Levi

How could the best day of my life turn into such a nightmare? This is the thought that’s running through my mind after Cassie tears out of the church after Jade. Beside me, Anna stiffens. “Someone has to stop her,” she whispers just loud enough for me to hear. She squeezes my arm. “Levi!”

But I can’t make myself move. I can’t force myself to chase after my sisters and be the hero this time. I just can’t. Right at this moment, all I can focus on is how deeply Jade’s hurt me and Anna on our day. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I’m aware that the rest of my family is suffering just as much, if not more, but I don’t care. This is my wedding day, and my selfish little sister ruined it.

While I’m wallowing in self-pity, the rest of my family is looking at each other, as if they’re all thinking the same thing but no one wants to make the first move. Ian catches my eye. “I’ll go. I think I can calm her down.” With that, he’s gone.

“Kick Jade in the tail for me while you’re at it,” Ben mutters as the front door slams behind Ian.

“Levi?” Anna whispers. “Honey, are you OK?”

No, I’m not OK. I’m not even on the same planet as OK. I just shake my head at her and pull her into my chest. “Baby, I’m so sorry this is happening.”

She swallows hard. “Me too. But it’s not your fault. None of this is your fault.”

“I should never have invited Dad. If he hadn’t been here, Jade probably wouldn’t have said anything. I’m so sorry.”

“Levi, he’s your father! And after…what just happened…I’m glad you did invite him. I mean, can you imagine how hard the past two months have been for him?”

An ugly surge of anger twists my stomach into knots. If it’s been so hard for him, why didn’t he say anything two months ago? Why did he let Jade get away with this? The past two months have been hard for all of us, and it’s at least partially his fault. If he had just told somebody…

Just then the photographer pokes his head in the door leading to the sanctuary. “Anna? Levi? Are you two ready for pictures? Or am I interrupting something? I’m sorry…I can come back later.”

And just like that, I’m plunged back into reality. No matter how much I want to get away from here and just talk to Anna, there’s no chance of that for the next several hours. She squeezes my hand. “We’ll get through this,” she whispers. “It’s only a few hours. We can do it.” Then she turns her million-dollar smile onto the photographer. “It’s no problem. We can do pictures now.”

Thank God for small mercies: all the pictures except the ones of Anna and me together were done before the ceremony. And since Cassie and Jade may very well be pulling each others’ hair out somewhere outside, that’s probably a very good thing. Not to mention that the rest of my family looks completely dumbstruck.

“Can you give us two minutes?” I ask. The photographer nods and retreats back into the sanctuary. Then I inhale deeply, hoping to pull courage from somewhere, grip Anna’s hand a little tighter, and walk across the foyer to my father.

“Dad.” My voice cracks and I clear my throat, praying I can speak without breaking down. “Dad, I just…I’m sorry. I’m sorry she did this to you, and I’m sorry I believed her. I…” Oh, God, now I’m crying. “I’m glad you came today. You should’ve been my best man. And I’m sorry.”

Beside me, Anna’s weeping, and I can hear Mom softly crying behind me. Dad’s eyes are full of tears. “Son…” His voice trails off and he simply embraces me. We stand like that for what feels like an eternity--both of us crying. “I’m so proud of you, Levi. I’m so proud of the man you’ve become.”

Once Dad and I finally step away from each other, I pull Anna into my arms and kiss her as long and slow as I can. “How many wedding days are we going to have in our lives, huh?” I tease with a levity I‘m far from feeling. “Let’s enjoy this one.”

Jade may have just ruined all our lives for the foreseeable future. But I’m not going to let her ruin this day--I can’t do that to my beautiful wife. So I plaster on a smile and follow Anna into the sanctuary, praying for calm and a grace I don’t feel. Even without looking back into the foyer, I know that by the time the rest of my family goes downstairs for the reception, the smiles will be in place, the makeup fixed, hair smoothed, and all traces of tears removed. We can make it through the next few hours--after all, pretending is what we do best in this family.

It’s been a long time since I’ve felt the mixture of emotions that are flooding me now: pride and joy for my oldest son and his wife, profound relief, a large dose of anger, and a layer of sorrow and grief so thick I’m not sure I’ll be able to pull myself together before the reception begins. Marianne starts to say something, but I hold up a hand to stop her. I can’t speak past the lump in my throat. I should feel vindicated, but that’s all swallowed up in the realization that our family has altered forever. Again.

