She looked away, fiddling with her necklace. "I'm just afraid you haven't thought all this through properly."
But I had done it.
I thought about Rowan every night, and how he made my world bigger, not smaller. Never with pity, always with curiosity and kindness.
One evening before the wedding, Rowan caught me tracing the edge of my veil in the bedroom.
"Have you changed your mind?" he teased as he approached me.
"I want to get married, Mom."
I shook my head and smiled. "No, unless you've decided to leave the toothpaste cap on forever."
He held out his hand to me and laughed.
***
The wedding day was a beautiful blur, lace, nerves, and rain on the church steps. I caught Rowan's eye at the end of the aisle and instantly relaxed.
His medals shone against his uniform, but his smile was entirely for me.
At the altar, he rolled over to my side and took my hands.
The officiant smiled at both of us. "Rowan, you can stand up now, if you wish!"
His medals shone against his uniform.
Everyone laughed, including Rowan. He squeezed my hand until my fingers tingled. "I'm fine here," he said, winking.
Our vows were messy and honest. Rowan promised coffee every morning. I promised to love him fiercely, and he whispered, "You already do."
I caught Mom watching.
Rowan raised his glass of cider. "To new beginnings, Mik," he said, looking me straight in the eyes.
We had decided to postpone our wedding reception a little. I didn't want Rowan to overdo it, and I was nervous about mentioning the first dance.
I caught Mom watching
***
Read more on the next page >>
To see the full instructions for this recipe, go to the next page or click the open button (>) and don't forget to share it with your friends on Facebook.
