Page 121 of Honeymoon Phase
I push back from the table, needing some air because no matter how many times I say that in my head, it still sends me into a mini panic. “I’m going to get the dessert.”
“Can you wait a second on that, Addison?” Johanna asks from her place at the end of the table. She stands up from her seat between Trista and Edith and holds her glass up. “I feel like I’m doing a lot of toasts these days.” She eyes Trista and Wyatt, rubbing her hand on Trista’s back affectionately. “I don’t love doing them, but I know Steven would if he could so...”
Everyone’s smiles twitch as she sighs heavily, staring into her wineglass. “It’s an accomplishment to fall in love with another person. To open your heart and decide to let someone in. It puts you at great risk of being hurt because, well... your heart is open. It’s more vulnerable and that can feel scary.”
Her hand trembles so she brings her other up to steady it. “Luckily, you two kids started off as friends, so your hearts opened to each other slowly over time. You always knew it was in safe hands. Which is why none of us were really that shocked to find out you got married on a whim without telling anyone first.”
The table laughs and Luke squeezes my hand, kissing it again. God, this all feels real.
“But I’m real glad to have tomorrow to celebrate the two of you,” Johanna continues. “This wedding has given me the opportunity to get to know you more, Addison, and it is painfully obvious why it was so easy for my Luke to fall in love with you. You are salt-of-the-earth goodness, honey, and I’m thankfulyou see in my son what I’ve always seen. His big, open heart. To Addison and Luke.”
“To Addison and Luke!” Everyone cheers and clinks glasses.
My dad holds his drink up to me, catching my eyes for a long moment before I feel Luke’s hand on my cheek as he turns me toward him.
He presses his lips to mine in a sweet, soulful kiss that I lean into, prolonging the contact because in some strange way, it feels like the first real kiss I’ve had with him. My heart is open too now. It’s as vulnerable as Johanna said. And somewhere along the way, I’ve given it to him completely and I hope he’s given me his in return.
“Okay, guys!” Everly claps her hands, ripping us from our moment. “The officiant texted and she’s on her way up the mountain so we can head outside to do the rehearsal now. Bundle up, it’s going to be cold.”
I move to glance out the window and Everly sidesteps to block my view. “Not yet! I need a ten-minute head start so, Luke... control your woman.”
Luke laughs as Everly throws on her coat and runs outside with Jo to greet the person in charge of the service tomorrow.
“Quite the ordeal,” my dad murmurs under his breath as he slips his work coat on and zips it up to his chin.
“They all mean well.” I glance over to Luke, who’s waiting at the front door for me.
“I’m not saying it like it’s a bad thing. This is all very nice.” He offers me a crooked smile as he helps Edith with her coat. “I’m happy for you, Addie.”
“Me too, sweetie,” Edith confirms as she wraps her arm around my dad and smiles warmly at me.
I stare at the two of them holding each other, finding each other even later in life than I’m sure they wanted. But they just work. It’s plain as day and I’m happy for them. I’m happy theyhave each other. Edith is good for my dad, and he deserves it after all the pain he’s suffered. His suffering has been greater than mine in many ways. He lost a wife, a son, and became a single father all in one horrific night. It’s a wonder he’s even allowed himself to find love again at all.
Without thinking too much about it, I attack them both with a hug that clearly shocks them as they harrumph in stereo into my ears. Their bodies tense with surprise, but Edith catches up to the moment quickly as she squeezes me back, her sniffles echoing in my ears while my dad begrudgingly accepts the forced affection. It’s not the most elegant of embraces, but if my old man can soften up enough to accept love, then surely I can too.
“Alright, alright. Don’t get all soft on me.” He huffs out an awkward noise and wiggles himself free.
Edith’s smile is grateful, and I feel excited about the future of our relationship now. So much has changed, and I hope this means only good things to come for our family.
My dad nods toward the door, ignoring my tears. “Let’s go see what all the fuss is about. They probably flew in fucking penguins or some crazy shit.”
I can’t wipe the smile off my face as I hold Luke’s arm, and we shuffle out into the cold, boots crunching over the snow-packed driveway toward the yellow lights shining just past the tent that’s all closed and dark. According to Everly, I don’t get to see that space until tomorrow. The girl seems to be running the show now that she’s here and I wonder what we’d do without her.
“Whoa,” Luke says, stopping us in our tracks. “This is beautiful.”
I inhale sharply as I take in the sight of where our ceremony is happening tomorrow, positioned directly in front of the memorial bench of Luke’s father like we’d planned. It’s the perfect lookout point on Fletcher Mountain, and it feels as if it was meant for exactly this kind of setup. And what a setup it is.
Yellow twinkle lights illuminate several white chairs lined up neatly in the snow with an aisle down the middle framed with garlands and glowing lanterns. The city of Jamestown glows at the base of the canyon walls, just below the captivating view of the starlit winter sky.
Everly and Johanna appear before us, smiling ear to ear. “Everything is lit with LED lights because Uncle Wyatt is a freak about open flames up here,” Everly says, nudging her uncle.
“Eighty-five percent of forest fires start because of careless humans,” Wyatt grouses.
“Yeah, yeah, we got it,” Everly murmurs, side-eyeing me.
“Do you guy like it?” Jo asks, turning around to stand beside me and take it in from my vantage point.
“I love it,” I reply, moving toward her to give her a hug. “You knocked it out of the park, Jo... and Everly, I suspect.”
