Forsaking All Others (From This Day Forward Book 2) (25 page)

18 Months Later…

I stare up at a cloudless sky, trees lining my view. I’m standing in the middle of a pecan orchard surrounded by the people closest to me.

What do you do when you almost lose the love of your life? If you’re me, you marry her all over again.

Kaden spent the first four months of his life in the hospital. Everything was chaotic, with the majority of our time spent at the hospital. Beth was still recuperating from her injuries and the subsequent C-section. Once we got him home, it was like starting over. We had to figure out parenting without the nurses there to guide us. My beautiful wife was a natural though and she gave me confidence in my parenting abilities.

It took about a year to get into a good routine, but once I knew Kaden was healthy enough, I dropped to one knee and asked her to be mine all over again. I asked her to marry me, fully knowing both the good and the bad, and she said yes. Well actually, she laughed and said something along the lines of thinking that we already were, but she did agree to renew our vows.

Here I stand, under a small wooden arbor and pecan trees for miles. I look over at Mike and smile. He returns it, but his doesn’t quite meet his eyes. He and Lauren broke up not long after Beth had Kaden. He won’t talk about it, but I know he’s still in love with her. This will be the first time he’s seen her since, so I slap him on the shoulder and pull him in for a side hug.

My mother places flowers in my hair while Lauren finishes my makeup. Yes, my mother. I don’t know if she had a change of heart or if my dad pushed her into it, but she showed up as soon as she knew I was in the hospital. She fussed over me and Kaden, never once saying “I told you so.”

Louisa looks at her watch, “You’re up, kid. You nervous?”

I smile, trying not to cry so I don’t mess up all of Lauren’s good work. “I’m not…just excited.”

Lauren grumbles, “I’m a little nervous, to be honest. Lou—you got anything in that mom purse of yours to take the edge off?”

My mom shocks us all when she pulls a flask from her handbag and passes it to Lauren. “What?” she scoffs. “So, I drink. How else do you think I’ve gotten through all these years of quilting club at the church?”

We dissolve into laughter and I squeeze Lauren’s hand.

The pastor walks up and greets us, spending an extra few minutes playing with Kaden. I’ve got him on my hip so Beth can get ready in peace. He’s just started crawling and has yet to say a word that’s intelligible, but his pediatrician assured us that it’s completely normal in preemies. He loses interest in what the pastor is saying and begins shredding the rose on my lapel. I kiss his little hands and move him away.

Both of our moms come down the aisle to take little man off my hands. The music starts and I laugh. I begged Beth to play some country when she walked down the aisle, but she’s chosen a Coldplay song instead. I would protest, but the lyrics are so damn perfect that I find myself fighting back tears. I would still call every second spent with her magic.

Lauren comes walking out and I see Mike’s mouth drop open. He sucks air between his teeth and I grin. I glance up just as Beth comes walking down the aisle with her dad. She’s only taken a few steps when someone on the back row stands up and walks over to her.

She sees the panic in my eyes and winks. One of her cousins begins snapping along to the music and someone else joins them.
My aunt jumps up out of her seat and moves perfectly to the beat of the music.

Lauren skips back to where Beth is and they link arms. Two of her co-workers get up and join, along with several of my construction guys. They’ve obviously rehearsed the entire thing and kept it a secret.

A flash mob.

Only my wife. My
Glee-
loving wife.

My heart is pounding out a steady stomp-clap beat similar to the one in the song. Chris Martin’s voice fills the orchard and one by one our wedding guests get up and join me in walking to David. Seeing those big burly construction guys moving in perfect time makes me grin. David laughs in surprise and then I see the tears on his face. Everyone is snapping and moving in sync and the emotions overtake me.

I don’t want anyone else, but you.

My mom has Kaden in her arms and my sweet baby boy gives me the sweetest smile, his eyes wide with excitement.

“Mama!” I look at Kaden in surprise and then up at David. He roughly rubs the back of his hand across his eyes, trying to stop the tears.
His first word.

Chris Martin starts singing in a falsetto and several women join in singing as we make our way closer. Katya is sitting a few rows from the front and she gives me a bright smile. She came back to Texas from Colorado just for this. Her long brown hair is back and she looks so at peace. I give her a small wave.

Mike’s eyes are laser-focused on Lauren and I squeeze her tighter. I don’t know what happened between the two of them, but I have a feeling they’ll find their way back to one another.

This is absolutely perfect. People begin splitting off and making their way back to their seats as we approach my groom. I’m within just a couple of feet when I trip over my own and fall right into him—his arms locking protectively around me.

I knew Beth was going to fall at some point. It’s just who she is. I set her upright to a chorus of cheers and the pastor begins. I recite my vows, but my eyes communicate even more to her. I let her know that I’ll always be the one to catch her when she falls. I’ll hold her when the nightmares from that night show up. I’ll never again let her think she’s not the most important thing in my life.

For better. For worse.

That’s the funny thing. We’ve had both.

I’d still choose him every time.

It might not be your typical fairy tale, but it’s mine.

It’s real. It’s raw—it’s the most beautiful kind of love. The kind that can come back from infidelity. The kind of love that can withstand the emotional and physical trauma of the last eighteen months. The kind of love that will fight and even kill if necessary. We aren’t promised a ‘happily ever after,’ but I will keep choosing him—everyday. Isn’t that the point of all of this? To find the person for whom your soul whispers, “This is the one.”

And while it may not always be happy, we will live for each other forever after.

And that’s enough for me.

The end.

Shannon lives in Lubbock, Texas with her husband, two sons, and the family dog Elvis. She is a sucker for a good romantic story and has a tendency to develop crushes on fictional characters. When she is not writing, she enjoys cooking, reading, and weekend DIY projects around the house.

Find her online at:
http://shannonshaemyers.com