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The rest of the women are clucking like chickens, and I sit alone with my baby girl just to gush over her a little longer.
She has the cutest round face, the cutest little hands, and the cutest toes. She has dark hair like both Logan and I, but her eyes are blue as ocean waves, just like her father’s.
“Do you love her?” Anna’s voice grabs my attention out of my daydreams.
“Who? Penelope?” Anna nods and I reply, “So much it hurts!”
“And do you love me too?” She approaches me, hugging me, the baby in between us.
“Of course, I do!” I say, firm. “The only difference is that you’re no longer a baby!”
“And babies are different?” Anna asks, so genuinely curious that my heart melts with her innocence.
“Babies need more attention, Anna,” I say. “But that’s only while they’re learning how to do things on their own. You’ll see! Soon you’ll be running around together.”
Anna squeezes me and Penelope, so tight it causes the baby to coo in protest. When I raise my eyes from them, the ceremonialist is very anxious at the door.
“Why are you ladies not outside yet?” She urges everyone out. “Let’s go!”
“Where’s the stroller?” I ask, taking Penelope in my arm, and Anna by the hand.
“It’s downstairs, Joyce. Don’t worry!” Gabby says reassuringly.
“And what about the groom?” mom asks, still worried I’ll be stood up at the altar.
“Downstairs too. I tied his foot to the stroller, just to be sure we won’t lose them!” The ceremonialist says, now following us to the elevator.
Knowing how uptight the ceremonialist is, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was telling the truth.
We go downstairs, and the scent and sound of the ocean greets us. The hotel is within walking distance, so we asked for special permission to hold the ceremony there.
With the wind tousling my veil everywhere, I wait at a good distance, so Logan won’t see me yet. It’s not even 10 AM, and the sun is already shining bright. I worry about Penelope, but luckily the ceremonialist returns with the stroller, and I put my baby inside to shield her from the sun.
“Come along, you two,” she says to me and Anna. “It’s time.”
My heart thumps loudly in my chest, my stomach is full of butterflies, and my breathing is shaky. It’s time, and I need to walk slow to steady my pace, so much so that it feels like I’m walking on eggshells.
The string quartet plays a version of my favorite song, and I walk the red carpet placed as the aisle under the watchful eye of my friends and family.
Speaking of family, all of mine are here, sitting in the covered tented area in chairs on this beautiful beach in Miami. We didn’t want to travel too far so that it could be easier on mom, and we still wanted to have a beachside wedding somewhere that wasn’t too cold for a November wedding.
Cousins, aunts, uncles, great-aunts, and great-uncles—all of them were mortified at first that Cora's golden child had a child out of wedlock. However, it didn't seem to matter much in the end. Once they all discovered that Logan was a billionaire, they all quieted down.
Supporting my weight on the stroller so I don’t topple over with nerves, I finally raise my eyes and look at Logan.
He’s smiling like I’ve never seen him smile before. He has an aura of adoration around him, like a sunbeam breaking through storm clouds.
I reach the altar, leave the stroller to remain by Carol’s chair, and extend my hand to Logan. It’s as if there is an electric shock when he touches me, and together, we look at the priest so the ceremony can start.
The priest just barely starts talking, welcoming us all here, and already it causes tears in everyone, from me to my great aunt Elizabeth.
When it’s time for the wedding bands, it’s Anna’s turn to shine. She positions herself in front of us and raises the basket high for us to reach the rings inside.
As we exchange rings, I’m already impatiently waiting for the words, “You may now kiss your bride,” and when they finally come, I forget we in front of family and kiss him as if we were alone.
The polite giggles in the crowd bring me back to the present moment, and I turn red and wipe the lipstick from Logan’s face, which is as red as mine.
I go to pick up Penelope, and she seems to be beaming with all the noise and excitement. I join Logan, Anna, the bridesmaids, and the groomsmen for the pictures.
