ZANDER
Two months later
Outside the doors to the courtroom, I take Ella’s hand in mine. These aren’t the same doors I stood behind six months ago when I first laid eyes on her, but the dark grooved floor-to-ceiling doors are reminiscent of how we started.
She’s dressed in a long white lace dress and I’m wearing a gray suit she picked out. The same suit I wear for court appearances. Funny, because this is one of sorts I suppose.
With a simper on her bloodred lips and a dark curl loose from her bun, she looks up at me. Nothing but happiness shines back in her chestnut eyes. My little bird looks stunning, actually. She had her stylist come over and do her makeup and her hair for the ceremony.
She planned every detail of today. It’s amazing how quickly a girl can pull together a wedding.
It’s nothing big like I thought she might want. There’s no fancy ceremony in a tall cathedral. There’s no press. And the reception is more like a laid-back after-party. No, this isn’t the big deal I want to give Ella, but we can always do that later. Having a life together … that’s the biggest deal of all.
“Are you ready?” I ask her, giving her hand a squeeze. She squeezes back and lets out a breath while giving me an uncontained, confident smile.
“Yes. I’m more than ready to be your wife, Mr. Thompson.”
Cade claps his hand on my shoulder just then and I had nearly forgot he was there. “Let’s head in?” he asks.
I smirk down at my soon-to-be wife and say, “Let’s.”
“We’re next on the list,” Cade tells me and I have to hold back my huff of impatience. It’s not the sexiest part of a courthouse wedding. We had to wait for another couple in front of us, and then for the judge to rule on a traffic violation.
The man who got the ticket didn’t have to pay his fine after all. The judge has been finishing up with him. He comes out the right door as my brother pulls open the left.
“Congratulations,” he says, his face happy and bright. Our attire is the opposite of his jeans and leather jacket. Even without a veil or bouquet, I’m certain it’s obvious what we’re here for. I happily accept his good wishes.
“Thank you,” Ella and I answer in unison and in this moment, I couldn’t feel lighter or happier or like this moment was meant to be.
Our footsteps in sync with one another, we go into the courtroom together. Ella and I go down the aisle with my brother, Damon on my side and Trish and Kam on hers. My heart races as we take our places in front of the judge.
It’s the exact opposite of how it was when things started. Ella was sitting up at that table with the lawyers. I was sitting in the back, wondering how a woman like her ever came to be in that position. I’d wanted to know everything about her.
Now I get to spend the rest of my life learning all the details I could ever hope to learn.
“Your paperwork?” The judge, an old man, smiles at us. I pass over the marriage license and he scans it as if it’s the most important document of the day. “Witnesses?” he asks next.
My brother steps up. So does Trish.
The judge welcomes them, then comes down and takes his place in front of us. “Marriage is a civil union,” he begins. “It’s about two people coming together. And in spite of great odds.”
Ella glances at me, uncontained joy on her face.
“We know that life can deal us some blows,” the judge says. “Can put us through the wringer. But what I like best about weddings is that they’re all about hope. All of them, every single one, is about hope. Take the bride’s hands in yours,” he tells me.
Without a second thought, I do what he says. I take Ella’s hands in mine. I was already holding one of her hands. Now I have them both, clasped in mine. When she looks at me again her eyes are shining.
Hope. This wedding is about hope. That we’re going to have our happily ever after together, an ending neither of us saw coming.
“Zander Thompson,” the judge says. “Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, in the eyes of God, in the state of Pennsylvania?”
“I do,” I say.
“And Eleanor Bordeu,” he says, “do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, in the eyes of God, in the state of Pennsylvania?”
“I do,” she whispers.
“The rings,” the judge says. Cade steps forward with my ring for Ella. “Place the ring on her ring finger.”
I do. Ella blinks down at it like it’s worth more than all the money she had in her past. “This is a symbol of my love for you,” I tell her. “I love you.”
Ella repeats this process with my ring, only she’s breathing harder. Tears escape from the corner of her eyes. “None of that, you’ll ruin that dress with mascara,” Kam jokingly whispers and Ella lets out a small laugh.
“This is a symbol of my love for you. I love you.”