Epilogue
Laci – One Year Later
“You look beautiful,” Taylor said. She wiped a tear from her eye and stepped backward, beaming at me.
“Yeah,” Jenna chimed in. “You really do.”
I looked at myself and flushed. “I feel huge,” I said, resting a hand on my protruding belly. “Don’t you think it’s tacky to get married when you’re seven months pregnant?”
“Only if you’re marrying someone who isn’t the father,” Taylor said in a deadpan voice. The room was silent for a moment, then the three of us burst out laughing.
“Thanks,” I said. “But that’s not possible.”
“You look like a fertility goddess, or something,” Jenna said. She scrunched up her nose.
“And I guess you’d know all about that, Miss Ancient Studies,” I said, turning to Jenna and raising an eyebrow. To Taylor, I said: “She wants to go on a dig this summer – to Rome! Can you imagine going to Rome in August and not being a tourist?”
Taylor laughed. “You should go,” she said to Jenna. “It’ll be worth it.”
The door opened and I gasped, hiding behind the bamboo screen in case it was Jordan. But thankfully, it was Hanna. She looked radiant in a blush-pink bridesmaid’s dress, and she was holding Christian by the hand as he tottered unsteadily.
“My little man wanted to see the bride,” Hanna said indulgently. “I told him you wouldn’t mind.”
I grinned. “Of course not.” I knelt down – which, at seven months, was no small feat. “Hey there,” I said to Christian. “Are you ready to be my ring bearer?”
Christian stared up at me with the same dark eyes as Jordan and James. “Ring bearer,” he repeated solemnly.
I laughed.
“Momma says there’s a baby in your tummy,” Christian said. He reached for my stomach and prodded it gently.
I flushed hotly and eyed Hanna. “I guess no Mr. Stork for you?”
Hanna looked embarrassed. She shrugged. “I thought he deserved to know the truth,” she said. “At least…the age-appropriate truth.”
I laughed. “Yes,” I told Christian. “And in a few months, you’ll be an uncle! Isn’t that exciting?”
“Uncle,” Christian repeated. He turned to Hanna and held his arms up, whining to be held.
“I should go put him down for a bit,” Hanna said. She scooped up Christian in her toned arms. “See you soon.”
I stifled a groan as I got to my feet. Even though I knew I looked beautiful, with perfect makeup and hair, I still felt like a cow. I was so big that I couldn’t even see my feet in the shower anymore, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been able to look down and see my pubic hair.
“You look gorgeous,” Jenna said, as if reading my mind. “And it’s almost time. Are you ready?”
I gulped.
“Don’t be nervous,” Jenna said. She patted my arm. “I’m your maid of honor, remember? And I’ll take anyone out who fucks with my big sister.”
I burst out laughing.
“Yeah, I know,” Jenna said. She smirked. “I’m tough.”
Taylor gasped. “Laci, it’s time,” she said. She passed me my bouquet – pink peonies and roses – and smoothed her hair. “Let’s go,” she said to Jenna. Taylor winked at me. “You’ll be great,” she said. “I just know it.”
I swallowed nervously, suddenly wishing that I’d taken Jenna’s advice to eat before getting dressed. But now there was no time – and it wasn’t like I could eat anyway, I was far too nervous.
Laci and Taylor led me through the giant house. Rose petals were sprinkled on the marble floors and the ivory walls were draped with pink silk and more flowers. It was like something from a dream – I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was.
“This is a nice place,” Jenna whispered to me as we took our places by the door. I glanced over her shoulder – the last of the guests had trickled in, and I knew that any moment now, my bridesmaids would be walking down the aisle of silk with me following behind.
“Jordan picked it,” I whispered. “He rented it just for the wedding. Can you imagine what it cost?”
Jenna gave me a curiously enigmatic smile before turning away. I was tempted to ask her what she meant, but my attention was divided all over the place. At least three hundred guests sat in gold chiavari chairs, staring at an altar covered with silks and flowers. I watched as Jordan and his groomsmen took their places at the right side of the altar. The guests fell silent just as the organ started to play.
Jenna gave me a kiss on the cheek, then walked forward carrying a miniature version of my bouquet in her arms. Taylor and Hanna followed, carrying small florets of peonies in their hands. The guests oohhed and aahhed as they made their way to the front, three beautiful young women in pale pink silk.
Then, the music began to play anew and I knew it was my time. Taking a deep breath, I began the slow walk up the aisle. It was a struggle to pace my steps, and I felt like a smile was frozen on my face as I placed one foot in front of the other. When I looked at Jordan, I saw that his eyes were wet. The sheer emotion on his face made my frozen smile melt and soon, I was beaming for real as I carefully made my way to the altar. As soon as I stood on the other side of Jordan, the music came to a gentle stop.