When I’d imagined this scenario in the past two months, I had never envisioned it playing out quite like this. I never believed Jade would be so foolish and insensitive as to blurt out the truth on Levi’s wedding day. What I’d hoped would happen was that she would’ve confessed to Marianne within a few days of the time I moved out, and I was willing to give her space in order to do that. But when that didn’t happen, and the weeks dragged on, I could feel everything that was important to me slipping through my fingers.

That’s when I began to get angry: who does Jade think she is? Obviously she felt deeply hurt and betrayed over what I did to Cassie, coupled with the fact that we hadn’t told her about it for five years, but did she really think she had the market cornered on suffering in this family? Did she concoct this web of lies just to get back at me for what I did? Was it all just a plea for attention? Why, why, why?

The first week or two after she lied about me sexually abusing her, I kept telling myself, “She’s young. She doesn’t understand what she’s doing. She’s just scared to tell the truth. And she‘s angry at me for what I did, and all of us for not telling her about it sooner. She‘ll come around soon.” But by the time a month had gone by, I was glad I wasn’t allowed to communicate with her at all--I was afraid I’d lash out and say things I’d regret. Something along the lines of, “You are hurting this family far worse than I ever did.”

Not that that’s true. I know that….deep down I’m fully aware that nothing Jade has done or attempted to do even comes close to what I did to Cassie. But it’s tempting to think otherwise, mainly because Jade‘s been so calculating about the whole situation. What I did to Cassie was reprehensible, of course--but it was never something I intended to happen. It was a series of bad choices and stupid mistakes that I would give anything to take back. But Jade has deliberately lied for months. It chills me to realize how little I actually know my daughter--if someone had asked me six months ago, I would’ve said I knew her better than any of my other children. But now…Now, I wonder if I really know her at all.

Marianne’s voice breaks into my tortured thoughts. “I should go get the girls. We need to go downstairs; people are going to wonder where we are.”

“Let me do it,” Ben interrupts. “Cassie’s probably with Ian, anyway. I want to talk to Jade.”

“Just don’t….please, Honey, don’t make a scene. This is not the time for…”

“I know, Mom, I know. I won’t. I’ll just go get her and bring her down for the reception. Don’t wait for me. It might take awhile to convince her.”

I bite my lip to keep from telling him to just leave her outside. God, help me, I beg silently. I don’t like this anger I’m seeing in myself. Help me forgive her.

As soon as Ben leaves, Marianne turns to me, her eyes anguished. “I don’t guess saying ‘I’m sorry’ will really cover it, will it? But I’ll say it anyway: darling, I’m so, so sorry I didn’t listen to you. I’m sorry I just condemned you unheard.”

Again with the anger: I wait for the momentary flash of heat in my insides to subside before I answer her. “I understand why you did.” Which is true--in her place, I would probably have done the same thing. For the first couple days, not for two months. “I wish you had tried harder to find out the truth, though. I wish…” I stop, not wanting to turn this into a fight.

“What?” She presses. “You can tell me; I won’t be upset. I know you’re probably angry with me, and I deserve it.”

“I just wish you had fought to save our marriage and to keep believing in me. It felt like you just…gave up, right from the beginning. Like you weren’t even willing to consider that maybe…” I take a deep breath, reigning in my emotions. “We shouldn’t do this now. I do want to talk, but not here. Levi and Anna have been through enough today. I don’t want to make their day even worse.”

A shadow of hurt crosses her face, but she nods. “You’re right. Maybe…maybe tonight you can come over to the hotel and we can just…talk about all this. We need to decide…” A sob catches in her throat. “We need to figure out what to do about Jade. Peter, what are we going to do? How could she have done this?”

I sigh. “You were right: this is the wrong time and place to talk about this. But we can discuss all of this later tonight.”

“You could…” Marianne hesitates, clearly trying to keep the hopeful expression off of her face. “You could check out of your hotel and stay with me.”

“So I guess that means you’re not divorcing me anymore?” I can’t keep the sarcastic edge out of my voice, and I hate myself for it when I see her wince.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers. “I know I could say that a thousand times and it wouldn’t be enough, but I really am. Of course I don’t want a divorce--part of me never did. I still love you. I’ve always loved you, Peter. If you can forgive me, I just want to start over.”

I fight the urge to respond with another angry comment. Deep down, I want all the same things she does; the problem is that I also want to hold onto my anger and resentment for a little while longer. I take a deep breath. God, forgive me. Please change my attitude about this. I know I have no right to hold any type of grudge. Help me to forgive my family.

