“Pinch me,” I say.

Mellie laughs, placing the finishing touches on my hair. “Still can’t believe it? I almost couldn’t either. You should have seen me when Daire came to visit me. I wasn’t certain whether I wanted to smash his legs in again or hug him.”

“How did he get you on board anyway?” I ask.

She shrugs. “He made a pretty convincing case. He told me how hard he’d been working on improving himself over the last couple months. He told me that losing you was the worst thing that had ever happened to him and nothing else mattered if he couldn’t make it right.”

“He really said that?”

“Yep.” Mellie nods. “And I believed him too. He opened up to me about his past, and for the first time since I’ve known him, we had a real and honest conversation.”

“Wow,” I murmur. “He must have really wanted this.”

“He did.” She walks around the chair to kneel in front of me. “But the question is, do you?”

I don’t even have to think about it. “There’s nothing I’ve ever wanted more in my life. I know we are crazy together like he said. And we’ve had so many ups and downs. But Daire is it for me. All the things he said are true for me too. He could never in a million years find someone who loved him as much as I do.”

Mellie dabs at her eyes and gives me a shaky smile. “I had a feeling you might say that. So that’s why I’m here, Lola. I know in the past I haven’t always been supportive of this relationship, but you have my full support now. You have my blessing, and in fact, I’m telling you that you’d be crazy not to go up there and see this thing through after everything.”

We hug. And now that my hair and makeup are done, it’s time to get me into my dress.

“Daire picked it out,” Mellie says. “With a little help from me. I hope you love it.”

“It’s beautiful.” And it really is. It’s a vintage-inspired dress with an elegant silhouette and Art Deco detailing. Ivory and champagne with a tulle overlay and pearl embellishments. The 1920’s theme is an obvious choice, and Daire couldn’t have done any better. I feel like I’m in a magazine when I look in the mirror. And I want to cry, but Mellie screeches at me that I better not.

“I just did your makeup,” she reminds me.

I take a long, deep breath and hold it together. “I know.”

She fans my face and refuses to make eye contact because I know she’s on the verge of tears too.

“Okay, are we ready?” she asks. “Because I have a feeling neither one of us will hold it together much longer.”

“Let’s do it,” I say.

She calls out to Jimmy in the hallway and tells him we’re ready to go. A few minutes later, we have the green light to go upstairs. And in the matter of an hour, someone- most likely Grazi- has transformed the rooftop into a garden of paradise.

There are lights and pale pink flowers and candles and pearls everywhere. It’s beautiful. And it’s perfect. I couldn’t imagine marrying Daire anywhere else but here.

Jimmy is the one to walk me down the aisle. If you were to ask me later if I’d even thought about my father for a second, I would tell you I didn’t, and it wouldn’t be a lie. Everyone that I love is here with me now. This intimate group of one-time strangers has become my family. And at the very center of that, waiting for me beneath a flower trellis is my love. He’s sitting in his chair, and even with the wheels, he’s never looked more handsome. He’s ditched the sweater in favor of a stand-up collar dress shirt and 19th-century style waistcoat, complete with pocket watch.

My heart races as we draw closer and my knees feel like jello. It’s still hard to believe this is real. This morning I woke up not knowing what the day might bring, and tonight, I’m marrying Adrian Daire. But the real shock comes when he stands up, and Grazi hands him his cane and removes the chair. I reach forward instinctively as if to brace him, but it isn’t necessary. He’s standing on his own, quite proudly I might add. And he takes three steps forward without any assistance, further proving his point.

“Look at how far you’ve come,” I gush.

He nods like it’s no big deal. “Didn’t want you to agree to marry me just for my incredibly sexy legs.”

I smack him in the arm, and he laughs before his eyes soften and move over me. “You look… like I want to skip the ceremony and take you straight back to my bedroom.”

“Ha,” I cackle. “Nice try. But I just spent an hour getting ready, so this is happening. And for the record, you look pretty hot yourself.”

He leans forward and kisses me on the cheek, and the minister tells him we haven’t reached that part yet. “In fact, we haven’t even started,” he says. “Let’s do so now.”

The guests take a seat, and the ceremony begins, but I only have eyes for Daire. The vows aren’t quite traditional, and I wouldn’t expect them to be if Daire had a hand in it.

In addition to promising to love him when he’s moody, I also make a promise to tell him when he’s being an asshole, and above all, to never forget his love for me. His promises include loving me no matter how awkward I might be and his vow to remind me of his love for me every day.

We kiss before the minister tells us to, but Daire does what he wants, and I guess now that I’m married to him, so do I.

There’s a dinner served almost immediately after, even though by that point, it’s nearly eleven o clock. There are drinks and champagne and toasts and dancing, which Daire doesn’t participate in because he tells me that even though his leg is in better shape, it will never be fully functional again. He might need the chair at times when the pain is unbearable, and there’s still a chance in the future that he could lose it for good.

I tell him that we’ll cross that bridge when it comes to it. And whatever happens, I’m in it for the long haul.

The night ends with us smashing cake in each other’s faces, which apparently is the thing to do. And Daire tells me to leave some of the frosting so he can remove it later.

When he takes me to the elevator later, he asks me if it was everything I wanted in a wedding.

“There isn’t anything else I could ask for,” I answer dreamily.

He pulls me close and kisses me on the forehead.

“There’s just one thing I can think of,” he murmurs.

“What’s that?”

“A baby in your belly.”