Chapter 19

Lilli

“I will never get used to this part,” I said as I grabbed on tight to Devin’s hand.

“You’ve been in this plane at least a hundred times over the last three years. How is it possible that you still get nervous?”

“I don’t know. I can’t explain it. But I’m clearly freaking out,” I said and closed my eyes to try and relax until the plane leveled off at the normal flying height.

“Lilli, it’s fine. You’re being a baby,” Izzy said as she sat cross-legged listening to her music and ignoring the fact that we were jetting up quickly into the sky. “You do this every single time. I can’t believe you’re still so nervous.”

“Hey, young lady. I know you’re a teenager and know everything, but I can’t help it.” I laughed without opening my eyes at all.

“You’re doing alright Izzy?” Devin asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m not a baby,” she said with that familiar teenager tone we had become accustomed to. “Will my mom be at the airport?”

“Yep, I talked to her this morning, and she’s coming over with your grandparents,” Devin said as he let me squeeze his hand tightly.

Ashley had finished serving the three years from her plea deal. At first, three years seemed like it was going to be forever, but the time had flown by. Izzy was having a blast with Devin, and I’d been staying over there more and more. My schedule was busy with school, though, and this trip was the first time in the last three years that I’d felt relief from all my homework and tests.

As the plane finally leveled off at our cruising altitude, I opened my eyes and let the tension leave my body. Devin laughed a little at my relief, but I couldn’t help how nervous I still got on our flights.

“I really thought you’d finally be able to relax now that you’re officially a nurse,” Devin said as he rubbed my leg.

“No, I’m not a nurse yet. I still have my licensing exam to take at the end of summer. I’m going to be busy studying all summer long,” I insisted.

“Maybe not all summer,” Devin said as he played with the ring on my finger. “You’ll need to wait until after the honeymoon at least.”

Devin was right. We were on our way to pick up Ashley and her family and then heading to Paris for our wedding. Of course, I was going to try and relax and enjoy the next couple of weeks. We had a huge wedding, and then Devin and I were going to travel around Europe for a few weeks on our honeymoon.

I’d given him a list of all the places I wanted to see, and he’d planned out an itinerary that allowed us to see every single one of them. I leaned into his chest and cuddled up next to him. He was the man I’d always dreamed of, and I was the luckiest woman in the world to have him.

“Gross, get a room you two,” Izzy playfully taunted us.

“Oh, yeah?” Devin said as he grabbed my face and kissed me passionately. “How about that?” he teased.

“Dad!”

“Ew, I know. It’s so gross. Don’t you ever go kissing any boys,” Devin said as he leaned down and kissed me softly.

“I love you, Devin Graham,” I said softly as I looked up into his eyes.

“I love you too.”

Our flight was relatively uneventful as we landed in Jacksonville and had to fuel up before heading overseas. Izzy was watching out the window as we pulled into our spot, and she waved excitedly when she saw her mother and grandparents.

“It’s her. She’s right there. Oh, my gosh, I can’t believe this,” Izzy said as she unbuckled her seatbelt and ran over to the door before they had even fully stopped.

“Izzy, wait until it stops the next time,” Devin demanded.

“Dad, there will never be another time when I’m waiting to see my mother after she’s spent three years in jail. Give me a break,” she said and rolled her eyes.

Devin was about to say something to Izzy about the eye rolling, but I grabbed his arm and held my finger up to my lips so he wouldn’t.

“She’s just excited. Let it go this time,” I urged.

“Just this time,” he agreed.

Devin and I moved over to the other side of the plane and watched out the window as Izzy ran down the steps and jumped into her mother’s arms. It had been three long years since the two of them had been able to embrace without a guard yelling at them and telling them there was no touching. I cried as I watched the sweet moment between them.

Devin was also in tears, and Izzy’s grandparents were a blubbering mess as we finally got off the plane to greet them all. There were hugs all around as our little family finally got to the end of what had been an amazingly difficult journey.

Ashley had finished her time with more dignity than I could have mustered in the same situation. She was diligent about reading books with Izzy, and they sent letters back and forth, talking about all the details of their current reads. Ashley also worked on studying and decided she wanted to be a drug and alcohol therapist after she got out. It suited her perfectly, and she clearly was going to have a lot to share with people going through similar struggles as she had gone through.

