Safe Harbor (The Lake Trilogy, Book 3) (30 page)

“I’m a total mess, but it’s great,” he smiles.

“Mom seems to be doing pretty well.” Linda ushers us and centers us behind the doors. She’s closed them and seems to be waiting for the first song to finish and the second one to start.

“That’s because she’s preoccupied with all the wedding planning and coordinating. Come Sunday morning she’s going to be a mess, too,” he laughs.

“I hope so. It’s kind of nice being someone to be missed,” I tell him.

The doors open and Luke and I stand there, waiting for just a moment as Linda has instructed. When she cues us, we begin to walk slowly down the aisle
to Canon in D. I’m holding this paper plate with ribbons and bows from my bridal shower that Nana Grace made. Apparently it’s some kind of tradition to use this adorably sloppy makeshift bouquet at the rehearsal. There are huge bows and long ribbons hanging off of this flimsy plate, and I’m holding a stem of ribbons, trying to keep it up. I stare at it for a few seconds and smile. I love everything about it and think that maybe I’ll have this bouquet preserved rather than the one I’m carrying tomorrow.

Everyone is standing at the front of the chapel watching us as we pace ourselves
, pew by pew, to the music. “Not too slow, but not too fast”, I hear Linda shouting in a whispered voice. Claire is smiling with adoration, looking on as Luke walks his daughter, step by step, down the aisle. And even though this is just the rehearsal, she’s beginning to tear up, as are Gwen and Caroline.

I’m glad we chose to have the wedding in the smaller of the sanctuaries.
Our official guest list is barely going to fill four or five pews, but since Luke made an unofficial open invitation to the ceremony to the community, we may see 20 or so more romantics who just love a good wedding and happy ending to a story like Will’s and mine. It would also take me twice as long to walk the path to Will in the other sanctuary. I watch him standing there next to Pastor Bishop, his hands folded in front of him. He’s smiling and I feel a rush of warmth come over me. When Luke and I finally reach Will and the pastor, I feel Luke’s grip on me tighten. I squeeze his hand back and smile at him softly, telling him how much I love him.

“This is the part where I ask who gives this woman to be married to this man,” Pastor Bishop says to Luke. “Most fathers say
her mother and I do
.”

We never talked about it and I didn’t know the pastor would ask this, so I don’t know what Luke is going to say. He and Claire are my father and mother now, so I’m totally great with him taking the pastor’s suggestion.

“So I’ll start again, and you can answer however you’re going to answer.” Pastor Bishop clears his throat and begins again. ”Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”

“Her parents do,” Luke says.

Tears immediately fill my eyes. I look at Luke and he smiles, keeping his own tears at bay. He’s made sure that, in his own special way, my parents are a part of this day. He’s not kept them away, pretended that they don’t exist. He’s acknowledging that I have
four
parents who are giving their blessing to my future with Will. I can feel them with me. Even just in the sentiment of it, they’re here, and marrying Will somehow feels absolutely complete.

“Oh, Dad,” I say hugging him. “Thank you.”

Luke just smiles, afraid he’ll cry if he tries to speak. He shakes Will’s hand and then joins my hand with his before sitting with Claire.

“You ok?” Will asks, squeezing my hand.

“I’m perfect.”

Just as Pastor Bishop is about to begin the run through of what he’s going to say during the ceremony, his cell phone rings, surprising all of us because the ring tone is the sound of a baby crying.

“Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry. My wife is
very
pregnant and could go into labor any day now. This is her ring tone. She knows I’m here so it must be important. Excuse me for just one minute.” Slightly embarrassed, Pastor Bishop excuses himself to the back of the stage area.

“You’re sure you don’t want to write our own vows?” Will asks.

“We already did that in the gardens, and I loved that it was totally private. I’m completely happy with the very traditional wedding we have planned for tomorrow. How lucky could one girl be? I got to have two weddings!” I giggle and Will kisses my cheek. “Are you good with not writing our own vows?”

“I’m great. I agree
. We had our intimate garden wedding months ago. We’re getting the best of both worlds. And in the end, really, all that matters is that you’re my wife.”

“I’m so sorry about that.
Um…my wife is in labor. She’s having contractions and her sister is taking her to the hospital. Soooo…Yeah, we’re going to need to speed this up.” Pastor Bishop looks a little flushed and nervous.

“Is this your first baby?” I ask.

“Yeah…can you tell?” he says.

“It’s going to be great! Just give us the
Reader’s Digest version and I’m sure we can figure out the rest tomorrow,” I tell him.

“Ok. Awesome.
” He takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself and get his bearings “So, I’ll say something super spiritual about marriage, talk about how I’ve known Will forever, and say something sweet and kind about how you’re just the best thing that ever happened to him. Then I’ll ask if you take each other, you’ll both say I do, you’ll repeat your vows after me, I’ll ask for the rings, with this ring I thee wed, what God has joined together let no man separate, pronounce you husband and wife, and then you can kiss your bride. Any questions?”

“None.
Go have a baby,” Will tells him laughing, amazed at the precision and speed with which Pastor Bishop was able to give us the run-down of the ceremony.

With that, Pastor Bishop is rushing down the aisle in a blur of nervous excitement.

“That is so going to be you one day,” I smirk and nudge Will.

“Oh, we’re talking about kids now?” he asks smiling and nudging me back. “I thought you weren’t ready to talk about that yet.”

“I wasn’t then, and I’m not saying let’s name them now. I’m just saying that, in about five years, you’ll be the one rushing nervously from wherever you are to get to me.”

“I won’t be rushing anywhere because when you’re
that
pregnant I won’t let you out of my site. I’m not going to miss a second of that experience with you.”

