As soon as Wren leaves me, I inhale deep, stabilizing breaths, trying to prepare and calm the nerves that are suddenly boiling to the surface. The ceremony starts soon. In less than an hour, I will be walking down the aisle and marrying Baz.
That is the best part of all of this. I get to marry this man who I’ve loved for years. We have a family together, a beautiful life thanks to him, and I’ve never been happier. But all that doesn’t mean not having my sister at my wedding is easy; it’s hard. My parents aren’t coming. My dad is sick, and I don’t know if that is just an excuse or if it’s the God’s honest truth. After inviting them, it felt like a snub on their part. Like I am still just a mere afterthought to them.
I clutch my hands to my chest and try to breathe past the tightness. Clasping my eyes shut, I whisper the words aloud, “I miss you.”
I feel her before her voice wraps around me, and when I open my eyes, I can’t contain the tears or the wobbly smile that spreads across my face.
“I always miss you, Kenz.”
I dab at my eyes, trying not to ruin my makeup. Wren will kill me.
Madison pulls me into her arms, and I clutch her to me, breathing her scent in, hating that every time I see her, she looks the same, trapped in time. Trapped in a past that did nothing for her.
“This should be you. I hate that you’ll never get this. That you’re not here to experience this with me, and Ava, and the baby.”
“It was always meant to be you, Mackenzie. And I am here. I’m always here, sister.”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.” She smiles, a tear glistening down her cheek. “Now pull yourself back together. This is your day. This is the start of your forever.”
She rests her hands on my bare shoulders, and we stare at our reflection in the mirror. We look the same, yet so different, and I think this is what I’ll miss the most, not seeing her.
“I think our forever started the night I met him.”
Madison laughs. The sound is absolute music to my ears. “I think you’re right.”
We stare at my reflection for a while longer, before she gives me her last goodbye. I can see it in her eyes. This is our final goodbye. The one that was stolen from us that awful summer.
“You look beautiful, Mackenzie. And as much as I’d like to stay here forever, I can’t. This is your time. This is your life—live it. You have a man who will do anything in his power to keep you safe and two beautiful babies who look at you like you hung the moon. Hang on to that.”
“I don’t want you to go.” My face crumples.
Madison hugs me from behind. “I’ve gotten what I need. And so have you. That’s all I ever wanted for you, Mack. Happiness. True happiness. And now that you’ve found it, I can finally let go. I need you to hang on to that feeling forever. I know I will.” Madison leans in and presses a kiss to my cheek. I feel her lips on my skin. The warmth of her touch.
My eyes slam shut, and when I open them again, my sister is gone. For good this time. And when I walk down the aisle, past the tear-stained faces of our close friends and family watching our union, I meet his eyes, and I damn near stumble in my heels. My heart beats faster and slower all at once, and my stomach dips. The butterflies roar inside with a vengeance that was once stronger than my own.
Dan’s grip on my arm tightens as he guides me up the altar. Up to Baz. His eyes are bright, and even with the distance between us, I can feel the intensity of his gaze burning across my flesh. I can feel the love he has for me, for our life, for our family, vibrating in the very air around us.
I glance at Dan, and my first tear during the wedding slips down my cheek when I see his eyes are red-rimmed. It was a no-brainer that I would have Dan walk me down the aisle. He’s been there every step of the way for me, and I love him like a daughter would her father.
With a soft kiss on my cheek, Dan hands me off to Baz, and the second his warm hand engulfs mine, I fall in love with him all over again. Dressed in a one-of-a-kind Givenchy black suit, he looks better than I could’ve ever imagined. The rogue strands of his dark hair hang over his forehead, just the way I like. And those eyes…those bright blue eyes are a key to my heart as they stare down at me, filled with so much love, it makes it hard to breathe.
My hands shake in his, and he squeezes, knowing just how much I need him. Baz bends, a barely there smirk tipping the corners of his lips, as he presses a soft kiss against my lips.
“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, Dirty Girl. And you’re mine. Always.”
We pull back, and as we stare into each other’s eyes, everything else around us fades away. I grin, the tightness in my chest ebbing away, as I stare at the man I’m hopelessly in love with.
“I’m yours. Forever,” I promise the man I’ve waited my whole life for.
In him, I’ve found a love that is rare. A love that defies the odds. One that defies logic. A love that makes every other relationship pale in comparison. The best love stories are when you fall for the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.
Our love was unexpected—a chaotic blend of messy and beautiful.
Baz King is the man who walked into my life like he belonged there, breaking down my walls and lighting my soul on fire. His hold on my heart is eternal.
As is our love.
THE END—for now.