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“I can still remember when this curious little one decided to make a run for it down the church aisle in the middle of my sermon. She made it all the way to the pulpit before her mother could catch her. As she was being carried back to her seat, she had the biggest grin on her face. I prayed that you would never lose that spark of independence, and I am so proud of the woman you’ve become.”

Grayson hands me a tissue from his pocket, and I carefully dab the tears from my eyes with a watery thank you. Pastor Dan continues the ceremony, asking us to repeat our vows and then exchange rings.

A gorgeous emerald-cut diamond is slid onto my finger with a diamond wedding band behind it. Grayson hands me a thin black band to put onto his finger, and then he holds my gaze as Pastor Dan pronounces us man and wife.

Grayson cups my cheeks and kisses me with so much love it brings tears to my eyes.

He’s the best man I’ve ever known. He’s the one who never lets me down and always loves me the way I deserve. For years, I settled for less because I didn’t believe that I could have anything else.

Grayson is the one who showed me over and over again that I didn’t have to take the scraps I was given. He showed me that I am worthy of a love that knows no bounds because that’s how he’s loved me for as long as I can remember.

Pledging to love him just as wholeheartedly is the easiest thing I’ve ever done in my life.

The cheers of our friends bring me back to the real world, where I’m finally looking forward to the future.

“I love you, Kylie Reed,” Grayson says with the biggest grin.

“I love you right back, Grayson Reed.”

“Who’s ready to party?”

Epilogue

GRAYSON

Six years later

“Eighteen…nineteen…twenty…ready or not, here I come!” London yells from downstairs.

Reina’s brown eyes sparkle with mirth as she presses her hand across her mouth to keep from giggling. She is Kylie’s mini-me through and through. Her deep well of empathy is countered by an inner strength that never ceases to amaze me. She’s a champion for the little guys and a warrior against those who would harm them. I haven’t killed a spider in years…and I also had to teach Reina to use her words first and her punches second.

We’re hiding in the bathroom closet together, with Russell tucked up on the other side of Reina.

The minute we brought her home from the hospital, he became her protector. He slept in her room while she napped and guarded her while she played on the floor. There’s no doubt that he’s Reina’s dog at this point.

About six months after Reina was born, a little black kitten strolled onto our back porch and took to London the way Russell did to Reina. Kylie and I joked for years about getting another dog in the hopes that it would love us more than the kids, but we both knew we wouldn’t be that lucky.

“If you guys are hiding in the closet again, I’ll be so disappointed,” London’s voice comes from the bathroom.

I make a face at Reina, silently telling her I told you so, and she sticks her tongue out at me.

The door opens, and London’s expression clearly conveys her thoughts about our hiding spot. “You’re gonna have to get more creative, otherwise hide-and-seek isn’t fun anymore.”

I stand with a groan. “The problem is that if you want your dad to play with you, there are limited spots in the house where I’ll fit.”

She rolls her blue eyes. “You could’ve chosen any of the twenty other closets in this house instead of the same one you’ve hidden in the last two rounds.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I salute her, which earns me another roll of her eyes. My little general keeps us all in line with her sharp wit and obsessive organizational skills. She’ll be eleven in a couple of months, and I’m still not sure where the time has gone.

It was just yesterday that I was dropping her off for her first day of kindergarten, with her massive unicorn backpack full of brand-new school supplies. She looked back at me and waved as if she couldn’t care less that I was leaving her for the whole day.

I bawled like a baby in the school parking lot afterward.

Then I went home and snuggled with Reina for the rest of the day. I told her she wasn’t allowed to grow up like her sister, but she didn’t listen to me.

She’s now six and an absolute spitfire.

Chris calls her every Monday evening. It took him about a year to get clean and stable enough for us to feel comfortable with him visiting. He spends a weekend here every few months, but he’s never asked for her to spend time in Seattle with him. We’ve also never offered it as an option. Maybe one day when she’s older, we could talk about it, but for now, I think we’re all happy with this arrangement.