Bonus Epilogue Kelly Kaplan

The Wedding Day

Just looking at my beautiful little girl today causes tears to pinch behind my eyes.

I’m sure it’s because of the increased hormones. But it’s also because she’s just too adorable for words. She’s smiling from ear to ear, walking all over the place now, and she’s wearing a little white dress. Ava hired stylists who curled my hair and my baby’s, and I can’t take it. It’s too cute.

Pregnancy will do this to a woman. It happened when I was pregnant with Mia, and now that this little bundle is on its way, it’s happening again. I remember the moodiness being the worst in the first trimester, though it’s not like it got all that much better as my pregnancy with Mia progressed. Or, you know, after I had her.

I blamed a lot of it on being on and off with her father, but we’re totally on now, like all the way on, and I’m still emotional.

Maybe even more emotional. It’s like I’m constantly filled with love to the brim, and just when I think I can’t feel any more, I do.

My initial fear when I found out I was pregnant was that my heart wasn’t big enough to love another child the way I love Mia. But I know my heart will just make room for more love as I grow this baby. We get to meet in person in just seven months, and I can’t wait for life with two kids and my husband.

It’s early days, but I already told Ava, and my plan is to tell Austin tonight when we’re alone at our hotel. My parents are taking Mia to their house here in Vegas for the night, and we’ll have the night to ourselves to celebrate our new marriage and our love.

It’s really a dream come true.

When he first proposed, we both knew we didn’t want to wait long. Life’s short, and we’ve wasted enough time already. But we’re finally on the same page—exactly where we’re supposed to be—and I’m ready to become Mrs. Kelly Graham.

“Oh, Kel!” Ava, my matron of honor, says as she rushes into the room. “You’re absolute and total perfection!” She leans in for a hug. “And Mia is the cutest little one I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“Don’t make me cry,” I say, swiping under my eyes as the heat starts to form. “I don’t want to ruin my makeup, and I’m already an emotional basket case.”

She laughs. “You were before, too, so nothing new there.” She glances over at my parents, who are in the room with us but not paying any attention to what we’re saying…thankfully, since I haven’t told them yet.

I giggle. She’s not wrong. “Just you wait,” I warn.

She raises her brows, and I narrow my eyes at her.

She shakes her head and lowers her voice. “No news, but we’re getting plenty of practice in. Now that our first baby—the bakery—is a year old, I think we’re ready to officially give it a try.”

I lean in for another hug as I imagine our kids playing together. Even being pregnant at the same time would be a hell of a lot of fun.

The door opens, and Desi walks in. “It’s time,” she says with a big smile. Not only is she my wedding planner, but she’s also one of my bridesmaids. Austin and Asher have gotten really close over the last six months or so, and I’ve loved every second of triple dates with Ava and Grayson along with Desi, Asher, and their little boy, Jake.

After Austin and I get back from our honeymoon in Jamaica, Desi planned a trip for the six of us to San Diego for a few days to stay in a huge beach house together. Mia will stay with my mom and dad, Jake will be with Desi’s mom and dad, and the six adults are all so excited for a few days of beach, sun, and fun. You know…minus the alcoholic beverages for me.

And then a new season will begin, and Austin and Asher will be back to the grind of practices and games. It’ll be the first full season we’re really together even though we were on and off through the last two, so I already know what to expect. I’m not looking forward to the games where he’ll have to travel, but I’m so excited for him to get started on another season where he’ll get to be a starter from the beginning.

I’m nervous about him being away during my third trimester since I’m due in November, but we’ll make it work. I’d hate for him to miss any time from the field that could jeopardize his starting position, but I already know what he’ll tell me if I bring that up.

Our family comes first.

He will always choose us first, and that’s what makes me know that we’re going to make this work.

And I love that our baby is coming in November…right before the Christmas season, which feels like the magical time when his or her father and I reconnected and decided to make it last forever.

“You ready?” Desi asks, and I draw in a deep breath before I nod.

