Not once in all the years I’ve known him. When he posted about your engagement, I reached out to him to tell him how happy I was for him. That’s when we started talking again…”
I looked at Sam and smiled.
“And I am so happy for you both. Truly,” Anna said. The room was still.
Then, there was laughter. Soft at first, just a breath against my lips. But then it grew stronger.
It bubbled up inside me, surprising even me. Because this wasn’t betrayal. This wasn’t heartbreak.
This was a miracle. I turned back to Sam. His lips parted, relief crashing over his features.
And as I looked at him, standing there, heart open and eyes full of everything we’d built together, I knew. This was right. “Come, take a seat here, Anna,” my mother said, moving her clutch for Anna to sit.
The tension in the room broke, the energy shifting with the guests murmuring and chuckling softly. “Cue the music,” Sam said. “It’s time to get married.”
I reached for Sam’s hand as the romantic instrumental playlist began to play.
“Now, let’s get this show on the road,” the pastor said, smiling. Everything was back on track. But most of all?
I found peace in the way Sam looked at me. And that was all I needed. The low hum of laughter and conversation filled the air at our wedding reception, mixing with the clinking silverware.
The scent of rosemary, garlic, and butter lingered, warm and rich, weaving through the air. Dinner had been perfect. Plates were wiped clean of lemon and herb chicken and creamy truffle risotto.
“Well done, Hazel,” I told myself. “You did a damn good job on the menu choice.”
My wedding had been a dream. And as I sat there, my champagne glass cool in my fingers, I let myself breathe it in.
The love. The joy. The warmth of it all.
A soft laugh bubbled out of me. After the way the ceremony started, it was a miracle that I was here, basking in the afterglow of our forever. “Am I forgiven yet?”
I turned to see Anna sliding into the empty seat beside me, her eyes twinkling with something between guilt and amusement.
“Well, you did nearly give me a heart attack,” I said, watching Sam dance with my mother. “Okay, fair,” Anna winced. “But…
you’re happy?”
I exhaled, keeping my gaze on Sam. And when he turned, as if sensing me watching, he smiled. It was that soft smile.
The one that had always felt like home. I felt my chest tighten. “Yeah, I really am.”
Anna grinned.
“Then I’ll consider myself mostly forgiven.”
I rolled my eyes, but my lips curled into a smile. And as the music swelled, and Sam made his way toward me, I felt content. “Come,” he said.
“Let’s dance.”
Source: amomama
