A couple of days later, Alex is finally being released from the hospital. I packed all of her things in a bag for her while she was breastfeeding Rosie.

"I'm gonna run out of milk soon, Rosie." Alex jokingly says, and I chuckle.

"She's still drinking?" I ask in shock, because she's been breastfeeding for nearly twenty minutes.

"Maybe this is normal for babies to drink this much. She does need nourishment, so I guess it doesn't bother me." Alex says.

I walk over to where she stands, giving her a small kiss. We share a glance, and it seems so much different than any other glance we've had before. The reality is still sinking in that we're parents, and there's a look of complete trust and dependence on her face.

We're both relying on each other now more than ever. We cannot fail at being parents, but I know that mistakes are inevitable. Somehow, the look that we share is ended as Rosie begins to fuss once Alex removes her tiny mouth from her breast.

"Shh," Alex says softly, caressing Rosie's cheeks.

"I've got all your stuff packed." I say, and she smiles.

"Thank you."

I throw the bag over my shoulder, and Alex follows me as we walk out of the hospital. I reach behind me so that Alex can grab my hand, and that warmth spread through the my palm. I look back, and she smiles at me before looking into Rosie's eyes.

The dark brown is identical to Alex's eyes, but they're much bigger. Her large eyes seem to take up half of her face because they're so big, and they resemble two pools of dark chocolate. Rosie looks up, extremely curious as to what is around us.

Her tiny little hand peeks out from the blanket, and she wavers before she begins to reach out for something. I realize that she's trying to reach out for one of us, and my large finger is soon imprisoned by her grasp.

"Aww, she's holding onto your finger." Alex says, and her smile is still as gorgeous as I remember.

This is what I want.

I want to look into their eyes and feel like I'm at home.

That's exactly everything that I feel.

Before her, I never felt like I was at home in any of my relationships. We just never reached that level of comfort and trust with each other. Alex and I definitely have that.

That's why I'm marrying her.

We drive home, and I see a few pink balloons in the kitchen and some gifts are on the counter. Alex and I look at each other, and she has furrowed eyebrows.

"How did someone manage to get in our house and leave this here? Don't get me wrong, it's nice that they left us a gift." Alex says, and I nod.

I notice a small sticky note on one of the gifts, and I look at the cursive writing carefully, and it doesn't take long to realize that it's Vanessa's handwriting.

To celebrate the new life that you've brought into the world. I hope you two enjoy this gift!

I smile, and I unwrap it carefully. Inside, I see multiple baby outfits. There's about 50 Shades of Pink, and no other color. I also see a pacifier and a digital baby monitor.

"That's so sweet," Alex exclaims. "I'll definitely have to call her and thank her."

"Yeah, that's really generous of her."

"If I didn't have Laura, I definitely would love to have Vanessa as a sister."

"Yeah, she really is an amazing person. Growing up with her was so memorable." I reminisce with an idiotic grin on my face.

Vanessa and I definitely have some great memories together. I helped her tie her shoes until it was time for her to learn how to do it on her own. I became a guide and almost like a mentor for her as she went through school with the worries she had.

"I can tell how much you love her."

"Yeah, like how much you love Laura. Unromantically speaking, they both hold special places in our hearts."

"Yeah, and after my father died, I never really reserved places for anyone in my heart until I realized how important they were and the vital role they play in my life."

I set down the gift, looking Alex directly in the eyes. We both head upstairs, sitting next to each other on the bed. Alex hands Rosie over to me, and I smile while watching her continue to look around at everything.

"Was that insinuating that you never really reserved a spot in your heart for your father until he died?" I ask bluntly, and she nods.

"I was only thirteen, and he was the last person that I'd expect to just die. Being that young, those sentiments and significant value of everybody was something that I didn't think about." Alex explains and I nod.

"As a child, you never really tend to tap into your emotional side. You loved your father, but didn't really think about how important he was until he was gone."

