This is the second time I’m preparing for my wedding, but it’s so much better than the first that it doesn’t even compare. I wasn’t expecting Axel to propose to me, but the minute he did, I said yes.

Axel is sequestered in another room. I don’t want him to see me—that would be bad luck, and we don’t need any of that, especially considering how well everything has been going.

Lark isn’t hiding in my skirts like she once would have. She’s bigger than last time—almost five now. I kneel down and kiss her forehead. She’s my flower girl. The basket she’s holding is a little too big for her, but she’s proud to be carrying the white roses that we all agreed upon.

“Are you sure you don’t need help with that?” I ask, touching her nose playfully, already knowing the answer. The older she gets, the more she takes after her father. She will refuse all help. She’s a girly girl, but she still wants to prove she can be just as tough and capable as her dad.

She shakes her head frantically. I love her so much.

“Okay, okay.” I give up and let go of the basket handle. I’ll remember this forever, so I let her do it. She’s so cute.

Outside, I hear the first notes of the organ begin to play, and I nudge Lark like I’ve done to Axel hundreds of times. I’ve seen her do it, too—she takes after both of us. What a family we are.

“That’s your cue, sweetheart,” I say. She nods then runs off, tripping over her pink dress in her haste to cover the room in white roses.

Part of my wants to wait to see Axel in his suit until I’m standing at the front of the room next to him. But I can’t. I need to look at the man who is soon to be my husband.

He did try to convince me that we should see each other before the wedding, and I know what he’d have intended. By the way he’s looking at me, I’m surprised he let me off with my “traditional wedding” excuse.

He’s so handsome he takes my breath away. I can only hope that I do the same for him.

“Olive.” Through my veil I can see his lips move, saying my name. He’s too far away for me to hear, but I feel him calling my soul, and I can’t wait to get to him.

As desperate as I am to rush to him, I don’t want to trip over my dress. It’s quite long and flows into a train that trails majestically behind me.

His suit is perfect and fits him like a glove. He looks even better than usual.

As I make my way to the altar, my only regret is that my father isn’t here to give me away. My heart clenches in my chest, and I feel as though he and my mom are looking down from heaven. I believe they would be happy for me to find love with Axel.

And knowing that I’m about to pledge myself to Axel and him to me, I don’t feel so alone.

Once I reach the front, I stand next to him, and I don’t take my eyes off him.

He can’t see me well through the veil, but I can see him. He groans in anticipation and pushes it back before he is supposed to. I try not to laugh.

His family is in the front row. I wave to Selena standing to the side, acting as my maid of honor, and I hope she catches my bouquet. She’s with Barry, who is still not one of my favorite people, but she seems to like him.

But I’m so happy right now, I just want my best friend to feel the same way. Axel’s coach is on the other side—his best man. He practiced his speech for ages, and it’s beautiful.

But this day is about us now. Axel and me.

I’m not even listening as the priest says the words. I focus on Axel, not caring about the speech and just wanting to get to the most important part, the “I do.”

Followed by another “I do.”

Then we’re pronounced man and wife.

At the reception Axel sweeps me into his arms like we’re at the end of a love story and he kisses me hard, and the whole room erupts in cheers. I throw my bouquet to the air, aiming for Selena. There are a few others who try to jump in and grab the flowers for themselves, but she catches it, and I give her a high five. Luckily, she hasn’t busted her leg again, like she did a year ago in Greece.

A lot of congratulations and hugs go round, and we make our way to the dance floor. Our first dance is sweet and romantic, but we only get a few dances in, before Axel sweeps me off my feet and we sneak over to the cake and grab a few slices for ourselves before it’s all gone.

“We’re not staying for dinner,” Axel says, wrapping an arm around me. I lean into him, my head resting against his shoulder.

“Why not?” I ask him. But I already know. He smiles at me, his hand under my chin as he pulls my face up to him for another kiss. I smile back at him, and we hide together under the massive height of this cake.

“I don’t know why you got something so big,” I say. We chose the flavors together, but he was insistent on having a cake that could feed maybe two hundred people, although I could count the number of people here on both of our fingers and toes. There were more outside, taking pictures. I could accept that, but that didn’t mean they were getting cake.

Axel says nothing. He just winks at me. And I gasp, slapping him in pretend indignation as I know exactly what he means and exactly why we’re not going to be eating dinner.

He feigns innocence even as his hands move provocatively down the curve of my hip.

But we’re going to stay and enjoy our wedding.

The foyer is decorated in white with roses everywhere, and there are tables cast to the side so that there’s room for people to dance. Lark is the only child there. Axel and I are the only ones with a baby.

Maybe Selena will have a baby eventually. I’d like that. It would be nice to have some other children around.

I didn’t even notice that my hand had slipped to my belly, but Axel is eyeing me suspiciously.

“I’m not pregnant,” I reassure him. This kind of surprises me, because we’re quite sexually active.

“That’s a shame,” he says wolfishly, leaning closer to me and pulling me up so that his arms are under my thighs like he’s carrying me away to be loved on the beach. He bites me on the neck, growling against my skin as I giggle.

“We’re supposed to stay at our own wedding,” I say, wondering if he really wants to go right now. Because I do. We’d already booked the hotel room.

I bite my lip thinking about it, but say nothing more.

“Traditionally, the bride and groom go off to celebrate their marriage by making another baby,” he says, heading toward the door and tugging at my white dress as he talks, not caring if anyone sees us. “And based off how little you let me see you before today, I’d say you’re really into tradition.”

I give him a kiss, and with a happy little sigh, I realize—we both are.