HANNAH

Abby and I stood next to each other, looking in the mirror.

Margot beamed as she came into the room. “You both look gorgeous.”

“Thank you,” I said. There were a few times I’d actually felt gorgeous in my life. This was one of them.

“I think you made the perfect choice with the dress.”

“Me too.” I’d chosen an ivory dress of beaded lace and a deep V neckline in front and back. It wasn’t overly fussy or fancy, and it had a slight Victorian feel to it, which suited our wedding venue—the Valentini Farms Bed and Breakfast.

Pete and Georgia had closed the inn for the entire weekend for us as a wedding present. They claimed it wasn’t a big deal, since mid-November wasn’t busy season up here, but it meant a lot to us. So that they wouldn’t have to work during the affair, we’d hired a catering crew to prepare and serve.

“I have something for you.” Margot handed me a handkerchief of white cotton edged with eyelet. “Unfold it.”

I did as she asked and saw that she’d had it embroidered with an H in one corner. “Oh, Margot. I love it. I’m going to cry.”

“That’s exactly why I had it made for you.” She grinned. “But don’t cry yet. Your makeup is perfect.”

“Knock, knock.” Georgia came in, a huge smile on her face. “Everything is ready down there. Wow, Hannah. You’re stunning.”

“Thank you.”

“And look at you!” Georgia gestured at Abby, who wore a long dress of ivory satin with a tulle skirt. “Give me a twirl, let me see!”

Abby happily spun in a circle, the dress floating around her like a cloud.

“So pretty.” Georgia clasped her hands together. “This is such a great day.”

“It is.” Margot fussed with a few pieces of my hair, which she’d curled and styled for me. The top was loosely twisted and pinned at the back of my head, and the rest hung in soft waves down my back. Rather than wear a veil, I’d asked her to tuck ivory and blush-colored roses into the twist. “So do you have everything? Something old?”

I touched my earlobes. “Yes. Lenore lent me her pearl earrings. She said she’s had them for twenty years.”

“They’re beautiful,” said Margot. “I love pearls. So classic.”

They were beautiful—white pearl and diamond drop earrings that sparkled and shone. I’d been touched when she’d offered them.

“Something new?” asked Georgia.

“The handkerchief.” I smiled and held it up.

“Perfect,” agreed Margot. “You can wrap it around the stem of your bouquet. I even have a little pin to keep it in place.”

“Something borrowed?”

“The earrings were borrowed,” I suggested.

“No, it has to be something different.” Georgia frowned, then her face lit up. “Oh! Oh! Hold on!” she exclaimed before dashing out the door.

“What on earth? Where is she going?” I asked.

Margot shrugged. “To get something from her room? While she’s doing that, let’s make sure you have something blue.”

I grinned and lifted up the hem of my dress to show off the blue satin heels I wore. My toes were painted blue too. “Got it.”

She laughed with delight. “You certainly do.”

A moment later, Georgia raced back into the room. “Here,” she said breathlessly. She held up a penny and a roll of Scotch tape. “In my family, brides always put a penny in their shoe for luck. This is the penny I had in my shoe when I married Pete. I’ll tape it into yours.”

I laughed and slipped off one of my shoes. She scooped it up and taped the penny onto the arch.

“There.” She nodded. “Put it back on and make sure it won’t bother you.”

I put my foot back into the shoe. “Can’t feel a thing.”

“Yay!” Georgia clapped.

Margot handed Abby’s flowers to her. “Here, sweetie. Hannah, give me the handkerchief and I’ll pin it to your bouquet.”

I handed it over and flattened a palm on my stomach. “I have a million butterflies in here.”

“That’s not all.” Margot winked at me. She and Georgia were among the handful of people who knew I was pregnant. We were planning to tell everyone else, including Abby, after the wedding.

Georgia’s eyes went misty. “Oh Hannah, I’m so happy for you.”

“Thank you.”

“Okay, done.” Margot held out the bouquet, and I took it in my hands. “I’m ready.” I looked down at Abby, who grinned up at me. “Let’s do this.”

The four of us walked to the top of the stairs. “I’ll go down and tell everyone we’re about to start,” Margot said. “Georgia, you’ll stay at the bottom of the stairs and signal Abby and Hannah when it’s time to start?”

“Yes,” Georgia confirmed.

“Okay.” Margot gave me one last smile and touched my arm. “Here we go.”

