Page 97 of Secret Twins for My Ex's SEAL Best Friend

“I’m so proud of you,” she whispered in my ear. “I really am. Look at everything you’ve done. Your family. Your life.”

“Thank you,” I whispered back, tears finally breaking free and slipping down my cheeks.

When she pulled away, she gave me a soft smile. “And don’t cry. You’re going to ruin that makeup.”

I laughed, wiping my tears carefully as Kassandra threw up her hands in mock exasperation.

The music started not long after that. I stood at the entrance to the outdoor aisle, my hand in Tyler’s as the guests rose to their feet. I glanced at him, and he gave me a crooked smile.

“You ready?” he asked, his voice low and steady.

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Yeah. I’m ready.”

We stepped forward together, and as I looked out at the crowd gathered on the lush, green lawn, my heart swelled.

There were Robert’s friends - veterans from his volunteer groups, men and women who had become like family to him over the years at the courses he taught and the business he ran.

There were students and faculty from my graduate program, people who’d supported me through some of my darkest days.

There was my family: my mom, Tyler, even my father, who’d shown up for the first time in years. I wasn’t sure how I felt about him being there, but for today, I let it be enough.

And at the end of the aisle, there were Robert and Corinne. I’d made her the ring bearer, and now she stood behind Robert, already twelve years old and in middle school, about to become a teenager, which seemed impossible. She held the hands of the twins proudly, taking her job seriously.

Beside her, Amara, named after the ‘eternal love’ that Robert and I shared, wriggled out of her grasp, but Corinne caught her by the hem of her dress, bringing uproarious laughter from the guests.

Ronan, our ‘little seal’, tried to help his twin in mischief, pulling at Corinne’s death grasp until Kassandra came up and helped by pulling him away to stand back with her.

When we found Ronan’s name, Robert and I had fallen all over ourselves laughing that he’d be our ‘little seal’ until Robert had looked at me seriously and said, “But he can never go into the military,” and I had said, “Do you want to make a little seal of it?” offering him my pinkie finger.

Now, those moments seemed so far away. They weren’t just sleepy lumps in my arms, gnawing at my nipples from time to time. They were toddling and chewing on things, constantly moving and somehow slippery, so wiggly they were like cats. Time was moving too fast.

Robert stood tall, his dark hair neatly combed, his green eyes locked onto mine with a look that made everything else fade away.

When we reached the altar, Tyler kissed my cheek and stepped back, leaving me with Robert.

“You’re breathtaking,” Robert whispered, his voice thick with emotion as he took my hands.

“You are,” I teased back, though my voice wavered.

The ceremony was a blur of emotions. I barely heard the officiant’s words, though I knew I’d remember the vows we shared forever.

“I promise to stand beside you, through everything life throws our way,” Robert said, his voice wavering. He looked at me with a fierceness that made my knees weak. “I promise to love you,protect you, and build a life with you. You and our children are my only priority, my first and last thought. I promise to see you in every choice I make and see your face in the love we have for our family. I’ve said it before, Delia, but my little family wasn’t complete yet, and I didn’t see that until you were there. So more than anything, I promise to always be grateful for all the ways you made our lives infinitely better just by beinghereand beingyou.Because you are enough.”

When it was my turn, I said, “I promise to love you for everything you are. I promise to love your strength and guard your weakness. I promise to be with you to steer the ship when it’s crashing, to guide us back on course. I promise to believe in us, to be on your team, even when life is hard, and to stand by your side as we grow. I promise to be the best mother I can be to your children, all of them.” I looked down at Corinne and winked. I was surprised to see that her brown eyes swam with tears. “I promise to love the parts of your daughter that are Quinn’s and to make sure you give yourself credit for the parts that are you – like her empathy. Most of all, I promise to be a safe space because you—” My voice cracked, and I took a moment to compose myself, closing my eyes and breathing, “You have given me a home in your heart that I didn’t know how desperately I was looking for.”

When the officiant pronounced us husband and wife, Robert kissed me with a tenderness that made my heart soar. He grabbed my hand and threw our arms up over our heads as Corinne did the same with the fat little hand of Amara and Kassandra with Ronan, pushing him delicately forward to stand with Corinne again.

The reception was lively and warm. The twins—now just over a year old—were passed around between my mom, Tyler, and Kassandra, all of whom fussed over them like they were the most precious beings on the planet.

I watched Robert twirl Corinne around the dance floor, her laughter ringing out like a bell as he smiled wider than I’d ever seen him.

“Happy?” Kassandra asked, handing me a glass of wine, which I happily drank, no longer pregnant or breastfeeding, free to celebrate with alcohol for the first time in almost two years. It felt like a small miracle in itself.

I looked out at my family, Robert, Corinne, our twins, and everyone who had come together to celebrate with us, and smiled.

My father caught my eye from across the room, where he chatted with my mom and poked the chubby cheeks of Ronan, and nodded. It was small, but it was something. It was more than I’d had in years.

“Yeah,” I said softly. “I really am.”

The End.

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