The Struggle For Love ✔

Epilogue

In the front row, my parents are standing, proud, shining, happy. Mom pinking away a tear that slipped her eye. A happy tear, of course.

On their left, Finnley's mother is standing, trying to hide tears too, as Charlie is squeezing her upper arm and whispering something to her as her eyes are focused on Finnley fully. She's smiling, and her and James' presence here today, means the world to both Finnley and me.

To know they have fully accepted us, just the way we are, makes most of what happened unimportant. It took months, years, for the Lund family to get over everything that happened, but since they fought to overcome it all, they came out stronger.

And more supportive. Fully supportive.

And Jaimie is currently right by my side, as my best man, while Oliver is Finnley's best man. I contemplated on asking Stan to be mine, but Jaimie has always been my second-best friend. And since I'm marrying my best friend, it's only logical to have Jaimie here with me.

"Daddy look!" Mila's squeaky voice wakes me up from my thoughts, and I notice Mila is holding up the pink rose peddles I know Finnley hit in the bottom of the basket to surprise her.

It's her favourite colour, but since we picked purple, silver and white as our signature colours, she was disappointed because she wouldn't be able to throw around pink rose peddles.

"They pink!" She calls out, throwing them up in the air to watch them fall down with wide happy eyes.

"I think you wished hard enough, sweety." Finnley smiles, kneeling beside her to peck a kiss on her cheek. "Go sit with grandma, if you're a good girl, I'll let you get the biggest piece of cake."

"Is it pink?"

"It's strawberry flavoured." Finnley chuckles, and gently pushes her towards his mother, watching her skip to Eva, who lifts her up in her arms happily.

James hugs Finnley tightly, before he lets him close the distance towards me.

I can't fight back an even wider smile as he stands before me.

"Ready?" I ask him in a whisper.

"I was born ready." He chuckles, and we lock our hands, turning, ready to commit to each other for the rest of our lives.

We listen to stories about ourselves, to the jokes – since we requested a fun ceremony – and laugh over stupid things we did when we were younger, all the while holding hands, smiling at each other so much my jaws start hurting in the process.

And I allow memories of us together wash over me, savouring me because I can only feel happiness and warmth when thinking of the memories we do have, knowing how valuable memories are since I lost some.

I wake up from those thoughts as Finnley squeezes my hand shortly, alerting me we came to the vows, and our promise.

"Do you, Cristian Jacob Evans, take Finn Christoffer Lund to be your lawfully wedded husband. Do you promise to be true to him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health? Will you love him and honour him all the days of your life?"

"I do." A tingly feeling is spreading from my stomach all over my body, warming me, causing me to feel giddy and excited. And most of all; honoured because I'm here with Finnley.

"Do you, Finn Christoffer Lund, take Cristian Jacob Evans to be your lawfully wedded husband. Do you promise to be true to him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health? Will you love him and honour him all the days of your life?"

"I do." Finnley smirks, and I chuckle shortly, squeezing his hand to tell him to be serious for a second.

"You now may kiss each other."