The minister cleared his voice. “We are here today to join two people in the most holy act of marriage,” he said.
Jordan winked at me and I flushed. Handing my bouquet to Jenna, I stepped closer and the minister put my hand in Jordan’s.
As the minister talked, I couldn’t help zoning out and staring into the dark eyes of my future husband. How had this happened? How had my life led me to such happiness? It was overwhelming, and soon tears came to my eyes as I realized that this was truly happening, that this was really my life.
I love you, I thought as I stared at Jordan’s handsome face. And I always will.
The minister’s dry voice broke me from my spell.
“Laci Evelyn Wright, do you take this man to be your husband? To have and to hold, to cherish and to love, until you are parted by death?”
I repeated the vow. My voice shook with the intense emotion rushing through my body and I began to shake. A hot tear rolled down my cheek and Jordan squeezed my hand.
“Jordan Edgar Michael West, do you take this woman to be your wife? To have and to hold, to cherish and to love, until you are parted by death?”
“I do,” Jordan said. He brought my hand to his mouth and kissed it, then beckoned Christian to come forward with the ring pillow. As Christian tottered onto the altar, the crowd began to coo and aww over his chubby toddler figure. He handed the pillow to Jordan with a shaky hand, then Hanna stepped forward to take her son by the hand and lead him back to where she stood with the other bridesmaids.
Jordan turned and handed James the fake ring pillow as James reached into his pocket and handed Jordan the real rings. The sight of glittering platinum in the summer Boston sun made me gasp. When Jordan slid my wedding band onto my finger, I felt like I would die of happiness. My hands were shaking so badly that I could hardly slide his band onto his finger.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the minister said. To Jordan, he said: “You may kiss the bride.”
Jordan dipped me into a low kiss and the crowd clapped and cheered. I threw my arms around Jordan’s neck and clung to him as he pulled me upright.
“We’re married,” I whispered excitedly. “I can’t believe it!”
When the recessional started to play, Jordan and I walked down the aisle together, beaming at everyone. This is it, I told myself happily. This is the rest of your life – Mrs. Jordan West!
The photos seemed to take forever, and by the time we made it to the reception, I was starving. Hanna brought me a plate of canapes and I devoured them. Inside of my body, the baby started to kick and I grinned.
“She’s happy,” I said, putting my hand on my belly. “She was hungry, too.”
“She?” Hanna raised an eyebrow.
Jordan joined me. “She thinks the baby is going to be a girl,” he said. “Even though we elected not to find out the sex, she says she can just tell.”
“Hey,” I said, gently punching Jordan in the shoulder. “I can tell!”
Jordan laughed. “Okay,” he said.
“I’d love a baby girl,” Hanna said wistfully. “I love Christian but he’s such a handful! Aren’t girls supposed to be easier?”
We all laughed. “I think no matter what, I have a lot of sleepless nights ahead,” I admitted.
Just then, Jordan clapped his hands so loudly that the crowd around us fell silent. I frowned at him but he took my hand and led me up on stage.
“Traditionally, the groom doesn’t make a speech,” Jordan began. “But I have something very important to say to you all, and to my new wife, Laci.”
I flushed.
“Today has been the happiest day of my life,” Jordan said. He turned to me and kissed me briefly. “And I think it’s time I gave my wife her wedding present.”
My eyebrows went up as the crowd began to clap.
“Laci, do you like this house?” Jordan asked.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered. “I love it.”
Jordan grinned. “Good,” he said. “Because I bought it for us and Jenna.”
My jaw dropped and I gasped. Fresh tears came to my eyes and I tried to blink them away but it was useless.
“Happy wedding, baby,” Jordan said. He put the microphone down and dipped me into a deep kiss. As his lips touched mine, I knew I was the luckiest woman in the world. Sure, Jordan and I had gotten off to a rocky start. But he’d come clean, and now I knew he was more than capable of being the man I needed for the rest of my life. There was nothing that Jordan and I couldn’t do together, I was sure of it. Our love for each other was stronger than the earth’s magnetic poles.
The emotion and happiness was overwhelming. In Jordan’s arms, as I cried, I forgot all about the crowd around us. I even forgot about the wedding – all I could think about was us, and our child, and the many years ahead that were sure to be wonderful. It was everything I’d ever wanted, and it was finally all mine.
Somehow, against all odds, my life had turned out to be a fairytale after all.
The End