I really liked the sound of that.
CHAPTER 34
AVRIL
It washard to imagine life without wedding planning. Even beyond the year and a half I’d planned for the wedding, I had spent over adecadebrainstorming ideas for it.
I thought I would feel a sense of loss, but there was just relief.
It was done, and I didn’t have to do it anymore.
No more planning. No more spreadsheets.
A weight that I didn’t even know I had was off my shoulders, and now all I wanted to do was relax… and I’d come to the perfect place for it.
I was lying on silky smooth hotel sheets in a five-star honeymoon suite. It was an actual four-poster bed with a sheer canopy—I’d only seen one of those in movies before. Through the slit in the canopy, I could see all the way to the window, to the view of the Kohala and the Kohala coast.
David was in the shower, washing off the flight, as he’d called it. So I had the bed all to myself. I did my best to sprawl like a starfish and take up every corner.
This was exactly what I needed after all of that planning. Ideservedthe world’s most decadent naptime right now.
My phone’s buzzing interrupted my sleepy vibes.
I sighed, leaning over to the dresser to find out who dared to disturb my slumber. Then I swiped to accept the video immediately when I saw it was from my Momma Rain.
As soon as the call went through, my screen lit up with my Momma looking serene, smiling peacefully in the hospital bed. She looked perfect, even after going through labor and all that went into popping out a miniature and screaming little human.
“Hey, my sweetest love. I’m sorry that we couldn’t stay for the reception.” Momma Rain sighed.
“It’s not your fault my newest sibling was being demanding and wanted to come out early.” I smiled at her.
Iactuallyhad all of my family there for the wedding ceremony—like I’d always dreamed. With how crazy my family could get, I thought it would take a miracle for all of them to be in one spot for long enough to make it happen.
I was sure as soon as my ex showed up that everything would fall apart. But no, my dads came back, and David got everything back on track just in the nick of time.
For my wedding ceremony, I had every single person I cared about around me. Every single one of them was there to watch me declare my commitment to the love of my life.
I didn’t realize until the moment I said my vows how much it meant to me to have all of my family there. I hadn’t realized how much it had meant to me.
Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.
Sure, it was a bit of a bummer that my parents couldn’t be there for the reception, but I’d always figured that it was likely thatsomethingwould happen, and I would miss someone.
But for the part that mattered the most to me, everyone was there. That was a win in my book.
“Do you want to meet him?” The camera shifted, revealing a squished little baby face. My newest sibling had little fists rightunder his face like the little guy was ready for a fight. “Here he is. Meet your brother, Blaze.”
He had a tuft of red hair sticking up like a flame.
He was little and fierce and adorable, and I loved him immediately—though I was still on board with slipping birth control pills into my moms’ morning coffee.
“Who named him?”
“Your Pa Nix named him. He said it was because he was on fire to arrive, coming almost three weeks before his due date and all that.” Momma Rain shifted the phone back to herself, chuckling at my dads’ antics.
“I’m so glad to see you.” My Momma Rain was everything. Strong and beautiful, always made time for all her kids.
It was so good to see that she was doing okay. Especially after watching all my dads stressing about this pregnancy.