“Starting over sounds like a good idea,” I finally say. I can’t manage a smile, not yet, but Marianne looks thrilled enough for both of us. She wraps her arms around me, and I allow myself to relax.

“It’s going to be OK,” she reassures me. “We’ll get through this. I know we will.”

Then she takes my hand and leads me down the stairs into the reception hall, where we smile and chat with the guests as if nothing is wrong. It’s a performance so flawless I almost believe it myself.

Cassie

Three hours later as I’m getting ready for the rehearsal, I’m so nervous my hands are trembling. I can barely hold steady long enough to apply my make-up. The confrontation with Jade earlier left me shaken, and the thought of seeing Ian again and figuring out what in the world I’m supposed to say to him reduces me to a mass of nerves. God, please, please, help me tonight. I don’t know if I can do this…

Before I know it, it’s time to leave for the church. Ben and I ride in one of the rental cars, while Mom and Jade take the other. Jade and I still haven’t spoken since our argument earlier, something that even Ben comments on as we drive to the church. Once we get there, Levi comes out to meet us.

I blink back tears when he hugs me; I didn’t realize how much I’d missed him until I saw him. He hugs each of us, holding Jade the longest. I look away, unable to bear the sorrow on Levi’s face and the sudden surge of anger towards our sister. The tension is so thick you could slice it with a butter knife, and the air around the five of us practically hums with the things we’re not saying.

Thank God for Anna; she comes out to greet us and relieves some of the strain. I love Anna, and I think she and I would be close friends if she and Levi lived nearby. As it is, I’ve only met her in person once, at Christmas last year, and liked her instantly. She’s perfect for Levi; not nearly as high-strung and intense as he can be, Anna helps to balance him.

And suddenly there he is. Everything seems to be moving in slow motion. Ian… I’m fully aware that the rest of my family is watching me, waiting to see how I’ll react, but pretending not to.

Ian comes to stand beside Levi and Anna, nodding to me. “Hey, Cassie.”

“Ian,” I nod back.

He’s four feet away; it takes all my restraint to keep from jumping into his arms and begging him to take me back. I look away, feeling myself start to blush as I remember Jade’s question from earlier: Do you miss having sex with him? I try to think of something, anything, else, but images from the past three years with him keep intruding. All those nights come rushing back and I can’t possibly look him in the eye.

Anna comes to my rescue, grabbing my arm and propelling me into the church, chattering about the rehearsal. As soon as we get inside, she stops and studies me closely. “You OK? I’m sorry that was so awkward.”

I wave her concern away. “No, no, I’m fine. It’s just…a little hard. But it’s OK. I’m thrilled to be in your wedding and I know Ian is, too.”

Anna smiles sympathetically. “You’re such a wonderful person, Cassie. Levi and I both really appreciate what you’re doing for us; we know it’s not easy.”

She’s mostly right. As the night wears on, though, it becomes easier to ignore Ian. Right before Ben and I are heading out the door to go back to the hotel, Ian corners me. I’ve managed to avoid him all night, but now there’s no way to escape without seeming rude.

“Hey.” Ian runs a hand through his hair, his signature gesture when he’s nervous. “I…Can we talk sometime this weekend? I mean, not now. I know it’s late and we have a big day tomorrow. But maybe…maybe at the reception tomorrow?”

Breathe. My voice is surprisingly steady. “Yeah, of course.”

His relief is palpable. “Thank you. Well, I’ll let you go. I know Ben is waiting.” He starts to leave, then glances over his shoulder at me. “Cass? I…I really miss you. More than you probably know.”

I’m still rolling those words over and over in my mind, trying to make them last the way I used to do with Jolly Ranchers when I was a kid, as I’m getting ready for bed back at the hotel. It’s well after midnight by the time I crawl into the queen-sized bed, trying to stay as far from Jade’s side of the bed as possible. To my astonishment, she breaks the silence just as I’m about to drift off to sleep.

“Cassie? You still awake?”

“Barely,” I yawn. “What do you want?”

It’s impossible to see my sister’s face, but her voice is trembling. “I wanted to apologize. For what I said earlier. What I said about Dad, and what Collin told me…I shouldn’t have said those things.”

