NICHOLAS

Alone now, Maddie whispers, “You love me.”

On a laugh I confess, “I do.”

She stops walking and touches my face. “I think I loved you the first night I saw you, Nicholas.”

With a slow kiss I let those sweet words settle into my chest. As we separate my voice is hoarse with emotion. “I felt the same way about you.”

She playfully hits me. “You did not!”

“Yes I did.” Pulling her close, I remind her, “When I finally saw you, it was love at first sight. I’m sorry it took so long.”

Maddie’s lips part and tears spring to her eyes. With them hovering, her smile looks so beautiful.

And so mine.

I think at one point I’d declared I’d be the last of my siblings to get married. I probably said that many times over the years, in my own mind and aloud.

But the baby boy we don’t know we just conceived, has other plans for my future. Just like how meeting Maddie, and saving Bucky, changed my life for the better when I never planned it, our son will open my heart beyond anything I could have imagined.

It’ll be pretty quickly that I’ll come to understand why my dad is so protective of us kids. When I look at my future wife, I’ll have the same love in my eyes I’ve seen in his for Mom.

I will know in my chest and in my gut and in my soul, that what matters most, is love.

How you show it.

How you live it.

How you stand up for it.

It’s all just love.

“Nicholas,” Madison asks as she enjoys Grandma Nance’s chili beside me at the tables that we brought onto the back lawn for this reception, “What are you thinking about?”

“Mmm?” I hum, mouth full.

“You were scanning the party with this wistful look on your face.”

Chuckling I swallow jambalaya, and deny she hit the nail on the head. “Men don’t get wistful.”

She stifles a smile. “My mistake.”

My cousin Emma walks up with her husband, Tanner, both of them carrying overflowing plates. They pause at our table.

Emma asks, “Madison, right?”

“Yes,” Maddie smiles, looking a little shy.

“Charlie tells me you’re great with kids. And Grandma Nance called me up to suggest we have you come by and see if you can help with ours.”

Tanner explains, “I opened an orphanage and we could use some more qualified help, if that’s something you’d be interested in.”

Madison explodes with an ecstatic and shocked, “Yes! I’d love that!”

Emma grins at her, “We’ll exchange numbers before we all head back to Atlanta.”

“Amazing! Thank you!”

Leaning in a little closer, Emm whispers to me, “Did you see your sister mooning over Ryder? I think that crush is still alive and well.”

Chuckling I glance over to Zoe who is unabashedly gazing at Tanner’s raven-haired nephew. And he’s got no clue. “We’ll see how that plays out.”

My cousin Hannah and Tobias call over to Emma and her man, motioning that they saved them seats.

As soon as they’re out of earshot, Maddie and Denise quietly freak out with excitement over the job proposition, whispering about how it would be so much better for her than working in a clothing store.

Proud as hell of my family for coming to Madison’s aid, I call out over the many voices of both the Cockers and the Ciphers, “Hey Grams! Why’d you start yelling language whenever we swear? How did that begin?”

Conversations hush in an instant, everyone equally curious.

May Cocker’s blue eyes twinkle as she calls back in her sweet southern drawl, “I’ll never tell.”

Many of us go up in arms, shouting, “Oh, come on!”

But she just shakes her head and winks at me.

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