“Let’s do this,” I say. I’m a little nervous. Austin has been a bit of a flight risk in the past, but if Desi is in here telling me it’s go time, then that means he’s out there right now waiting for me.

My mom comes over to give me a hug. “You’re a gorgeous bride, and Austin is one lucky man.”

“I think we both lucked out, Mom,” I say, and I squeeze her before I let her go.

She holds out a hand for Mia to grab so she can help Desi get the baby into place. “Come on, Mia!”

“Wait!” I yell, and I run over to my baby. I kneel down on the floor, and I press a kiss to her cheek. Then I wipe the lipstick off her cheek. “Just like we practiced, okay, baby? Sprinkle your flower petals down the aisle for Mama.”

Mia grins her toothy little grin and takes the basket out of Desi’s hands.

And then she promptly dumps it upside down.

I can’t help a small laugh even though it’s not quite what I just told her to do.

“Save it for the aisle, kiddo,” I say, and I gather up the flowers with Desi’s help and dump them back into her basket.

Desi laughs. “Don’t worry, Mama. We’ve got this. Here we go!”

“You good?” Ava asks me, and I nod.

“Never been more ready to take a walk.”

She grins. “See you out there.”

And then it’s just my dad and me. “You ready for this, Kel?”

I grin up at him. “Did you ever think your daughter would be marrying an NFL player?”

He chuckles. “Oh yeah. I always knew. I was just hoping it’d be someone on the Saints, not the Aces.” He shrugs good-naturedly. “Can’t win ’em all, and I guess the Aces are okay.”

I giggle. “Glad to see you’re becoming an Aces fan now that you’re a local.”

“My daughter and almost son-in-law might have a little something to do with that.” He shrugs. “Now let’s go get you married before you change your mind.”

I giggle, glad that he’s not making me cry the way I was expecting him to. I guess I might have been known for changing my mind a time or two when I was younger, but it was mostly on outfits when I couldn’t decide if I wanted jeans or a dress or a different pair of jeans and ended up wearing all three outfits in a day’s time.

I can see that in my future with Mia, too. As soon as she can figure out how to dress herself, it’s going to be a new, interesting little game to play.

I draw in a deep breath as I hear the music change from what Desi and Ava walked down the aisle to. It’s my turn, and I glance up at my dad.

“Thanks for everything, Dad,” I say softly.

His eyes meet mine as he angles his head down, and he looks a little emotional.

Just wait until I tell him he’s getting another grandkid.

“You’ll always be my little girl,” he says softly, and then the doors open for me to walk down the aisle.

I spot Austin the second the doors open, and it’s as if his eyes were there on the door waiting for me, searching, ready.

He looks so freaking handsome in his tux that I can hardly stand it, and tears stream down my cheeks as I walk down the aisle toward him. He wipes at his eyes, too, and it’s rare I can elicit this sort of emotion from him, but we share a child, and we’ve got another one on the way, and today we’re making a commitment to join our lives together forever.

There’s something so beautiful about that.

Thirty minutes later, we’ve vowed forever and I’m Mrs. Kelly Graham.

And then the party begins.

Except…I didn’t account for the champagne toast. I didn’t even think about it.

And now I’m standing in front of a room full of my closest friends and family with my new husband as he holds his glass up in my direction, and I’m supposed to clink my glass to his and take a sip.

Whoopsies.

I clink his, and I pull the glass to my lips and fake it. And then the room fills with the sound of everyone hitting their glass with their spoons, the universal sign at a reception that the bride and groom should kiss. He leans in, and with all eyes on us, I bypass his lips and move to his ear.

“I’m pregnant,” I whisper.

He lets out a grunt and his eyes are wide as I pull back. And I can only pray that our videographer got that on tape because I can’t wait to watch his reaction back for the rest of our lives—and to show it to our children in a few years.

“You are?” he asks.

I smile as I nod, and his lips crash down to mine.

It feels like the perfect way to start forever.