I’m wide awake now. “No,” I agree, “you shouldn’t have. And you shouldn’t have asked about my…personal relationship with Ian, either. I know I always tell you that you can talk to me about anything, but, Jade, there are some things you just can’t ask me, OK? And asking questions about my sex life is one of them. I’m just not going to go there with you. It‘s not fair to Ian.”

“I know,” she answers in a small voice. “I know I shouldn’t have asked you. I’m sorry.”

“It’s OK. I forgive you.” I grope for her hand in the darkness, find it and squeeze tight. “Friends again?”

Jade squeezes back, and I expect her to launch into some crazy story about the rehearsal dinner tonight, but she’s silent for several minutes. Just when I think she’s fallen asleep, she clears her throat. “Do you believe God can forgive you for anything?”

Taken aback, I fumble for a response for a moment. “I…Yeah, I think so. You mean like if I killed somebody or something awful? I think if you’re truly sorry for whatever you did, and you’re willing to change and never do that thing again, then of course God will forgive you.”

Tears fill her voice. “What if…What if you do something really bad over and over again, and part of you isn’t sorry for it? Do you think God will forgive you then?”

I prop myself up on one elbow, trying to get a glimpse of her face. “Honey, what’s wrong? What’s this really about?”

“Nothing. Never mind. It’s late; we should go to sleep.”

“Are you crying?”

“I’m fine. It was a stupid question anyway. I’m going to sleep now.”

I know she’s not fine, but I also know that if I push her we could end up in the same situation we were in earlier today, and I’m not willing to risk that. I lie back down and try to sleep. Just before I drift off, Jade’s voice floats over me one more time.

“Cassie? If…if I told you something about me, something really bad that I did recently, would you still love me?”

My eyelids feel like they’re weighted with concrete, and I’m having difficulty concentrating on what Jade is saying. “Hmmm? Of course I’d still love you. What did you do?”

“Never mind.” Her voice is very far away. “It doesn’t matter, anyway.”

The last thing I hear before sleep claims me is the sound of my sister starting to cry.

Any normal girl my age would be thrilled on a day like this--getting to be a junior bridesmaid in a wedding, complete with tons of professionally-applied makeup and a gorgeous hairstyle. The dress is beautiful, a form-fitting strapless gown in a dark shade of peach. Cassie squeals when she sees me. “Jade, you look amazing! You look like you’re at least 18! Oh, my gosh!”

I should be happy. I should be thrilled. Instead, it’s all I can do not to burst into tears when I look at my reflection in the mirror. Because I can see what the rest of my family can’t: I’m a fraud. An imposter. A liar. A fake. And a coward, because I came so close to telling Cassie the truth last night and chickened out. I stare at my reflection menacingly, as if I could shoot darts with my eyes. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.

Once we get to the church, I plaster on a smile as my family oohs and ahhhs over me and Cassie. Mom takes about a million pictures of us with Levi and Ben, her eyes already misting. “My babies are all grown up.” But the camera finally stops clicking and Cassie and I hurry off to see Anna.

She’s breathtaking. “Oh, I so want your dress when I get married!” I exclaim before I can stop myself. Anna laughs, blushing. Her dress is simply gorgeous. For the first time that day, I feel a flutter of the excitement I felt yesterday afternoon, before Cassie and I fought. Levi’s really getting married! I can’t wait to see the look on his face when Anna walks down the aisle and he sees her in her dress for the first time. Maybe this will be an awesome day, after all.

My happy mood vanishes when I excuse myself to go to the ladies’ room about thirty minutes before the ceremony is supposed to start, and I run into the one person I hoped I wouldn’t see here. Emotion slams into me like an oncoming train, and the room spins crazily. I hadn’t expected the sight of him to impact me this way; I thought I’d be able to walk right by him with my head held high, ignoring him the way I know my siblings are planning to do. I was so wrong.

“Jade,” he stammers. “Honey…I’ve missed you.”

Daddy. I can’t speak past the lump in my throat, and tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I don’t know what I’d imagined: that he’d look different, morphed into some type of monster just because that’s the way the rest of my family sees him now. But of course, he looks just the same as he always has, except that he’s noticeably thinner. Standing face-to-face with him like this, it’s suddenly hard to remember why I’m so justified in lying about him the way I have.

“Sweetheart, we need to talk. And I think you know why.” Dad lowers his eyebrows at me, the way he always used to do when I got in trouble as a kid. “I don’t know why you’ve been lying to your mother and everyone else, but it needs to stop.”

