I don’t think I have cried this hard out of happiness ever. My best friend is married to a man who is her soulmate. And someday, I will marry mine, and then we will be sisters.

“You have to stop.” She laughs as she hands me a tissue. “Pictures, we’re doing pictures.”

For her, I stop. And man, oh man, do we take pictures.

Her parents direct ever pose, and it seems like forever.

“Be right back. Gotta take care of something.” Grayson kisses the back of my head then walks out the door.

I see my father walking toward me with a cane. He’s in a tux, too, which is shocking.

I look around as he approaches, hoping to get the photographer’s attention. I want a picture with my father in a tux and me in this dress that makes me feel beautiful.

When I look back at my father, he holds up a bouquet of red Gerber daisies.

“These are for you.”

“Aw.” I take them and hold them close to my nose, smelling them. “Thanks, Dad.” I give him a hug, and he hugs me back, tighter than usual and for a longer amount of time.

When I step back, he says, “You and I need to take a walk.”

But pictures,” I argue, looking behind me. “Wait, where did everyone go?”

By everyone, I mean the bridal party, the bride, heck, even Mags is missing.

I look out in the crowd and see the wait staff are handing out drinks and passing trays of food by each guest, none of which I know.

“Come with me,” Dad says, taking my hand.

I go with him, scanning the crowd to see if I might be able to see someone I know, to let them know my dad is the reason I will be missing from whatever is next.

When we walk outside, I keep looking, but I see nothing but a trail of buckets filled with red Gerber daisies. They are beautiful.

I was sure Phoenix was all about lilies, but apparently, she loves my favorite flower, too.

When we turn the corner around the barn, I see them all by the lake shore, everyone who was missing from the crowd.

“Dad, I think they’re taking pictures down here.”

“Well then, let’s you and I go see.” He smiles the biggest smile I have seen on his face in years.

I laugh, which makes him laugh, too.

“Well then, let’s go see,” I repeat his words, because they apparently make him laugh.

His smile falters a bit, and he suddenly looks … emotional.

“Dad, is everything okay?” I ask, wondering what the heck is going on with him.

“It’s a great day.” He nods. “A great day, Mandee.”

“Okay, then.” I step closer and wrap his arm around my shoulder, worried he may get tired. He’s just recently been able to use the cane after his accident.

He doesn’t even fight the help. In fact, he pulls me closer.

When we get closer, it’s like the parting of the Red Sea. The girls step left, the guys step right, and on the dock is Grayson, with his guitar.

As I look at him curiously, he smiles and says loudly, “Hey, Mandee Carlin.”

I smile back, wondering what I’m missing, and then he plays a few familiar chords.

“Hey, Grayson Falcon.” I laugh nervously, having no idea why, except everyone is looking at me.

Dad leans down and kisses the top of my head.

Then Grayson starts to play louder and sings, “There’s rice for throwing at a bride today, enough for two, if that’s okay. I know you like my stubble, so I didn’t shave. It’s the little things, but I just gotta say, hey, I think we’re doing this all right.”

As we walk closer, I feel butterflies in my belly when I see more and more red Gerber daisies filling buckets that line the dock.

“Yeah, I think I’ll make sure you know the truth. I’d do anything for me and you. It’s not drink or drug induced, it’s just us doing it right.”

I stop in front of him, tears falling as he continues to sing, looking just about as emotional as me.

“Well, it’s a great day to become my wife,” he sings, and I cover my mouth as I gasp.

“The sun, it’s shining, even when I close my eyes. No more hard times in this neighborhood. And I promise you every day will be just as good.”

When his voice cracks a little on the last note, I lunge at him, hugging him. I can’t stop myself.

“I love you,” he whispers.

“I love you,” I whisper back, hugging him tighter.

“So, what do you say, Mandee? Let’s get hitched.”

I step back. “Right now?”

He nods.

