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Exactly one year from the night he took her to the daddy/daughter dance, he suggested we all go out for a special dinner—it had been exactly one year since he and I got together, too. So the three of us got fixed up and went to eat our favorite pizza, reminisced about Papa Angelo’s being the first place we ever ate dinner together at. It was a lot of fun and he seemed exceptionally happy, but I didn’t catch on to why until after we left. He drove us to the park, which was supposed to be off-limits because it closes at nightfall, and sat us at a table under an empty pavilion, told us to close our eyes.
When we had permission to open them, strings of glowing white lights were illuminating the area, and he had a white corsage in one hand and a red carnation in the other.
Yeah, I knew then.
Rae had no idea. She was just thrilled in general. And then he knelt in front of her, put the corsage on her, gave a short but heartfelt speech about how much he loves both of us, and asked if she’d be okay with me marrying him.
At that point, she definitely got what was happening. Or, well, kind of. Right after she exclaimed that she would be‘so, so, so happy’if I married him, she asked if our wedding was going to be right then and there.
That got a good laugh out of us.
Then he was kneeling in front ofme,lifting those gorgeous green eyes tome,and I didn’t have any more breath in my lungs.
He gave me my carnation and told me I make him whole.
He touched my face and told me he’s thankful every day that I let him make me whole, too.
He pulled out a ring that sparkled in the lights around us and asked me to spend forever with him.
And I found the breath to say yes.
In fact, I said it several times. Laughed it. Sobbed it. Whispered it through kisses. I couldn’t say it enough.
That was three months ago. Now our wedding day is here, and I’m overjoyed. It was hard to wait for since we really didn’t need much planning—our guest list is very short and we didn’t have an elaborate event in mind—but we still wanted to save some money. For one thing, Rae insisted I needed a beautiful dress, and there was no arguing that.
Being so close with Landon meant hanging out with his friends every now and then, and although I started out shy around them, I grew to love them. They’re great guys, and when they learned of our engagement, Robbie offered up his house for the ceremony; because of his landscaping business, his backyard is sleek and gorgeous. And Matt’s wife Ivy has become the closest female friend I’ve ever had, so she helped me and Rae find dresses and she fixed our hair today for free.
In fact, she has just started messing with one of Rae’s hairpins, so I head to the mirror to look at myself.
My dress is tea-length and flowy, with a sweetheart top and lace sleeves that cling prettily down my arms to my elbows. My white high heels are simple. Ivy fixed my hair in loose curls that I’m wearing down except for just above my ears, where she’s pinned it up a little. I have on the red lipstick Landon liked on me so long ago. And I decided not to wear any jewelry—not even the ring he gave me that first Christmas, because that’s going to be the band he slips onto my most important finger in about ten minutes.
I feel beautiful.
So does Rae, and she looks it, too. She and Abby Kinley are going to walk down the aisle just ahead of me and throw flower petals. Abby’s dress is a cute pale pink thing, but Rae went silver and it makes her look like a little star. She wanted her hair fixed like mine, so Ivy obliged her.
I can’t wait for Landon to see us.
I can’t wait to seehim.
And before I know it, it’s time to do exactly that, because this day has sped by.
We’re leaving Robbie’s guest bedroom.
We’re in the dining room, standing in front of the fabric-draped door to the backyard, and Rae is hugging me.
Ivy gets out the door, then signals for the instrumental arrangement of “Wildfire” to play. Rae and Abby get out the door, too.
Then it’s my turn.
Heart pounding, hands trembling excitedly around my simple bouquet of red roses, I head out.
The early evening is pleasantly cool. The sun is setting in the sky, turning the clouds pink and orange and red and purple. The piano version of what has become my and Landon’s song is gorgeous. And he is just ahead with the officiant, his joyful eyes moving off of Rae to find me.
When they do, the look that comes onto his face…
…well, it makes me feel like I’m the most breathtaking thing he’s ever seen.
He’s definitely the most breathtaking thingI’veever seen. Black pants, white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up so his tattoos are visible, dark green vest and tie. His hair is being ruffled just a bit by the same breeze that’s touching my own hair and shifting the girls’ flower petals on the ground. And to top all of that off, his gaze is bursting with love.
