AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Misha had grown close with all three women, but Janessa and Aria were still closest to each other. Over the past year, Misha had grown closer to Charli, mainly because of her help with Peyton. Jay and Misha had spent a lot of time with her and Layla over the past year. As a single parent herself, Charli had really stepped up to help her brother when he became one.
There was a knock on the door, then Dan and Cathy came in. Cathy’s dress was sage green, but it was a shade or two darker than the flower girl’s dresses. Dan wore a light gray suit similar to the ones the men in the wedding party were wearing, though his tie and pocket square matched Cathy’s dress.
“Everyone is here, so we’re ready to get this show on the road,” Dan announced. “I’m hoping that one of you single ladies will catch the bouquet so we can get going on the next wedding.”
“Dad,” Charli said with a laugh. “Let’s get through this one first.”
“Just wanted to put it out there,” he told her. “Didn’t want anyone to think that just because we’re through planning this wedding, that we wouldn’t be ready to plan another.”
“We’ll discuss this later, darling,” Cathy said. “Let’s get Aria and Gareth married first.”
Soon they were all in the foyer, waiting for Kayleigh’s cue to line up. She was in charge of keeping them all on schedule, andshe was doing a great job of that. The rehearsal the previous night had run smoothly, and it had taken less time than Misha had thought it would.
As the ladies waited, Jay, Jackson, and Peyton joined them.
“Oh, don’t you gentlemen look handsome?” Cathy said.
“And you look beautiful,” Jay said. “Aria did a great job of choosing these outfits for us.”
“You look very handsome too, Pey,” Misha said as the little boy stopped beside Jay. “Are you ready to help guide Ciara down the aisle?”
Peyton nodded. “Yep. Me and Layla are going to do a great job.”
“If she runs away, just let her go, though,” Misha reminded him. “Don’t chase her or everything will go crazy.”
Peyton chuckled at her words, and Misha was thankful he’d gotten to the point where he could laugh and have fun. That certainly hadn’t happened overnight. It had been a rough year of firsts without his mom around, and the school year had had some rough patches. But things seemed to be getting a bit easier for him. He definitely had more good days than bad now.
“Okay, everyone, let’s get into line.”
Misha was relying on her mom to stay with Ciara until it was the kids’ turn to walk down the aisle, then to come get her once she made it to the front. She was glad for her mom’s help that day, as she was every day.
The past year had included a few ups and downs for her mom. Even though she’d made a few friends there in Serenity, she’d continued to miss her life and friends in Atlanta. The one highlight had been when they’d decided that it was safe for her to contact Devontae.
They’d taken precautions, and though she’d listened to the conversation, Misha hadn’t spoken with him herself. She’d had nothing to say to him, and she’d told her mom that she didn’t want her to tell him anything about what was going on with her. Especially not about her relationship with Jay.
Misha didn’t want Devontae to have any insight into her new life, because she’d already lost so much because of him. And she had so much more to lose now if she had to leave Serenity because of Devontae, starting with the man at her side.
She and Jay were the first to walk down the aisle, so Misha slipped her hand into the crook of Jay’s arm, and if she held on a little tighter than she needed to, Jay didn’t mention it or seem to mind.
“Ever think about doing this someday?” Jay asked as Kayleigh motioned for the doors to open.
“What?” Misha looked up at Jay as they stepped forward.
He just grinned and kept his gaze on the front of the sanctuary. Misha gave a huff of laughter as they started down the aisle. She’d definitely thought of marrying Jay. And after Peyton had seemed to be settling in better, they’d talked a time or two about what their future might look like, including marriage.
Maybe this was Jay’s way of saying he wanted them to have a more serious conversation about it. She was definitely on board with that.
When they reached the front of the sanctuary, Jay leaned a little closer and said, “I love you.”
She squeezed his arm and smiled up at him. “I love you too.”
Misha happily walked to her spot, while Jay went to his. Gareth and Wade were already standing at the front, waiting for everyone to join them. Jackson and Charli came next, Jacksongrinning widely, while Charli tried to keep him on the beat of the music. Janessa was also smiling happily when it was her turn to walk down the aisle.
As the three little ones walked down the aisle after Janessa, Misha held her breath. Layla was gently tossing rose petals, while Peyton carried a little box with the rings. Ciara also had a basket with rose petals, and as she walked, she took fistfuls and flung them up into the air, which resulted in a few landing in her hair.
About halfway down the aisle, Ciara dropped her basket and ran toward the stage. People likely assumed that she’d head for her mom, but nope. The little girl climbed the stairs, then veered over to where Jay stood. He bent and swept her up into his arms.
Misha was grateful that Peyton and Layla hadn’t run after her, as they arrived at the front at a more sedate pace. They’d had a brief discussion about what to do if Ciara didn’t behave. They’d decided that if she ended up with Jay, Skylar would take her from him since she’d be on that side of the sanctuary. Ciara liked the teen, so they were all hoping she didn’t throw a fit if Skylar took her.
