Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
They gasp. “You are?” River asks.
“I am, and I love you very much.”
“I love you, too, Daddy,” they chorus, and my heart is so fucking full it could burst from happiness. I hug them again, because I need to. I meet Briar’s gaze and she’s openly crying as well, but she’s also smiling. My eyes scan the room and see that Brogan and Emerson are also crying, and hell, even Roman looks like his eyes are misty.
“Congratulations!” Emerson can’t hold it in a minute longer as she comes over and hugs us all. Brogan is next, and then Roman.
This is definitely a day to give thanks. I can’t wait to do it again tomorrow with the rest of our friends, and I can tell them and the world that I’m getting married to the love of my life and I’m the dad of two very adorable little girls.
EPILOGUE BRIAR
Briar
I knew the minute Forrest slid the ring on my finger that I didn’t want to wait to get married. I wanted to start the rest of our lives together. The following Monday, I contacted a lawyer to start the adoption process. The process for a stepparent to adopt is three to four months on average.
When the girls each handed Forrest an envelope, on Christmas morning with the paperwork he would need to sign to start the process, I’d never seen him smile like that. In fact, the smile has not left his face since that morning.
It could have something to do with the fact that we’re in Vegas for our wedding. When I started looking for places to get married, Vegas was always a top hit. When I saw they had a children's museum and other fun things for the girls to do, I was set. We considered Gatlinburg, but I wanted a place that had something for everyone.
I chose Vegas.
And here we are.
We decided on a New Year’s Eve wedding. We’re starting the new year off right as a family of four. Sure, it’s cliché to get married on a holiday, but it feels right, so we’re going with it. Besides, that gives us an excuse to celebrate extra hard every New Year’s Eve, not that we need an excuse, but we’ll have it, anyway.
“It’s my understanding the groom wants to say a few words,” the officiant announces.
I give Forrest a curious look, and he just smiles and releases my hands, pulling a piece of paper out of his back pocket.
He scans the crowd. Then his eyes lock onto mine. There is a very important person missing today, and well, I have something I need to say. He clears his throat and begins to read.
“Mr. Pearce,
“My name is Forrest Huntley, and today, I’m marrying your daughter, Briar. It’s painful to admit that I finally know what it’s like to miss someone without ever meeting them. Although we’ve never met in person, you live on through your daughters and your granddaughters and now through me.
“I want to take this opportunity to say thank you. Thank you for raising such a strong, loving, incredible woman. Meeting Briar has changed my life in so many ways. I knew my life was incomplete, but I didn’t know what I was missing until Briar and the girls walked into my life. They are everything I never knew I needed.
“Loving your daughter is an honor and a privilege and I promise you all four of your girls will be safe, loved, and cherished with me. You heard that right. Brogan is my new sister, and I vow to you that I’ll watch over her too. We’re all a family now.
“We’re missing you deeply, especially today, but we know you’re here in our hearts. Your legacy will live on through all of us. I’ll be sure to remind River and Rayne how much you liked to fish, and that the fish bite better on the Ashby River when it’s raining. I’ll show them, all of them, what it means to have a man love them and support them no matter what, just as you did for Briar and Brogan. I’ll carry that torch for both of us.
“Today, we stand before our family and friends and vow to love each other until death do us part. It is also my vow to you to honor, love, and cherish all four of your girls. Their hearts are safe with me.
“Your son-in-law, Forrest”
I’m sobbing. I can’t see Forrest because my tears blur my vision. I can imagine how awful I look with my eyes red and my face blotchy, but I can’t find it in me to care. This man, my husband, he’s the most incredible loving man I’ve ever met, and for him to do this, to write that letter.
“Forrest—” My voice cracks.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” I lean in for a kiss, and the officiant rushes to pronounce us.