So, I let him free.
“Thank you for that, Jackson,” he said to me, his voice low.
“Always and always.”
55
Grace
“Am I supposed to be panicking like this? I don’t know if I’m supposed to be panicking like this.” I swarmed in my dress. “I look fat, don’t I?” I asked Judy. Then, I turned to Mama. “Do I look fat?”
“You look beautiful,” a person remarked.
I turned to the door and saw Mike standing there, leaning on the doorframe. “Sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt, but I’m just doing my rounds. I know you’re on a tight timeline, but I was wondering if I could steal you for a minute to give you something?” he asked me.
I smoothed out my dress, the nerves still strong in my stomach. “Yes, of course.”
He held his hand out to me, and I took his hold.
“So, I know the saying is something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue,” Mike remarked as we walked down the hallway, stepping through a set of doors that led us outside. “But I figured pink would work just fine.”
In front of us was a car.
Not just any car, but my car. My pink Rosie with a big bow on top of it. “Mike,” I breathed out. “What…”
“It took a lot of time,” he told me, shrugging his shoulders. “And a lot of the parts are new, but I figured after all I put you through, I could at least fix your car.”
I walked over to it and ran my fingers across the hood. “It’s beautiful. I cannot even thank you enough for this.”
“You don’t have to,” he told me. “You saved my son, and in saving him, you saved me. You are the most graceful woman on this planet, and we are so lucky to know you.”
I pulled him into a hug and held on tight. “I’m glad you’re here today, Mike.”
The words hit him hard because he knew the meaning. There were so many roads that could’ve led to Mike not being around to celebrate his son’s wedding day, yet he was standing beside me. We all made it through the storm.
We all felt the sun.
“Want to know a secret?” he asked.
“What’s that?”
He smiled a smile just like his son’s and sniffled a bit as he stared my way. “I always wanted a daughter.”
We headed back into the building and crossed paths with my father, who seemed to be on a search to find me. “Grace, there you are. It’s time to get this ball rolling.” He looked up to Mike, and for a split second, there was tension.
The two men who loved the same woman stood face to face.
The silence at that moment was so loud, but then magic happened.
At that moment, they chose me over their own struggles.
Mike held his hand out to Dad. “Congratulations today,” he expressed.
“You too,” Dad replied shaking his hand.
And my heart exploded with love.
Dad looped his arm with mine, and I looped mine with his. “Are you ready, Buttercup?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
We walked down the aisle, and I smiled as I saw Jackson standing there waiting for me. He smiled my way, and I smiled back. He cried, and I cried back. He was everything I never knew I always wanted.
“Hi,” he whispered.
“Hi,” I replied.
“You look beautiful.” He grinned, wiping at his eyes as he took my hands into his. “You are so beautiful.”
We didn’t drop hands as the ceremony took place, and when it came time for our vows, I smiled as Jackson began to deliver his to me.
“I lost my first tooth when I was six years old. I can’t pat my head and rub my stomach at the same time. I hate pickles unless they are on burgers.” Oh, my heart. Jackson Paul and his random facts. He squeezed my hands as his words grew more serious. “The first time I saw you, I thought you were beautiful. The first time I held you, I didn’t want to let go. The first time you kissed me, I knew I was yours. You are the definition of everything pure in this world. You taught me what love is. What it looks, feels, and tastes like. You taught me how to be my best self. You taught me that my struggles aren’t flaws; they are just part of what makes me whole. So, today, I give you the random facts of our future. I promise I will show up each day, even when it’s hard. I will breathe life into you whenever you need me. I will be your best friend, your person. I will love you in every way, shape, and form. I will give my all to you because you are my world.” He took a deep breath. “You are my whole world, and I will never stop loving you. That’s what I promise you, Gracelyn Mae. I promise you, me.”
I inhaled deep and exhaled slow. “And I promise you, me.”