"Exactly. And then when my sister left for college, I started notice just how I didn't have a lot of people there for me besides Xiu and Savannah. Everything just kind of stopped, and I realized how I didn't really love him as hard as I should've." Alex mutters with a wobble, and I feel a lump in my throat.

"Hey, look at me." I say softly, lifting her chin so that we make eye contact.

"I'm looking." Alex says.

"You love him, okay? There's no denying that the both of you loved each other, so don't doubt that. Am I making you cry?"

"I'm not crying," Alex insists, but the tears coat her eyes. "Not because of you."

"Come here."

Alex rests her head on my shoulder, sniffling quietly so that Rosie isn't disturbed. I rub her shoulder, kissing her temple as well. She sits up, and covers her face before wiping away her tears.

"I'm not crying because of you. I've just been so emotional lately." Alex admits, and I'm not surprised.

"It's okay, just be sure to take your pills. It'll even your mood."

"I'm s—"

"No, don't apologize. There's nothing to be sorry for." I intrude.

"I'm going to go take my pills." Alex announces.

"Yeah, go take them. I've got Rosie, don't worry." I smile, and she does, too.

Alex rushes out of the room, and I stand up near the window with Rosie.

"Mommy and I are so grateful for you, and we're glad that you're healthy. But, things are still a bit too much for you to understand." I say in a high pitched voice.

Rosie just stares up at me, and her little tongue sticks out before she puts it back in her mouth. I kiss her cheeks. A small smile tugs at her mouth, and I feel a fluttery feeling in my chest.

God, how did we make such a beautiful baby?

Her beauty almost seems unreal just like Alex's.

This is my child.

My fifteen year old self was asked where I'd see myself in ten years, and I was expecting to have my job as a doctor and own a dog. Both of those things did happen, but the best of all was unexpected.

That I'd be engaged and have a beautiful daughter.

She was in the emergency room with those gorgeous eyes and her body that was trembling with nervousness. Alex was so introverted, but within a matter of days we just began to talk and the beginning of something life changing had begun to blossom.

