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Planning English’s wedding had changed my life. I’d told myself one year to figure out what I was going to do if I never booked another celebrity wedding. But the day after English’s wedding I’d had a dozen weddings lined up for the next year. My salary was through the roof. And every wedding after that brought in more and more incredible offers, that I’d had to hire an assistant to screen who I would work with.
A year later I had my own wedding firm in LA with a half dozen planners working underneath me. Abbey Weddings had taken off like I’d never imagined in my wildest dreams. And with more people working for me, I had all the time I needed to join West on tour while the ship ran itself. But when West had proposed to me at White Sands on a dune all alone, I’d known the only place that I would want to get married was right here at Wright Vineyard.
“Let’s go get you married,” Tessi said.
My bridesmaids all filed out in front of me. I took one last fortifying sip of the sparkling wine and then followed them to the door.
I’d always dreamed about my wedding. What girl who wanted to become a wedding planner didn’t dream of her wedding? But even if I’d imagined it, I’d never thought it would be as big or as beautiful as it was. All of my friends and family from Lubbock were in attendance, of course, but people from all over the country had flown in for the occasion. Couples that I’d worked with who had become friends over the years, our friends from LA, and West’s friends from Seattle filled the outdoor space.
“Oh Nora,” my father said.
“Dad.” I threw myself into his arms. He held me tight.
“You look beautiful. I’m so proud of you.”
“I love you so much. Thanks for always being there for me, even when I didn’t know what I needed.”
“Of course, honey. I know it was hard, growing up without your mom, but I tried my best to be all that you could ever need. Even when I fell short, I was trying.”
“You did the best. I am who I am because of you, Dad.”
He tapped his cane twice against the wood of the barn. “Wish I could walk you down that aisle without this.”
I took his hand and stilled the cane. “That’s a part of you. I wouldn’t want you any other way.”
He beamed at my compliment. “I couldn’t have asked for a better daughter.”
“Well, that’s lucky. Because you only have one.”
He laughed. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you married.”
He held his elbow out, and I looped our arms together.
The bridesmaids went first, standing on the other side of the groomsmen—Whitton, Campbell, Jordan, Julian, Santi, and Yorke. Three years in Cosmere had solidified West’s place in the band. He was one of them now. Santi and Yorke were as much his brothers as Whitt, Jordan, and Julian were. He and Campbell were closer than ever, working on new music together, as they always had here in Lubbock. The fans loved him, and he’d even gotten his own fanbase nickname—Westies. I still laughed, thinking about his face when he’d found out what they were calling themselves.
“You’re up,” Tessi told me.
The entire audience rose to their feet as “Nora’s Melody,” played by a string quartet, filled the air. My heart rose to my throat at the first note of that song. It had never become a Cosmere song. Though they’d argued awhile about whether it should go on the next album. But West swore, until the day he died, that the only person that song belonged to was me. And it was forever my song.
My dad took the first step forward across the rose-lined pathway. I held my head high as we moved toward my groom. The rest of the audience became a blur as I walked. I knew my friends and family were there. West’s mom and dad sitting on opposite sides of a bench in the front row. My aunts on the opposite side with a space left for my dad. But still, I didn’t meet any faces.
Every wedding that I’d ever done, my favorite moment was when the groom caught sight of his bride for the first time. It was magical. This look of pure adoration and disbelief that he’d gotten lucky enough to have this woman. Sometimes, he cried. Sometimes, he had to cover his mouth. Sometimes, he just looked shocked. Every time, it was beautiful. Every single one was the perfect moment for them. I’d never trade it. Not for anything.
And now, I got to have my moment with my groom.
I turned down the aisle, and there he was.
Weston Wright.
My groom. My forever.
A smile broke onto his face, a look of pure awe as his gaze ran down my dress and then back up to my face. It was a new look. And yet so like how he’d been looking at me every day for the last three years. This was the magic, the moment. But it came from a million magical moments over the course of our relationship. It came from knowing he loved me as much now as he had that day he came back to Lubbock and tried to make it all right.
We’d jumped that day.
