Page 57

Lia kisses me, a tender brushing of her lips on mine, and all I can think of is how lucky I am to have this woman in my arms. I tell her as such, smiling as she tears up.

“I love you. I love you even though you are sappy and trying to make me cry. I love you so much that I’m going to forget you just messed up my makeup, hair, and dress because that sex was amazing.” She blushes as she says it, grinning at me the entire time.

“Since we do have all our family and friends outside in the garden, we probably should go get married,” I concede as I hear Tasha coming from down the hall. She’s going to give us a lecture if we don’t hurry.

Lia fixes her hair and makeup in the mirror while I get my pants back on. We open the door as Tasha knocks on it, trying to look like we were having a serious conversation instead of fucking. I watch as Lia takes Tasha’s arm, and the two walk down the hall away from me, turning to look back over their shoulders. Time stops, crystallizing the moment as I remember prior years of them doing the same thing.

“Dad, hurry up!” Tasha points to the delicate watch Lia and I picked out for her as a Matron of Honor gift. “We need to get you out the back door so you can go stand with the officiant. Lia, stop making that face at my dad so he’ll actually get his butt in gear. Don’t think I don’t know what you two were doing in there. I can’t believe you couldn’t even wait a few hours to do it after the ceremony and reception.”

Lia feigns a contrite expression as Tasha berates us, but the way she keeps glancing at me lessens the effect. “Beck, we’re going to be late to our own wedding!” She skips ahead to the stairwell and makes her way down carefully. At the bottom, Paul is waiting for her, staring at her dress and how lovely she is in it. As she takes her father’s arm, Lia looks up at me, smiling.

This was the love I was waiting for.

THE END