“I didn’t say yes, yet.”
I scooped her up into my arms again and strode out of the bathroom. “Oh, you will.”
She grabbed my shoulder. “You’re so certain?”
I locked my gaze with hers. “More certain than I’ve ever been about anything.”
Her eyes were shiny, but the biggest, brightest smile lit her face. Finally, I got the words right.
Epilogue
Ally
The air was crisp, and the wind fluttered the curls cascading down my back. The lace of my veil lifted and settled around my shoulders to brush my arms. Fingertip length. All the things I’d learned about weddings had gone in one ear and out the other, other than a little of the background on my veil. The piece offered a touch of the traditional. As did the empire cut of the gown that hid some of the swell of my belly.
I slid my hand over the bump growing larger every day. February was coming like a freight train and so here I was…getting married on the first of October.
I peeked around the gazebo to the long pier I had to walk down.
Alone.
“I’m here, I’m here.” A little voice carried on the wind.
I glanced behind me to see Laurie coming around the corner in her pink tulle and ribbons. “What are you doing down here? You’re supposed to be next to your dad.”
“Nuh-uh. I walking you down the aisle, silly.”
My eyes burned. “Oh, sweetie.”
She held out her hand to me. Such a big girl these days. Four going on forty sometimes. Her nightmares had faded away with family reading time every night. We’d all settled into a crazy sort of normal. “It’s okay, Mommy. I’m a big girl, I can do it.”
“Oh, I know that you can. I just thought you had to be brave for Daddy.”
She shrugged and stepped next to me. “Nah. He has Unca Ollie.”
“Are you ready?” Sage rushed down the hill to fuss with my train. “What did you do? I told you to stay still.”
I looked over my shoulder at my maid of honor decked out in a navy off-the-shoulder dress. “Wind.”
Sage sighed and set down her tight bouquet of Gerbera daisies in burgundy, orange, and gold. “You’re going to take off like a sailboat today with this wind.” She fluffed my little train and shifted one of the buttons of my bustle. Why had I let her talk me into this thing? It was too formal for an outdoor wedding. I should have just gotten the little tea-length dress.
Sage tucked the daisy crown behind Laurie’s ear. “Hey little mama, what are you doing down here?”
“I’m gonna walk Mommy down the aisle.” Laurie clutched my hand.
“Oh, I swore I wasn’t going to cry until the actual ceremony.” Sage tipped back her head and blinked rapidly. “You’re just the best little girl.”
Laurie smiled brightly. “I know.”
Sage and I laughed.
My maid of honor slapped her thigh. “Well, I think it’s time to get this show on the road. I know there’s a very nervy groom waiting at the end of that pier.”
I slid my hand over my bump and the little boy kicking around like crazy. “I think both of us…” I looked down at Laurie and swung our clasped hands. “All three of us are ready to go down.”
Laurie patted my belly. “He’s gotta stay in there cooking.”
I laughed. “Yes, we still have a few months to go.”