Epilogue

EPILOGUE

Owen

C olin and I stand facing each other on the beach hand in hand. The light breeze blows his blond hair around his smiling face. He's nicely tanned from all the nude beaches we'd been visiting on our pre-honeymoon, and his sun-kissed skin makes me want to strip him out of his clothes right here on the beach. But this is important, so I don't.

This isn't like our first wedding, or the party our parents threw us. This is just the four of us and a minister on a beach. Oliver as my best man, and Isaac as Colin's, so we can renew our vows, this time with intention and forever. No two-year plan to break up this time.

"Do you have your vows?" the minister asks.

"Do you want to go first?" I ask Colin.

He shakes his head. "Not a shot. I want to hear how sappy yours are before I read mine."

"I've already outdone you." I squeeze his hands before releasing them to reach into my jacket pocket for my notes. I memorized them, but I have them in front of me in case my anxiety acts up. "Just be prepared to lose…win?"

"It can be both." Colin laughs.

I can feel Oliver rolling his eyes, but I ignore him.

I exhale and look into Colin's eyes. "We didn't start this the way most marriages do. And most people would probably tell us we did everything wrong, but I wouldn't change how we got here for anything. I think we did it for all the right reasons, and I think we've showed up for each other in ways most married couples never will. I think we proved ourselves this past year in so many ways, I cannot imagine anyone else being here for me like you have been. I think we started our marriage with the best foundation, and it's been the honor of my life to get to call you my husband these last twelve months, and to get to stand here and recommit to you for a lifetime of it. I love you in ways I've never thought possible. You've changed my life and helped me through some of my worst days. You've proved in sickness and health over and over, and I can only hope I can do the same for you for the rest of our lives." I step closer, taking one of his hands again. "Colin, I am so lucky you put up with my shit and love me. Thank you for being you."

Colin's eyes water, and he grabs me, kissing me.

"None of that yet!" the minister says. "You have to wait."

"Not that either of them knows how to behave in public, but nice try, minister," Oliver mutters.

Colin shoots Oliver a glare over my shoulder and smooths out his shirt. "I'll do what I want at my wedding, and if that's kiss my husband before I'm told, you all can suck it."

"But not his dick. That's mine." I grin.

Isaac snickers, and Oliver huffs.

"Colin, do you have your vows ready?"

"Owen. When this began, it was a spur-of-the-moment choice to save my sister. But even in those first moments, despite being completely shit-faced?—"

Isaac hisses, "You can't say shit-faced in your vows!"

"Don't make this take longer than it has to by debating with him, kitten," Oliver mutters.

All I can do is laugh, because I'm so filled with happiness.

"A part of me knew you were it for me. I fought it, hard, trying to protect myself from the inevitable of getting hurt when you decided I wasn't worth it, but I've been in love with you since the beginning. I let myself believe I was doing this for selfless reasons, for noble reasons, but I wasn't. Over the last twelve months, I've learned a lot about who I am and who I want to be. Thanks to you, I'm starting to see that I have worth beyond what I can give to someone. Just being me has value. The love and respect and self-assurance you give me every day scares the absolute shit out of me, but I can't imagine my life without you. Neither of us knew what to expect from this. The growing pains were bumpy, but watching you blossom has been the highlight of the last year. You've taught me that I'm not a burden to those who love me, and you will never be a burden to me. I love that you need me. I love that you come to me when you're struggling or anxious or just feel off. We're friends, partners, lovers, husbands. You're my ride or die. You're everything I've ever wanted. I love you."

"Now I want you to each take the ring for the other in your right hand, and hold out your left," the minister directs us.

We position our hands, the new rings we picked out together hovering at the tips of each other's ring fingers.

"Slide the ring onto each other's fingers and say: with this ring I thee wed."

We both do it, and my chest swells. The way Colin looks at me, and the feel of the matching rings locking into place, changes something inside me. It fills a part I never expected to have. I've always thought I was too different to be married. Too fucked up and too weird, but Colin fit me so perfectly. A tear streams down my cheek.

"You may now kiss the groom," the minister says and steps back.

Rightly so because Colin jumps at me, wrapping his arms and legs around me. I catch him, cupping his ass to keep him there while we kiss.

"Now you're stuck with me," Colin says between kisses.

"Don't you mean you're stuck with me?" I growl.

"It can be both."Colin looks over my shoulder right at Oliver. "I'm a Godfrey now!"

Oliver groans.

"I love you, husband." The words carry so much more weight, and I am the happiest man on the planet.

"I love you."