“But, I don’t have a dress,” I say then laugh. “But I don’t care. Yes! Yes, let’s get hitched.” I hug him again, tears falling freely while I smile.

“You got a dress, sweetheart. Go let Phoenix help you in it.”

I step back and grab his face. “You bought me a dress?”

He shakes his head. “But I know this one will be exactly the one you want.”

“Let’s go,” Phoenix says, pulling me back as I try to kiss Grayson. “Now.”

I stand in front of the mirror, unable to stop the tears as I look at myself in my mother’s wedding dress. I was sure it wouldn’t fit, but it does, like a glove.

I hug myself and close my eyes, not caring one bit that the tears are falling harder and harder.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and look in the mirror.

“Daddy,” I sob, turning around to hug him.

“You look amazing, doodlebug, just like your mom did on our wedding day.”

Not wanting him to get upset, I pull back. “Is this too much? Do you want me to—”

“I want you to marry the man out there who you looked at the same way your mom looked at me. I want you to marry a man who looks at you the same way I looked at your mom. Mandee, I want you to live, and living without love”—he shakes his head—“it’s only half-living.”

He stands back and looks at me. “You look like a princess.”

“I feel like one,” I admit.

“Then let’s do this, because your soon-to-be husband said this is what you wanted, and that he’d be damned if he didn’t give it to you. Right now, the guests are occupied. Who knows how long that will last? So, let’s go.”

“Let’s.” I nod, smile, and cry. Hell, I do all of them at the same time.

Dad and I make our way down to the water, on a path lined with Gerber daisies. I’m wearing her dress, getting closer and closer to the man—no, the angel—she sent me.

She is here with me. She is everywhere. And Grayson Falcon, he did all that for me.

When we get to the dock, Dad places a kiss on my cheek. “Never wanted anything but the best for you, Mandee, and he’s it. Go marry that man.”

When he steps back, Phoenix rushes to me and hugs me tightly. She, too, is crying.

“I am so happy for you,” she says through her tears. “Go.” She laughs and steps back. “Go get married. Then get back here and hug me again.”

“Why does everyone keep saying go?” I laugh, and then I feel a hand take mine.

I turn and see Grayson.

“Come on,” he says, wiping away my tears.

I follow him down the dock and laugh when I see the floating dock, also full of daisies.

“Gray?”

He looks down.

“I don’t know how I will ever be able to thank you for this.”

“Loving me is thanks enough.”

We get to the end of the dock where Mags is standing in the middle of the floating dock. He helps me step across the space where the docks don’t quite touch.

“Grayson wants it to be just the two of you.” She smiles. “Seems it has been for years, but you both needed to get to a place where you could be open to what may be the most amazing story generations and generations of Falcons may hear. A song in the woods and a half-naked girl walking out of the lake.”

We all laugh, and then Grayson pulls me into his arms.

“Do you, Mandee, promise Grayson your full heart for the rest of your life?”

“I promise him everything—my heart, my soul, my everything—until the end of time, because death doesn’t mean love ends.”

“Oh, sweet girl, how right you are.” Mags’ eyes get misty as she looks at Grayson. “Do you promise the same to Mandee?’

“I promise her all that and a life filled with calming waters.” He squeezes my hand.

“You’re married.” Mags stretches out her arms and hugs us.

I hear cheers from the shore and smile.

Mags steps back then around us. I watch as my dad and Gail help her across the same way Grayson helped me. Then Grayson steps away from me and pushes the floating dock away from the other before walking toward me.

“You look so fucking beautiful, Mandee,” he says then squeezes his eyes shut before opening them. “You’re in white, you’re floating on the water, not under it, and you are Mrs. Grayson Falcon. I am so fucking blessed.

“We are blessed. We, Grayson, we.”

“We.”

He takes my hand and looks out over the water.

“What are we doing?” I whisper.

“Just floating, sweetheart, just floating.”

In his arms, I close my eyes, allowing the light movement of the water beneath us to do what it does, and breathe in...forever.