She stood up and waved the guard over. As always, she was dismissing me. I laughed to myself. I didn't care. I never did. I just never wanted her to come back when she was out of prison, years in the future, asking to be a mother to children she never wanted to be a mother to. I would always be able to tell Addison and Ben the truth; I tried my best with Sheri, and then I gave them the best with Callie.
"Goodbye, Sheri, and good luck.”
“Yeah,” she said, waving back at me half-heartedly as she left the room.
I drove back home, smiling all the way, knowing full well I was doing the right thing. I never doubted it, but I had just wanted to make sure she hadn’t turned human again. And I sincerely did wish her luck—she had twenty more years incarcerated. Addison would be twenty-six and Ben twenty-two when she got out. My children didn't need a mother who didn't want them. They deserved a mother who would love and protect them through everything.
That’s exactly what I was going to give them.
I stood in front of the minister, my best man Max at my side. He held hands with my other best man, an exceptionally well-behaved and well-dressed two-year-old Ben. Addison walked down the aisle in her glittery flower girl dress, throwing rose petals in her wake. She smiled up at me when she saw me and winked conspiringly. She and Ben knew our secret. They knew what I held in my tuxedo pocket. A wish. A dream come true. A lifetime of happiness. And I couldn't wait to show Callie.
The music changed, and the first bars to the wedding march sounded. The guests stood, and there at the end of the trail of roses stood Callie. My best friend. The most beautiful image I ever saw. Stunningly, overwhelmingly the most gorgeous woman I ever laid my eyes on. Her gaze met mine and she smiled, and all I could think about was how much I loved her and everything we'd been through together. She was so beautiful. I’m the luckiest man in the world. My whole world was fucking gray before she came, and at that moment as she walked toward me, the sky lit up with color all because she was there. I couldn’t even imagine the kind of man or father I would be without her. I didn’t even want to know—I never wanted to find out. She gave me my breath back. My knees weakened, and I laughed out loud at the fluttering in my stomach. It seemed like forever as she walked toward me—like the laws of time and physics weren’t working correctly. And as she approached, I could not help running to her and meeting her halfway.
The guests laughed and sniffled. They wiped their happy tears from their cheeks. I knew more tears were going to follow, and I looked down at my daughter and gave her a thumbs up.
"We're not here today to marry Dylan and Callie. We've joined together today to witness the coming together of a family. Dylan, Callie," the minister looked at us to the children, "and Addison and Benjamin."
As Callie and I exchanged our vows, I pulled out the papers I kept folded up near my heart for the last few weeks. Next to us, Addison pulled Ben by the hand and gave him a little shove between us. To the crowd's amusement, he turned his head back and stuck his tongue at her.
Callie wiped at her eyes and laughed as I opened the paper between us. Her fingers trembled as I held her hand and Addison, Ben, and I showed her the certification of adoption for both children. Our children. Our family. She was now officially my children’s mother, my wife, and the love of my life from now until forever.
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Also by Christine Zolendz
If you want to read more of my books, below is a list of my other titles.
Mad World Series
Fall From Grace (FREE!)
Saving Grace
Scars and Songs
Romance Suspense
Cold-Blooded Beautiful
Hilarious Chick-Lit
#TripleX (co-written with Angelisa Stone)
Contemporary Romance
Here’s To Falling
Best Man
Contemporary Romance/Erotica
Suite 269
Behind Blue Lines Series
Resisting Love
Finding Love
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