Page 78 of Closing the Distance

I didn’t think I could possibly love her more than I already did, but I was wrong. Because the only way to describe this feeling filling my chest and making my heart pulse rapidly is pure love.

Lexi says Lana was our miracle that brought us together, and while I don’t disagree, she’s forgetting one critical truth. Lexi was my miracle before Lana ever existed. Lexi is my dream, my world, my everything.

When she finally reaches me, she breaks our eye contact to turn to my dad, who has tears in his eyes as he smiles down at her.

“Thank you,” she whispers, her voice cracking with emotion.

He hugs her tight and whispers something in her ear I can’t hear, but she hugs him tighter, and when she pulls away her smile is so wide, it fills her whole face.

He takes her hand and places it in my outstretched one and then winks at her. “And you tell me if this one is ever out of line.”

That gets a chuckle from everyone watching. I shake my head at him, but still can’t tear my eyes off my beautiful bride. I pull her against my body, wrapping one arm around her back as I nuzzle her ear.

“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” I murmur, so low it’s just for her.

Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes shining when I pull back. “I love you so much,” she says, her voice watery.

“I love you more.”

She shakes her head like it’s not possible, but I don’t think she has any idea the depth of my love for her. Maybe by the time we’re old and gray, she’ll understand.

The minister gets started on the service, but I can’t focus on anything but her. The way the sun shines on her black hair which is in some intricate updo, making it look like there’s almost a halo of light surrounding her. The way her eyes sparkle the longer we look at each other. The way her hand squeezes mine, and she arches a brow. The way her lips quirk with amusement, and I realize everyone’s waiting on me.

“Uh, sorry, I was distracted,” I admit, my own cheeks flushing and the back of my neck prickling with embarrassment. Everyone laughs, and the minister informs me it’s time for me to say my vows.

I let go of one of Lexi’s hands so I can dig in my breast pocket for the paper with my vows on it. I debated saying them off the cuff, but decided Lexi deserved my best and not just whatever I could think of in the heat of the moment.

It’s harder to unfold it with one hand than I expected, but I refuse to stop touching her. Based on the sweet, bashful smile she gives me, she knows it, so she brings her free hand up and helps me unfold the paper. I give her a grateful smile and then take a breath, trying to tame the emotions stirring inside me and threatening to clog my throat.

“Precious, you might not know this, but you saved me. It wasn’t obvious to anyone else—least of all me—that I was in need of salvation, but I was. I didn’t know I was living in the dark until I met you, and it was like someone flipped a light switch on. Suddenly, I could see everything clearly. You illuminated my life and then disappeared just as quickly as you came into it. Those weeks without you were all I needed to learn I couldn’t live without you, and that was before I knew everything about you.”

A tear falls silently down her cheek.

“Through the highs and lows we’ve already been through, you have remained my light. You honor me with your love, and I want to honor you with these vows. I vow to love you through your hardest days. I vow to make you waffles whenever you’re craving them.” She laughs and my chest expands. “I vow to rub your legs and your back when you need to relax. I vow to take over midnight baby duty when you need more sleep.” Another laugh, this time also from our friends and family. “I vow to always take care of my physical fitness so that your eyes get that heated look in them every time I take off my shirt.” Now it’s my turn to crack a smile as her eyes narrow, but her lips are tilted up in a grin so I know she’s not really mad. Locking my gaze with hers, I don’t need to look at my paper to know this last line. “But more than anything else, I vow to always choose you.”

Keeping my gaze on hers, I fold the paper back up and tuck it in my pocket and then brush away her tears.

The minister turns to Lexi. “Lexi, are you ready for your vows?”

She nods and gives me a watery smile. “That’s going to be a hard one to follow.”

She slips her hand into the pocket of her dress—something she was so excited about when she bought it—and pulls out some notebook paper.

“I didn’t believe in love when I met you. Happily ever afters only existed in books, but weren’t something I ever expected to find. Then I found you, and you scared the crap out of me.” Everyone around us laughs, but all I do is smile, not wanting to miss a single word out of her perfect mouth. “You made me feel things I didn’t know were real. You made me believe in love and more importantly want it for myself, and that scared me most of all because I’ve only ever lost the people I loved, and I knew in my heart I’d never survive losing you.”

I squeeze her hand, and another tear slips down her cheek. Before it makes it to her chin, my finger is there to catch it and wipe it away.

“Your love scares me because I want it so badly. It’s like the rays of the sun warming my skin, and I never want to experience the arctic cold I lived in before I met you.”

I’m already shaking my head. She’ll never experience that again—not if I can help it.

“When I get scared, I vow to always choose you. To not run away, even if it’s easier. I vow to let you in when I need help, and to always give you the love you deserve. I vow to stay by your side, fighting with you and for you for the rest of my life, no matter what comes our way. I will love you with every single breath I take for as long as I live.”

She drops her hand with the paper, signaling she’s done, and I don’t wait for the minister before I surge forward and kiss her. It’s too soon—we still have to exchange rings—but I can’t notkiss her after that speech. The minister clears his throat, and I pull away just enough to tip my forehead to hers, her blue eyes shining into mine.

“I love you,” I whisper against her lips.

“I love you too,” she whispers back.

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