Page 41 of A More Than Mayhem Christmas

I push between them and knock gently on the door. “Micky, the guys are out here… Did you want one of them to walk you down?—”

“No!” she interrupts. “You guys go ahead. I just need a few minutes.”

15

Jake

Girls are made of magic, and I say this as a man who has absolutely no idea how they managed to pull off what they have in the short time that was given to them.

The end of the dock is lined with tiki torches, giving us the heat we need to be out here. There are string lights hung between the posts of the dock, and candles and lanterns every few feet, from one end to the other, paving the way to the makeshift altar. The “flower arrangements” are nothing more than cut off pieces of Lucy and Cam’s Christmas tree placed into glass jars, and there are eight chairs in total, four on one side, four on the other—just enough for our friends who are here. One chair will be empty, because Logan’s standing right next to me, ready to officiate.

Everything looks amazing, and I feel…

I feel great, I guess, except that I’m in a suit two sizes too small, and I’m freezing, and…

And I’ve been standing here for ten minutes, looking out at the end of the dock, waiting for my “bride-to-be.”

Every few seconds, one of my friends turns around, looking for her, too.

No one says a word, but I know what they’re thinking, because I’m thinking it, too.She’s changed her mind.

Maybe I went about it the wrong way. Maybe I didn’thearwhat she was trying to tell me. Sure, I listened, but maybe I should’ve?—

One of the girls gasps, and I lift my eyes toward the end of the dock. I can make out an outline of a body, but that’s basically it. I stand taller, my nerves suddenly shot. But then another body appears, and then another, and behind me, Logan says, out loud, what I’m thinking. “What the fuck?”

The people approach, and once they’re close enough to make out their appearance, my shoulders drop again. “Mom?”

She waits until she’s right in front of me, her eyes scanning me from head to toe. “Kayla called and told us to come down here… directly to the dock. She said something good andbigwas happening.” She looks around, at the lights and the candles and the fake trees in makeshift vases, and then back at me. Then she runs a hand over my suit while my dad and sister, Julie, stop behind her. “What’s going on?” she asks, even though I can see in her eyes that she already knows the answer to her question.

I smile. It feels forced, though I know it shouldn’t be. This is, after all, exactly whatIwanted. “I’m getting married, Ma.”

The pain in her eyes has me looking away. “Oh.”

“I know,” I mumble. “I’m sorry.” It’s not as if my mom is one of those types who needs to be involved in every aspect of my life, but… I’m her only son, and this is my only wedding. She helped me pick out the engagement ring and cried when I bought it, because she knew how much Kayla would love it.

I don’t know.

I guess giving her a little heads-up would’ve been nice.

“This is what you want?” she asks, and I force myself to look at her.

She’s on the verge of tears, and I can’t decipher the reasoning.

I push past the pain in my chest and take her hand in mine, squeezing once. “Yes, I want tomarryher.” It’s all I’ve wanted for so long.

“Then that’s all that matters,” Dad says, speaking for the first time since they got here. “We want what you want, and we’re happy for you, son.”

He offers me his hand, and I shake it. “Thanks, Dad.” Then I hug my mom, followed by my sister.

My friends have already moved seats, leaving the front row for my family while the guys stand at the back. As soon as my family is seated, music plays through speakers somewhere around us, and I look up just in time to see Kayla step onto the dock. She’s in the same clothes she was in before, but now she’s covered in sheer white fabric, and she’s holding a bouquet of plastic branches. The veil covers her face, so I can’t see her clearly, but I already know she’s beautiful.

She always is.

I suck in a breath, my shoulders rising with the action, and wait the few seconds it takes for her to get to me.

“Hi,” I say.

“Hi,” she responds.

---