Page 76 of The Heiress Bride
Our bride.
Our Princess. Our Beauty. Our Wildfire.
And soon,our wife.
GABE
“When you find your person,” LaShonda begins, “you hold onto them.”
She glances from Katherine to me, then Alex, before giving her attention to King.
“And when you find your people, you build a family.”
That hits me square in the chest like the broadside of a shovel. A family. She’s exactly right. That’s what we’ve been building. Piece by piece. Day by day.
“Katherine,” Shon says, pivoting back to my bride, “you’ve been blessed to find notone, nottwo, butthreesouls that complement and complete yours.”
There’s a gentle wave of laughter, maybe a little unease, as she emphasizes the one, two and three.
“Gabe, Alex, and King… how smart you are, not only to recognize an amazing woman when you found her—” There’s a hint of pause, of weight to her words.
I’ll admit I wasn’t sure what LaShonda was going to say when we asked her to officiate. Not exactly. Maybe I should have asked to see a copy of it, you know, to make sure she wasn’t going to tell me there’sno way I’m good enough for her best friend and that we’re crazy-pants for this whole idea.
But fuck me, she has a way with words. Her tone, her cadence…chef’s kiss.
“But,” she continues, “to find your way to each other and see the potential here. We’ve gathered your closest friends and family to witness your promises to each other. To bask in your love for one another. And to shower you with support as you move forward in this life,together.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see King covertly swipe away a tear just before it hits his cheek. Trust my golden boy to be touched the deepest by such beautiful words.
I reach around Alex and squeeze King’s shoulder. Katherine’s lips wobble, and then she pastes on a brave smile. I see it for what it is. A defense against the overwhelming emotion of the day. The happiness that feels like it’ll ooze right out of my ears. The joy that makes me want to shout from the terracotta tiled roof. The bittersweet relief to have found ourselves together in this place and this time, vowing to lift each other up.
Because life is hard, no matter which path you take. There are bumps and boulders. Sometimes ruts and mud puddles. But there are incredible views. Like this one.
Shit. NowI’mcrying.
I swipe at my right eye, not the least bit embarrassed. I’ll cry for this woman. I’ll take myself apart and build a new Gabe for her. To find and be the best version of myself, for her. For all three of them and myself. Because we deserve that. The best version of each other.
I love you,she mouths.
I mouth the words back, and then, after exchanging rings, when Shon asks us to say a few words about our commitment to each other, I say those three words again.
To Katherine.
To King.
To Alex.
I say them and more, promising my heart, soul, body and mind, not only to Katherine, but to our family.
KING
Did I black out?
No. No, that’s not right. But when LaShonda says my name in that ‘Earth to King, come in King’ tone, I whip to attention. Spine straight, gaze locking on my best friend and bride.
Right. Vow time.
I’m up.
