“Somebody get this girl some smelling salts. And pass the brown paper bags over here.” Nova’s concerned eyes stay on me as she barks the orders across the room.

I slip my hands under my butt to stop the trembling and I grin at my friend in the mirror. “I’m fine. I promise.” Even as I say the words, my heart is beating double-time, my whole body is shaking.

I am nervous. But in a good way. It’s more excitement than anything else.

I’m getting married today.

The white tasseled flapper dress fans out around my legs. The cubic zirconia chandelier earrings bounce against my cheeks. The clothes are cheap and the look is unconventional but for me, it’s just right.

Who cares about the rules? The rules don’t apply to true love.

The only thing that matters is the man I’m marrying today. Archie is my soulmate. There’s no question in my mind about that. And it doesn’t matter where we get married or what either one of us is wearing. All I care about is walking down that aisle and seeing him standing at the altar.

My father supports our cheapie wedding fully. Particularly because we didn’t ask him to whip out his credit card to pay for it.

Adulting, for the win.

Some may say it’s kind of twisted for Archie and me to return to Vegas to get married. After all, it’s the scene of my almost-wedding over two years ago. But Vegas is where Archie and I started. So it feels so right that we’d come back here to make it official.

My flat-ironed hair flows down my back. Reese brushes it into place and sticks it with bobby pins. She stands back from the mirror and watches me. “Perfect! You look stunning, Soph.”

My mother approaches from across the room with River on her hip. She lays her hand on my shoulder, so much pride in her smile. “Yes, honey. You make a beautiful bride.”

“Thank you.” I accept the compliment. I feel it all the way to my soul. But still, I don’t feel the need to cling to it like my life depends on it. I appreciate my family’s support but now, I’m strong enough to stand tall even without it.

Because Archie’s got my back and I’ve got his. We’re an unshakeable team.

There’s a knock at the door and Angie waddles off to answer it. I hear her high-pitched whisper carry across the room. “You can’t be here. It’s bad luck,” she warns.

“I just want to make sure she’s okay,” I hear Archie’s voice say, his tone heavy with concern.

My sister hisses anxiously. “She’s fine. Now, shoo!”

By now I’m on my feet, inching toward the door. “Babe, what’s going on?” I ask him, my heart smiling at the sound of him. I’m careful not to let his see me as I stand behind the door.

“There you are!” I hear the relief in his voice.

“Of course I’m here, babe.”

“Cool.”

“Cool.”

My heart flutters, imagining him in his perfect tux right outside.

“I wish I could see you,” he whispers, his voice so low and close to the door.

“I’m sure you look very handsome,” I say, leaning my cheek to the wood.

He chuckles. “I do look handsome. Very handsome. Panty-meltingly handsome. You’re just gonna have to take my word for it, though. Until we get to the altar.”

A giggle escapes me. “I’m gonna be here, slowly dying until then,” I tell him.

We stand there in silence for a while longer and I bask in the comfort of having him so close right now. It’s like he somehow knew how much I needed his reassurance in this moment. He always seems to know exactly what I need, when I need it.

His fingers appear in the crack of the door, wiggling in my direction. I laugh as I reach out and take them, lacing our hands together. His voice drops low so only I can hear. “Daisy, I just want you to know that I’ll be there waiting for you, at the other end of the aisle. You don’t have to worry. You know you can count on me. Right?”

My heart swells too big for my chest when he says that. I never told him about the irrational fear that’s been plaguing me, the niggling doubt whether he’d be there when I was ready to walk toward the altar. But because he knows me so well, he figured it out on his own and here he is giving me the reassurance I need.

Only in Las Vegas does a girl get so lucky…

It might seem crazy that we’re getting married in Vegas after the trauma I experienced the last time I tried to do this.

But this time, I’m with the right man. And I know it to the depths of my soul.

“Thank you, babe,” I whisper. I refuse to cry because Reese worked hard to pull my bride-on-a-budget look together. I don’t wanna mess it up.

With a kiss to my knuckles, Archie slips from the door. My doting friends put the finishing touches on my outfit. And then we’re on the elevator, then we’re getting in the car and driving down the Strip toward the chapel where yet another Elvis is waiting for us.

When I step out of the taxi and walk through the archway, I see Archie standing at the altar, just like he said he’d be. His expression is full of excitement. His love beams my way. My hands clasp over my heart and I give myself a moment to absorb it.

The handsome stranger at the bar is about to become my husband. He’s the father of my child. He’s the holder of my heart. He’s my future.

Archie and I have come full circle. I’m living my dream come true.