“Only the charming ones.”
I laughed against his shoulder.
We married the following spring.
Small ceremony.
Family only.
Ryan walked me down the aisle.
Brandon carried the rings.
Emma threw so many flower petals that the floor disappeared beneath them.
Mrs. Alvarez cried harder than anyone.
Christopher walked the final six steps without crutches.
Everyone stood.
Afterward, he whispered, “I practiced for three months.”
I kissed him.
“I know.”
“How?”
“Mrs. Alvarez tells me everything.”
“Traitor.”
Five years have passed since the day I first entered Bennett House.
Brandon is thirteen now.
He plays baseball and insists he will make the major leagues.
Emma is ten and wants to become a veterinarian, a fashion designer, and possibly president.
Ryan lives twenty minutes away.
He visits constantly.
Too constantly, according to Christopher.
