Page 217 of Pucking Strong

“You really do,” says Nat.

Mama just shrugs. My sisters are all wearing cobalt-blue bridesmaid dresses in different styles to match their body types. But Mama’s dress is a soft slate blue with a sequined bodice and a chiffon skirt. It looks great with her darker skin tone.

“Granny, you look like a fairy princess,” Camila calls.

“Cam, go get Granny her corsage,” says Jay.

Camila bounces over to the table as Jayla sets down the last of the pins. “I can’t get this part to lie right,” she explains to mom.

“I got it,” she replies. “You go get dressed.”

Jayla hurries away, leaving us alone in the corner. Mom gets to work, fixing a few of the pins with deft fingers. “Are you ready for this, baby? Anything else you need?”

I smile at her reflection. “I’m fine, Mama. You’ve all taken such good care of me today.”

She just hums, moving another pin. “You know, when each of your sisters got married, there was only one question I asked them. I would have asked you too, but—”

“Ask me now,” I say over her. “This is my real wedding, Mama. The first one didn’t count. We did it the wrong way, even if we did it for the right reason.”

She glances over her shoulder to see Karolina in her flower girldress, laughing on the couch with Camila and Evie. Their faces are glowing, like three little angels in fluffy blue dresses. “I see that now,” she admits with a nod. “I see how right you are for them. You were made to make that little girl laugh, baby.”

I smile, tears filling my eyes. “So will you ask me?”

She purses her lips, fighting a smile. “Even if I already know your answer?”

“It’s tradition.” I fiddle with the clasp of my watch. It was Henrik’s wedding gift to me, my something new and blue. The lace appliques on my suit are old, taken from my sisters’ wedding dresses. The cream ribbon around my bouquet is borrowed, something we found in Petra’s old sewing box.

“Please ask me,” I say again. “It won’t feel like my wedding day if you don’t ask.”

“There,” she hums, lowering her hands from my finished hair to my shoulders. “You’re ready.”

Reaching up, I place my hand over hers on my shoulder, holding her gaze in the mirror. “Ask me, Mama.”

After a moment, she squeezes my shoulder. “Teddy baby, does he make you happy?”

Oh god, it didn’t feel real until this exact moment. I’m getting married today. Somewhere just outside that door, Henrik is waiting for me. The tears spill over as I smile. “Yeah, Mama. He does. He makes me so crazy happy.”

Sniffing, she blinks her own tears away. “Well, alright then.”

“Ugh, you two are gonna be the death of me,” Shae cries, sweeping forward to wrap her arms around Mom from behind.

“Teddy, we gotta get you dressed,” says Nat. “It’s game time, baby.”

I smile at my own reflection, heart skipping with joy to see all the faces of my family smiling with me. “Okay,” I say with a nod. “Yeah, let’s do this. Let’s get me married.”

“Are you ready, my friend?” Lindberg asks in Swedish, patting me on the back. Ilmari and Novy stand just behind him in matching black tuxedos.

The music changes, and I nod, folding my hands dutifully before me. We’re standing next to an altar, draped in spring flowers. I look out on the sea of white chairs set at the edge of this nature preserve. Trees tower behind us, making the natural beauty of the woods our sanctuary.

Teddy’s dream was always to be married on a forest’s edge at twilight. And my Teddy gets what he wants. When it comes to this second wedding, I’ve denied him nothing. Everyone from the team is here, including their children and partners. The support staff and their families are here too, even some of the volunteers who work at the arena. An old lady named Marjorie shuffled up to me moments ago and offered me a butterscotch candy.

I scan the crowd and see all the familiar faces of Teddy’s other family and friends, including Colin, the PT for the Jaguars, and Doctor Brady and his husband, an imposing man with a thick mustache and scars on his face. Seated near them are the rest of the Prices and the Langleys. Ryan catches my eye and waves, giving me a thumbs-up. Tess sits on the end of the aisle, holding up a tablet. My parents have joined us via video call. She turns the tablet so I can see them and wave.

The crowd sighs with delight as the flower girls make their way down the aisle, led by Karolina in a pretty blue dress. Her hair is acrown of curls. Teddy’s nieces, Camila, Evie, and Desiree, follow behind her, sprinkling their white rose petals on the soft grass. As the oldest, Desiree holds Evie’s hand, keeping her from darting away.

Karolina hurries the last third of the way down the aisle to my side. I duck down and pull her to me, kissing her cheek. “Well done, mitt lamm. Now, go sit with Hanna, ja?” I point to Hanna sitting at the end of the first row. She smiles and pats the empty seat next to her. Karolina goes to her, taking the hand of her cousin Camila to bring her along.

The music changes again, and Teddy’s sisters slowly make their way down the aisle. Each of them chose a different style of dress in the same color blue. Natalie winks as she passes me first. Jayla is already crying. Shae is the last down the aisle. She stops before me. “You’ll be good to my baby brother?”

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