Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45918 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
I nod. “I love him too.”
King puts an arm around me. “I know you do. I’m just glad to see that you two finally figured it out.”
Everyone is in their seats, and the preacher lifts his hand.
I take a deep breath. “That’s our signal to go.”
“Well, let’s go. If I keep you in here any longer, your soon-to-be husband is going to come in here threatening me again.”
We both laugh as King takes my arm and walks with me down the makeshift aisle into my backyard. We stop when we reach Gabe.
King hugs Gabe, kisses the top of my head and hugs me, and then sits down with Haven.
The ceremony is everything I thought it would be. Gabe was worried I’d want something bigger, but this is perfect. I wanted to be surrounded by all the people that love us, and that’s what we have.
We each say our vows, promising to love each other forever, and when he pronounces us husband and wife, everyone in the backyard hoots and hollers their excitement. Gabe kisses me until my knees buckle, but he’s right there, holding me up.
Our family surrounds us, offering congratulations, and it’s not until hours later, after dinner that was catered in and more celebrating and it’s just Gabe and me alone that I let myself think about the past and how we got here. Gabe and I have been through so much through the years, and it’s only now that I have full appreciation for how far we’ve come.
We’re lying in bed, both satiated and relaxed, when I turn to him. “Thank you, Gabe.”
He holds on to me like he never wants to let me go. “What are you thanking me for?”
I rest my cheek against his chest. “I have at least a thousand things I can thank you for, but thank you for loving me all these years. For showing me that I deserved to be loved and how I should be loved. You make me happier than I’ve ever been in my life.”
“I love you, Chrissy. I love you more every day, and I’m so thankful that I get to spend the rest of my life with you.”
He kisses me then, sealing his devotion with the pressing of his lips. I would never have imagined this would be my life, but I’m so thankful it is. “I love you, Gabriel Gray.”
He smiles and kisses me again. “I love you too, Chrissy Gray.”
EPILOGUE 2
GABE
Ten Years Later
“We’re going to be late!” Chrissy hollers up the stairs.
I pick up our three-year-old off the floor of his room and put him on my hip. “Come on, CJ, we don’t want to make Mommy wait.”
He claps his hands together. “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!”
I laugh as I jog down the stairs and meet my wife at the bottom. “Okay, Momma! Your two Gray men are ready to go.”
She looks at each of us as if inspecting us. “Wow! Well, I’m one lucky woman to be escorted by my good-looking man and my cute baby boy.”
I lean down and kiss her, holding her to me with my free arm. CJ squeals and leans in too.
“Mom! Dad! That’s so gross.”
I break off the kiss and smile at our nine-year-old daughter. She’s at the phase where anything me or her mom does is gross. “You excited to see your cousins?”
She nods and picks up her thick book. “Yeah, Macy is bringing her books too, and we’re going to read together.”
I scrunch my nose up. “You two are excited to get together to read?”
Chrissy smacks me softly on the chest. “Honey, don’t discourage her. She loves to read.”
I hold my hand up. “I’m not discouraging her. I was just curious.”
I pick up the box of food we’re taking with us. Through the years, our time together as a family has changed. When we were younger, we went to play games. Sometimes it was softball, pickleball, or even basketball. Through the years, we still get together, but a lot of the time, we’re watching our kids play together instead while we parents sit on the sidelines and reconnect. Today, we’re meeting up at the Whiskey Run Park for a cookout and to spend some quality time together.
Haven and King have Macy and three more daughters. All those girls have their dad wrapped around their fingers, and it’s a sight to see. King has always been tough as nails, but those girls have turned him into a big teddy bear.
Cole, Holden and Cat’s son, is twenty-five now, and he’s supposed to be bringing his new girlfriend to the cookout today.
Holden and Cat have been enjoying being empty nesters and traveling all over the world.
Dom and Luciana made up for all the years they were apart and now have two sets of twins, two boys and two girls.
Our family is not a conventional one, but I love it anyway. We depend on each other, and we don’t let each other down. I’m thankful for the love they’ve given me, but more than anything, I’m thankful for the love of my wife.