Page 100 of Enemy Ex's Secret Baby

“So do you,” she says back.

“No, but you look…”

Gillian stops me, squeezing my hands. Her engagement ring presses against one of my fingers. “We look amazing.”

“We look…” I chuckle. “Yeah.”

The ceremony is all very standard. The usual introductions and readings. However, once it gets to the vows, things are a little unconventional.

Jeremiah, keeper of the rings, passes one ring to Gillian and two to me.

Gillian frowns. “Two? Isn’t that a little overkill?”

I shake my head. “Not at all. Stella, can you come up here, honey?”

Stella looks to Kent for approval and, once she has it, carefully creeps up to the altar.

“Stand with your mother, would you?”

“What are you doing?” Gillian asks with a nervous smile.

I clear my throat. “I have a few vows for Stella before I vow myself to you, if that’s okay with you?”

She nods, and I can see she is both curious and proud that I chose to include our daughter in the ceremony.

“Stella, with this ring, I vow to you that I will always love you. I’ll always cherish you and be here for you. To protect you, to play with you, to hear you, to be whatever you want me to be, whenever you need me to be. I love you, my little star, and this…” I point at her and then myself, “…is forever and a day.”

I slide the ring onto Stella’s little finger.

“It matches my necklace!” Stella remarks, twiddling her fingers to show off the diamond set in a star shape on her finger.

“You got it,” I reply with a smile.

“I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you too, baby.”

After kissing her forehead, I nod to the officiant.

The officiant smiles and reads off the official vows. The ones I’m more than glad to take. The ones that will bind me to the love of my life forever. “With this ring…”

“With this ring…” I repeat.

We go like this, back and forth, me repeating after the officiant that I will live to honor and love Gillian for the rest of my life.

Stella is tucked against the front of Gillian’s dress, smiling up at me.

Gillian’s tears start to tumble. As she recites the same vow back to me, each word wobbles.

Everything feels real once she slides the wedding ring onto my finger. Our hands entangle together.

And when I hear those words, “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” I am unable to restrain myself.

I kiss Gillian deeply and utterly with every piece of my soul. Then, the two of us hoist Stella into the air, planting matching kisses on her cheeks. She laughs. “Gross!”

“Oh, you love it,” Gillian razzes, patting Stella’s belly. Then, her eyes find mine. “Best day ever.”

That’s what every day on our journey has felt like. The days just get better.

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