaking her groove thing and laughing at Hayden, whose idea of dancing was to stick one hand high in the air, bend his knees a little, and sort of weave from side to side. “It’s nice to see them out and having fun. Three toddlers have been hell.” Anna turned her head to Owen. “The past few years were hard for everyone.”
He rolled his shoulder, something that took him nearly a year after being shot to be able to do. He ran his finger along Anna’s jaw. “You look worried. Don’t be. It feels good.” He touched the necklace around her neck. The Ruby Red. Her something borrowed. Ruby had insisted.
Owen’s great-aunt had been taking a new med that hadn’t made her better, but she’d not declined any more either, a huge relief. They’d known they’d have to play it by ear whether she could attend today, and after a few questionable weeks, they’d been thrilled when she’d woken up that morning clear as a bell. Owen had paid to have a caretaker there for her just in case she needed or wanted to go home. So far she’d been so happy to just sit and be a part of the day.
Ruby met Anna’s eyes, her own misty. “My mom’s necklace looks beautiful on you,” she said with a warm smile. “And my grandnephew has never looked happier. I hope he knows how good he’s got it.”
Anna grinned. “He should, I tell him daily.”
Owen snorted. “True story.”
Ruby cackled. “You’re perfect for him. You don’t take his crap, and you keep him on his toes.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be in my corner?” Owen asked, not looking worried.
She smiled. “Always.”
“What they doing in dat room?” Annabelle asked from Anna’s lap, pointing to the restaurant’s restroom.
“That’s the potty. Do you want to try going?”
This got Anna an emphatic headshake. Annabelle wasn’t sold on potty training yet. But when Ky walked by, heading to said potty, Annabelle yelled, “You gonna poop?”
Ky looked startled.
Owen was laughing so hard he couldn’t speak.
Anna gave him a nudge to the gut with her elbow. “Sorry,” she told Ky. “Carry on.”
A minute later, Sami came through.
Annabelle straightened up and asked her new favorite question. “You gonna poop?”
Sami blinked. “Uh...”
Anna waved Sami on. “Save yourself.”
Ky came out of the bathroom, and Annabelle shouted, “So did ya? Did ya poop? You get a candy if you did! Ask my mama!”
Owen dropped his head to Michelle’s little shoulder, gasping for air since he was laughing so hard.
Wendy plopped on the other side of Ruby. “I legit thought my thirties would be way more exciting than me contemplating whether eight p.m. is too early to go to bed.” She reached for the kidlets. “Hand them all over and go dance.”
Didn’t have to tell Anna twice. Two minutes later, she and Owen were on the dance floor and he had pulled her in close. Anna closed her eyes, smiling at the feel of him against her, knowing in her heart of hearts it would never get old.
Owen tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes. “What are you thinking about? The candy you’d get if you went poop on the potty?”
She laughed. “No!”
“What then?”
“That there’s no one else for me.”
“Glad to hear it, since you just vowed to give me forever.” He dropped his forehead to hers, then kissed her softly. “There’s no one else for me either, Anna. You’re the best choice I ever made.”
With an agreeing smile, she kissed the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with.