Epilogue
“Good morning.” The low rumble of Benjamin’s whisper in her ear made Summer smile, but she didn’t open her eyes, allowing herself a minute more to savor being in his arms.
“Wake up, sleepyhead,” he teased. “We don’t want to be late for our wedding.”
“We’re already married,” she reminded him.
“And I’m very glad about that.” He kissed her forehead and her cheeks and her nose and finally her lips. “But we still don’t want to be late. Besides, I have a surprise for you.”
“You do?” Her eyes sprang open, and she couldn’t help smiling at the look of boyish anticipation on his face. “You know I don’t like surprises.”
“That’s all talk.” Benjamin kissed her again, and she had to smile. She certainly had grown to like his surprises.
“What is it?”
He grinned. “A surprise. You can see it after we get ready.”
She pouted. “That’s too long to wait.”
“Now who’s being impatient?” He tapped her nose, and she rolled her eyes. Wanting to see a surprise right away was a little different from wanting to hold your vow renewal the day after proposing it.
Summer honestly would have been fine with that. But Benjamin’s sisters and sisters-in-law had convinced him that they needed a couple of months to plan everything so that she could have the kind of wedding he wanted for her.
He had finally agreed to right after Christmas.
At first, that had seemed too long, even to Summer, but with the terrible morning sickness that had kicked in only days after the proposal, she was grateful they’d waited.
Fortunately, the morning sickness seemed to have mostly passed now that she was at the beginning of her second trimester, and today all she felt in her stomach was a wild fluttering of excitement.
Maybe it was silly—after all, they had already been married for four months—but it felt like today was big. Like they were saying that they may have gotten married to get guardianship of Max, but they were staying married because they loved each other. A fact that still took her breath away.
“Stay right here.” Benjamin rolled out of the bed. “I’ll bring you breakfast.”
“You don’t have to—” But he was already darting into the hallway.
She shook her head but laughed and pressed a hand to her stomach. Could the baby feel the excitement too?
The results of Benjamin’s genetic tests showed that he didn’t have the gene variant for cardiomyopathy. Which meant that the baby couldn’t have it. And they’d had an ultrasound only last week that had shown everything was normal—although Summer could hardly believe that the little bean on the screen was going to be a baby in her arms in six more months.
“Here we are.” Benjamin breezed back into the room, a tray in his hands, Max at his heels. “I found someone who wants to join us.”
“Climb on up.” Summer sat up and scooted over to make room for both of them as Benjamin settled the tray heaped with muffins and crepes and fruit onto the bed.
“When did you have time to make all of this?”
He raised his eyebrows. “I’m very sneaky.”
“I saw it on the porch,” Max said, stuffing a big bite of blueberry muffin into his mouth.
“Tattletale.” But Benjamin laughed. “Chloe brought it over. But I put it on the tray.”
His eyes twinkled, and Summer shoved his arm. “Are you ever going to be serious?”
“Only about you.” He leaned across the tray to kiss her.
They finished eating, and then he sent her to the room she’d slept in when they were first married—which they now planned to convert to a nursery—to get ready.
“What do you say to a race?” he asked. “I bet Max and I can get ready faster than you.”
“Boy oh boy!” Max sprang down from the bed. “We’ll win for sure.”
“We’ll see about that.” Summer jumped out of the bed, grabbing Benjamin’s tie off of the dresser on her way past.
In the other bedroom, she quickly pulled on the simple white satin empire waist wedding dress her sisters-in-law had helped her pick out. She brushed her long hair into soft waves that she had decided to leave down and put on a light layer of makeup.
Then, not even taking a moment to survey the complete effect in the full-length mirror, she wrapped Benjamin’s tie around her wrist and rushed into the hallway. But both of the other bedrooms were empty, and Benjamin’s and Max’s voices carried to her from the living room. She followed the sound, her breath catching as she stepped into the room to find them bent over the new train set they’d gotten Max for Christmas. They wore matching gray suits, although Benjamin’s was missing the tie.
Summer cleared her throat, and they both looked up at the same time.
“Oh boy!” Max yelled. “We beat you.”
But Benjamin stood speechless, his eyes shining in that way that made Summer feel like the most treasured person in the world.
“Technically,” she told Max, “you didn’t beat me. Benji doesn’t have his tie on.” She unwrapped it from her wrist and held it up.
Benjamin laughed, and then he sped across the room, pulling her into his arms. “Now who’s the one who’s not serious?”
“Ah well. I may have learned a thing or two from being married to you.” She slipped the tie around his neck and tied it, then brought her lips to his. “Now, where’s my surprise?”
