Almost

Chapter 68: Promise

When they stepped out the door into the fading sunlight, Katherine could have been overcome by the faces of her family as they stood, so full of joy. She might have been swept up by the curtains of floating lights that parted to make way for her as she entered the shimmering dome they created. Her breath could have caught at a willow tree that now held Nestor and Eden as it arched over her grandfather, Corliss on his shoulder. She could have smiled back at Picquery and Fred, dressed like her father and maybe even a little misty eyed. She could have noticed that in lieu of a bouquet of white lilies like Roxy's, Lee was holding a purring Smithwick. The lanterns along the aisle, the white flowers that lined her path, the way the setting sun was just beginning to paint wide streaks of orange and pink through the sky, it all was enough to captivate her.

As was Bonnie Crawley, sat between Angelina and Molly in the front row, tears trailing down her disbelieving face.

But all she saw was Ezra waiting for her with the knot of his black tie peaking above a thin green sweater. She saw his shoulders rise as his chest expanded while everyone stood. She saw the way his mouth opened when the lights moved, and he could finally see her clearly. She saw him shuffle around to keep his knees from buckling. She saw the broad smile that crossed his face as she and George got closer. And she saw his light brown eyes, glinting hazel with all the green around him, focused on her and only her in a way that she'd never need a photograph to remember.

The ceremony was short and sweet. Arthur had clearly spent quite some time memorizing the vows so he could deliver them perfectly, barely having to look down at the sheets Ezra had printed off for him. And, though Katherine had known that it was custom in wizard wedding, she was still awed when her grandfather lifted his wand and a shower of stars fell over them as he said, "You may kiss your bride."

The tent that had been causing such a ruckus earlier had been set up by the gazebo and was filled with something that made the air glitter in the candles that floated in the air. The sides of the tent gave a hold for winding, flowering vines. A long table ran down the length of half the tent, wide enough that Katherine and Ezra could sit at the end together, Molly and Arthur down at the other end. As always, everything that Molly served was delicious—Katherine knew that anything the caterers prepared would pale in comparison.

Champagne flutes soon appeared at the candle laden table, and Picquery stood and cleared his throat. Ezra wrapped his arm around Katherine's chair as he looked up at his best man, a warning glint in his eye.

"I must say," Sebastian started, "I'm pretty thrilled to be here today. In part because I very rarely get to tell Crawley 'I told you so,'" he smirked while Ezra scoffed, "and even more rarely do I get to tell Katherine, 'I told you so,'" he added, earning a raised eyebrow from her. "But mostly because there are few things that I will ever be so happy to be right about. We're all aware that Katherine and Ezra got off to a rocky start, but I'll never forget how satisfying it was to watch her hold her own when they first met. Since his first day of auror training, Ezra has always been in control. He's observant. Logical. Levelheaded. He can see the whole world as something compact enough to manage, even when it's falling apart. And he fights vehemently for what he believes in, no matter who that means fighting against. So, when he met Katherine, I wasn't surprised that he went in wands a blazing. But I was surprised to see how quickly she got under his skin. I'd never seen him get quite that riled. Or, as Katherine put it when she first got to New York, all it took to startle the fancy investigator auror guy was a little Katiebird."

Ezra's hand left Katherine's chair, falling to her shoulder. He traced small circles along her collarbone, and she scrunched her nose at him.

"But, I guess, sometimes we need love to startle us a bit. To keep us on our toes. To make us become a better version of ourselves. And Ezra has gotten better—just as powerful, but with a new reason to fight. And, thank Gordian, he's even become more likely to listen to someone else's opinion," Picquery said pointedly. He was met with a ripple of laughter led most fervently by Katherine. "Getting to watch the two of you has been a gift. And a laugh. And a reminder that even the most stubborn and hardheaded among us can't fight love. So, let's raise a glass to Katherine and Ezra Crawley, formidable before, but may Gordian help whoever crosses you now. I told you so."