Page 51 of One and Only

We were actually doing this,I thought.

Tim caught me staring and squeezed my arm with his hand.

“You ready, cupcake?”

I nodded jerkily. “Holyshit, Dad, I’m getting married,” I whispered. The words tumbled out before I could stop them.

He grinned, so wide and happy, that all those deep wrinkles by his eyes and mouth appeared. Gently, I reached up and traced those smile lines with my thumb.

“You’ve smiled a lot in your life to get those,” I told him.

He caught my hand in his and pressed a sweet kiss to my knuckles.

He leaned in. “And they’re gonna get a workout today, my beautiful daughter. Because being here with you on a day like this, I am the happiest father in the entire world.”

Don’t cry.

Don’t cry.

Don’t cry.

One tear slipped out, the sneaky little fucker.

Tim snagged it with his thumb, his smile gentling. “Only happy tears today, you hear me?”

I nodded again. Stronger this time.

“I love you,” I told him.

It was Tim’s turn to have his eyes gloss over. “You and your sister and your brother are some of the best gifts I’ve ever been given. It’s always been my honor to step in as your dad where you’d let me.”

Another tear threatened, but I willed it back. “There is no one else I’d rather have walk me down that aisle.”

Tim pulled me into a quick embrace, and I felt the shaky way he exhaled before he pulled back. “Come on now, your mother will have my head if we make them wait too long.”

With my hand tight around his elbow, and my other gripping the flowers, we walked out of the house as my family stood from their seats.

My sisters wept openly, as did my mom. Parker stood stoically next to Mom, his jaw tight and his eyes red as his eyes locked onto his dad. I saw her reach over and grip his hand with hers.

My oldest brother Erik cleared his throat, reaching up to swipe quickly under his eye, and his petite blond wife smiled up at him, their daughter sound asleep in her arms.

There was a song playing, but I could hardly hear it, my mind and heart were so full with all the feelings fighting for top spot.

And when I fought the spinning sensation of which would win—grief and sadness and sheer overwhelm of both—my eyes locked onto Beckett.

It was enough to hook me straight into the moment, quiet all those thoughts, and allow me something firmly planted to hold.

His chest expanded on a deep breath, and the side of his mouth tugged up on a crooked grin. His eyes were dark, holding mine steadily, and it was that steadiness that anchored each step, making each one surer than the last.

Tim and I took the slow walk down the aisle, and when I broke the connection with Beckett, it was only to allow myself a moment to memorize the face of the man who stood at my side.

Any battle against my tears was lost.

Because he looked so happy and so wonderfully proud to be taking that walk with me.

We got to the end of the aisle and paused, and behind me, I heard my mom’s quiet sobs. Tears streamed down my face as Tim gripped my hands in his own. He shook his head, so much love in his gaze that it took everything in me not to collapse into his embrace.

“This is it, cupcake,” he whispered. “You’re officially someone else’s problem now.”

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