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I love these women.
The venue is mostly exposed brick, with rich oak flooring throughout. The main ceremony will happen in a room just off the reception hall, with chairs set up in neat rows and an organza archway to serve as the altar. I stand just outside of it, breathing hard, with a sudden explosion of butterflies in my stomach. I smile as Simone gives me one last hug, then heads into the room.
When I asked Simone if she’d consider being our wedding officiant, seeing as she’s the one who brought me to Heart’s Cove and pushed me to stay with Grant, she burst into tears, then immediately went online to figure out how to apply for her license.
Jen gets our attention as Grant’s groomsmen appear—Wes, Fallon, and even Mr. Cheswick, the man who first introduced him to woodworking many years ago—and lines everyone up, then thrusts a bouquet of flowers in my hands. Then, the most beautiful minutes of my life pass as I walk down the aisle toward Grant, more than ready to be his wife.
The thing is, it feels like the first time. I know I’ve been married and divorced already, but this feels so right that everything that came before pales in comparison. As our procession walks down the aisle, I can’t keep my eyes off Grant. The man looks like he was born to wear a tux. He stands tall next to Simone as tears fill his eyes and a smile spreads wide across his face.
We take our places, and in a short, sweet ceremony, my best friend marries me to the man of my dreams in front of all the people who matter most to me.
When Simone gives us the go-ahead to kiss, Grant bands a strong arm across my back and tugs me close. “I love you so much, Fiona,” he says in a gravelly voice, then kisses me like no one is watching.
When the shrieks and hollers get too much, we fall apart, head next door to the reception hall, and start to party.
I feel so incredibly lucky. The food is divine—overseen by a hawk-eyed Jen—and every single speech leaves me a sobbing mess. Especially Clancy’s. When she showed up on Grant’s doorstep, I never thought we’d end up here. I know step-relationships can be tough, but the two of us have carved out a perfect relationship that’s as close to mother-daughter as it could be.
And when Grant takes my hand and leads me to the dance floor for our first dance, I rest my head on his shoulder and let all my happiness buoy me. Grant chose our song, and as we sway, I listen to the words of “I Found You” by Alabama Shakes and feel love permeate every bit of me. It’s bluesy, soulful, and it makes me cry.
Then we break apart, and Simone, Candice, Jen, Clancy, and Trina are there to hug and dance and cheer with me. I cry so much I must look like a mess, but I don’t care. I’m married to the man of my dreams, my wedding has been perfect, and all the people I care about most are here to celebrate.
After speeches and dinner, there’s cake. Jen made a delicious three-tiered cake with alternating chocolate and vanilla layers, chocolate ganache and raspberry fillings, and the most delicate sugar work I’ve ever seen to decorate it. It’s the perfect cake for a beautiful wedding.
I’ve never been happier.
CHAPTER 34
Trina
I can tell by the look on Katie’s face that’s she’s tired and on the verge of dipping into Tantrum Land. So, weaving through the multitude of wedding guests to a table near the front of the room, I find Fiona and Grant and offer them one last congratulations, then gather my kids up and head for the door.
I feel…light. Seeing Fiona and Grant together, Candice and Blake, Simone and Wes—it made me think about myself, and how there could be hope for me too. It made me feel like divorcing Kevin was absolutely the right decision, since there’s no way he’s in the same league as the men in this room.
I try not to think of Mac. He was just a rebound, and I need to focus on myself. I have been focusing on myself, and I’ve been happier than ever.
On my way out of the room, I pass Margaret and her plus one, Hamish, arm in arm on the dance floor. Margaret gives me a smile while Hamish winks, and I try to ignore the squeezing in my chest at the sight of them. I haven’t been back to the Cedar Grove since our girls’ night, and I have no plan to go back any time soon. My future as a pool shark is unfortunately dead in the water.
Loading up the kids into the back of my old car, I give Katie a kiss on the forehead and glance over to make sure Toby has his seatbelt on. He’s latched in and already leaning against the window, fast asleep. Maybe I should have left earlier, but I have to admit, I was having fun.
Fiona’s wedding was laid-back, but so beautiful it made more than a few eyes in the room teary. With the past month being one long marathon of after-school activities and Mom Duties, not to mention the exhilaration of actually pursuing a career as a stylist, today was a welcome relief. It was more than a wedding, really. It was everyone coming together in a celebration of love and friendship. It made me realize just how easily I’ve been accepted into this little community.
And I hadn’t realized how much I needed that. I hadn’t realized how isolated I’d felt with Kevin, and how difficult the decision to leave had been. It felt like I was walking out into the void, with no idea if there was even a floor under my next step.
I’ve discovered more than a floor. Divorcing Kevin and moving to this town has been like stepping into a whole new world full of friendship and light and laughter.
So things with Mac didn’t work out. That’s okay—or at least that’s what I keep telling myself. It was too soon for me to be with a man, anyway. I need to work on myself, focus on my kids.
The engine struggles to turn over a few times, but finally my car starts. I use the window wipers to clear a few fat snowflakes off the windscreen and blast the heat. The wedding venue is about a half hour drive out of town, and seeing as I live on the opposite side, I should be home in forty minutes. I turn onto the road and flick my lights on in the darkness, settling in for the drive.
The kids are asleep in the back, and I let out a long sigh.
I can do this.
The thought zings through me, and for the first time, I actually believe myself. I can raise my kids. I can navigate the complicated relationship I have with Kevin. I can make sure Toby and Katie end up as happy and well-adjusted as possible.
And I can be a stylist. I can pursue things I want.
Just when a smile starts curling my lips, headlights illuminating a triangle of pavement in the dark of the winding road, my car starts to clunk. A rattling noise soon joins it and, frowning, I glance down to see the check-engine light flashing angrily at me.
