Page 124 of Broken on the Mountain
A gummy bear ring pop.
The crowd erupts in laughter.
"Isabella, darling," Piper says, trying not to laugh. "Where's Daddy's real ring?"
Our daughter looks genuinely confused. "Thisisthe real ring. Daddy loves gummy bears."
"She's not wrong," I say, taking the ring pop. "This is perfect, sweetheart. Thank you."
Brooke, bless her, steps forward with the actual rings. Two simple gold bands we picked out together last month.
But I'm definitely keeping the ring pop.
We exchange the real rings, our hands shaking, and then the officiant's pronouncing us husband and wife, and I'm pulling Piper close, dipping her back like we're in some old movie, and kissing her while Wildflower Meadow erupts in cheers.
"Finally!" Etta shouts. "We've been working on this forfive years!"
"We did this!" Mabel adds. "This was all us!"
"Sure it was," I murmur against Piper's lips.
"Let them have it," she whispers back. "They've earned it."
When I finally pull back, Piper's flushed and grinning, and Isabella's jumping up and down yelling, "Mama and Daddy kissed! Gross!"
Betty appears with the three-tier cake shaped like... heart-shaped pancakes.
"Betty," Piper breathes. "Is that—"
"Heart-shaped pancake wedding cake!" Betty announces proudly. "With real maple syrup filling! Don't look at me like that, he ordered it."
"I love you," I tell Betty. "And yes, I did."
"Everyone loves me, dear. Now go celebrate with your wife."
Wife.
Piper Morrison.
My wife.
I'm still processing that when arms wrap around me from behind, and a familiar voice says, "Congratulations, big brother."
I spin around, and there's Lily. She's always taller than I remember, maybe because I've spent so long picturing her as the sixteen-year-old that I never got to spend more time with.
But now, with her blonde hair in a neat bun, her husband beside her looking apologetic about the delay, it feels like all of that is forgotten.
"You made it," I say, pulling her into a hug.
"Of course I made it. I wasn't missing this." She pulls back, eyes shining. "You look happy, Chase."
"I am. I really am."
And it's true. Standing here in Wildflower Meadow with Piper's hand in mine, Isabella spinning in circles nearby, my sister finally here, my friends surrounding us…
I'm happy.
The kind of deep-down, bone-settled happy I never thought I'd find.
