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Grace
I took a deep breath as I went over my vows for the last time. Harper helped me get zipped up into the dress and gleamed happily at me as she put on the veil.
"Wow, just look how far we've come. I'm getting married soon, you're getting married right now and you have little Emma. Who'd have thought that we would ever get here. I know there were days that I doubted you'd come close to this." She chimed in and I glared at her.
She wasn't getting married to Josh, however. When they came back from meeting his parents they instantly broke up. She mentioned something about his mother hating her and that she wouldn't want to live with that woman as her mother in law for the rest of her life. That sealed the deal.
She met a nice man at the local museum and they quickly hit it off. As they say, the rest is history.
Adam and Sarah were still working through their hurdles but now they had set a wedding date. She was released from the institution a few weeks ago so they were now living together. Things looked to be going well.
Emma was with Adam, he volunteered to look after her this morning while we get ready for our big day. They were inseparable he loved being an uncle to a pink mutant. I hope he also loves that she was at the walking stage and there was no stopping her.
She looked so lovely this morning in her little white floral dress. Her strawberry blond hair was pinned up. One thing she also inherited from Noah was his emerald green eyes. Harper always says that Emma has some of her red hair since she needed a little bit of fierceness and was after all a rose.
I couldn't have asked for more.
Noah adapted quickly to fatherhood as did I to being a mom. After we had Emma things were rough for the first few months but luckily, we had a lot of help. Between my father and Adam we were covered. Harper chipped in occasionally as did her fiancé Markus. Harper at first feared her. She was afraid to touch her, but Adam warmed her up to the idea since he always babysits Emma. The looks they exchange...you could write a book about it. At my party Harper mentioned that she was chatting with Adam, but it looked like a lot more to me. I didn’t say anything.
Not my monkey, not my circus.
I sighed.
"Why the glum face?" Harper sat beside me in her gorgeous A-line burgundy dress.
"I'm worried about Noah. I know he really wanted his father here today but since he died..." I patted my dress down. I saw Noah's mother come in.
"Oh, you look beautiful." She hugged me tightly.
"How's Noah?" I asked concerned.
"He's excited to get married. Too hyper if you ask me. But that's what love does." My father entered, when he saw me, he stopped in his steps and looked at me. His eyes were glimmering with tears.
"It's time." Noah's mother excused herself to grab her seat and Harper handed me my bouquet.
We walked out of the glass doors, the sea breeze was whipping around, and the sun shone brightly across the waves.
"My baby girl, you're getting married." My father commented and pecked me on the cheek. I could see Adrian and Abby walking down the aisle in front of us. Adam held Emma's hand as she wobbly stepped with him down the aisle at a racing speed and finally Harper who also had a racing Arthur that she walked down with. I bent around the shrub we were hidden behind and saw how Adam looked at Harper.
I knew it! It's the same look Noah still gives me.
I smiled as I came back to my standing position.
"What did you see?" My father asked curiously as he tried to see too, I laughed.
"I saw another grandchild coming soon." I teased. I loved Adam with Sarah but there was something brewing with Harper.
Finally, we made our way down the path that led to Noah and the sea churning behind him. As I got to Noah my father took a seat. Noah held my hands, his green eyes glinting with happiness.
The clergy gave a short speech before we could say our vows. Noah looked nervous as he started.
"There are only two speeches in my life that I memorized and forgot, the first was the one when I proposed. It happened again about two seconds ago when you took the words right out of my mouth. I never thought I'd get here, after everything that's happened. I can't believe I'm saying this but thank you for destroying my painting. You mesmerized me from the start and if you didn't fall into it, we wouldn't have met.”
“I promise to always be there, to take care of you and Emma until the day I die and to always love you both in sickness and health. I promise to stay true to you and to continue to have adventures with you. I also promise to not make you clean out my storage room ever again."
I chuckled, feeling a smile spread on my face.
"I can't say thank you for making me clean out that room, all that dust still haunts me. But ditto. I had vows planned but you know you can charm the pants from anyone, how am I supposed to top that? I promise to love you and Emma until the day I die, to be the best mother and wife I can be. I promise to be your best friend, the one friend you love so much and for you to be the one I'll continue to love. I'm also happy that I stepped into your painting... by accident of course. When I look at you, I just think to myself that you are the one I want to be with for the rest of my life. I promise to stay no matter what."
"You may now exchange the rings."
Adrian was the ring bearer and looked around his pockets to find the ring; he patted them down and held up a finger.
"Uhm, I'll be right back." I looked at Noah and him at me confused.
"I guess he forgot." Adrian sprinted back into the building and then ran out with the pillow holding it triumphantly in the air. He slightly tripped but then steadied himself.
"I got them!"
He handed us the rings and with a chuckle we exchanged rings.
"I now pronounce you-" Noah rolled his eyes, pulling my veil up and grabbed me by the waist, pulling me into a magical kiss.
"Husband and wife." A few seconds later we pulled away from each other and Adam handed Emma to me.
"My baby girl." We gave her kisses on the cheeks causing her to give us a bright two toothed smile as everyone clapped hands.
"I have a surprise for you," Noah said as we walked back to the hotel room so that I could dress in something lighter.
"And what might that be?" Noah sat down with Emma, bobbing her on his knee as I redressed. She babbled and flapped her hands up and down.
I came back out, turning around to show Noah the dress.
"Luckily that can just slip off, it's beautiful," I gave him a cheeky smile.
"Luckily."
"Here" He handed me a box he got from the drawer, I opened it and saw that it was a pair of keys.
"What are these for?"
"Those are for the love of burritos." I chuckled. I didn't think he remembered. We went to look at a burrito shop that was for sale, but I never thought that we would buy it. It was just an idea. More of a joke really. I never pictured us having a burrito shop, but I didn't hate that idea. It sounded delicious and we joked that it would be called 'For the love of burritos.'
I pecked a kiss on his cheek and sneaked one on Emma's cheek too.
She kissed her hand and placed it on my cheek in return.
He smirked at me while kissing her on the cheeks making her pull a face.
"Burritos for the win, right?"
He repeated the words I said when Emma started eating solid food but didn't want to eat what we gave her. She grabbed a piece of burrito out of my hand and before I could stop her shoved the whole piece in her mouth. Swallowing it.
She loves burritos.
"Burritos for the win."