Page 81 of Bittersweet

There will be muffins though, because they’re herfavorite.

And she’smine.

Epilogue

ROMY

Dear lovers,

When planning your wedding, it’s good to start early. Leaving things till the last minute can result in disappointment and rob you of the joy you deserve on your specialday.

Sometimes, though, things that don’t go according to plan make the best plans of all. Sometimes, you may think you want something in life, only to discover that you want somethingelse.

When I started this blog, all I wanted was to get married. It was like a benchmark for success in my life—one I couldn’t seepast.

Now, I’m not married, but I have something else. I have a man who loves me. I have a little girl who’ll need someone like me in her future, and I can’t wait to be there for her when she does. For now, I’m content with giving her all the love she could ever want, and a new member of her family. She doesn’t know it yet, but she will soon be hearing the pitter-patter of littlefeet.

I’m starting a new era in my life, and while I’ll always love weddings, love, and you, my beautiful readers, I love my man, my little girl, and myself, too. And nothing’s more important thanthat.

Love,

Romy

IhitSubmit on the blog post.Done.

Leaning down, I ruffle the fur of the Labrador’s neck. I can’t wait to introduce this little guy toCoco.

I swivel in my new office chair and stare at the boxes in Elio’s room—ourroom—that I’ve yet to unpack. There are a few pieces of clothing that I still have to hang in the closet, but there’s one that just doesn’t belong here. My wedding dress. I hop up off the chair and walk to the bed. Unzipping the white protective covering, I pull out the dress that I’d planned to wear while marrying Jeremy and decide I can’t stand the sight of it. I mean . . . crystals and a train?What the hell was Ithinking?

This dress isn’t me. This dress is the girl I wanted to be, but as I crumple up several thousand dollars’ worth of fabric, failed hopes and dreams, I realize that girl is long gone, and this dress needs to gotoo.

Fueled by excitement, I grab my phone and head downstairs, followed closely by an over-excited puppy whose teeth nip at the gown in my hands as it trails across the floor. Apparently, my mood is contagious. I hurry through the kitchen, collecting one more necessary supply from the junk drawer—matches. Elio and Coco will be back from the store soon with hot dogs to grill, but I have otherplans.

My phone buzzes with a message, and I swipe to openit.

Emma:We’re still on for this barbecue tomorrow night,right?

Ha.I head out onto the deck and empty the bottle of lighter fluid on the coals. I kiss the dress goodbye, throw it on the Webber, light the match, and watch it burn. Laughter bubbles up my throat as I snap a few pictures on my phone.These will make an awesome blog post. And Emma will lose it when she finds out what I’vedone.

I tap out a quick reply to her text frombefore.

Romy:About that barbecue . . . we may want to eatout.

Emma:That’s what shesaid!

Romy:Get your mind out of the gutter. I’ll pick you up atsix.

Emma:I thought you wanted me to try Elio’ssausage?

Romy:*glares atyou*

Emma:Okay, okay! Mind out of the gutter. See you tomorrow,killjoy.

Smiling, I grab the bottle of lighter fluid, snatch up the puppy, and head into the kitchen. Elio and Coco come around the corner and the little girlscreams.

“Womy got apuppy?”

Her daddy’s eyes are wide with what I’m sure is shock, but they’re not focused on the new addition to the family—they’re focused on the fire behindme.

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