Page 144 of Accidental Mile High Vows

“He learned from the best.”

“You proposed to me drunk in a Vegas chapel with an Elvis impersonator.”

“And you said yes. So clearly it worked.”

I laugh and lean into him. Across the room, Alexi and Elena are surrounded by well-wishers, everyone wanting to see the ring and offer congratulations. Elena’s mother is crying. Her sister is taking photos.

“They’re going to be happy,” I say.

“They are. And so are we.”

“We are.”

Dante tugs on Ledger’s pants. “Dada, cake now?”

“Yes, buddy. Cake now.”

We move to the dining room where an enormous engagement cake sits on the table—three tiers with elegant frosting and flowers made of sugar. The caterers start cutting slices while champagne is poured for toasts.

I drink sparkling cider and watch my family celebrate

After cake, after toasts, after Dante falls asleep on the couch surrounded by toy cars, after the guests start leaving, and only close family remains, I find myself on the balcony looking out at the Las Vegas skyline.

The city glitters below. Somewhere down there is the Bellagio casino where Ledger and I met. The chapel where we got married. The warehouse where Dante was born.

All the places that shaped us. That broke us and rebuilt us into who we are now.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Ledger says, joining me at the railing.

“Just thinking about how far we’ve come. From that night in Vegas to now. All the chaos and pain and fear. And somehow we ended up here.”

“Somehow.” He pulls me against his chest. “Though I’d argue it wasn’t somehow. It was you. Your strength. Your refusal to give up.”

“You’re the one who burned down half the city to find me.”

“Because you’re worth burning cities for.”

“That’s either very romantic or slightly concerning.”

“Can’t it be both?”

I laugh and turn in his arms. “I’m glad you’re home. Glad our kids get to grow up with both parents.”

“Me too. Every single day, I’m grateful for this. For you. For them. For the life we built despite everything trying to destroy it.”

“I love you,” I tell Ledger. “I loved you that drunk night in Vegas, and I love you now. Through all of it—the good, the terrible, the impossible—I’ve loved you.”

“I know. I’ve always known.” He kisses me softly. “And I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you never regret that Vegas chapel and that Elvis impersonator.”

THE END