Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92547 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92547 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
We’d gotten our marriage license from the county clerk’s office a few days ago. Chloe and I had opted for an intimate wedding instead of throwing a large party for friends and acquaintances. We planned to take the money we would’ve spent and use it on a Disney cruise we’d take with Effie later this year.
The small ceremony would be officiated by my uncle Drew, who’d gotten ordained online for the occasion. From Chloe’s side, it would be her father and Courtney, plus her sister Fawn, who’d flown in from New York with her boyfriend, Stephen. On my end, it would only be Uncle Drew, Maura, and their sons. We’d have our first dance under the stars to “Lucky” by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat, a song about two best friends who fell in love. We’d hired a private chef to cook a fancy dinner for the family and ordered an Italian rum cake in honor of Judy, who had always loved that flavor.
As I stared out at the sun setting over the mountains in the distance, our photographer came up behind me.
“Evan?”
I turned. “Yup?”
“She’s ready to come out now.”
My stomach flipped. “Cool.”
“You should turn back around until I tell you it’s okay.”
Sucking in a nervous breath, I did as she said. I wasn’t nervous to marry Chloe, of course. I was mainly anxious that I’d forgotten something or that it might rain. I just wanted everything to work out perfectly, since you only get one wedding to the love of your life. I’d marry Chloe a hundred times over if she wanted, though.
Chloe had made sure Effie was involved in every step of the wedding process. Wedding planning had become my daughter’s favorite hobby. They’d gone dress shopping together for both the bridal gown and bridesmaid dresses. And, yes, my nine-year-old had insisted on being a bridesmaid and not a flower girl. I had no idea what either dress looked like and had been forbidden from going into the back of Effie’s closet where they’d stored them both.
I’d never seen my daughter as happy as she’d been the past year and a half since Chloe had come into our lives. While Chloe could never fully replace having her mother around, the love that Chloe showed Effie on a day-to-day basis definitely took the edge off of that loss. Katerina had come back to Wyoming a couple more times in the past year, but it wasn’t enough. Effie, as always, loved her mother unconditionally, despite Katerina’s abominable choices, and took what she could get, even if Effie deserved so much more.
“You can turn around now,” I heard the photographer say.
But when I turned, it wasn’t my bride coming toward me, it was my daughter.
My heart filled with joy at the sight of Effie walking slowly and carefully. She was dressed in a beautiful purple dress with a big skirt that billowed in the wind. She looked like the princess she always was to me.
Effie stopped in front of me as I knelt to meet her.
“Don’t worry. Chloe hasn’t changed her mind. That’s not why I’m here.”
I chuckled. “I wasn’t thinking that, baby.”
“The photographer wanted me to come out first.”
“I love that you and I get a moment alone.”
She reached up to touch my collar. “Are you scared?”
“Not to marry Chloe. I just don’t want to mess something up.”
“You won’t. You got this, Daddy.”
I took both of her little hands in mine. “You’re my best girl, so how could things go wrong, right?”
“Right.”
I’d told her that in addition to being Chloe’s bridesmaid, she’d also take the place of my best man. She’d be my best girl. She was everything to both Chloe and me, so it was fitting to give her both roles.
“How do you feel, baby?” I asked.
“I’m happy. And relieved.”
I cocked my head. “Relieved?”
She nodded. “Now I know that someday when I grow up and leave you, you won’t be alone.”
I shut my eyes tightly as a huge smile spread across my face. It never occurred to me that Effie would worry about that. But it shouldn’t have surprised me, given her kind soul.
“I have to go now,” she suddenly said.
“You do?”
“Yeah. I’m supposed to walk with Chloe, but I wanted to talk to you first.”
“Ah.” I kissed her on the forehead. “Okay, baby. Go do your thing.”
Filled with renewed anticipation, I faced the opposite direction until the photographer once again told me it was time.
Bracing with excitement, I turned around. A grin spread over my face, but it only took me a second to get choked up. I didn’t know what was more beautiful, Chloe in her dress, or the sight of her walking toward me with my daughter. Chloe wore a long-sleeve fitted gown that was covered in lace from head to toe. It only flared out a little at the bottom. Her long sandy hair was down and styled in waves, with the last of the day’s sunlight casting a glow around it. A short, simple veil was draped over her head, and the purple flowers in Chloe’s bouquet matched Effie’s dress. Effie kept alternating between looking over at me and looking up at Chloe.