Page 137 of Ace of Spades

And Josie loves those kids, as if they were her own siblings.

Theo stands next to me, a little taller these days, a little stronger too, with a hand resting casually on my back and steadying me the way only a son could know to do.

No words. Just presence.

His girlfriend waves her fingers at him from the front row, and he blows her a kiss. I pretend not to notice him doing it, he hates when I tease him about how soft he’s gotten since dating Daisy. Yeah, that’s her name. Theo my son who loves tattoos and danger, is falling hard for a girl who cries for him to stop whenever she sees a squirrel trying to cross a road.

I won’t tell him to his face, but being in a relationship really does suits him. Now that he knows who he is.

The violinists start playing a beautifully haunting number, dragging my attention away from the people around me over to the entrance to the path of the garden. And there, clutching a basket twice the size of her head, is my daughter, Josie.

She takes careful, measured steps down the aisle, scattering flower petals in methodical handfuls, smiling each time she throws—just like we practiced.

When Josie reaches me, she hands me one of the last of the petals. I crouch down and take it from her, kissing the top of her head of curls.

"Good job, bug," I whisper.

She smiles, missing two of her front teeth, and then scampers to stand with Kick, Jun Yu, and the boys. Leaving me standing there with a heart so full I seriously don't know how it's still beating.

And then the music changes. Everyone turns. And I remember exactly why.

My woman.

Her hair is braided with tiny white flowers, her dress simple but beautiful, clinging to every curve like it was made just for her.

At her side, is the man who at one time made it nearly impossible for us to be together. But today, he leads her to me, back straight and he’s beaming proudly as he walks her down the aisle.

My eyes water at the sight of her and I clear my throat quickly before someone passes me a tissue and makes me lose the bet I made with her a few nights ago.

But when she looks up at me, her smile radiating warmth from behind her bouquet of white peonies… I’m so done for.

The second she reaches me, the whole world narrows down to the way her hand slides into mine.

The way her eyes shine as they take me in.

The way that smile of hers absolutely wrecks me.

Gramps clears his throat, abandoning the notecards he was rummaging through earlier and pulling a crumpled paper out of his pocket.

"Alright, everyone. Let’s make this quick before Sienna realizes she's settling with an old man."

Laughter ripples through the garden.

But I barely register what he just said. I’m too busy memorizing her. Making sure this moment is seared into my brain for the rest of forever.

Sienna says her vows first. She’s shaking a little, but her voice is steady.

"Levi, I used to think fate was something that happened in cheesy pirate romance novels.”

I crack a smile and she does too.

“Don’t sleep on the pirate smut,” Julian calls out from the crowd.

There’s another wave of laughter.

“I never imagined that it could be something that was meant for me. Not until the day I walked into your shop and found home in a pair of rough, calloused hands and a heart that refused to quit on anyone in his world."

She smiles through her tears. And I won’t mention it at this moment to her, but I’ll remind her later… she definitely cried first.

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