Sofia is sitting cross-legged in a dress not meant for that, on Grandma Nance’s bed. Emma’s tying the string of flowers in my hair, whispering, “Almost done. Hold still.”

Jaimie hurries in, looking gorgeous with her black hair twisted in a French knot. Every time she’s run up here she can’t stop smiling and holding her chest. “I can’t stand it. You’re so beautiful, honey!”

“Thanks, Mom,” I smile. “But look at this.” Holding out my hand I tell her, “I’m trembling. Were you like this?”

She nods, “I was so scared your dad would change his mind,” then glances to Emma’s handiwork. “Very nice. Did Lexi make this?”

“I did,” my redheaded cousin announces, returning from the en suite bathroom, sound of a flushing toilet behind her. “You like it, Aunt Jaimie?”

“I love it. So delicate!”

“I used moth silk to hold it together.” We all look over at her, and she winks. “Kidding. It’s a fishing line.”

“Okay, all you girls head out. I need to talk to my daughter a minute.”

Emma adjusts one last flower and scoots away. Sofia and I lock eyes in the mirror. She salutes me and throws her arm around Samantha, Lexi’s younger sister, murmuring something I don’t even want to know about.

Zoe puts her book down and trails behind them, daydreaming.

Lexi is the last to close the door, admiring her flowers one last time. “See you out there, Hannah. Love you!”

“Love you too, Lex!”

Suddenly the room is very quiet and I meet Jaimie’s eyes in the mirror’s reflection. She lays her hands on my shoulders and I can tell it’s about to get weepy in here. Turning to her I bite my lip, waiting.

“Hannah, I know you wish your Mom was here.”

“Oh God,” I croak. “I’ve been thinking that all day.”

“And I know I’m not her.”

“Stop it! You are my Mom, too.”

“You know it’s not the same,” she quietly says. “And I know it’s not the same. But Hannah, please know it has been a joy watching you grow up. I feel very lucky to have been privy to all your milestones, and I know that it’s not fair. Because your Mom should be here to see how beautiful her baby has become. She should be with us.”

Tears hover in my eyes. “Jaimie!”

She hugs me. “Especially because I know she would have loved Tobias, because I think he’s perfect for you. So she definitely would have thought so, too.”

Nodding I sniffle as Jaimie pulls away and wipes her eyes. She hands me my bouquet and a tissue. I laugh under my breath and dab the tears away so my makeup stays in place.

In the distance I hear the music change to announce my arrival. My eyes go wide because we’re upstairs.

“Oops,” I laugh as we hurry out, Jaimie grabbing my train and holding it up so I don’t trip down the stairs.

“Careful! They’ll wait for you!”

“Yeah, but I don’t wanna wait!”

As I pass the framed photographs of my dad and uncles growing up, I see Emma standing at the bottom of the stairs, chestnut eyes brightening at the sight of me.

“Oh my God, this is really happening,” she breathes. “You’re a bride! Although I think wearing white is stretching it a bit.”

“Oh shut up,” I laugh.

She’s my maid of honor. Tobias and I decided to go with just one person each at our sides. He chose his best friend, Andy. But Gabriel gave him shit for that. So ridiculous.

Jaimie quickly hugs me before she heads into grandma and grandpa’s backyard to take her seat. Emma and I wait just a moment longer and Andy appears.

“Can’t leave you all alone,” he smiles to her.

She takes his arm and they disappear.

Did she just blush?

My heart is pounding so hard. I can’t believe a year to the day after I told him I never wanted to see him again, that I’m marrying Tobias Kyrkos, still reigning Heavyweight Champion, in front of my father and all the people I love most.

The sunlight hits my face so brightly I go blind for a second, squinting under it. Then my eyes adjust as I keep walking across the porch I used to run down when I was a little girl. So many family BBQs took place where now rows of chairs are lined up with flower petals in the aisle, everyone turned and watching me.

They stand up as I make my way down the steps. I’m almost scared to look at my future husband because I’m afraid I might completely lose it, blubbering like an idiot.

But like two magnets our eyes lock and my breath hitches. He looks so handsome in that tux, his hair controlled except for a few stray, black locks that couldn’t be managed. And it’s the first time I’ve seen him in a tie.

The rest of my journey to him is dreamlike, the familiar faces a blur to my left and to my right.

Tobias is frowning at me and I know why. He’s trying to hold back his own emotions in front of this audience. But then his tense lips spread in a smile as I get closer, and his hand reaches for mine. I slide my fingers across his palm and squeeze it.

Years later when I look back I’ll barely remember anything except for the way my heart felt like it was too big for my chest. I won’t remember when the rings slid on our fingers. Or how the vows we’d memorized were delivered without a pause. I’ll only remember his eyes, and how I knew I’d found my soulmate. And how most of it didn’t feel real.

Oh, and the kiss. I’ll remember the kiss. Because when the minister said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” all my cousins, including those from Savannah, started shouting for us to go for it. And he and I laughed so hard the kiss took a moment to get to. Andy pushed him into me and Emma cried out, “What are you waiting for!?”

And that’s when Tobias Kyrkos, my husband until the day I die, lifted me up and kissed me like we were alone.

And the crowd went nuts.