Page 89 of Shifted

It wasn’t me who refused Bella’s presence here today. It was Theo’s. He didn’t feel it was fair or right of her to come to celebrate us when she was the one who broke us first. I disagreed, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

I'll never understand how she was okay with marrying her brother's best friend. But it would always bother her that I was marrying her brother. Theo didn't love it, but he accepted it because he knew they loved each other. But she despised the two of us for falling in love, something simply out of our control. So, for today, when it came down to narrowing our guest lists, we knew we only wanted those who loved us and never wanted to ruin us.

"Amanda, can you go down and tell the caterers how to set the tables? Mom, can you go check on Joely and bring her to me?" I asked, and Maria nodded at me with a smile. They both exited the room, leaving the two of us. A more serious expression took over his face, and I knew he had some things to say.

"I always have a getaway car, you know that, right?" Lucas jests, peering out the window. The just-married car is out back, though we weren’t planning on driving off anywhere. It was just Maria being extra, per usual.

"I think you'd have to shoot me to get me out of this dress." Standing behind me, he lifted my veil and placed it on my head, gently looking in the mirror. I swore I could see his eyes water, and it was almost getting the best of me.

"Can't believe someone's marrying you," he teased; I stuck my tongue out at him in response, and he scoffed, "You can’t go on missions while pregnant, you know that, right?" I glared at him in the mirror.

"I am not pregnant, Lucas?"

"Every bride downs at least two glasses of champagne before they walk down the aisle?" I shrugged my arms in response to his questions. I wanted to enjoy today.

"Maybe I don't want to be drunk and want to grasp the whole experience fully. Soak it all in?” The sounds of stomping led up the stairs, and within seconds, I watched as the door burst open. Joely stood in her little ivory gown. Her hair done with baby's breath mixed in. Looking up at me, she gasped.

“Mummy, you’re a Princess!” She runs to me quickly and I collect her in my arms, my sweet baby girl. I glance up at Lucas and then see Maria in the doorway.

“Do you mind if Miss Joely and I have the room?” They nod and step out, leaving just the two of us. I take my seat back in the chair and bring Joely to my lap; her eyes just remain on my face. I knew it was probably interesting to watch your parents get married, but I wanted it to be a memory she savored forever.

“Do you know what’s happening today?” Her head nods rapidly in excitement.

“Mummy marries Daddy!” I knew she was excited and so little, but I wouldn’t fail to check in on her today. The only men in her life before Theo were Grayson and Lucas. This was all happening quickly, and I wanted her to understand that I was here and that it was okay not to be fully on board. She was just a little kid, after all.

“Mhm, but that means that Dad is officially added to our little circle of us two. I wanted to see if you were okay with that.” Giggling and looking at me like I was acting silly with my questions, she put me at ease.

“But it’s just Daddy” She corrects my worries.

“You’re right; it’s just Daddy, and he’s not too bad.” I kiss her forehead as I hold her tight in my arms. She was my little girl and best friend in the whole world. I wanted her always to know that, “Now let's go get Mommy married, shall we?” Jumping down from my lap, she races towards the door, I meet her and take her little hand in mine, opening it. I see Lucas patiently waiting on his phone in the hall, and he sees us.

“We are ready!” Joely shouts in excitement. We laugh, and he picks up Joely to bring her downstairs.

“See you out there, Hope. My gift to you is my promise not to fight Isaac on behalf of the bride's wishes.” Mouthing a thank you to him, he turns, and they head downstairs. Maria comes out from one of the bathrooms and shakes her head with pride.

“I dreamed of this day for so long. You know, when Theo was in Chicago, he’d call me crying sometimes. He loved this girl that he had to leave back at home; I always thought that maybe it could’ve been you. I wished it was you, and Joely was a mystery to me. She grew to look like him, but as a baby, she was all you” She sniffles, whipping fallen tears from her eyes and sighing with relief, “But now that this day is here, and you guys have your family. I couldn’t be more excited or happy.” Delicately, she pulled me into her arms for a moment and then let go.

“Thanks, Mom.” Pulling herself together, she offered me her arm, and I wrapped mine around it as she led me down the steps. Light music began to play instrumentally as we made our way through the house and to the back by the coast. Stepping down Grandma’s steps to the backyard, it was exactly what I had envisioned. The old wooden chairs, the flowers, and the lights. It's what she told me about; it's where I wished she was. But I know, somehow, some way Mary Ellen is watching this.

The sounds of the ocean at the end of the lawn and the warm June air wrapped around my skin made me feel at home. As a child running out back in my bathing suit, Mary Ellen scrambled to catch me before I ran off to the beach. Being fifteen and sitting out here wondering what a wedding would look like. I never pictured it fully being mine here at the time, but now that it was. It felt bitter-sweet in a way. My fifteen-year-old self was right, but I was wrong about the presence of my grandmother. But her soul runs through this house, as it was her home for years.

But the view at him standing at the end next to the minister. His navy suit fit him perfectly as he watched Joely throw petals down the aisle in awe as she moved down. Reaching him, she seemed confused about where to go, but before anyone could step in, he lifted her, kissing her cheek as she giggled. He whispered something in her ear, causing her to laugh more. Then he places her down, and she goes to sit beside Grayson as Theo’s attention moves back to the minister.

He stood tall beside him as they shared a few words, but as I came into view, he stopped. As I caught his eye, he stared at me, and his face said it all. He doesn’t look at me like I’m the only person in the world; he looks at me like I am the world.

I made my way down the aisle, holding onto Maria, and as I reached him, she gave me away. She mumbled, not so quietly, “You better watch it, mister, or I swear.” Causing everyone to laugh, but as her eyes blubbered again, she turned away, fueling that laughter. My hands intertwined with his as they sat so small in the palm of his hand. But as my eyes reached him, I saw forever in them. He and Joely were my future, my forever.

“I do,” the words slip my mouth as the ceremony concludes, and we are blessed as husband and wife. His hands wrap around my neck as he pulls me in for a heart-stopping kiss. I felt like a teenager again, bringing me back to our first kiss. Taking me by surprise but in the best way, he pulls back for a moment, staring at me, and then, just as we once did, we continue.

I remember it vividly. We were fighting over something stupid and in a moment of weakness between each other. When Theo pulled me into his arms, taking me in for a world-stopping kiss, I pulled back, saying, “No, we shouldn't,” but past my better judgment, I couldn't help myself. All the sparks were there, my world spun that first time I kissed Theo Jones. And here, eight years later, I find it spinning again. The world was melting away as if it were just us two at the moment. I couldn’t believe it, me and Theo were finally married.

?

Later in the night, I lay against his chest as I listened to him breathe in and out as he slept. The sounds of the ocean in a melody through the windows calm us. The beginning of our honeymoon in a place that remained so special to us. We knew we could’ve gone anywhere in the world, but this place was too special. It had to be here. Our marriage needed to start here.

My leg is tangled over his as I shift slightly, causing him to wake up. He looks down at me as I stare at him. I wanted to laugh; he seemed annoyed that I’d wake him from the comfort of his sleep after keeping him up for hours.

“Hope?” he mumbles. I don’t respond, so he ignores it and closes his eyes to fall back to sleep.

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