Page 93 of Keeping You

Welcome to Willow Valley

Grayson takes us straight to his parents’ house. When we get there, we have dinner and a bonfire, following Maxwell tradition, before calling it a night.

In the morning, I make my way downstairs and hear familiar voices. When I get into the kitchen, I see Matt, Zoey, Liz, Josh, Liv, Cate, Charlie, Caleb, Bailey, and their one-month-old son Simon all sitting around the kitchen table. Chloe is smiling at me from across the room.

Grayson walks up to me and hands me a cup of coffee, whispering, “Happy anniversary,” before kissing me.

“Happy anniversary,” I whisper back, still confused as to why all of our friends are here in Willow Valley.

He takes my hand and calls, “We’ll be right back,” as he takes me to the back deck.

Grayson settles in a chair and pulls me onto his lap. His thumb runs lazily up and down my thigh and it relaxes me.

“I know that our wedding a year ago wasn’t exactly what you had planned for yourself,” he says, and I turn to him more.

“Grayson—” I start.

He shakes his head. “No, Spitfire, it’s okay. It wasn’t exactly what either of us had planned.” He tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear. “I don’t regret it. I will never say that I regret it, because we’re here, together, happy. But I thought that today, for our anniversary, if you’ll let me, I’d like to marry you again. I want to renew our vows with our friends and family in one of the places that brought us to where we are.” He wipes my tears and kisses me lightly.

“Of course, I’ll marry you again. I’ll marry you every year, if that’s what you want,” I say.

When I finish my coffee, he pulls a velvet box out of his pocket. “I was hoping that maybe you’d wear this today.”

I look at the box wide-eyed. I take it from him, running my fingers over the soft velvet.

“Open it,” he urges.

I flip open the lid and gasp as I take in the beautiful necklace. It’s a gold necklace connected by three stones in the middle, an amethyst on the left, an emerald in the centre, and a blue topaz on the right.

Grayson takes it from the box and undoes the clasp as I hold my hair up for him to secure it on my neck. He delicately runs his fingers over the gems as he explains, “The amethyst is for me, the emerald is for our wedding, and the topaz is for you. Forever connected with gold.”

I kiss him. The thought behind the gift meaning so much.

When we break the kiss, I whisper, “Let’s get married.”

He grins.

“Let’s get married.”

I climb off his lap, and we head back inside to our friends and family. The girls help me get ready and tell me my dad is already here in town and will be here to walk me down the aisle for the ceremony. My mother won’t be here, and I’m glad for it. I don’t need her negativity today. My life has felt so much lighter and less stressful since cutting her out. I don’t feel on edge waiting for one of her calls or texts where she sets out expectations for me.

After hair and makeup is done, Liz pulls out a dress bag, and I cry when I pull down the zipper. It’s the dress I’ve always dreamed of wearing on my wedding day. It’s white with a sweetheart neckline and tulle off-the-shoulder straps. The bodice is form-fitting, and the bottom is full of tulle, with a delicate lace overlay that covers the entire dress.

“Grayson found your wedding binder,” Liz says.

I put that together years ago, and as I got older, I hid it in a box, not wanting it to sit there taunting me that I hadn’t found that soul-changing love I wanted so badly. Grayson finding it and getting this dress is all my dreams come true.

I step into the dress, and Liz does the zipper for me. I stand in front of the mirror, taking in how well it fits. Not just me, but my dream. I smile so wide my cheeks hurt. Today, I get to marry my husband again. A man who has shown me over and over that he knows me, he cares for and loves me, that he supports me.

I turn around to face the girls, and they’re smiling back at me.

“You ready?” Bailey asks, and I nod.

We head downstairs, and my dad is waiting at the base of the stairs. When he turns to look at me, I see the tears that start and I tip my head back to stop my own.

“Look at my beautiful daughter,” he says when I stop in front of him.

“Thank you, Dad.”

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