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“It’s definitely a go,” I confirm, and I watch her deflate.
Cindy finishes my touch-up and then I am ushered out of the room with Syd. We head down to the mezzanine where the photographer is waiting with Nana.
Her breath catches when she sees me. “Oh, beautiful girl.” She holds her heart. “Is everything okay?” She looks into my eyes, and I wonder if Nana knew all along that I planned this whole thing for her.
“I couldn’t be better,” I reply with a smile.
Syd and I pose with Nana for some shots. Then I pose with Nana on her own and then Syd on her own.
I can hear the place filling with guests and my heart just feels so full and happy.
Nora helps Nana down the stairs and then the wedding planner summons me. She takes Syd and I downstairs to wait at the head of the aisle. Our guests who are made up of our close friends all sit on each side of the aisle. Everyone looks beautiful. Skylar and Liam are here with Crew, and Syd runs off to say hi to him. The wedding planner chases her down the aisle and I laugh, thinking how cute she is running to her man.
When Connor arrives at the head of the aisle, my heart kicks up pace. He is so handsome, kind, and giving.
Syd is sent down the aisle with flowers.
What I am not expecting is for Nana to come to me with a walker.
“Nana, you should go sit,” I encourage.
“Granddaughter, I am walking you down the aisle,” she insists.
My eyes fill with tears. “Don’t cry.”
“How can I not?” I swipe at them.
“Because I am happy that you’re happy, and it’s my honor to walk you down the aisle,” Nana states.
“The honor is mine, Nana.”
She blinks and then says, “Take hold of my arm, I need this thing to walk.”
I laugh and as the soft melody of music starts, I take hold of her arm and slowly walk down the aisle, thinking how crazy it is that this wedding is real. Connor’s blue eyes are glowing and filled with so much emotion.
As we meet in the middle of the aisle and Nana passes my arm to his, she blinks and nods, and now I understand her intentions all along. She didn’t want me to be alone. She wanted me to have my own family to rely on after she is gone.
Nora helps her to a seat in the front row beside Anna.
As we exchange our vows, I am not expecting that Connor has written his own. But he wings it when he says, “You stole my heart from the start. I may have been a coward and I may have driven you crazy, but trust me I was driving myself crazier.” He grins and so do I. “Your kindness, good heart, and let’s not mention your good looks meant I didn’t stand a chance. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and Syd, and I hope to show you every day of our lives just how much I love you.”
Wow. That’s a hard act to follow.
“Connor, you reeled me in at first because of the attentiveness you gave Syd. You are always so aware of her feelings and emotions that I was intrigued, and the more I got to know you the more I wanted to know. You too have a kind heart, you are giving and caring, and I know I can rely on you when I need you, but it was your looks that sealed the deal,” I joke, and I hear the laughter from our guests. “But seriously, my heart never stood a chance. You own me body and soul, and I too commit to show you every day of our lives just how much I love you.”
The priest asks us to repeat after him and then he announces to Connor he can kiss me. He kisses me with every fiber of his being, and I kiss him with the same heat and love.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SEVEN
Connor
Ellie dances with me to “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye. It was the best song I could think of when the DJ asked us what our wedding song should be. Ellie felt like it was a detail of the planning she overlooked, but I assured her it made sense to choose the song after we confessed our true feelings and committed to each other.
Now my wife and I are dancing our asses off. We are laughing and singing the song out loud like a bunch of rowdy teenagers. It’s good to see her laugh, to watch the lightness in her eyes. Every word of the song rings true. There isn’t a mountain I wouldn’t climb to get to her. She is my everything and I know I am hers.
Syd breaks in between us and takes both our hands and we dance together. Ellie shakes her booty and my daughter follows. I honestly didn’t think this kind of happiness existed. Now I realize, looking back at my life, that I was always so tense. I was like a robot obsessing over ensuring Syd was okay, that we were okay, but I wasn’t truly living. It took this auburn-haired beauty to show me what life and love are all about. I want to have many adventures with her.
We continue to dance the night away. The guys from the team are here, along with Ellie’s good friends. Nana is sitting at a table bobbing her head to the music.
