Page 55 of Still The One

‘Really?’ I ask, the flutter of butterflies in my chest growing with each passing second. This is real. ‘When’s your next availability?’

Judge Ashford glances at the clock on the wall. ‘In five minutes. Last wedding of the day. How about it?’

Foster glances at me, his eyes twinkling mischievously. ‘What do you say, love? This wouldn’t be a whirlwind romance if we didn’t do this,’ he teases.

I can’t help but laugh, feeling the bubble of excitement in my chest. ‘Are we this nutty? Met, engaged, and married – all in thirty days?’

‘I think so,’ he says confidently. ‘Let’s do it.’

The woman claps her hands in front of her excitedly then checks through our paperwork, sliding our licenses back to us across the counter.

‘Everything looks good,’ she says, her pen viciously moving through part of the papers. ‘I just love weddings,’ she mumbles as she works. ‘You two seem in love.’

‘We are,’ Foster agrees happily.

‘OK, we’re all set here, just follow me.’ The receptionist gathers a few things in her hands and leads us through the large reception area and through a door at the back of the room.

As we walk, I steal glances at Foster, taking in every detail of his handsome face, the way his eyes crinkle when he smiles, and the dimples that appear in his cheeks. This feels like a dream I never want to wake up from. I want to remember every single detail of today.

‘This is my wife, Evangeline, but I call her Evie.’ Judge Ashford motions to the woman sitting on a small couch off to the side of his office. Evangeline looks like she has just walked off the set of an Audrey Hepburn movie. She’s dressed to the nines, not a speck of make-up or hair out of place, and she’s beaming.

‘Congratulations!’ she says, standing and approaching us. ‘Aren’t you two just cute! Look, honey, we were young and adorable like them once.’

‘We sure were,’ he agrees.

Judge Ashford’s office is cozy, filled with the warm glow of afternoon sunlight streaming through the windows. I stand beside Foster, a surge of butterflies fluttering in my stomach as we face each other in front of the judge.

‘It’s nice to meet you, and happy anniversary,’ Foster says, shaking the judge’s wife’s hand. ‘Evie, huh?’ he asks, eyeing me.

‘That’s what he calls me too,’ I say excitedly.

‘Really?’ the judge’s wife asks.

Foster nods. ‘Could this be fate confirming our decision?’

‘I like the word serendipity,’ Evangeline says, as she reaches for our marriage license, setting it on her husband’s desk beside her.

‘Serendipity,’ I repeat her word softly. It does seem more plausible than fate. The word is just prettier, like a rose-colored sunrise over a field of wild flowers.

‘Chris likes to plan our anniversary dates, so I drove in for a romantic evening and now I get to witness a wedding!’

‘The most romantic night of our lives,’ the judge says, flashing her a less than professional flirtatious smile.

‘And you met Rosie a few minutes ago,’ the judge continues, motioning to the receptionist from earlier. ‘She’ll be our second witness.’

The mousy woman’s name is Rosie. ‘A couple of last-minute details,’ Rosie says after disappearing then scuttling back in a hurry, now approaching me with a small veil in one hand. ‘Someone left this a few months ago and I was waiting for the perfect bride-to-be to offer it. May I?’ she asks.

I’m the perfect bride? That’s flattering.

‘I didn’t expect a veil but yeah,’ I say, turning my back to her so she can attach it.

‘Also, these,’ she says when she’s done fluffing the white tulle to perfection, handing me a handful of the daisies I saw on the desk in her office. ‘I tied them with a blue string so you can use them as your something blue, something borrowed,andsomething new.’

‘You are a genius, Rosie.’

She smirks, lifting a single shoulder proudly.

‘How do you feel?’ she asks, as if we’re old confidantes.

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