Series: Willow Winters
Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 50025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Our footsteps in sync with one another, we go into the courtroom together. Ella and I go down the aisle with my brother, Damon on my side and Trish and Kam on hers. My heart races as we take our places in front of the judge.
It’s the exact opposite of how it was when things started. Ella was sitting up at that table with the lawyers. I was sitting in the back, wondering how a woman like her ever came to be in that position. I’d wanted to know everything about her.
Now I get to spend the rest of my life learning all the details I could ever hope to learn.
“Your paperwork?” The judge, an old man, smiles at us. I pass over the marriage license and he scans it as if it’s the most important document of the day. “Witnesses?” he asks next.
My brother steps up. So does Trish.
The judge welcomes them, then comes down and takes his place in front of us. “Marriage is a civil union,” he begins. “It’s about two people coming together. And in spite of great odds.”
Ella glances at me, uncontained joy on her face.
“We know that life can deal us some blows,” the judge says. “Can put us through the wringer. But what I like best about weddings is that they’re all about hope. All of them, every single one, is about hope. Take the bride’s hands in yours,” he tells me.
Without a second thought, I do what he says. I take Ella’s hands in mine. I was already holding one of her hands. Now I have them both, clasped in mine. When she looks at me again her eyes are shining.
Hope. This wedding is about hope. That we’re going to have our happily ever after together, an ending neither of us saw coming.
“Zander Thompson,” the judge says. “Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, in the eyes of God, in the state of Pennsylvania?”
“I do,” I say.
“And Eleanor Bordeu,” he says, “do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, in the eyes of God, in the state of Pennsylvania?”
“I do,” she whispers.
“The rings,” the judge says. Cade steps forward with my ring for Ella. “Place the ring on her ring finger.”
I do. Ella blinks down at it like it’s worth more than all the money she had in her past. “This is a symbol of my love for you,” I tell her. “I love you.”
Ella repeats this process with my ring, only she’s breathing harder. Tears escape from the corner of her eyes. “None of that, you’ll ruin that dress with mascara,” Kam jokingly whispers and Ella lets out a small laugh.
“This is a symbol of my love for you. I love you.”
I miss a few sentences of the ceremony because I’m staring into her eyes.
“… vested in me by the state of Pennsylvania, you may kiss your bride,” the judge announces.
I lean in and kiss Ella. My brother cheers. It’s too loud for the courtroom, but it doesn’t matter. Everybody’s clapping. Our friends. Members of The Firm. It’s a small wedding, a tiny wedding party, and the reception will be just as small, but I don’t care.
We file out of the courtroom, our friends offering congratulations. A local photographer snaps photos of us outside the courthouse, all of us in different configurations. As the final photos are taken, my brother slaps me on the back.
“To the restaurant we go?” I question, not sure if she wants to take more photos or not. She said she wanted laid back, but with her, I’m not exactly sure she knows how to do “laid back.”
Ella smiles up at me, a knowing look in her eyes. “I thought we could stop by the new place first. I … I have a second dress to change into.”
Trish laughs beside us. “Color me surprised,” she jokes and rubs her elbow against Ella’s. “Small wedding, but big fashion.”
Cade looks to her, then back at me. “So you two closed on the new place?”
“We signed on the dotted line more than once today,” I tell him. We couldn’t have done it without Kam.
Cade nods, smiling. “Are you happy with the ceremony, Ella?”
She nods eagerly. “I’m even more excited for the reception. We’ll only be a few minutes behind you guys.”
“I guess it’s too late to tell you,” Cade says, pretending to look worried.
“Tell me what?”
“That I’m not sure you’ve thought enough about marrying Zander. You might change your mind.”
“Never,” Ella says, laughing.
“We just need to pick up our new house keys. Then we’ll meet you at the restaurant.”
All of our friends agree with us. They’re all so happy to be here. This is what it must feel like to start over.
“Don’t take too long,” Cade admonishes.
“You’d better not lose track of time,” Trish says with a mock scowl. “Ella, I want to dance with you on your wedding day.”