12 Days of Mistletoe

Epilogue

epilogue

BONNIE

My dress flows around my legs. My new high heels pinch my toes and make me long for some slippers. I will be taking these shoes off before the night ends. That’s a promise.

Jocelyn and Evelyn sit in front of me in this dressing room. They don’t see me. I’m not even sure they know I’ve arrived at the church. They’ve been so kind to me, and they’ve welcomed me into their family with open arms despite the mess Elliot’s ex made. Despite the fact that we started out pretending.

“I’m not worried. Are you worried?” Jocelyn says to Evelyn.

“Of course I’m worried. Between the two of us, I am the worrier,” Evelyn says. “This is all just so sudden—don’t you think?”

“It is,” Jocelyn says, rubbing her hands together. “But I think they love each other.”

She isn’t wrong. I may be new at love, but I can honestly say that I now know what love is .

“But a New Year’s wedding? Why not date a little longer?”

My brows knit—and I decide I better make myself known. “Hey,” I say, walking up behind the pair.

“Oh, Bonnie! Hey, we didn’t see you there,” Evelyn says, a hand on her non-existent baby bump.

“I noticed.” I grin at the pair—for once, I’m not the anxious one in the room. “Stop stressing, you two. It’s going to be fine.” Calming someone else’s nerves is new for me. But I don’t feel nervous today. I don’t feel anxious at all. Just happy. These New Year’s plans were a surprise for me and Elliot too, but I’m so grateful to be here.

“Where’s Noel? Maybe I need her.” Evelyn peers around me.

I chuckle. “She’s with Elliot, waiting for me. You’re going to be fine. I promise.” I give her a small side hug. “I’ll see you two out there. No worries, okay?”

I leave Elliot’s sisters and step out into the small chapel.

There he is, waiting for me. Holy smokes, that man looks good in a tux. Elliot strides toward me, but Noel beats him by a yard or two. “Ready?” he says.

“Absolutely.”

Elliot presses a small, chaste kiss to my lips, leaving me wanting more, then leads me to a front-row pew where we sit next to his parents. Jackson and Parker sit behind and soon Evelyn and Jocelyn join them.

Bill stands at the front of the church with a pastor decades his junior. The wedding march begins and we all stand for the bride. May walks down the aisle in a blue and silver dress, her white hair flowing around her shoulders.

“She’s beautiful,” I say, watching our little bride walk to her groom .

“She is,” Elliot agrees, but he’s looking at me. “Bonnie,” he says, threading his arm around my back.

“Yeah?” I whisper, peering up at him.

“I love you.”

I blink, my brain attempting to make sense of his words. Did I hear that right? Someone as good and wonderful as Elliot loves me?

“I know it hasn’t been that long and?—”

Yes, I did. I heard him. And I feel it too. I know what love feels like. No doubt about it. “I love you,” I say. I have for a while, and there’s no sense in making him wait any longer to hear it.

He leans his head down and presses a kiss to my lips, wrapping so much love into one little action.

He loves me.

And I love him.