I watched her descend the steps and disappear around the corner into the parlor, where dining tables had been removed and rows of chairs had been set up. It was a small wedding, just sixteen guests, including my mother and aunt, who’d driven up from Detroit two days earlier. She’d been a little stunned by the news of my relationship with Wes, but fully supportive. We’d found that was the reaction of pretty much everybody—once the initial shock wore off, people seemed genuinely happy for us. Even Lenore had come around, hosting a beautiful engagement dinner for us at her house.

Although he’d already asked me to be his wife, Wes officially popped the question on his birthday, slipping on my finger the ring he and Abby had chosen for me earlier that day. He did it on the beach at his house before we left for dinner at his parents’ that evening. Abby had stood right next to me, jumping up and down with excitement. We let her announce our engagement to Doc and Lenore, which she did the moment we walked into their house. There were some tears, but they were more sentimental than sad, and Lenore, to her credit, behaved beautifully. “I’m happy for you,” she’d told me.

She was beside herself with excitement about the baby, and promised to be a big help without being overbearing this time around. So far, that was proving true. She’d pitched in a ton the day Abby and I moved into Wes’s house, and had shopped with me for furniture and kitchen cabinets, at my invitation. My house had sold quickly, and even though I’d cried in Wes’s arms before leaving it for the last time, I had no regrets.

From the bottom of the stairs, Georgia looked up at me and smiled. I noticed the hum of conversation coming from the parlor had quieted, and a moment later, the music began. It made me smile—we’d considered a string quartet for the occasion, but ended up going with a recording of Glenn Miller’s “Moonlight Serenade,” which was the song we’d danced to in the elementary school parking lot.

“Okay, you two,” Georgia whispered. “Come on.” Abby and I held hands as we carefully went down the steps, and then I stood at the bottom while Abby slowly walked into the parlor and turned to her left to face the guests. She glanced over at me and smiled before starting to walk to the back of the room, where I knew Wes was waiting for me. My stomach fluttered wildly.

“Your turn,” whispered Georgia, who would sneak into the room once the ceremony began.

“Thank you.” I took one deep breath to steady my nerves, and walked into the parlor. As I turned to face the back, the guests stood. I saw Jack and Margot, my mom and aunt, Doc and Lenore, Tess, Grace, Anne. All the people who’d gotten me through the worst phase of my life and would be with me through the next, which promised to be infinitely better.

And Wes. He looked good in everything—and he looked spectacular in nothing—but standing there in his gorgeous black suit, my God…he took my breath away.

We locked eyes as I moved toward him, and his were shiny with tears. On his face was all the love he showed me every single day, which he’d kept hidden inside for so long. My heart beat wildly in my chest. How had I gotten so lucky? What had I ever done to deserve him?

He took my hand when I reached him, and I laughed a little at the tear that slipped from the corner of one eye. “For once it’s you, not me,” I teased.

He laughed too, brushing it away. “Can’t help it.”

The music finished, the guests sat down, and we faced the officiant, ready to start our life together.

* * *

“Can I have everyone’s attention?” Champagne glass in hand, Wes stood at the table where he and I were seated, along with Abby, Pete and Georgia, Margot and Jack. The rest of our guests were all seated at round tables for four placed around the room, which we normally used as a restaurant dining room. He offered me his hand and helped me to my feet.

“Hannah and I want to thank you for being here with us today. It means everything to us. You’ll notice the guest list for this occasion was small, but in this room are the most important people in our lives. People without whom we would not be standing here today.”

I met Tess’s eyes across the room, and she smiled.

“But there is someone important to us who is not here today.” Wes squeezed my hand, and I squeezed back, fighting the lump in my throat. “And that person is my brother Drew.”

He looked down at me—even in my heels, I was much shorter—and I could see his eyes were wet. Mine were too.

“Not a day goes by where we don’t think of him, and we will miss him forever.” He paused, closing his eyes briefly. “But rather than mourn him any longer, we asked ourselves what he would have wanted for us—and without a doubt, we know he’d have wanted us to be happy. To celebrate every day as a gift. To appreciate all the beauty around us. To remember that no matter how great the loss, life and love go on.” He raised a glass.

“To the bride and groom!” called Pete.

I picked up my water and touched it to Drew’s champagne as the room erupted in a chorus of cheers and clinking glasses. We took a sip, and before we could even sit down again, the room resounded with silverware clanking on glasses.

Wes looked down at me and smiled. “I think they want me to kiss the bride.”

“Good. Because that’s me.”

He smiled. “I always knew you were the one.”

As his lips touched mine, I closed my eyes and saw our life unfolding in front of us, long and full and happy. But this time, it didn’t scare me at all. This time, I embraced it.

I knew in my heart it was meant to be.

Love wins every time.