“Thank you for taking such good care of our daughter,” Ashley said as she hugged me.

I couldn’t hold back my emotion as I balled at her words. I did feel like Izzy was my daughter. I loved her like she was my own and always did everything I could to ensure the last three years were as good as they could be, given the situation we were in.

“Thank you, Ashley,” I said through my tears.

“Wow, who would have thought I’d be happy to see you some day,” she said as she hugged Devin. “You look good. I think this marriage thing is going to suit you just fine.”

“Yeah, I feel pretty damn good,” he said. “How are you doing? You look pretty good for an ex-prisoner,” Devin joked.

“Hell, best three years of dieting and working out I’ve ever had. They should sell the prison diet, people would love it,” she laughed.

“Ten more minutes,” the pilot said as he stood at the top of the stairs. “I’ve got another co-pilot joining us as well and a stewardess if that’s alright.”

“Yes, that’s fine,” Devin said as he turned to talk with the pilot. “Can you have them make sure we have some champagne on board? We are celebrating a very special day today.”

“Of course sir,” the man said before he turned and went back onto the plane.

It was a special day, and despite all the tears, I was so overcome with joy. Ashley was out of prison, she was reunited with Izzy, and they were going to spend two weeks getting to know each other again while Devin and I traveled.

Devin offered to have Izzy move back with Ashley right away, but the three of them decided it was best for Izzy to stay with Devin for a little while longer. That way, Ashley could take some time to get herself back on her feet. She had ongoing counseling to do, and she wanted to get a job and go back to college, which was a lot to take on. Although I was confident she could do it, it was a bit of a relief that she and Devin had worked it out so Ashley could take care of herself for just a little while.

“So I hear we are going to Paris?” Ashley said to Izzy as the two of them jumped up and down with excitement.

“My friends at school are so jealous,” Izzy said. “I am going to SnapChat and Instagram the entire trip.”

“I have no doubt that you will.” Ashley laughed. “Should we get on board and get comfortable?” she suggested.

“I’m pretty excited too,” Mrs. Edwards said to Izzy as we all climbed back up the stairs and got onto the plane.

It was a fun flight as we all talked and caught up during the ten hours over to Paris. Even when Izzy and her grandparents finally fell asleep, Ashley, Devin, and I continued talking all the way until the morning.

Although Ashley and I were clearly much different people, I was bonded with her. My relationship with Devin and Izzy ensured that Ashley and I had something in common, and I relished that relationship and how it grew on our flight to Paris.

“Are you nervous?” she asked me when Devin stepped away to grab us some snacks.

“No. I thought I would be. But I have never been so sure of something in my entire life.”

“Will your friends and family be there?”

“Yes, Devin sent them all on a flight yesterday, and I heard they are all checked into the hotel and catching up on their sleep. My friend Anna is loving Paris already, and I think she might decide to stay there for a little bit if her parents agree.”

“I want you to know I’m genuinely happy for you and Devin. I know that he and I weren’t meant to be, and seeing him with you actually makes me feel better. It’s clear that he’s the man he always wanted to be when he’s around you. I can only hope that I’ll find a match like that someday too.”

“You will Ashley. I know it.”

“Thanks,” she said as she gave me a quick hug, and Devin rejoined us.

“Now this is what I like to see, two of my three favorite women getting along,” Devin said quietly.

“Who’s your other favorite woman?” Izzy asked as she opened her eyes a little bit.

“You sweet pea. You are my most favorite woman,” he said softly and got up and kissed her on the forehead.

“Dad, I’m not a woman. I’m a kid.”

“Well, you’re almost a woman, and you are my favorite.”

“I love you,” she said sleepily and went back to bed.

When we landed in Paris, it was morning, and we had missed out the chance to sleep. It had been worth it though to laugh and catch up with Ashley, and it gave me a closure that I needed before Devin and I were to get married.

There was only a day before we walked down the aisle, and so much needed to get done. I was frantic when we finally arrived at the hotel, and I heard that the florist hadn’t confirmed their delivery yet.

“What? Oh, I can’t get married without flowers,” I moaned as I tried to figure out what to do.

