One More Chance

“Mommy’s being naughty. I like it,” I teased her. Her beautiful smile grew bigger.

I took Lila Kate from her arms and placed her against my chest. I held her head as she reared back to try to look up at me. “You have fun dress shopping today. Buy whatever the hell you want.”

She was going shopping for a wedding dress with Blaire and Della. Della was also looking for a dress. Her wedding was several months away, but they were doing a joint shopping trip and making a girls’ day out of it. Blaire had invited Bethy, but she had used the excuse that she needed to work some extra hours. Blaire was worried about her, which made all of us worried about her. She was pulling away more and more. Someone had to reach her, I just didn’t know who could do it. I did know Jace wouldn’t have wanted this. He wouldn’t have wanted her to grieve for this long.

“You two have fun while I’m gone. I’m nervous about leaving, but not because I don’t think you can handle it. I just haven’t been away from her since I woke up. I don’t like the idea of not being able to see her whenever I want to.” We had been home a little more than a week now, and Harlow hadn’t left the house. The doctor recommended that we keep Lila Kate at home for the first month while her little body and immune system matured some more. While I had gone to work, Harlow had stayed here happily. Blaire almost had to plead to get her to look for a wedding dress.

“I’ll have my phone in my pocket. Every time you want to see her, just FaceTime me. Now, go have fun,” I said, swatting her on the ass and nodding my head toward the door.

She grinned and rolled her eyes at me. “Fine. I’ll go,” she agreed, but then leaned in to kiss Lila Kate’s head one more time. “I’ll be back soon,” she said.

Lila Kate got so excited by Harlow that she buried her face in my chest. I kept my hand at the back of her neck, because she’d throw it back again to see if Harlow was still nearby any second now.

“She looks more like you now,” Harlow said, touching her little arm.

“She’s too pretty to look like me,” I replied.

Harlow cocked an eyebrow at me. “I know you don’t like hearing this, but you’re pretty, too, pretty boy.”

Chuckling, I opened the door and kissed her lips one more time just as Blaire’s Mercedes SUV pulled into our driveway. Harlow waved good-bye and blew us kisses, then finally left the house for the first time.

I watched until she was safely in Blaire’s car and was pulling away until I closed the door. “Want to bet your mommy calls us in the next ten minutes?” I asked Lila Kate as we walked to the kitchen to get her a bottle and finish my coffee. “She won’t be able to help herself. Being away from you isn’t something she’s fond of. But I need her to get that dress so I can marry her. Then we’ll be official. The Carter family. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

To the woman who gave me everything,

Today’s the day I get to give you my name. It doesn’t seem like enough, but then, you’ve had my heart and soul now for more than a year. This is all I have left to give you. What you’ve given me is so much more.

I decided, since Lila Kate and I had so many letters from you, that it was time you got a letter, too. You deserve a letter more than anyone else. You are, after all, the hero of our story. Without you and your determination, we wouldn’t all be standing in front of family and friends today with our little girl in our arms, pledging forever to each other. As if we needed a ceremony for that.

You became my forever even before I realized it.

Thank you for being brave. Braver than anyone I know. Thank you for showing me that when we want something badly enough, it’s worth taking all the risks and chances to get even a taste.

When I thought I had lost you, not once did I regret letting myself love you. I was shattered, but in my heart, I was so damn thankful for those memories. For letting myself have that time with you. I found out that life is about experiencing those moments when you’re so happy you feel like your chest will burst. We need those cherished memories to hold on to during those moments when the world comes crashing down.

I didn’t understand that until I was there. While you were asleep, all I could do was remember the good times. The sound of your laughter and how incredible you felt in my arms. How being with you made everything right. It’s what got me through. It’s what helped me hold our baby girl for the first time alone, not knowing if you’d ever see her face.

Thank you for loving me. I’m the luckiest man in the world. I know a lot of men claim that, but they have no idea. They don’t have you. And they haven’t held my baby girl. I have it all, and I couldn’t ask for more.

With love from your adoring, lucky-as-hell husband,

Grant

Harlow

I folded the letter and wiped away the tears that were now running down my face. Crazy man had to make me cry before I walked down the aisle. I used the tissue in my hand to blot away the wetness and took a deep breath. I would probably need to frame this, because I was going to read it so often the paper was going to wear through.

“Why are you crying?” Blaire asked as she stepped into the room.

I held up the letter. “This. It’s from Grant,” I explained. “I don’t think it was supposed to make me cry, but it did.”

“Ah, I understand. Rush had me in a fit of tears before I walked down the aisle.

Smiling, I remembered their wedding. It had been beautiful and much more elaborate than this one would be. I had wanted simple, and Grant had agreed.