Tinsley
My legs wobble and my head spins the moment I see him. My whole life has been building to this moment. I’m anxious, but not nervous. When I married Logan, I was terrified, and that should have been my first sign to run the other way. This, though…this feels right. Like it’s how it’s supposed to be. I look over and see Sami beaming at me. She chose my dress because she said it looked like the one Cinderella wore to the ball, and I couldn’t say no. And when I saw a tiara that matched hers, I had to have it. Making that little girl smile has turned into one of my favorite things to do. Damien and I talked a short time after we got engaged about Sami and he asked if I wanted to adopt her. I was a little stunned. Not because I don’t want to, but because I wondered how I could. To my surprise, when her mom left, she signed away all her rights. The thought hurt my heart. How could a mother not want to see her daughter ever again—especially one as special as Sami? I love that little girl and couldn’t imagine being without her, so I agreed. I will be the best mom I can be for her. I already love her as if she were my own.
The sky is a beautiful mix of deep purples and pinks as the sun disappears. White twinkle lights are everywhere. A clear path is lit to the dock, then off to the side a dance floor is set up. Along the other side of the path are tables scattered about with white cloth covers and decorative lanterns in the center of each one. I love the simplicity of it all. It’s beautiful and exactly how I wanted it. This is how I always imagined my wedding to Damien would be. The only thing missing is my mom.
John places his hand on mine and squeezes, drawing my attention to him. He smiles down at me. “Are you ready, sweet pea?” I love when he calls me that. I was so shocked to see him walk in the door today. I have to remember to thank Damien for that later. I haven’t seen John in a while. He has been the only father I’ve ever known, and the fact that I wasn’t his never seemed to matter to him. He always treated me like I was.
“So ready,” I reply. My feet seem to move on their own toward the man I love. We walk slowly to the dock. About halfway down, Sami breaks from the girls and runs to us. I smile at her and she takes my free hand and helps John lead me down the aisle. Everyone laughs. Damien has tears in his eyes. His smile tells me he loves the bond I have created with his—our daughter. As we reach the end of the dock, my heart rate speeds up and moisture begins to fill my eyes. John bends down and kisses my cheek.
“I love you, sweet pea,” he whispers into my ear, and a lump forms in my throat.
“I love you too. Thank you for being here with me,” I tell him. He nods and leads me to Damien. My hand trembles as Damien takes it in his. He pulls me close and kisses my nose.
“You look breathtaking.” I’m afraid to speak. I promised myself I would make it through this without bawling like a baby. The pastor begins to speak, but Damien and I can’t seem to look away from each other. I can see all the love he has for me in his eyes. Most of the words spoken by the pastor don’t reach my ears, I’m mesmerized by Damien. Thoughts of all the great times we had when we were together flood my mind. At sixteen, I knew this is where I wanted to be someday, I just didn’t expect it to take this long. Life has so many twists and turns, ups and downs. I thought this dream was lost and had resolved myself to the fact that I would never be with Damien again. The sound of giggling and a nudge to my back snaps my attention back to reality. I look around confused. The pastor clears his throat and chuckles.
“Do you take Damien to be your husband?” he asks, and my face heats with embarrassment. I nod my head.
“He needs to hear the words, baby,” Damien says, amusement evident in his voice.
“I do. I do,” I say quickly. For the rest of the service, I make it a point to pay attention. Finally, the words I’ve been waiting to hear for what feels like a lifetime leave the pastors lips.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.” A sly smile crosses Damien’s face as he wraps his arms tightly around me. His lips brush against mine, gently at first. His tongue slides across my lips, begging me to open for him, and I do, gladly. Dipping me back, he kisses me with so much passion, my toes curl. I can hear catcalls behind us. When he finally stands me upright, my entire body is on fire. Bring on the party so I can get my husband to bed.
“I can’t believe you are finally my wife,” Damien says as he pulls me into a hug. I rest my cheek on his chest and the warmth of his body takes away the slight chill in the night air.
“I can’t believe it either. It all feels like a dream,” I respond, afraid to open my eyes just in case the moment disappears right in front of me. Damien’s fingers grip my chin and he tilts my head up, but I still don’t open my eyes.
“Open your eyes, baby. I promise I’m never going anywhere.” Slowly, I open my eyes, my gaze boring into his beautiful baby blues.
“I’m going to hold you to that. Ten years apart was enough. I don’t ever want to be without you again.”
“Nothing could take me away from you again.” He kisses my nose, then leads me over to where the photographer has set up for pictures. Sami runs over to us, leaping into Damien’s arms. He spins her in circles as she squeals, giggling.
The reception, like the ceremony, is simple and small. Noah catered all the food from his restaurant and it is delicious. He brought salad, spaghetti, lasagna, chicken parm, and fresh baked Italian bread. There’s plenty of wine and champagne. Noah even brought some sparkling grape juice for Sami. The cake is beautiful. It is three small layers decorated with purple frosting roses. For the next hour, we all stuff our faces. The entire time, all I can think about is going upstairs with Damien. I love that all our friends and family are here celebrating with us, but I want some alone time with my husband.
As Damien sways me back and forth to the beat of the music, Sami giggles next to us. John has her in his arms. He’s spinning her around and dipping her causing her to laugh uncontrollably. He’s picked up the role of grandpa pretty quickly, and it looks as if it makes him happy.
“Can I dance with Daddy?” Sami asks, and as much as I don’t want to let Damien leave my arms, I can’t say no to that face. Reluctantly, I let go of my husband. I will never get tired of hearing that. My husband. I smile like a crazy person. Damien gives me a knowing look and a smile matching mine crosses his face. He lets go of me and John places Sami in his arms. A chill runs through me from the loss of his warmth. John quickly scoops me up in his arms and twirls me around the dance floor. I look around and see Kassidy and Noah looking pretty cozy at a table in the corner. I smile knowing the two of them will end up together one day.
“You look very happy,” John observes.
“I have never been happier.”
“I have some news I hope will add to that smile of yours,” he says with a wink. For a moment, I wonder if he’s going to tell me he’s found a girlfriend. Thinking of him with someone other than my mother pains me a little. I know it shouldn’t, but it does. I give him my best smile as he starts to speak.
“You are the only family I have left, so I decided to move back here. I’ve missed you. And now I also have a beautiful granddaughter to spoil. I bought a small house on the lake a few houses down from you.” Tears fill my eyes and he pulls me into a hug. I’m so happy. I can’t believe he’s moving back here for me and Sami.
“I’ve missed you too. Thank you.” It’s all I can get out without blubbering like a baby. He’s the only family I have left too. I have Kas, Dahlia, Damien, and Sami, and I love them all, but John being here with me is almost like having a part of my mom around.
The rest of the evening is filled with dancing, drinking, and laughter. The whole thing was perfect. Exactly how I always pictured my wedding day to be. It was relaxed and easy going without any stress or anxiety. Dahlia took Sami home with her for the rest of the weekend, allowing Damien and I two whole days to celebrate our marriage. We only left our bed for food and showers. It was the perfect honeymoon.