One of the tears I’ve been fighting to hold back escapes, and Dad’s expression softens when he realizes I’m crying. “We don’t have to talk about this now. I don’t want you to ruin your makeup. You really do look beautiful, Jade.” He runs his finger down the side of my face. “My little girl is growing up.”

“Daddy…” I choke out, unsure what I should say but knowing I have to say something.

“Shhhh. It’s OK. Don’t cry. We’ll work all of this out. I’m not angry at you, Honey. And I know that you’ll do the right thing. I love you, you know that, right?”

I just nod. It’s only after I hurry away that I realize what I should have said was this: I love you, too. And I’m sorry.

I don’t know how I make it through the ceremony without passing out or bursting into tears or doing something equally embarrassing. The wedding is beautiful, as we all knew it would be, but I can hardly focus on it at all. I’m too distracted by the sight of my parents sitting in the front row, pretending to be the perfect couple, and the noxious combination of guilt, fear, anger, and betrayal churning in my stomach. I honestly think I might throw up.

Somehow I make it through the ceremony without getting sick, but when the pastor says, “Ladies and gentlemen, may I present, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Levi Wilson”, I lose it. All my make-up is ruined in moments by the tears streaming down my face, and to my utter humiliation, I can’t seem to stop crying. Not when Anna’s cousin, one of the groomsmen, escorts me down the aisle. Not when my family gathers in the back of the church and embraces, all stiff arms and tight smiles, putting on a good show for the congregation. Not when all the guests file by us and head downstairs for the reception in the church fellowship hall.

“Awww, Honeybunch, don’t cry,” Cassie pulls me aside, smiling. “It’s not like you’ll never see Levi again. And besides, you’re going to ruin your makeup for the pictures.”

When I still can’t stem the flood of tears, Cassie’s brow furrows in concern. “Jade? What’s wrong?”

The rest of my siblings and Anna crowd around me, trying to calm me down and figure out why, exactly, I’m crying so hard. I pull away from them and break through the little circle they’ve formed around me, walking straight to Dad. He’s been hanging as far back as he can ever since the guests departed; and with the looks my siblings and Mom have been giving him, who can blame him? His eyes widen as I approach him and he glances around wildly at the rest of them, obviously bracing himself for some type of fight.

“I have something to say to you.” I’m crying so hard that my words are barely intelligible. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry I lied.”

Mom shoves herself between me and Dad. “Jade, what are you talking about? This is not the time and place for a discussion with your father.” She leans close enough to hiss in my ear. “You are going to ruin your brother’s big day. Whatever this is about, it can wait, young lady!”

“No,” I shake my head at her. “No, it can’t.” I turn around to face the rest of my family. Ian has slipped into the back of the room sometime when I wasn’t looking. The expression on his face is enough to wilt me. He knows. He’s always known.

“I have something to say to all of you,” I announce, slightly more composed even though the ground might as well be crumbling beneath my feet. “I…I lied. About everything. I lied. I’m sorry.” My composure is swept away in another flood of tears. “I’m so, so sorry.”

Then I do what I do best: I lift up the hem of my pretty dress and run out of the church. There’s a beautiful garden near the back of the church’s property with a gazebo in the center of it. I sink down onto one of the benches in the gazebo and bury my head in my hands. What have I done?

Cassie

After Jade runs out, it’s as if a bomb has been dropped in the center of the church. At first we all stand there staring at each other, shell-shocked. Within moments, that numbness begins to wear off and a rising tide of anger begins to build inside of me.

Levi is the first to break the silence, his joyful expression from minutes earlier replaced by one of pure bewilderment. “Pet--I mean, Dad…was…was Jade saying that she lied about…you touching her?”

For the first time in months, I truly look at my father. I’d avoided his gaze all during the wedding, and I’d determined to not even talk to him today if I could help it. But now I look straight at him. His face is lined with a mixture of emotions: anguish, a little bit of anger, and profound relief. “Yes,” he answers simply, sighing heavily. “I’m so sorry that she’s ruining your big day, Son. But yes, it’s true: she lied to all of you.”

Beside me, Ben swears under his breath and Mom gasps. “Peter…” she whispers, her face stricken. Levi clenches his fists, and Anna appears just as shocked and speechless as Mom.

She lied to me. All this time, she lied. The thought drums through my brain like a mantra. The tide of anger is shifting into a flood, powerful enough to suck me under. I don’t fully know what I’m planning to do when I run out of the church after Jade, ignoring the rest of my family’s cries behind me. She lied, she lied, she lied.

