Page 41 of Born for Starlight

"I do," Adam said again, when the laughing died down. "I want that on the record before anything else. I do, yes, forever, done. But I want to say the rest, because you deserve the rest out loud." He had her hands in his and he was getting ready to say something from the heart.

"Zoe. I want to marry you more than I have ever wanted anything. And it's more than that. I want to walk beside you always. I want to protect that big heart of yours, the one you hide behind the smart mouth, and I want to be your soft place to land on the days the world doesn't deserve you. I love your claws. I love the blue in your hair. I love that you never once tried to be easier than you are." He stopped, and steadied, and went on. "Before you, I had a house and a boy and a life I was managing. You walked in and it stopped being managed and started being lived. And I cannot wait to raise James with you. He picked you first, you know. He's always been smarter than me."

Zoe stood there with her jaw working, fighting it, losing.

Then she turned to the officiant.

"Well, since apparently we're doing this freestyle now."

"By all means," the officiant said, clearly a man who knew when to step aside.

"Adam Beckett." She turned back and took a breath. "I was born in this town. Everybody sitting behind me has known me my whole life. They watched me scrape my knees on that road out there, they know every dumb thing I did in junior high school, and about six of them are holding back stories right now that had better stay held back." A ripple of laughter, and more than six guilty faces.

"My whole story was already written here. Everyone knew it. I knew it. And then you rescued me and moved to town with a little boy and a serious face. It turns out the best part of my story was a plot twist." Her voice went rough. "You're steady, and I used to think steady was boring, and God help me, it took you to teach me that steady is everything. Steady is what you build on. You're my home in my hometown, and I didn't even know I was missing one."

She crouched down in front of James. "And you, little man. I'm not just marrying your dad today. You're mine now. That's forever. That's the deal."

"I know," James said, matter-of-fact, like she'd told him water was wet.

Half the town was gone by then. Chloe was openly crying. Beside me Angelica had tears running freely and made no move to stop them, and I kept looking forward, because looking at her right then was more than I could handle.

"The rings," the officiant managed.

"Is it my turn?" James asked.

"It's your turn, buddy," Adam said.

James reached into his pocket with tremendous ceremony and produced a toy dinosaur.

He stared at it. The town started laughing again. It was clear everyone needed it after the tears.

"Wrong pocket." He stuffed the dinosaur back, went to the other one, and came out with both rings held up in his fist. He handed them over to his dad, his smile a cross between proud and smug.

Zoe and Adam exchanged the rings. The officiant, sensing his window, cut straight to the close. "Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may⁠—"

"NOW it's okay!" James's voice rang out over the entire assembly. "You can kiss! ’Cause Bella said so!"

The officiant closed his book, gestured at the couple, and gave up with dignity.

Adam kissed his wife while the whole town came off its chairs.

The quartet swung into something bright, and the couple came back up the aisle married. Adam bent mid-stride without breaking it and swung James up onto his shoulders.

"CAKE!" James shouted from the top of the world, both fists in the air. "WE GET CAKE NOW!"

Behind them the wedding party paired off and followed. Trenda on Simon's arm. Evie and the big blond man, who had somehow acquired both of his sons and was carrying the little one sideways like luggage. Maddie and some guy I didn’t recognize. Chloe and Zarek, who held his wife like something he'd once nearly lost. Then Piper, on the arm of Ford Larson, who winked at a redheaded woman in the fourth row as he passed and got an eye roll that had unbreakable love in it. Last came Bella, collected by a grinning Walker Larson, who offered his arm like a gentleman and got a curtsy for it.

"Walker Larson," Angelica whispered. "Ford's brother. Bella requested him personally. She had a list."

"Of course, she had a list."

Then it was rows of the town on their feet, and Lettie crying into a handkerchief, and Little Grandma beside me clapping her small hands, and Angelica pressed against my other side, laughing and wrecked and beautiful beyond bearing.

"I built that," she said.

"You built that."

She looked up at me, eyes shining. Whatever was in my face made hers go soft, and she took my arm. I carefully took Little Grandma’s arm as well and the three of us filed out into the gold afternoon with the rest of the town, toward the barn and the reception and the night.