“Saved you a seat.” Magnus’s voice was a warm, welcome rumble.
“Thanks.” I sank into the seat next to him, relaxing further as he settled an arm around my shoulders. A year ago, we’d both been cautious with public affection, him more than me. Now, though, I let my head fall against him, taking needed comfort in his embrace and presence.
“Dearly beloved…” Jonas started the ceremony, and I tried my best to stay present for the music, poems, and vows Diesel and Maren had chosen.
All too quickly, however, they were dancing their triumphant way back down the aisle, baby running ahead of them.
“They did it,” I said to Magnus.
“Wedid it.” Like mine, his smile was more than a little misty. And he was right. This was a group effort. The wedding planning had been a team effort, as had Destiny’s first year. All the sleepless nights. All the late-night talks and tears. All the shared family meals. Everything had combined to bring us all to this point.
“We did.” I squeezed his hand. “What a year. What a life. Thank you.”
Taking advantage of all the guests shuffling around us, I leaned in for a fast, sweet kiss.
“And hold that pose.” Proving we weren’t as invisible as I’d thought, Rowan fired off a series of photos with his phone. “Father of the bride kisses father of the groom, story at eleven. I’m framing this picture, by the way.”
“Is it awkward that your dads are dating?” one of Diesel’s friends asked as Diesel and Maren rejoined us.
Diesel shrugged. “It would be more awkward if they weren’t.”
“Agreed.” I could no longer imagine a life without Magnus in it.
“And they have to stay together for the dogs.” Wren clomped over in their new boots. In a moment, the photographer would likely need all of us for more photos before the reception started, but at the moment, everyone was still milling about. “Ben and Jerry can’t go back to the carriage house after having the run of the place.”
“They won’t,” I said firmly. Magnus hadn’t spent a night in the carriage house in months, and we’d made his move-in official over the holidays. “I’m sure we’ll find a new renter soon enough.”
“Does the basement miss us yet?” Maren joked. The bigger move was that she, Diesel, and the baby had bought a small starter house in Sean’s neighborhood. Magnus had chosen to use part of his insurance money to help them get the house, co-signing the loan. Like me, he missed the three of them terribly, even though they were only across town, but it had been the right decision for all of us.
“The basement would be less sad with a laboratory upgrade,” Wren offered. “I’m just saying.”
“No lab.” I groaned.
“Aw.” Wren turned their cagey gaze toward Magnus. “Magnus?”
“No lab.” He echoed my decisive tone.
“Darn you and your united front.” Wren scooped up the baby. “Come on, Destiny, let’s find the appetizer table.”
“Not yet. We need more pictures,” Maren said as the photographer, a friend of Rowan’s from high school, summoned us all together.
“Save me a dance later, okay?” Magnus murmured as the photographer arranged us for a family photo.
“I’ll save you all of them,” I promised.
“Deal.” He gave me a smile meant only for me, not the cameras. “I love you so much. How did we get so lucky?”
“We earned it.” I returned his smile and grabbed his hand. He liked to say we were in the phase of our lives called We Deserve This. And he was right. Every heartache, every tragedy, every success, and every loss had all brought us right here to this picture-perfect moment brimming with love where we werealla family at last.