Something unbreakable.

~~~

After a few weeks of final preparations, today is the day of the wedding. I wake up feeling completely jittery and excited and slightly nervous. It's almost like I'm going on our first date again, or like I'm a kid or teenager waking up for the first day of school.

This is the day where I tie myself to Alex, unifying and making our love stronger. Today's the day that I get to look into those gorgeous dark brown eyes and make her mine. Alexandrianna Hawkins will go from being my girlfriend to my wife.

I can't wait.

I lean over, kissing Alex multiple times on her cheek and neck. She slightly shifts her body before a tired laugh escapes from her mouth. Alex's head turns, and my lips are perfectly aligned with hers.

My lips tingle from the sensation, and they become numb as our kiss deepens. The sound of our lips smacking together causes me to smile, and it sounds like music to me as I hear a faint sigh come from Alex's mouth.

"Good morning." I say excitedly, and her smile spreads from ear to ear.

"Hi," She replies, giving me another kiss. "You know what day it is, right?"

"How could I forget? Today's the day that I get to marry the woman of my dreams." I softly say into her ear before kissing it.

I look out of the window, and the sun is just beginning to rise and the shining gold from inside of the buildings in the San Francisco skyline disappear as the sun replaces that light.

As I look down at Alex, the forming sunlight shines directly onto her face. I realize how addicted I am to her as I get lost in her eyes. The gold speckles are created in them, and the look in her eyes could be what sets everything inside of me into flames.

When we first met, it was her eyes that sort of drew me to her, and then everything else as time went on. The eyes.

Once I looked into them, man, it was over.

It's so easy for me to become mesmerized by the chocolate brown that swirls in her pupils. They almost resemble cat eyes, mysterious and alert. They hold an insurmountable depth and continue to claim me every single day.

I somehow manage to tear myself away from her gaze. My body instinctively lifts itself from the bed, and I make my way over to Rosie's nursery.

Next to her crib in the rocking chair, my mother laid out an adorable outfit for Rosie to wear at the wedding. Rosie is still sleeping peacefully, and there's not one movement in her tiny body. My smile widens as I stare at how adorable she looks, and how much she's already grown.

I exit her room quietly, closing the door gently so that I don't wake her up.

"Rosie is going to get ready with the girls and I, if that's okay with you." Alex says, and I nod.

"Perfect. I have a little surprise to prepare for you, too."

"Oh really? Can I get a hint?" Alex playfully asks, pulling me closer.

"Nope, you'll just have to wait and see." I reply, giving her a small, coquettish grin.

"I love it when you tease me." Alex says in a low, seductive tone.

"I know you do."

I lean in, kissing her slowly. Once we pull away, exultant sighs are released from the both of us. We smile at each other, and Alex lifts Rosie from the bed and holds her.

"Say goodbye to daddy!" Alex says in a silly voice.

"Bye Rosie! I can't wait to see you in that cute dress." I exclaim, pinching her cheek.

"Let's go Rosie, we cannot be late." Alex says, and we share a final smile.

Alex and I go our separate ways so that we can get ready for the wedding. All of my groomsmen have been preparing for the whole day, but still stopping occasionally to make jokes or to relax.

After my shower, I stand in front of the sink, carefully shaving my face. The entire bathroom is steamy, and I can barely see myself in the mirror, but I've been shaving for so long that I don't need to see to know what I'm doing and how well I'm doing it. My nostrils are filled with the strong scent of my shower gel and soap that floats in the air.

I feel more jitters course through my body as the time goes on. It's getting so close to the time to go, and my heart palpitates.

My suit has been ironed and tailored perfectly, and I look impeccable once I have it on. Brendan helps adjust my tie, and Elijah helps me pin my boutonnière onto my jacket.

"Man, I feel old. My little brother's getting married today." Brendan says in disbelief, and I smile.

"Yeah, are you ready to be a husband?" Jordan asks, and I nod.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be." I say, happily sighing afterwards.

Suddenly, Brendan pulls me into his arms for an embrace, and I'm surprised because it doesn't feel forced or abnormal. It actually feels like a connection when we hug, and I smile even harder. The warmth spreads throughout my body as our embrace continues and becomes tighter.

"I love you, man." Brendan says into my ear, and I can tell that he's grinning.

"I love you, Brendan." I whisper, and my cheeks begin to hurt.

It's been a while since my brother and I have shared a moment like this.

"I'm really happy for you. Dad would be, too."

Those words strike me, temporarily with sadness but with happiness at the same time. Thinking back on how things were before he died, he just wanted nothing but for all of us to find something or someone that we love and that makes us happy.

Our father didn't want us to worry about him while he was dying because he didn't want us to forget that we were still living.

That's why he didn't want us to worry.

All of the pieces come together in my mind, and I sigh. My family is definitely one of the most important things to me, yet I was sacrificing my bond with my brother.

