Page 130 of Seven of Hearts

“Yep,” I clipped as a smile worked across my face when I saw Zoey in her dress as she was escorted down the aisle by Hunter.

“Got Leah’s ring?”

Kristin was next, floating down the aisle with Will by her side.

“Yeah,” I said as Kylie and Bryan appeared at the end of the aisle.

It was mind-boggling that, not too long ago, it had been their big day. The day that everything changed for me in the best and scariest way. They took their places on either side of me, and all eyes turned to the back doors.

Gio DeRossi and Eloise Lawson made their way down the aisle as the most dapper ring bearer and adorable flower girl.

Then all there was left to do was wait.

Will squeezed the back of my shoulder as the music reached a crescendo, and the doors opened.

Leah appeared in a white dress, holding a bouquet in one hand while she held on to her dad’s arm. The guests stood and gushed as she walked down the aisle, but all I saw was her.

Will handed me a tissue as I fought back tears. Leah seemed to be fighting the same battle, and took a tissue from Kylie when she handed off her bouquet.

Mr. Holloway gave Leah a kiss on the cheek, then shook my hand and took his seat beside his wife.

“Hi,” Leah whispered as Steve began his spiel.

“Hi,” I said as I took her in.

Her hair was in long waves, making her look like an old Hollywood starlet. The dress was fitted, hugging her curves before it flared out at her knees in a wide train.

“Wow . . . You look . . .”

Steve cleared his throat and cut his eyes at me, but never skipped a beat in his speech.

Leah pursed her lips and bit back a laugh.

I squeezed her hands. “You ready for this?”

It was the same question that had been asked when she went into the operating room for our son to be born. It was the same question that I had been asked all day.

I knew my answer, and I knew hers. We were ready. In all honesty, we had been ready for a long time. This was simply a formality and a celebration of something we had decided long ago.

“So ready,” she whispered back with an ear-to-ear smile as she bounced on her toes in excitement.

Steve paused to turn the page in the little book that held his speech. Liam took the split second of silence to let out an ear-piercing squeal, followed by a belly laugh.

The crowd laughed as Leah’s mom bounced Liam on her knees to try to keep him quiet.

He shrieked again, clapping and reaching for us.

What the hell. This was a family affair, after all.

I jogged over to Leah’s mom and picked up Liam, then walked right back up to the floral arch at the front of the ceremony space and took Leah’s hand.

I expected Liam to want to go to her. But, to my surprise, he sandwiched my cheeks in his chubby baby hands and screamed, “DADA!”

Leah clapped her hands over her mouth. “Oh my god!”

“Dada! Dada! Dada!”

Ah, fuck. One tissue wouldn’t cut it today.

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