* * *
That night, we sat in the middle of the field in front of Hannah’s Art Studio—me still in my gown and Jackson still in his suit. We missed the sunset, but we were lucky enough to witness the stars that danced over us.
Our lives were whole.
Maybe we wouldn’t have children. Maybe we wouldn’t travel the world. Maybe we’d never be rich. Perhaps we’d live in a small house on the outskirts of an unknown town, and our lives would still be whole because our love was enough.
No matter what life shot our way, we were the winners of our story because we held onto one another through every storm.
With him, I was complete.
With him, I found forever.
“This is too good,” he warned me. His voice was low and timid as I sat in his lap with my legs wrapped around his waist. “How do we keep this? How do we keep this feeling from fading?”
“We keep choosing this,” I told him, placing my forehead against his. “You and me. We keep showing up for one another. Choose me today, and I’ll choose you tomorrow.”
“Always and always?” he whispered, brushing his lips against mine as I felt chills race over me.
I nodded slowly, so sure, so certain as I spoke so gently our greatest truth.
“And always.”
The End.
The Elements Series by Brittainy C. Cherry
ALL STANDALONE NOVELS WITH NO INTERCONNECTED CHARACTERS! ENJOY TODAY!
The Air He Breathes
The Fire Between High & Lo
The Silent Waters
The Gravity of Us
Also by Brittainy C. Cherry
Loving Mr. Daniels
Art & Soul
The Space in Between
Our Totally, Ridiculous, Made-Up Christmas Relationship
Behind the Bars
About the Author
Brittainy C. Cherry is an Amazon #1 Bestselling Author who has always been in love with words. She graduated from Carroll University with a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing. Brittainy lives in Brookfield, Wisconsin. When she’s not running a million errands and crafting stories, she’s probably playing with her adorable pets or traveling to new places.
* * *
CONNECT WITH BRITTAINY:
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WEBSITE: www.bcherrybooks.com
Acknowledgments
This book is for the mothers who’ve had to say goodbye too soon. I see you, I hear you, and I honor your hearts with wings. You are the strongest individuals alive, and I’m blown away by your strength, your ability to love, and your ability to not quit on life.
This book is for my family. The people who hold me up when I feel like falling apart. My always and always. My heart and soul. I am the luckiest woman to be a part of the best tribe around.
This book is for my friends who understand me disappearing from time to time into the writing cave. Thank you for loving me and allowing me to go writer mode every now and then.
This book is for Staci Hart, who created a beautiful cover once again.
This b
ook is for the betas who didn’t give up on me. Talon, Christy, and Tammy…you saved this story. Thank you for reading a million drafts and not killing me.
This book is for the editors and proofreaders who moved and shifted when I had to change my deadlines. Who showed up when I felt as if I were a failure. Who stood by my side regardless of anything. Caitlin, Ellie, Jenny, and Virginia: you have no clue how much you mean to me. Thank you for being a part of my team.
This book is for my agent, Flavia: You changed my life. I adore you.
This book is for the man who held me during my panic attacks and told me it would be all right. The man who makes me laugh when I feel like crying. The man who lets me ‘win’ at games, even though I really almost always lose. The one who taught me that not all guys are the same. The one who makes me smile the kind of smiles where my cheeks hurt while my heart skips a few beats. The one who always gives me butterflies. The one who made me believe in love stories once again.
This book is for any and every person who has ever felt lost in their lives. It’s for anyone whose world has been flipped upside down. For anyone who has been broken down, but didn’t give up. You deserve to find your way once more. You deserve to re-introduce your heart to your soul. You’re not broken because of a few missteps. You are not a failure because of some mistakes. You are human. You are growing, learning, evolving, and that is extraordinary.
You. Are. Extraordinary.
Thank you for reading.
Thank you for zooming in on me.
Thank you for seeing my flaws, and somehow calling them beautiful.
I love each and every one of you.
Always and always.
Brittainy C. Cherry, Disgrace
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