Best Friend Next Door (Love Next Door Book 2) *Rough Draft*

Epilogue

One Year Later

Abe didn't think he'd been this nervous at his own wedding. He rubbed his sweaty hands together and swallowed thickly. How long he had been pacing in front of the doorway was anyone's guess. Why am I so nervous? Somewhere deep down he knew the answer to that. His kids...the children he raised...he helped raise, had grown up, even as he sheltered them.

He took a breath, wiped his hands on his suit pants, raised his fist and knocked.

The door opened in moments."Hey Daddy." Kayla smiled and started toward him to him. She was no longer the baby girl he'd met when Val moved again to Vincentville. She used to call him "Uncle Abie" and even though he had formally adopted her, he never pressured her to call him "Dad", but it warmed his heart when she had done it the first time at a PTA meeting. She had introduced him to her teacher as her 'Dad', he had thought it was a fluke until she started calling him Dad everyday. "She's almost ready." Her cheeks glowed with rouge on her cheeks and bright pink gloss. Not much make up, but she was his little girl.

He picked her up and held her and she gave a familiar squeal like when she was younger. That was music to his ears, reminding him that she would always be his little princess. The room was surrounded with his princesses. He swooped another blonde haired one a bit younger than his daughter in a pale green dress matching Kayla's and with a matching tiara. He'd kissed each of the girls and they blew into a fit of giggling. "You two look so beautiful."

"Thank you, Poppy." Riley smiled her blue eyes sparkling into his.

"You are going to ruffle their dresses." Valarie giggled.

Abe looked up at his stunning queen. With her long flowy strapless light green dress. He'd given each of his girls a kiss and set them back down, pulling her into him.

"Now you want to ruffle mine." She giggle wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Oh I want to do more than ruffle." But that wasn't why he came in.

He looked at her imploringly. "Could I speak with the bride...alone?"

Her eyes got big a moment, almost as if second guessing. He couldn't blame his wife for being concerned. She looked back, "Come on Dee, Cam, girls?"

Abe collected kisses from Cam and Dee as they filed out of the room.

The brides lashes hung over her cheeks as she pulled a thick make up brush over her already glowing cheeks. Her veil hung behind her already over a small bun. Just when her eyes found his in the mirror she stood from her vanity chair revealing the beautiful dress, that hung off her dainty frame beautifully making her the most beautiful wife he had ever seen next to him wife, and of course his Liv.

His eyes started to burn and he could have kicked himself. He couldn't cry. Not yet, but she was a vision, and her contagious smile only added to her beauty.

He reached out his hands, "Oh Melanie." He breathed. His sweet Melanie. The little girl he had watched grown into this beautiful woman before him.

"I guess this means I can finally call you daddy now, huh Mr. Abe?" She said tugging at the sides of her veil straightening it.

He smiled. "What ever you'd like, Melanie. You look beautiful." He noticed a glassy sheen in her eyes.

"You know, I always knew that when my daddy passed." A tear strayed and Abe had to grab a kleenex from the vanity and hand it to Melanie. "When Daddy passed, when I got married, I wanted you to give me away." She said, "No matter what." He ran his thumb over her knuckles.

"And it is an honor, baby girl. Always."

She wrapped her arms around her and held her close. "Thank you, Mr. Abe." She whispered.