Page 89 of Sparks Still Fly

“We’re going to have another baby!” She jumps up, and I catch her just in time for her legs to wrap around me as she laughs with tears rolling down her cheeks. She kisses me, but pulls away too soon, and that’s when I see the worry wash across her face.

“No, fengári mou. Don’t doubt for one second that you can do this. That we can do this.” She shakes her head, blue eyes watery still.

“How am I going to love another baby as much as I love Julia? Is that even possible?” I smile, thankful that her doubt has nothing to do with her abilities as a mum, because she’s an absolutely incredible one.

“I have a pretty good feeling that you’ll figure out a way. We both will.”

She nods, bringing her forehead to mine. “I love you, Owen. Thank you for making all my dreams come true.”

“I love you, sunshine.” I kiss her sweetly, feeling the way her body molds to mine, the way we fit together. It’ll never get old.

We get dressed in our comfies, and while Maeve calls Jen to arrange a discreet OB-GYN appointment, I go to the kitchen to start on Maeve’s afternoon cup of tea. When I get to the pantry for her digestives, I see a stack of mail sitting on the counter, and an envelope with red and pink hearts on it draws my attention. It’s addressed to both of us, which is strange, since I’ve never given out this address.

I open the envelope to find a postcard with a handwritten note.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. James,

You left this behind on your wedding day, so we took the liberty to mail it to you because these memories should be cherished forever. We wish you many happy years of marriage. You were one of our most memorable couples yet!

All our love,

- Mary and the HEA Chapel team

I empty the envelope, and along with hundreds of little pieces of heart-shaped confetti, a USB flash drive comes tumbling out. I get back to the kitchen, gather the tea and cookies, and take them to the living room. There, I turn the TV on, pop open my laptop, and insert the drive into it. Of course, I check it for viruses. You can’t ever be too safe, but when it comes back clean, I open the video file, casting it to the TV.

The video is just starting when I hear Maeve walk into the room. “Do you think I’ll be showing soon? We’re going to have to hide my bump for a while. What if my boobs get huge? I’ll need to ask the doctor about that next week.” She sits down next to me, reaching for a biscuit on the coffee table. “Thanks, darling. What’s this?” she asks as she points to the TV.

I don’t say anything as I hit play and watch as the shaky video begins. It’s me on the screen, standing in front of an all-white altar decorated with thousands of white silk flowers.

“Owen? What…what is this?” Her cookie gets tossed back on the plate as she watches with unwavering attention, waiting for what we both can safely guess comes next.

Shania Twain’s “Still The One” starts to play, and the camera quickly pans to where Maeve stands at the end of an aisle, her raven wig is still on her head as her Docs peek out beneath the hem of her white dress. She’s smiling so big, I swear she might be the only source of light in the entire room. And she’s looking at me. At where I’m standing at the end of that aisle. She mouths the lyrics, telling me I’m still the one she loves and dreams of as she walks toward where I am. The camera stops as she stands in front of me, bouncing on her toes with excitement.

The officiant smiles kindly at us both and begins the ceremony. The entire time, Maeve and I only have eyes for each other. “I understand you’d like to say your own vows. Owen, please go ahead.”

I hear my voice come through the speakers then, clear and sure. “Maeve. My Maevey. You are my moon and my sunshine. You’ve been the brightest thing in my life, day or night, since the moment I laid eyes on you. When I look at you, I see my future, my life, and it’s so full of love that sometimes it doesn’t feel like I can hold it all inside my chest. I’m so honored to know you. To be known by you, this fierce, protective, sassy, smart, kind, wonderful woman that you are. The years we’ve spent apart have been hard, but I know that I’m the man I always wanted to be for you now.” I take Maeve’s hand in mine and watch her as she listens to me recite my vows, which are truly impressive given how drunk I was. No amount of alcohol can dilute my love for her. She turns to me, and we look into each other’s watery eyes as we continue to listen. “My hope is that I can spend the rest of my life making up for lost time with you, showing you every day that I’ve never, and will never love anyone but you.”

The memory comes rushing back to me, and I say aloud, together with the recording, “In this lifetime and in all others, you are my first, my last, my only, my truest love.”

Maeve’s tiny sob comes out through smiling lips as she whispers my name. We both hear her sniffle on the screen and turn back, knowing her vows will come next.

“Wow,” my bride says on the screen, “I’m not sure how to follow that up.” She takes a deep breath and lets it out by blowing raspberries and we both laugh, then and now. Maeve’s face grows serious again, and she begins, “Owen, I have dreamed of this since I was nineteen years old. I had no idea a man this good, kind, generous, and loving existed until I met you. I don’t know what kind of life we’ll have or what kinds of hardships we’ll go through, but I know that together, we can do anything because I have never felt stronger or safer than I do when I’m with you. Being apart from you was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, and I don’t wish to ever do it again. I am yours. I am so very completely yours. I always have been, and I always will be. You are my whole heart. I love you. I will choose you always, my darling.” She sniffles again as the officiant blows out a breath, wiping away a tear.

We turn to face one another again, listening as we take traditional vows and exchange the golden rings neither of us has taken off since that day. I take Maeve’s left hand and kiss her ring finger, and she, in a very typical Maeve move, lunges herself onto my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck.

“I love you. I love you. I love you,” she chants into my neck. She pulls away and lets her tears freely flow down her cheeks. Looking into my eyes, she says, “I do, Owen. I choose you forever. Always.” I nod my agreement, not yet able to find words. “I can’t believe we managed those vows in our state.” A wet laugh escapes her as she runs her fingers through my hair.

“I do, too, Maeve. You’re my only choice. Always,” I whisper and now it’s her turn to nod. I lift her up and reach for my phone, pulling up the same song I chose for us that night, then I bring her to her feet as “You” by Dan + Shay begins to play. Without hesitation, Maeve wraps her arms back around my neck, and we dance to our song.

maeve

7 months later

“Mama, poppet. I’m Mama,” I tell my sweet Julia. She’s nearly nine months old and the absolute light of our lives.

“Dada!” the chubby-cheeked little angel exclaims, hands springing up in the air as her Cheerios fly off her highchair tray and onto the floor. With eyes the color of chocolate like Monica’s, and dirty blonde hair I know she gets from Clay, but looks just like Owen’s, Julia has been the missing puzzle piece in my life I didn’t even know I needed. Is it hard some days, caring for a baby while being pregnant, and trying to remain relevant in my career? Hell. Yes. But I’m not doing it alone. I have a husband who supports us in every way, who’s a partner in everything and who encourages me when I feel like I can’t do it all. He believes in me relentlessly.

Ojai is home, but we kept the house in LA, so we don’t have to worry about things for Julia when we’re there overnight, or when we extend our stay there for shoots or events.

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