Page 158 of My Husband Problem

I want to publicly celebrate having what he and Alfred had to hide all those years.

And yes, I want him to make another post about it.

We are legally married. She’s mine. That’s what matters. But I want the world to know it. And I want my family to trulybelieveit.

Suddenly, everyone steps aside, and I focus on the person who just joined us.

My throat tightens the moment I see my mother.

She pauses and kisses Cian’s cheek, then Fiona’s, but she doesn’t falter on her path to me. She stops in front of me with a soft, beautiful smile on her face.

“Declan,” is all she says.

My vision gets blurry, and I feel Astrid squeeze my arm.

I have to bend to hug my mother, but her arms wrap around me fully, and she whispers in my ear, “Welcome home, son.”

And just like that, all of the tension leaves my body.

Either everyone around us goes quiet, or I completely block them out for the long moments that I hold my mother. When I finally let her go, her cheeks are wet with tears as well. But her smile is bright.

She turns to Astrid and pulls her into a full-body hug as well. “I am so happy to see you, sweetheart.”

“It’s all real, Abria,” Astrid tells her.

My mother strokes Astrid’s hair, then pulls back. “Thank you. Thank you for loving him. And making him happy. That’s all I ever wanted for him.”

“Well, he has both. Always.”

I try to swallow and find it nearly impossible.

I focus on Linnea. “My grandfather. Now. Please.”

Torin steps forward. “I can marry you. I am, after all, kind of officially the one in charge.” He gives me a smile. “Actually, if Grandfather does it, it’s not official anymore.”

I nod my understanding. “We are officially married in the US. I just want this official in Diarmuid’s eyes. And for Cara.” I look at Linnea. “And a new statement.”

“Of course,” she tells me. She doesn’t roll her eyes, but I get the impression she wants to.

“He’s having tea with Roisin,” Jonah says.

“So they are fine?” I ask.

My mother laughs. “They’ve been doing this for sixty-some years. If anyone questions their loyalty or the closeness of their relationship, it will sound completely ridiculous.”

I breathe out. “Good. And he knows we’re all coming?”

“Yes,” Linnea confirms. “He also knows there’s going to be a wedding.”

I put my arm around Astrid and tuck her up against my side. “Then let’s do this.”

Our crowd makes its way up to my grandfather’s chambers, and my mother goes in first. A moment later, she motions us in.

My grandfather looks better than he has on my last two visits.

Granted, the first time, when I married Astrid, he’d had a heart attack just the day before. But even on that first Christmas, he had looked frail and every one of his eighty-some years.

Today, he is bright-eyed and seemingly full of energy.