My mom shook her head, blinking fast. "Right. Okay. Can't have that. They're ready for you, honey. Cy looks pretty damn good up there, I won't lie. Your brothers are waiting for you."
I took a deep breath, and followed my mother and sister out of the room where Paine and Enzo were flanking the door, looking very comfortable in their suits.
"You look beautiful, Ree," Paine declared, giving me a warm smile.
"And this is for you," Enzo said, pressing a bouquet into my hands.
But they weren't just any flowers.
Oh no.
It was a bouquet of faux white flowers with delicate script writing on the petals.
I smiled down at it before smiling up at him, charmed by the idea.
"Ready to go get married?" he asked.
I so, so was.
They each took one of my arms as my mother rushed off, and Kenzi moved down the hall to take Reeve's arm. It was the only concession I had made. I didn't want a huge bridal party. I had my sister; Cy had his brother. It worked out perfectly.
"See you up there," Kenz said as the music started, and Reeve led her down the aisle.
Then my brothers led me into the doorway.
I saw Cyrus first, of course, looking even better-looking than he usually did - which was truly saying something - in his dark gray suit and - wait - a beige tie printed with words.
At that realization, thinking of my bouquet, and how this couldn't possibly be a coincidence, my eyes finally started drifting.
And it hit me.
The girls club, the amazing, weird, quirky, wonderful group of women that they were, hadn't just planned me a wedding.
Oh, no.
They planned me a book-themed wedding.
The arbor Cyrus and the Justice of the Peace were standing under was made entirely of paperback books with various shades of cream covers.
The material covering the seats where everyone was sitting had the same pattern as Cy's tie.
I could only imagine what the reception room looked like.
But I couldn't think on that too much as Paine and Enzo started walking me down to Cyrus who was watching me with those seaglass eyes I had come to love so much.
"Threat still stands," Enzo said as he shook Cy's hand, then kissed my cheek before going to find his seat next to Espen.
"Think you accomplished your goal," Paine told him before doing the same.
"What goal?" I asked as everyone moved to sit, as he took my hands.
"To deserve you," Cyrus declared, giving my hands a squeeze.
It wasn't until the rings came out that I realized Cy had totally been in on the book-themed plans as well.
Because the inside of my ring was inscribed with a Bronte quote.
Reader, I married him.
And, I did.Cyrus - 12 years"Stop hovering," I said, snagging her hand, and pulling her down on my lap.
"I just wanted to get a picture," she insisted. "I never thought this day would come, and look at him!"
We had been blessed with two children.
Luna had come first, a little mini version of her mother. Looks wise, with slightly tanner skin than mine, darker hair, and eyes that were green, without a hint of blue. But it was her personality where it showed the most. She was shy, sweet, warm, and perfectly content with her own company for hours on end
After Luna, we had had Bennet.
Now, Bennet was all me. He was tall, thin, with lighter skin and lighter hair, and eyes that had a little bit of blue to them. The same went for his personality too. Even at ten, he was charming, confident, laid-back, and already half as good at the guitar as I was.
Now, Reese practically raised the two of them in the library. I didn't have to ask where she was if she went out with them, they were always there. Luna devoured stories much the way Reese did, even before she could read herself, she was always begging for "just one more" bedtime story. And Reese, well, she was not going to deny her. So, often, it was eight more bedtime stories before she finally put her foot down and made her go to sleep.
Bennet, well, he didn't like books.
When they all went to the library, he was usually in the craft room, doing puzzles, or on the computers playing games.
Never, ever looking for books to check out.
Reese tried, bless her bookish heart, to find that one, that perfect book that might turn him into a lover of fiction.
But she never could.
What kid doesn't like Harry Potter?! She had once asked, throwing her hands up as she dropped down in the bed beside me.
So, to say it was a huge fucking deal that Bennet was across the room with his Uncle Reeve reading a book, well, it wasn't an exaggeration at all.
The other kids were all out back, kicking balls, climbing trees, rough-housing. It was the shit that had always been up his alley. Normally, that was where he would be.