“Oh boy! I know!” Max barreled out of the room, through the kitchen, and out the patio door.
Summer gave Benjamin a questioning look, but he just smiled. “Go see.”
She followed Max’s path to the door. But when she stepped into the chill but bright December morning, the boy seemed to have disappeared.
“Max?”
A little giggle came from somewhere in front of her, and Summer followed the sound to the edge of the deck.
“Oh!” She laughed in surprised delight as her eyes fell on the hammock that rested in front of the deck, Max nestled inside of it.
“Do you like it?” Benjamin slid his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her head.
“I love it.”
“It made me think of that night, after TJ . . .”
She nodded, blinking back tears. “He would be happy about this. About us.”
Benjamin nodded. “I’m pretty happy about it too.”
He kissed her again, and then they called Max out of the hammock and headed for the church.
Beautiful Savior’s parking lot was already half-filled with cars, and Summer laughed. “I guess we were almost late for our wedding.”
“Don’t worry. I don’t think they’d start without us.”
Benjamin and Max got out of the car. Then Benjamin came around to her side, opening her door and bowing low with a hand outstretched, the same way he had done in Hope Springs. “My princess.”
This time, she didn’t call him ridiculous. Because she had never felt more like a princess.
Even the sky was glowing with happiness, and Summer didn’t notice the winter chill until she felt Benjamin’s warm suit coat settle over her shoulders.
Then, hand in hand, the three of them made their way to the church. Inside, Benjamin’s family tackled them all in hugs. Grace and Levi had made the trip from Hope Springs and had revealed last night that they were expecting too, and Summer had been so deliriously happy to see their joy.
The only one who wasn’t there was Judah. Summer knew Benjamin was disappointed that he hadn’t been able to convince his brother to come home and visit yet, but if she wasn’t wrong, Judah seemed to be softening toward the idea. She almost thought he would have come to the wedding if he weren’t out of the country right now. And he had promised to think about coming when he got back—which should be right around the time the baby arrived.
Max ran to Mia, who had offered to keep him occupied until he was needed for his ring bearer duties.
“Hi, Miss Summer.” A little girl walked up to Summer shyly.
“Hi, Nadia.” Summer smiled down at the girl, who had been the first to sign up when she’d begun offering private dance lessons last month. Eventually, she hoped to turn it into a full-fledged dance school, alongside her party business, but she and Benjamin had agreed to take things slow until after the baby was born. “I’m glad you could come.”
“I’m glad you’re marrying Prince Charming.” Nadia giggled, then skipped off to join her mother, who waved to Summer.
“Hey, man, I’m glad you could make it,” she heard Benjamin say, and she turned to find him shaking hands with a man with platinum blonde hair and a convincing smile. “I want to introduce you to my wife, Summer.” Summer started to reach for the guy’s outstretched hand, just as Benjamin said, “Summer, this is Ian.”
She hesitated, almost pulling her hand back, but Ian laughed lightly. “I don’t blame you if you hate me. I’m sorry for anything I messed up, I really am. Trust me, Benjamin put me in my place. And I see why now. Clearly what he has going here is better than any job I could offer. No hard feelings?”
Benjamin sent her a beseeching look, and she nodded, setting her hand in Ian’s. “No hard feelings.”
“Good.” Ian’s grin was wide, as if he’d never doubted she would agree, and she shook her head as he went to sit down.
The lobby emptied as their guests all headed for the sanctuary, and Pastor Calvano strode toward them, beaming. He’d spent the past two months taking them through premarital counseling, and Summer had loved the opportunity to grow closer not only to her husband but also to her father-in-law.
“Are you two ready?” he asked, setting a hand on each of their shoulders.
“Absolutely.” Benjamin hugged his dad, and then Pastor Calvano hugged her too, and Summer squeezed back for all she was worth. Then he slipped into the sanctuary, and Mia appeared with Max at her side.
Benjamin squatted so that he was at eye-level with the boy. “Are you ready to be our ring bearer?”
Max nodded solemnly.
“Good.” Benjamin pulled a velvety red bag out of his own pocket. He opened it and held it out to Summer. Carefully, she slid her ring off of her finger and slipped it into the bag, her hand feeling suddenly bare.
Then she reached into a seam of her dress and came out with her own velvety blue bag.
Benjamin’s eyes widened. “Where did that come from?”
She grinned. “My dress has pockets.”
“But— But— Where did— How did— What is—”
She laughed. “You think you’re the only one with surprises?”