It’s not difficult to find her, and she doesn’t try to run away when she sees me coming. She merely stands up, wipes her eyes, and appears to brace herself.

I’ve barely come to a stop in front of her when I backhand her as hard as I can. The sound of my hand connecting with her face seems to echo in the tiny space between us, and the momentum pushes her backwards. She grabs her face, staggering. “I guess I deserved that,” she manages weakly, once she can speak again.

“Damn right,” I snarl. “And you deserve this, too.” I hit her again. And again. I’m raising my hand to hit her a fourth time when someone grabs my hand from behind.

Ian. “Cassie, don’t!”

I ignore him and glare at Jade as she cowers on the bench in front of me, sobbing. “I’m sorry, Cassie,” she begs. “I didn’t…I didn’t mean for all of this to…I thought I could stop it…”

“Shut up! Just shut up! I cannot believe you did this! What kind of sick person does something like this? What is wrong with you?”

“I know, I know,” she sobs. “I’m sorry.”

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done to all of us? To Dad? Mom was going to divorce him over your little lie! Didn’t that matter to you? Ben moved back home and has been practically killing himself with the commute back and forth to work. He would never have done that for anyone but you. And Levi…congratulations, Jade, you just managed to single-handedly ruin his wedding! How do you think he and Anna are feeling right now? Or do you even care?”

“I said I was sorry. I know…”

Only Ian’s grip on my arm keeps me from punching her in the face again. “I don’t want to hear about how sorry you are. I don’t want to hear anything from you, do you understand me? I really don’t care if I never speak to you again after today.”

All the color leaches from her face. “Cassie…”

“I mean it. We’re done, Jade. This is the last conversation you and I will have for a long, long time. Maybe ever.”

Her lips are white. “You don’t mean that.”

“Don’t you get it?” I explode. “Don’t you understand what the past few months have been like for me? It was hell to watch you go through all of the stuff with Social Services and the doctors and the therapist, but I came to every appointment and did everything I could to be there for you because I didn’t want you to feel alone like I did when it happened to me. It almost killed me to relive all of that, but I did it. And you know what’s even worse?” Tears are streaming down my face, the words spilling out from some dark corner of my heart. “I lost Ian because of you. I gave up the love of my life because I believed you were telling the truth about Dad. You have no idea what it’s like to lose someone that you love that much. So yeah, Jade, I do mean it: I really don’t care if I ever speak to you again.”

“Cassie, wait!” Jade pleads.

“You came within an inch of destroying our entire family, Jade! Think about that for a while--I mean, really think about it. Let that sink in. You were willing to let Dad’s life be ruined, just so you could get back at him or whatever the hell you were trying to do? You selfish bitch. You make me sick.”

With that, I yank my arm out of Ian’s grip and walk out of the gazebo and into the surrounding garden. Ian follows me, silent for a few moments. “Cassie?” he says tentatively.

I can’t risk looking at him. I know I’ll burst into tears again and make a complete fool of myself if I do. “I’m not going to apologize for hitting her. She deserves a lot worse than that.”

“No, that’s not what I was going to say. I think you did the right thing. I just didn’t want you to beat the crap out of her right before the reception. That might not look too good. No, I…I was going to say that…what you said back there? You haven’t lost me, Cass. Wait, wait.” He lays a hand on my arm, bringing me to a stop. “Look at me.”

He gently raises my chin so that I’m looking him in the eye. “You haven’t lost me,” he repeats. “I’m here.” My own eyes are so full of tears that his face blurs, but I’m pretty sure he’s crying, too.

“Can we…Do you think we can start over?” My voice is trembling. “I know…I know we have a lot to talk about, and I still have a lot of stuff to work through, but…if you’re willing to take a chance on a crazy girl like me…”

He reaches over and slips the engagement ring off of my finger, and my heart plummets. I hadn’t been willing to take it off, even weeks after we broke up; I kept hoping he would come back. Now I have my answer.

Ian drops down on one knee. “I know I’ve already asked you this, but…Cassie, will you marry me?”

I’m sure my mouth is hanging open, and I couldn’t stop crying even if I wanted to. “Yes, baby. Yes, of course I’ll marry you!”

He adjusts the ring onto my finger again and pulls me close. When he kisses me, everything in me starts to settle. It feels as if I am falling back into place. It feels like coming home.