“It’s our wedding, we can do whatever we want, right my love?” Griff asks as he holds his hand out to me.
I turn and give my dad the biggest squeeze and he kisses my forehead before shaking Griff’s hand and bringing him in for an embrace.
Before I turn to face Griff, I place my bouquet on the chair sitting beside me with Katie’s picture on it. I promised her she would have the best seat in the house, and I reserved my maid-of-honor spot for her.
I face my groom and want to pinch myself to be sure this is real. I’m holding hands at the end of an aisle with Griffin Turner, about to exchange vows to spend the rest of our lives together.
Bennett begins the ceremony, and before I know it, it’s my turn to exchange our vows. I look into Griffin’s eyes, which look more caramel than chocolate-brown in the summer sun.
“Griff, you told me once that you wanted all my truths.” I pause to take a deep breath.
He nods in response, giving my left hand a squeeze of encouragement.
“Here are the truths I know in my heart today. I don’t love you the same as I did when I told you my first, second, or third truths. And I won’t love you the same way I do today as I will when I tell you my last. I will never get over your devastating dimples. I will never get over seeing you with our daughter.”
“And our future babies,” he interrupts. Causing laughter to ring out amongst the guests.
“I want to continue to be each other’s biggest cheerleaders in every aspect of our lives. I have chosen the best lifelong teammate in you. There will be times when I’m sure you’ll push my buttons, and I won’t be able to put up with your antics. There will be hard times, but I know we can get through them together. We’ve weathered the hardest storms apart, but we’ve learned we’re stronger together. I love you endlessly, Griffin Owen Turner. Forever is just the start, baby.”
Griff’s megawatt smile is electric when he hears the term of endearment again. Unable to help himself, he leans in for a kiss before Bennett gives him a stern look.
He straightens up and begins his vows. “McKenna Marie almost-Turner.” I shake my head and chuckle at him. “To some, it may seem like we’ve jumped the gun—skipped a few important steps to get here today—but to those, I would say they don’t know a thing about us. Elvis may have been on to something, because I couldn’t help falling in love with you. I don’t think I could’ve resisted even if I wanted to. From the first time I chased after you when we were only kids, to watching you walk down the aisle today, it’s always been you, Sunshine. You’re woven into my soul—my innermost being. Without you, I was a shell of a man. With you and Cadence, I am home. Each day is brighter. Each breath is easier to breathe. Each night with you in my arms is the best night’s sleep. I love you today, I’ll love you tomorrow, and I’ll love you always.”
Tears fill my eyes. I know today is just the start of our next chapter, and I can’t wait to see what this life has in store for the three of us.
Griffin - Five Years Later
It feels like only a few days ago Kenna was waking me up, bouncing on our bed, cheering excitedly that the pregnancy test she took was finally positive.
We’d been trying for baby number two for about ten months prior to getting pregnant. Our struggle this time around was somewhat shocking, considering how Cadence was conceived. But after running tests, our doctor told us it was likely due to Kenna’s endometriosis causing irregular cycles. We were a month away from our first attempt at IUI when Kenna took the positive test.
We’re just walking into our twenty-week ultrasound. Kenna and I get to see our baby today, and there’s not a chance in hell we’re not finding out the gender.
I’ve never been so happy as I have been in the past five months. My caretaker gene has been fully activated, and I’m loving every second of it. Well, aside from watching Kenna get sick repeatedly every day. I guess I didn’t realize before this pregnancy that morning sickness didn’t happen strictly in the morning.
And then there’s the horrible cravings. I’m talking horrendous. Carson tried to warn me when we told him we were pregnant, but I didn’t think it’d be this bad.
“Have fun, G. Just wait until she asks you to make her over-easy eggs with pickle slices and hot sauce in the middle of the night,” Carson says.
I scrunch my face in horror.
“Yeah.” He scoffs. “It's even more disgusting than it sounds.” He visibly shakes, and I don’t blame him.
“My sweet Cadeygirl was subjected to that horrible food in the womb?” I ask incredulously.
“That might not even have been the worst of it. Honestly, a hangry and hormonal Mack is not one to be messed with.”
Carson wasn’t wrong—that wasn’t the worst of it. The other day, Kenna was dead set on eating a tuna and peanut butter sandwich. I tried to stop the madness, but there was no reasoning with her.
A few minutes after Kenna has checked in, her name is called and we’re escorted to an exam room with an ultrasound machine and TV on the wall.
After Cadence’s complicated pregnancy and birth, Kenna wanted to stay with Dr. Bahati since she knew her background.
Dr. Bahati knocks before opening the door and asking, “How are we doing today, Mom and Dad?”
“We’re doing good; excited to see our little one,” Kenna replies.
“If you don’t have any questions for me, let’s get to it.”