“If you two are done making your birth plan, can we please go eat? I’m starving!” Tyler
chuckles as he comes between Will and me, ushering us back down the aisle with his arms draped over our shoulders.

We’re having the rehearsal dinner at Luke and Claire’s. It seemed s
illy to go to a restaurant when there are so few people involved in the wedding itself. I wanted to cook because it really just felt like we were having family over, but Claire was firm in her contention that I had to treat it like the special even that it is. So we compromised by having the dinner catered by a personal chef that she knows. Claire brought in extra tables and linens and had the living room transformed into a fall wonderland with rustic centerpieces and cute place card holders made from wedges of thick branches.

“Oh, Mom, it’s beautiful,” I tell her.
“It’s overwhelming, really.”

“Now aren’t you glad I didn’t let you cook?” she says pulling me to her side.

“Yes. As usual, you were right.” I walk around the tables and see everyone’s names written in pretty script on their place card. Name after name echoes in my head and I feel so overjoyed at the family I have gained in three short years.

The chef’s staff begins to bring out the first course and we all find our seats. When everyone’s plate has been set in front of them in the proper place so as to get the full effect of the presentation of the dish, Luke stands.

Oh no. I’m absolutely about to cry.

“I have to do this tonight because I’m afraid I won’t get through it tomorrow. And, I’m not sure I want to share everything that’s on my heart right now with more than the special people who are in this room right now.” Luke clears his thr
oat and takes a sip of his wine as Claire stands with him. “When Layla came to us three years ago, we were scared and unsure of ourselves in our ability to take on a teenager. We didn’t know each other, and the circumstances surrounding the reasons for that were, well, they were less than pleasant. What happened next, though, and what has continued to happen over the last three years, is something pretty remarkable. We grew into a family.

“
I remember the first time Layla called me
Uncle Luke
. It was also the first time that she hugged me. And when our arms reached around each other all I could think was how perfectly we fit together, the way family is supposed to,” Luke says. I remember that day, too. It was the morning I overheard Luke tell Claire he was just trying to take care of me in a way that would honor my parents.

“Layla became like a daughter to us, and eventually there was no
like
about it,” he continues. “Layla is our daughter. And as I prepare to do one of the hardest thing a father can do – put his baby girl’s life into the hands of another man – I know that Will is going to love and protect her.” Luke starts to get choked up and Claire pats his back before taking over.

“It’s no secret what Will and Layla have gone through to be together. It was a very difficult and scary time for all of us
, but we couldn’t be prouder of how they’ve both handled themselves. They made difficult choices and never faltered in their quest. So,” Claire says as she raises her glass. “…Make an extraordinary marriage your quest. Don’t settle for less than the best of what each of you has to offer. And enter your marriage knowing that the doors are locked from the outside. You don’t quit. You don’t give up. You never have before, so there’s no reason to ever start.”

Luke takes a breath
, having fought the emotions and won…for now. “So here’s to Will and Layla. May you know all the joy that your life together still has in store for you.”

Everyone raises their glasses while I wipe the tears falling down my cheeks.
They’ve done it again. Between Claire’s letters and my talk with Luke the other day, they have filled my emotional love bucket up to overflowing.

“I don’t know if I even have the vocabulary to express how I’m feeling right now
,” I say as I stand. “I’m marrying a man I never dreamed could ever be mine, and I’m going to be walked down the aisle by my father…an event that at one time was impossible. I have endured tragedy, and lived under the weight of things that no one should ever live under. I’ve come out on the other side stronger, and I know that’s because of the incredible love I have so undeservingly been given. But I receive it. Oh, my gosh! Do I receive it! I would be lost without it. So tomorrow, as I change my name and begin a new life with Will, know that this change, this new life, really started three years ago when two strangers agreed to take me in. Mom, Dad…Thank you. You gave me my life back and I will be eternally grateful. I love you.”

Luke, Claire, and I all move from our places around the table and find each other in a warm embrace. The kind where arms are moving everywhere, trying to get a better hold on both of the people you’re trying to hug. We stand there for a moment, letting the sweet reality of the moment sink in.
We are the family we never thought we’d have.

This is real.

This is my life.

This is everything I always wanted.

The doors open to the chapel and I cling to Luke’s arm for dear life. I didn’t think I’d be this nervous, but I am, and even more so because it seems that the whole town has accepted Luke’s invitation to the ceremony. There are so many people standing that I can’t see Gwen or Caroline already in place, or Will. It seems he’s just out of sight.

We begin to make our slow, but not too slow, walk down the aisle. Each step calms me, and every time my foot lands in another step I realize that I’m just feet away from having everything I’ve always wanted.
I acknowledge people as I walk by with a small smile. I want them to know how much joy it brings me that they would share this day with us. They all smile back…except for one.

One old woman doesn’t smile at all, and as I get closer her whole face becomes clearer and I realize that it’s Gram.
She looks just as she did most days before she died, wearing a short sleeved, button-down dress, and an apron. She’s just staring at me. Then…she’s yelling.

“After what you did, you don’t deserve this!
None of these people would be here if they knew what you did! Will is too good for you! He doesn’t really love you!” She yells with the disapproving tone I knew all too well.

“Yes, I do,” I call back to her. “And Will loves me! Dad, help me!” I pull on Luke’s arm but he doesn’t acknowledge me or the yelling that’s going on between
Gram and me.

“Don’t call him that! Your father is dead and you killed him! You
don’t deserve Luke or Claire as your parents. And you certainly don’t deserve to wear your mother’s wedding dress!” She points her accusing, boney finger at me and I cower closer to Luke.

I
continue to fight back, telling her that I
do
deserve everything I now have. That I’ve worked hard to forget all the terrible things she made me believe. That for all the years of punishment she gave me, Will is my reward, and Luke and Claire love me like my parents did.