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Maybe Stella and I haven’t had to really sacrifice anything to be together. We just had to move a few things around and give other people some time to get used to us. That isn’t a lot to ask, really, is it? I mean, thingswerevery risky when we were messing around, never quite admitting that we were serious about one another. We knew that the truth would be explosiveand would upset people, but if we were aware that it would just take time for people to see our love, then everything would have been different. This just proves to me that I can have a happily ever after, even if it does come from an unexpected place, and that is really beautiful in so many ways.
20
EPILOGUE
STELLA
One Year Later…
“Oh, wow, you look stunning,” Erin gasps as she claps her hands to her mouth in shock. “Wow. I know you sent me a picture of you in your dress when you tried it on, but in person it looks even better. You look like a freaking princess, Stella.”
I can’t stop myself from glowing at her compliment. Who doesn’t want to be told that she looks like a princess, especially on her wedding day? This is exactly the reaction I want to get from everyone today, especially my husband to be. I know that Finn loves me anyway and he always seems to think that I’m beautiful, even when I’m in my baggy pajamas with not a scrap of makeup on my face and my hair unbrushed for days, which was alotduring the early days of Tyler’s life. Luckily, he sleeps now! But today is special. Today is the day that I want him to see the very best of me. I want to remind him of how special our love is.
In all honesty, it has felt like today has been a long time coming. Alongwait for us to get here with a rollercoaster of emotionsalong the way, but I would definitely do it all again to be here. I wouldn’t change it for the world.
“Thank you, Erin. And thank you for being my bridesmaid as well. I don’t know how I would have gotten through today without you here. You have always been my rock, and you’ve kept my head on through the hardest times.”
My God, if it wasn’t for her when my father lost his shit with me, I don’t know what I would have done. She supported me when I thought my whole world was coming to an end and made me feel like everything was going to be okay. For that reason alone, she will be in my life forever. She will be my friend forever. She will always be important to me.
“You are welcome,” Erin replies smilingly. “I know that you will do the same for me when the time comes. And also, it worked out well because I have the most amazing little godson on the planet. It’s a shame that I can’t see him now, but I’m in this beautiful dress which I have to at least keep nice until after the ceremony.” We both laugh. “Plus, your mom has her grandchild now and I don’t think I stand a chance in hell of getting him off her. She is one fierce granny.”
One of the things I love more than anything in the world is how well Mom and Tyler get along. It’s scary to think that this almost didn’t happen. If the argument had continued on any longer, they might never have gotten to know him, which is sad. Thank goodness we all managed to have that adult conversation and sorted it all out. Life is much better now.
“Hey, it’s just me,” Dad calls through the door, making me smile to myself. “I just wanted to check in on you guys, to see how things are going. Everything is ready for you outside, so I’ve come to see when you might be ready to go.”
Erin and I both rush over to the window to look out into my yard where the wedding is taking place. Finn has organized everything for me to make it the most beautiful day ever, and it really is. It’s gorgeous with the flowers and the setup of the chairs, the music, and the little archway at the end with the wedding officiant already waiting for me. And my husband too. My stunningly handsome husband who is making my heart absolutely sing with joy. I can’t wait to run down that aisle and commit to him for the rest of my life. IknowI want to be with him forever. I know it with every inch of me.
The fact that my father is out there, waiting to walk me to him, and my mom is in the crowd with my baby boy in her arms, only makes this even lovelier. It’s the wedding of my dreams and I am overwhelmed with joy.
“Coming, Dad,” I yell back through the door. “I think I’m just about ready to get married now.”
Erin and I leave the room, and my father offers me his arm. In his eyes, I still see a sprinkling of regret there for the time we missed, which I wish he wouldn’t have. I certainly don’t blame him for how he reacted and for needing time to recover from it all. I don’t blame him for anything, and I wish that he wouldn’t, either. It was a shock to him, to all of us. Finn definitely isn’t the man I was supposed to fall in love with, that’s for sure, so I get it. But I can’t help who I have ended up falling for, and to be honest, even if he isn’t the man I should be with, it feels too good to turn away from him now.
“You look lovely,” he eventually says to me. “You have no idea how proud I am of you, Stella. Being your father makes me the proudest man on the planet. Getting to see who you have grown up to be is everything to me.”
I try not to cry because I don’t want to break down just yet, but there is a definite sprinkling of emotion inside me. Today, I’m pretty sure I will be a wreck. Probably, the whole day will be spent weeping, but for all the right reasons. All because I’m living in my dream come true, experiencing every inch of the happiness that I never knew I could get.
“Thank you, Dad,” I rasp back thickly. “That means a lot to me. I’m very proud of you as well. For everything.”
There is so much else that I need to say, and I’m sure my father as well, but it isn’t the time. Luckily, now, we have all the time in the world to say whatever we need to. For now, I need to focus on my wedding and holding it together.
We get to the yard quicker than I’m expecting, and I’m pretty much already in tears as soon as I lay my eyes on Finn. In that suit, smiling at me with love, he looks more handsome than he has ever done before. I can’t believe he’s about to bemine.
“Hi,” he whispers as he waves to me, clearly excited to see me. “Wow, you look absolutely beautiful.”
“You don’t look too bad yourself,” I reply as the excitement starts to get to me. “How you doing?
He nods, getting a little choked up, the same as me as my father hands me over to my husband to be. The emotions are already circling between us. I don’t know how either of us is going to hold it together through the whole thing. Luckily, we don’t need to get all caught up in that for the time being because the wedding officiant has begun her speech. It’s time. Instead, we can get lost in the words of love and the conversation of marriage. We can think about the future instead.
My God, thinking about the future now, and not in a hypothetical way, is incredible. Knowing that we canactuallyhave that future is something else. All the times that I dreamed of it, but told myself that I can’t have him, are too numerous. Now, he’s mine, definitely mine as we say our vows. Those are the words that connect us together, much to the delight of all of us, even the people sitting around to watch. Saying those traditional words, bonding myself to Finn Robinson for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part feels phenomenal. But not as amazing as what I have to say next…
“Finn, just before you may kiss the bride,” I tell him with a small smile, “I want to say something to you.”
“Uh-oh, this isn’t you getting cold feet, is it?” he teases before his face falls like this might actually be the case. What a gorgeous fool. “Oh, God, please tell me you really aren’t about to walk out on me right now.”
“Of course not.” I giggle and pull myself closer to him. “I’m in too deep now. No, I want to tell you this.” I take his hand and rest it on my belly, wondering if Finn will get what I’m trying to tell him without my even needing the words. But he doesn’t seem to get anything. He stares at me a little blankly, to be honest. I can’t stop myself from laughing. He’s going to kick himself when I let him know. “Finn, I’m pregnant. We’re having another baby. I did the test this morning.”
“Oh, my God.” His eyes light up, and I can see the tears pouring down his face. Of course, this only makes me weep as well. I’ve been holding it together for the while day, but now I can’t anymore. The flood gates have opened and there’s no turning back. “We’re having another child? Are you for real? Our family is getting even bigger?”
As I nod, he scoops me up in his arms and holds me tightly to him. Finally, he kisses the bride before the officiant gives him permission to, but I suppose Finn and I have always done things we aren’t supposed to and it’s worked for us so far. I mean, here we are, after everything, having our happily ever after, married with a child, and about to have another kid.
How lucky are we?
