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Thank you for opening my heart.
Yours truly,
- Adrían C. Delgano
P.S. If you have any more boys, keep the name Adr
The writing cut off.
Ayesha laughed. “Yeah, let’s not read that one out loud.”
Larke tucked it away.
“Want me to open this last one?” Larke asked.
She nodded.
“You okay?” Larke tugged at the envelope’s seam. “All this love’s wiped you out?”
She wasn’t wiped out.
She was content.
“It’s a note,” Larke said. “It says, ‘Tayler and Xara are bringing it.’”
They all looked up.
Ayesha felt her stomach lurch.
Xara and Tayler wheeled in a painting. An incredibly realistic painting. She’d known Xara was a beast when it came to artwork, but this was probably one of the most beautiful things her gorgeous best friend had ever created.
It was a replica of a picture she owned of Curtis seated on the floor, looking up at the camera with Josiah draped over his shoulders. But, in the painting, Xara had added baby Theo securely tucked inside the cradle his father’s arms created.
No words formed.
She didn’t realize how hard she was crying until Larke pulled her close. She heard herself apologizing to Val that she would have to get her whole face redone, but Val, sniffling herself, reassured her that it didn’t matter.
Joel had made this moment perfect. Nothing could have made it more perfect. He knew her, knew them, and knew exactly what she’d needed to see, hear, and touch to make their commitment bloom in the eyes of their loved ones. Also, no matter what it was, he never excluded Curtis.
Ayesha wiped her eyes, laughing through her tears. “I freakin’ love that man.”
The room cheered.
Then they went around giving her hugs.
As she kept her composure for Larke and Val to redo her makeup, she prayed Joel loved his gifts as much as she loved hers.
* * *
“I think that’s everything.” Joel straightened his bowtie. “And I gave the rings to Giorgio this time. Cut out the middleman.”
“All set, mate?” Gage asked. “Ready to go marry your wife?”
Joel laughed. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
Eight of them headed for the tent exit, including Val’s husband, Ant, and Giorgio’s brother, Thanasis, but Giorgio stopped them.
“Lattimore,” Giorgio called, his thumb aimed at a white gift bag.
