Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 137131 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137131 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
“How do you feel about wifey?”
“Hate it!” She wrinkles her nose and kisses me again.
We’re both laughing, though.
Only our second kiss as husband and wife.
Only our first morning on the edge of eternity.
It shouldn’t feel different, but it does.
That quiet inner voice whispers she’s mine now in every conceivable way. I can feel the ring on my finger, a promise written in gold.
In time, I know I’ll get used to it, but right now, I’m hyper-aware it’s there. Another physical reminder I have a wife.
I have a new life and she’s fucking it.
Cheers erupt around us.
Patton wraps his arms around us both. “I hope you guys are happy,” he says over the sound of loud whooping. That’s Colt. “Be gentle with him, Win, okay? He’s old.”
“Bastard,” I snarl.
Winnie grins at us.
“I’ll be careful,” she promises. “I used to help my grandpa with his walker so I have plenty of practice.”
“That’s it.”
And I grab my wife around the waist and haul her over my shoulder as she screams before I stride down the aisle through the happy crowd.
Someone’s taking photos and people shower us in flower petals. Her best friend Lyssie dumps a huge handful over Winnie’s head.
And Winnie laughs her sweet ass off, wiggling uncontrollably against my back.
This is heaven.
The moment I want to remember.
Somehow, I know that when I look back on this day, this will always be etched in my mind.
And even if I live long enough for a damn walker, I know it’ll still make me smile.
The pizza is amazing.
We hired caterers from the top pie shops in town to serve up a feast.
Mom thought it was a shame we settled for a fancy pizza party on our wedding day, but Winnie tells me she wouldn’t stand for anything else.
We spend the rest of the long, lazy afternoon dancing and laughing and playing party games.
Winnie squeals every time she finds Colt’s hidden bees.
It’s silly and carefree and every kind of awesome.
Then comes the last big moment of the day.
“Okay, people,” I say, coming to the front. “Can everyone pipe down a second?”
“Speech!” Patton calls from the back, clinking his glass. Arlo stands up in his lap and claps his hands, joining his old man in yelling, “Speech! Speech!” over and over.
Sigh.
“You heard my vows. That’s all the speech you’re getting today.”
Winnie holds up a champagne glass of her nonalcoholic cider and comes over to stand beside me.
“It’s not a speech,” she tells them. “We have news.”
I look at her, but it’s her announcement, and I know she wants to be the one to break it.
It’s only fair when she’ll be carrying the baby for the next eight months.
She smiles at everyone like they already know.
Letting her deliver the news was the right call. I slip my arm around her waist and look down at her, this tiny, beautiful, wild little honeybee I get to call my wife.
“So,” she says. “It’s really early yet, but I wanted to let you all know I’m pregnant.”
I think Mom screams first. Are my eardrums still intact?
Juniper grins and Salem whoops, bolting up and doing a little dance.
“Knew it,” Dexter calls. “It wouldn’t be Arch if he didn’t upstage me.”
“Get moving then,” I call back.
Teary, arms open wide for a hug, Mom comes racing toward us.
“Oh, my boy. Oh, I’m so happy for you,” she says in a choked voice. “For both of you, really. Congratulations! I’m the luckiest grandma in the world.”
After Mom’s done, Winnie and I both look at Colt.
We told him a few days ago, when we decided we’d announce it to the family, but we’d discussed the idea of siblings with him months ago. He told us it was fine, just as long as he wasn’t expected to ‘change diapers all the time or clean up gross barf.’
He’s not wrong.
But Winnie promised he’d get to do the fun big brother stuff like story time and building castles and spaceships. His eyes lit up and he clammed up fast.
He sees us looking and rolls his eyes, but when I hold out my arm, he comes and joins in the hug.
I think Winnie might be crying the hardest as we fall into this big family group hug.
One big Rory tribe.
“Hey, Winnie,” I say after a second. “I think there’s a bee in your hair.”
“Bee still,” Colt snickers. “That’s the worst one yet. But I promise it’s real, not one of mine.”