Change is good, unless it isn't

Chapter 29

After sorting through venue after venue, they finally settled on having the wedding in the backyard of Normani's childhood home. It's decorated tastefully, with calla lilies and enough white chairs to seat Normani immediate family for a small, comfortable ceremony. While Normani had ultimately decided against wearing a dress, Dinah picked out a simple knee-length white dress adorned with lace accents across the upper portion.

Everything is simple, but elegant—a perfect conglomeration of what they both wanted.

Dinah's hair blows softly in the gentle breeze as she stands at the side of the house. Vines climb up the muted yellow vinyl siding towards the clear blue sky, curling only at the very tops towards the brick chimney. She finds herself thinking about what Tanner would be doing if he were here.

"Mommy?"

"Mo—" Dinah turns, finding Jace in his little black tux approaching her. Her heart soars, chest clenching. In the four months he has been with them, he has never once referred to her as anything other than Dinah. Her eyes water almost immediately. She leans down towards him, unable to hide her massive smile. "Yes, cucciolo?"

He grins at the nickname. Since his adoption, he's not only improved in English, but now has a small collection of French words as well.

His head tilts, combed curls falling to the right. "You look pretty."

"Thank you, baby." She straightens his downy blue bowtie. "Have you seen Normani?"

"She's standing at the end of the island for you."

"The aisle?"

"Oh. Yeah, the aisle." He begins fiddling with his fingers-a habit born from Normani and Dinah both. "Can I call Normani Mommy, too?"

For a moment, she says nothing. Jace, her son, finally, finally feels comfortable enough and loved enough to accept them just as they have accepted him. She releases a small, giddy laugh. "You can call her whatever you want."

Biting on his thumb, he manages to smirk. "I can call her Daddy?"

She playfully raises a brow. "You may have to talk to her about that one."

"I'm just kidding," he replies. His laugh is sweet and high pitched. There's nothing he loves more than make a 'kidding' as he so calls it. "I' want to call her Mama Mani. Can I call her Mama mani?"

"Mama mani sounds perfect. Are you going to stand next to her like a big boy?"

"Mhm." He holds out rolled paper wrapped with a blue ribbon. "She wants me to give this to you."

Drea emerges from the front of the house. "There you two are. I've been looking everywhere. It'd be a shame to be late to your own wedding."

Dinah takes the piece of paper from him before kissing his cheek. "Go with Nonna so she can take you where you need to be, okay?"

"Okay," he answers. "I love you."

She will never get used to hearing those words fall so freely from him, and he says them whenever he can—as if he's afraid that he will somehow be unable to one day. She straightens his tux one more time before he leaves, with a kiss to his cheek. "I love you, too."

Once alone, Dinah unties the blue ribbon and unrolls the paper. It's a photo—a copy of the one from her fridge of both she and Tanner at the zoo. When she flips it over, she involuntarily sucks in a quick breath. Her hand presses against her chest as she reads.

Something old and something blue rolled into one. For the something new...I'd say today is something pretty new for us both. I love you, Dinah. All of you—your past, our present, and our future. Now quit worrying about your hair and come make me the happiest wife in the world.