“No,” he says. “But I’m working on it.” Leaning in, he kisses me again, then pulls away to stare down at me.
“On one condition,” I say with a smile.
“Oh?”
“You teach me to swim.”
He pulls away slightly. I can see the hesitation on his face, the concern that I’m jumping right into the deep end. Truthfully, that’s exactly what I’m doing. But I trust him not to let me drown.
“Are you sure?” he asks. “You can give it some time.”
“I’m sure. I don’t want to live in fear anymore. I want to find my way back too.”
Dylan cups my cheeks, then leans down to kiss me again. “I’ll get the floaties ordered.” He smiles against my mouth, and I laugh, some of the weight lessening on my shoulders.
“Good.”
“I love you, Emma,” he says softly. Though he’s spoken the words before, as he says them this time, I feel a bit of the brokenness within me coming back together.
“I love you too, Dylan.”
Epilogue: Emma
“How do I look?” Turning toward Talia, Ruth, and Harlow, I lower both hands down at my sides. Their eyes fill with tears as they look at me.
“Oh, honey, you look so beautiful!” Talia exclaims, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.
“The picture of beauty,” Ruth agrees.
Harlow steps forward and smiles. “She would have loved to see you like this.”
“Wearing white?”
“Happy,” Harlow counters. Reaching into the pocket of her dress slacks, she withdraws a single silver cross on a chain and offers it to me. “This was hers. She gave it to me on one of the worst nights of my life, and told me that, even when things got rocky, I needed to cling to Him. I didn’t listen, but I’m learning.” She moves around behind me and drapes the cross around my neck, then fastens it.
My eyes fill as I reach up and touch it.
Neither my mother nor my birth mother could be here, but I believe they’re both watching. Just like my father is. I hope they’re standing there, staring down, proud of who I am today.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“You’re welcome.” She takes a deep breath. “Now, I’m going to go sit out there before I lose all of my makeup, okay?”
“Okay.”
She takes my hand and squeezes a moment, then turns to leave.
“Whew, I am going to be red-faced when I walk down that aisle if I’m not careful.”
“You’re beautiful,” Talia says.
“I’ll go let Connor know we’re ready,” Ruth whispers, then kisses my cheek and leaves the room.
“Are you happy?”
“So happy.”
It’s been six months since I last wore a white dress. Then, I’d been terrified of what was coming. Today, there’s not an ounce of fear in my heart. Because I know who’s waiting for me at the end of that aisle.
