Page 32 of Pounded in the Patch
Yes. I nod at him, trying so hard to hold back my emotions.
God, yes.
The officiant turns to me expectantly, and I pull out my own folded paper, though my hands are shaking so badly I can barely unfold it.
Okay, Sera. Don't cry. Don't completely lose it in front of four hundred people.
Just tell him how you feel.
"Luke," I begin, my voice tight. "When people ask me what makes our love special, I tell them it's because you don't just listen to what I say—you pay attention to what makes my eyes light up. You notice the little things that bring me joy, and somehow you turn those moments into the most incredible surprises," I continue, relaxing slightly. "You have this gift for taking something I mentioned loving and creating an experience around it that's beyond anything I could have imagined."
Like turning a conversation about a book into the most elaborate proposal in history.
"Most men would say 'I love you' with flowers or jewelry," I say, my voice growing stronger. "But you say 'I love you' by creating entire worlds where we can make the most beautiful memories together. You've shown me that love isn't just about finding someone who accepts you as you are—it's about finding someone who sees your dreams and makes them bigger and more beautiful than you ever thought possible."
I pause to wipe the tears from my eyes before they have a chance to fall down my face.
"I promise to keep dreaming big with you, to never stop believing in the magic you create for us," I continue. "I promise to match your creativity with my own adventures, to surprise you as much as you surprise me."
"And I promise to love your generous, thoughtful, wonderfully romantic heart exactly as it is," I finish. "Because a man whoturns ordinary moments into fairy tales is exactly the kind of man I want to spend forever with."
Forever in whatever beautiful madness we create together.
The rest of the ceremony passes in a blur of rings and kisses and "I do's" and finally,finally, the words I've been waiting to hear:
"You may kiss your bride."
Luke's kiss is soft and sweet and full of promise, nothing like the desperate, claiming kisses from our night in the pumpkin patch. This is different—this is the kiss of a man who knows he has forever to love me, who doesn't need to rush because I'm never going anywhere.
When we finally break apart, the winter wonderland erupts in cheers and applause. Snow continues to fall from overhead and the fairy lights twinkle around us like something magical and ethereal.
We did it.
We're married.
As we make our way back through the winter field—this time as husband and wife—I can't help but marvel at how perfect everything turned out. The same pathways that once filled me with terror are now filled with the laughter and congratulations of everyone we love. The same clearing where I once surrendered to a masked man is now the site of the most important moment of my life.
EPILOGUE 2
TO THE TREE FARM
Luke
Later that night.
The reception is winding down, and I can barely contain my excitement as I watch my wife—my wife—accept final congratulations from our guests. She looks radiant in her wedding dress, the lights from our winter wonderland catching in her hair and making her look like an absolute goddess.
Mrs. Seraphina Morrison.
I've been waiting for this moment all night—hell, I've been waiting for this moment for months. Ever since I started planning the Christmas tree farm, I've been dying to show it to her. The wedding was perfect, absolutely everything I hoped it would be, but this... this is what I'm really excited about.
My wedding gift to her.
The next chapter in our story.
The next world I've built for us to explore together.
She catches my eye across the reception tent and smiles that radiant smile that made me fall in love with her in the first place. I crook my finger at her, and she excuses herself from the conversation she's having with my aunt, making her way over to me with that graceful walk that always makes my heart skip.
