Epilogue
Two years later
“Look at me.” Harley sounded deflated as she stared at the full-length mirror. “I look fat, don’t I, Tayia?”
I shifted my son from one hip to the other as I turned to her. “Honey, you look gorgeous.” I smiled reassuringly. Wyld started kicking his feet for me to let him down and stumbled away as soon as the bottom of his shoes hit the floor.
“I feel like a marshmallow,” Harley grumbled as she put both hands on her large, round belly.
“Yeah, because you’re eight months pregnant.” Jonna snorted from behind her, doing her best to add a few curls in Harley’s unruly hair with a curling iron. “Might I also point out that you’re the one who waited so long to accept my brother’s proposal.”
“I have no idea why Drew insisted on getting married before the baby was born.”
“In his defense, he has been asking you to marry him for the last two years,” Jonna replied while setting down the curling iron to admire her work.
“I can’t help that I’m a procrastinator.” Harley shrugged and continued to stare at her image in the mirror. She was wearing an ankle-length, white sundress with silver, barefoot sandals adorned with jewels. On her head, she wore a simple crown of white and pink flowers to accompany her dark brown, waist-length ringlets.
“I really am digging the whole barefoot and pregnant bohemian thing you created, Tayia. It will work, I guess,” Harley conceded. She grinned, and I knew she was happier than she let on about the way she looked. Pregnancy really had agreed with her. The news had come as a shock to all of us, especially to Harley, but I’d never seen her smile quite as much as she had over the last few months.
"Mama, May-shee." Wyld tugged on my skirt to catch my attention. “Want May-shee, Mama."
“Okay, my sweet boy.” I stared down at Blake’s mini-me, who was the new love of my existence. He had his daddy’s blue eyes and light brown hair. No dimple, though. However, I liked that it was something Blake kept for himself. “It’s time for us to head out, anyway.” I glanced over at Jonna, who was fussing with her curly blonde locks in the mirror while Harley was reaching into her oversized bag. She rifled around for a bit until she found what she was looking for.
“Got it,” she said as she folded a piece of paper into a tiny square.
“What is that?” Jonna asked.
“A letter for my wedding day from Mama." She smiled as she tucked the letter deep beneath the flowers in her bouquet. She had spent the last six months reconnecting with her mother, who was scheduled to be released from her fifteen-year sentence next spring. In fact, she and Drew had gone to Florida to visit her twice. It was a slow process for sure, but I think it took Harley experiencing the beginning stages of motherhood to understand how important it was that she fix her relationship with her own mom.
Ms. Annette stuck her head inside the room and looked around quickly. “Y’all ready? It’s time.” She beamed as soon as she saw Harley. “Well, aren’t you a picture of perfection. Let’s get you down the aisle. I wouldn’t want my grandbaby to get here first.”
Harley’s eyes grew wide with alarm. “What do you mean? I’ve still got at least four weeks.”
“You sure about that? With the way you’re carryin’ and all? You know Drew came early and—
"Mama," Jonna warned, “let’s get out there. I’m sure Daddy’s waiting for you.” She guided a well-meaning yet confused Ms. Annette from the room and winked at Harley, who sent her a grateful smile.
"May-shee, Mama." Wyld repeated.
“Okay, baby,” I said as I grabbed his hand and left the room. Once we’d made it through the double doors that led to the stretch of beach behind Annette’s Catch, Wyld tugged his hand from mine and took off running.
“Wyld!” I called after him, but my baby boy wouldn’t be deterred from getting to his favorite person in the world, Maizie King.
Wyld navigated his way through the crowd of people, around the chairs in the sand, and came to a full stop in front of Adam King, who was holding his seven-month-old daughter, Maizie. She was the cutest little thing with her curly jet-black hair pushed back with a pink headband that matched her dress. As soon as Wyld reached Maizie, her face lit up as she kicked her chunky legs and bare feet against her daddy’s side.
“Hey there, buddy,” King greeted Wyld as he crouched down so the two kids could see each other. Blake had also made his way over and patted the top of his son’s head.
“Remember, be nice to the baby, bub,” he instructed, and Wyld sweetly grabbed Maizie’s hand and shook it. They proceeded to babble to each other while the dads began a discussion. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining and the sound of gentle waves in the background. Such a different scene from my own wedding.
We had waited until after Wyld was born and got married in the winter cabin in Pennsylvania just after Christmas. I wanted to get married in my favorite place during my favorite time of the year. The baby had only been a couple of months old at that time and slept in Maggie’s arms during the entire ceremony. My heart had been so full that day, having everyone I loved there. We were overwhelmed by the support and understanding. Even Neil, who had seemed to have the worst reaction, came around. He didn’t realize that Blake and I weren’t blood related. He’d moved to the island during his junior year in high school, so he had no clue what was going on. In the end, he proudly stood as Blake’s best man.
Finally, Harley waddled to the doorway, a signal for everyone to take their seats. As the music began, Jonna and I made our way down the path to the altar with the beaming bride close behind.
*****
While the newlyweds swayed together on the dance floor as the sunset, Jonna and I sat on a blanket in the grass nearby as our children played together. Maizie was sitting up, albeit a bit wobbly, tracking Wyld’s every movement as he raced his toy cars over the blanket.
“Do you need anything, Tay?” Blake asked as he came to sit next to me. I shook my head and smiled. I’d never been so content in my life.