“I’ve got this,” Mrs. Edwards said as she went up to the concierge desk and began talking to the man in French.

Ashley, Devin, and I all looked at each other in wonder as she talked and seemed to be negotiating with the concierge. The two of them held a full conversation before she finally turned around with a huge smile on her face.

“It’s figured out. He’s going to call them and have them deliver the flowers right away,” Mrs. Edwards said.

“Mom!” Ashley said loudly. “You know French?”

“Hey, I’ve been bored with you and Izzy out of the house. I had to do something with my time.”

We all laughed at the craziness of it all. After getting our bags up to our rooms, we all settled on a time to meet back up and have a meal later that evening. Izzy went with her mother in their room, Mr. and Mrs. Edwards went to their room, Devin went to a room with his friend Jacob, while I went to a room I was sharing with Anna.

No matter what we had been through, I still had a little superstition about spending the night with Devin before our wedding. It was fun to have a little separation from him before the big day, and I couldn’t wait to see Anna.

“Lilli!” Anna exclaimed as I walked through the door to our room. “You have to go to the Eiffel Tower with me today and take some photos. It’s so beautiful. And let’s go shopping too. Oh my gosh, I can’t believe this place exists and I’ve never been here before,” she said excitedly.

“Anna, I’m tired, and I am getting married in the morning. Perhaps you and I can do another trip to Paris in a few months, and I’ll go to all those places with you.”

“Oh, yeah, yeah. I’m sorry. I forgot. You’re getting married!”

“Can you even believe it? I never thought I’d find a guy like Devin. Hell, I never thought I’d even consider getting married.”

“He’s the right one, Lilli. I know it. I feel it every time the two of you are around.”

“I feel it too. I am the best version of me when I’m with him. I have no doubt about it at all. I can’t wait to be his wife.”

“You know, I was thinking about Jason while I was walking along the river.”

“Anna, again with Jason?”

“Wait, here me out. I was thinking that I was going to give up my little thing with him,” she said seriously.

“Anna, you don’t have a thing with him.” I laughed.

“Well, you know what I mean. I’m giving up on him, and I’m going to try and find my real match.”

“I think that’s a great idea.”

The two of us talked and visited for a little bit, and I caught a few hours of sleep before we went down to the main dining room of The Ritz Paris. The room was adorned with flowers and ornate gold accents throughout. It was going to be our wedding reception location the next day, and I instantly felt relieved that I wasn’t going to have to worry if the flowers came or not. The ones they had in the room already were perfectly beautiful.

Our hotel was packed with all our friends and family, and many of them joined us that evening to celebrate before the wedding. It was a scene out of a romantic love story as we all drank and laughed our night away. Devin took a moment at the end of the evening to grab me and pull me aside before we went to our rooms for the night.

“Best thing I ever did was invite you on that date,” he whispered.

“Best thing I ever did was to agree to go out with you.”

“I can’t wait to marry you,” Devin said as we danced to the lounge music that was heard overhead.

“I’m pretty damn excited to marry you too.”

“Okay, gross you two, save it for the wedding night,” Anna said with Izzy standing next to her.

The two girls giggled together as they pulled Devin and me apart. Devin went with Izzy, and I went with Anna as we separated for the evening in preparation for our big day.

The morning was a blur of hair and makeup, pictures, and visits from everyone who wanted to see me and say something before the wedding. But the most meaningful interaction was the one my father and I had as we stood on the outside of the doors waiting to go into the ceremony.

“I always hoped I would know you had found the right guy. I pictured this moment dozens of times and what I would say if I thought you were making a mistake.”

“Dad,” I protested.

“But you aren’t making a mistake. He’s a good one Lilli, and the two of you are going to live the fairytale.”

“Thanks, Daddy,” I said as he kissed me gently on the cheek and the ushers opened the doors. As I stood at the end of the aisle looking toward my future husband, I felt the weight of a happy life on my shoulders. I had my dream right there in my hands, and I was going to do everything in my power to take advantage of each and every moment of this perfect life.

THE END

Dear reader, don’t stop now! If you’ve liked this story, you can read more about Anna, Lili’s best friend and party partner in the next book!