Heavy Hearts (29 page)

“I love you too Lucy.
Always.”

Epilogue

“Suzette! SUZETTE!”

“Yeah Lucy… Jeez I’m not deaf!”

“Well, I have been calling your name for like ten minutes now. I need you to help with these stupid clasps.” I groan at my best friend who’s frantically running around but purposely trying to avoid me at the moment. I told her I would make her pay for her behavior one day.

“Lucy. Breathe. We have plenty of time.” She reassures.

“Okay. You’re right. I just want to get started already.”

“I know you do. I know.”

Twenty minutes later the two of us are dazzling and ready to make that long walk down the flowing white aisle. Every little girl dreams of this day.
The day that she is going to marry the love of her life, and it is finally happening to me.

Suzette walks ahead of me and I hang back patiently awaiting my cue. Anxiously waiting to see my soon-to-be husband waiting for me at that lavish altar set up in the middle of the Tower Bridge. I’m also a nervous wreck because to avoid the noisy sound of cars on the road we are getting married in the elevated portion of the bridge and I’m trying not to look out the windows. But soon it’s my turn to walk.

I round the corner and see Simon beaming and waiting for me to join him. I can’t get down the aisle fast enough and I’m afraid I walk a much quicker pace than what was rehearsed. Good thing this wedding is for no one but us. There’s hardly any family around to judge. Just us two, Suzette and Adam, some of Simon’s friends, and Malcolm – who has actually become one of our closest friends in the past three years and will be the Godfather of our baby boy due in just a few months. Along with his wife Laura who is easily one of the kindest people I have ever met and is the definition of perfection for Malcolm.

“As per request from the bride this is to be a painless ceremony. One filled with love in place of stale vows and useless traditions.”
Our justice of the peace states. Simon said I had free reign on how I wanted this ceremony to go, and this is it. Short, sweet and to the point. I waited enough and went through a ton of crap to get here so when the time finally came I needed to be able to call this man my husband as quickly and effortlessly as possible.

“So, Lucy Whitten, do you take Simon
Basford to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do.” I’ve been waiting too long to say that.

“And Simon Basfo--”

“I DO!”

Acknowledgements

I want to start by thanking one of my tiniest employees ever, Selena Cruz. Without her curiosity for a story with a “love-box” then I would’ve never started writing this book. I love you little one, mahalo!

Now for those that helped me through this insane process and put up with
meas I stayed up all night writing and revising. Jaimie Balaban, one of my best friends, read my very first draft and gave me the confidence to actually do something more than just let the words rot on my laptop. I’m forever in her debt.

To my other beta readers: Rachel
Emmert, Amy Bosica, and Rachel Smith, I love you ladies! Everyone had such great feedback that I believe I’ve written this book to the best of my ability.

An extra special thank you to
Agathe Dupre! Who not only read my manuscript twice, but also took on the role as editor. I cannot thank her enough for catching the mistakes made due to writing while sleepy.

And last but not least to
Chinah Pond (Iggy Marauder), who created the fantastic cover art for this book and let me watch the whole process via Skype. I may have gotten misty-eyed a few times that night.

Of course what kind of person would I be if I forgot the reader? If you are reading this I thank you from the bottom of my heart. A boo
k wouldn’t be anything without its reader.

About the Author

Kylie
Kaemke is a 25 year old fangirl who hates hugs but love high fives. She’s been writing things here and there since childhood and is hoping to achieve her dream of becoming a published author. Heavy Hearts is her debut self-published novel, and there will be more to come in the future. She lives in Woodstock, IL with her husband and manages a movie theater. Besides books, movies are Kylie’s passion. If she’s not writing or reading she has her eyes glued to any good film.

Follow Kylie on Twitter: @Truly_Dauntless

Instagram:
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Tumblr: kyliekaemke.tumblr.com