The processional music started, and she quickly tucked the bag into Max’s pocket. Then Mia led Max to the door and pointed down the aisle. Max glanced over his shoulder at them, grinned, and then sauntered into the church.
Benjamin chuckled. “He’s eating this up.”
Summer nodded, but the significance of what they were about to do had suddenly hit her, and she couldn’t say anything.
Benjamin looked at her, his face concerned. “Are you nervous?”
She shook her head and threaded her arm through his. “Not with you at my side. I’m just . . . so happy.”
“Good.” He kissed her lightly and wrapped his hand over hers.
They’d decided not to have a wedding party since it would have been impossible to choose among Benjamin’s siblings—and if they’d asked them all, there wouldn’t have been many people left in the pews.
So when Max was halfway to the front of the church, Benjamin stepped confidently into the aisle with her on his arm. The whole way to the front of the church, all Summer could think was that this was everything she’d ever dreamed of.
When they reached Pastor Calvano, he hugged them each again, then began the ceremony. Summer soaked up the words as he talked about how marriage was a picture of Christ’s love for the church and how Christ loved his bride so much that he had pursued her and given himself to make her his own. She could only smile through her tears as she realized again what a beautiful truth that was and how Benjamin had been—and was still—an example to her of that kind of love.
When it was time for the vows, Benjamin took her hands in his and said, with a little laugh, “It’s probably bad form to contradict the pastor at your own wedding, especially when he happens to be your father, but . . .” He paused as the congregation laughed—and so did Pastor Calvano.
“But,” he continued, “it’s not that I disagree with what he said. Marriage is a picture of Christ’s love for the church. And I would absolutely give up everything for you, Summer, including my own life. But you should know that I didn’t give up anything when I married you. I gained everything I ever wanted.”
Tears spilled onto Summer’s cheeks, but she wasn’t about to let go of his hands to wipe them away.
“I confess that I thought I was taking control of the situation when I married you. I thought God had fallen down on the job.” He laughed a little. “It turns out that he was taking care of things all along. He knew exactly what I needed when he gave me you and he gave me Max and he gave me our baby—” His voice cracked, and his smile wavered as he cleared his throat. “In ways I can’t even fathom, he has given me a richer life than I could have ever imagined, and I look forward to spending every day of it with you.”
His smile was back, and it wrapped itself around Summer’s heart as Pastor Calvano invited her to say her vows.
She took a breath, then said apologetically, “They’re kind of the same as Benjamin’s.”
Benjamin laughed and looked at their guests. “We didn’t even plan that.”
Their light laughter, combined with the gentle pressure of Benjamin’s hand around hers, gave her the courage to start. “When TJ died, I thought I had lost everything.” A sob almost overtook her, but she swallowed it down. “I thought no one else in the world would ever love me.” She licked her lips and whispered, “Would ever want me.”
And then, her voice stronger, she said, “But you were there the whole time. You didn’t once leave my side, except when I made you.” There was a gentle chuckle from the church, and Summer smiled too. “You even went so far as to marry me, and still I didn’t see it.” She shook her head at her own foolishness. “I tried to push you away. I tried to tell myself you didn’t really want me, but you kept coming back, you kept being there for me, you kept whispering that you loved me and shouting that you loved me and showing me that you loved me. I don’t know how you never gave up on me, but I’m so thankful you didn’t. Because the day we married, I gained so much.” The tears started falling again, but her voice remained steady. “I gained you, and I gained this incredible family.” She looked around at them all, smiling and wiping their own eyes. “And I gained this love. I never could have imagined being surrounded by so much love, and I am so grateful that I get to spend the rest of my life with you.”
She let out a shaky breath as she finished, and Benjamin swiped a quick hand under his eyes.
Then they both repeated the vows they’d made at the courthouse. This time, Summer didn’t hesitate for even a moment to say, “for as long as we both shall live.”
Pastor Calvano called for the rings, and Max marched proudly forward and held out the bags. Summer took the blue one and Benjamin the red one.
She held out her hand for Benjamin to slip the ring back on it, sighing with contentment to feel it on her finger again, though it had been off for less than an hour.
Then she slid the ring she’d bought Benjamin out of her bag. She held out the gold band engraved with interlocking circles, and Benjamin lifted his hand for her to slide it on. He made a choked sound and then gripped her hand and pulled her to him in a crushing hug as his dad declared them husband and wife.
Over the applause of their wedding guests, Benjamin whispered into her ear, “I love you.”
Summer nodded, pressing her cheek to his and marveling at the truth one little whisper could hold.