Brendan really has matured since then, and I feel regret wash over me as I think about how I overreacted and hurt him. Brendan took his anger out on us, but I wasn't any better.

"I'm so sorry that I treated you so terribly. We should've just talked but instead—"

"No, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I'm your older brother, but instead of being there for you guys, I acted like a complete dick." Brendan insists.

"I just want you to know that Dad wouldn't be disappointed in you. Why I said that, I'm not sure. I was just so full of anger that it just slipped out. It was a heat of the moment thing."

"It's okay, Rian. I apologized to Alex so that I could prove that I'm a good brother, and the brother that you deserve." Brendan says, and his eyes glimmer.

Our uncle smiles at us as we hug again, slapping each other's backs. Everything inside of my stomach feels light and airy, which is strange because I only get that feeling from Alex. It's been so long since Brendan and I have actually made me feel this way.

It actually feels like we're actually brothers again.

We separate, and everyone releases a sigh.

"Well, let's go. We don't want to be late." Dr. Raymond exclaims.

I see the vase full of flowers still on the table, and I sit down and pull out and pen with a piece of paper. It doesn't take very long for my thoughts to spill out onto the page.

Alexandrianna, I know you might be nervous but today's our big day. Our unconditional love has brought us here, and I want you to think of that as you're getting ready. The love that we made was so unexpected, but so right. You've completely changed my perspective in a very good way.

I know that you're going to look ridiculously beautiful as you make your way down the aisle, and I know for sure that you're the only one that I want to walk towards me. You have an incredibly beautiful soul, and definitely the woman I envisioned to marry.

I can't wait until we walk out, officially husband and wife. Waking up next to you every single day is a blessing, and I promise that no matter what, I'll always be by your side.

-R.

I fold the paper carefully, and I hand it to my uncle, along with the flowers.

"I need you to drive over to where the girls are, and give these to Alex. Can you do that for me? Come back as soon as you give these to her." I instruct, and he nods.

"Of course." Uncle Tony says.

"But once you give her these, please hurry back. You cannot be late." I reiterate, and he nods.

"Come on, I wouldn't be late for my nephews wedding! Besides, I'm sitting next to your mom and she's been nagging me nonstop about being on time." He says, chuckling.

My mom and my uncle Tony are really close. Not only because they're brother and sister, but because how much they've been through. My mother is older than Tony, so she's always been the overprotective older sister. My mom has gotten my uncle out of some pretty dangerous situations, and I'm not sure if he'd be alive if it weren't for her.

"You wouldn't want to upset your sister." I say jokingly, and he laughs before exiting the room.

After that, we all make our way to the wedding. On the way there, I practice my vows a couple of more times to make it fresh in my mind. It's being held a couple of blocks from where we got ready, so we're the first ones there. I gasp, because I didn't even get to see the finished product. White petals are everywhere.

Everywhere.

Candles are lit near the seating, and white drapery is hanging on the walls. We all admire in complete astonishment, and I see my grandmother and my mother standing on the other side of the room.

They rush over to me, being a bit careful so that they don't slip on the petals. They hug me at the same time, and I feel like I'm being strangled.

"Aww, look at you!" Mom squeals, and she smiles brightly.

"My goodness, look at how handsome you look." Grandma says, and I blush.

"Thank you."

"My little boy's all grown up!" Mom exclaims, and I roll my eyes.

"Mom," I groan, and they both laugh.

After a brief talk, we all begin to take our places. People begin to flood in and take their seats. Family, friends, acquaintances all chat loudly and admire how stunning it is.

"Wow, Mom. You really went all out."

"The wedding planner and I had really similar tastes, so it went well. I decided to add a couple finishing touches." She says cheekily.

"It looks amazing. Thank you so much for your help, it really means a lot that you play a huge part in our big day." I gratefully say, and her smile is wide.

"You're my son, and I want the best for you. So did your father." She says, and her mouth turns down at the corners.

"Brendan sort of said the same thing to me while we were getting ready this morning." I admit.

"Did he?" She asks, in shock.

"Yeah, he apologized about how he was and so did I."

"Good. It's nice to see that you guys are brothers again. I hated seeing you all at each other's throats." Mom replies.

"Yeah, I know that Dad wouldn't want us to do that. He'd want us to stick together, so that's what we're going to do."

We hug again, and her flowery perfume fills my nostrils. Some of it somehow gets into my mouth, and I cough a few times.

"Sorry! I put a lot of perfume on." She chuckles.

Suddenly, I see Vanessa walk down, and then Jessica followed by Xiu, Savannah, and Laura. They all smile at me, and take their places as well as the groomsmen. Brendan and Savannah stare at each other, and her cheeks redden before she whispers to Xiu.

That would be interesting.

I hear the music start, and my heartbeat takes off once everyone stands up. The heat and blood rushes to my head when I see the huge double doors open. All of the light nearly blinds everyone, but it soon fades.

And then I see her.