Ghosts (A Christian Yelich Story)

Chapter One Hundred Fourteen: Hell and Back

"She should be here," I whispered to Shaw as we waited to check in with the receptionist.

"Dude, it's not even 10:00 yet," Shaw replied. "Calm down."

"She said we'd meet ten minutes early." I was anxiously clenching and unclenching my hands. My suit was making me sweat. My stomach flip flopped.

"Look who's here," Shaw said with a smirk. I turned around and saw what he saw: Annie and Hannah coming toward us. Hannah was holding Lo in her arms.

My anxiety melted away when Annie sprinted, jumped into my arms, and wrapped her legs around my waist. I chuckled and held her securely as she placed kisses all over my face. "Hi," she muttered with a giggle, and her voice was music to my ears.

"Hey!" I kissed her lips. "Let's get married."

"Let's," she said confidently.

I helped her get back on her feet and took in her elegant but simple white dress. "You look incredible, baby."

"Thank you. You look pretty amazing yourself." She adjusted my tie slightly and kissed my cheek.

"Are you nervous?" I asked her.

"Very."

"Why?" I questioned her with a small smile.

"What if you hate my vows?"

I chuckled. "There's no way. They'll be as perfect as your face."

"Okay, guys. Let's get this show on the road," Hannah interrupted us, which drew my attention to Lo. Hannah noticed my excitement at seeing my little girl and maneuvered her to my arms. She was sound asleep and completely uninterested in her daddy, but I didn't care.

We checked in with the receptionist and she guided us to a room where we waited for the judge who was going to marry us.

***

Christian looked so nervous when Travis handed him a crumpled piece of paper from his suit pocket.

Christian unfolded the paper slowly with shaking hands and cleared his throat before speaking. "Annie," he started, trying so hard to sound confident. "As soon as I saw you walk into that dingy room at Muncaster Castle, I knew you were something special. Little did I know we'd share a daughter nine months later, and we'd become an actual family. I wouldn't change a thing; the two of you have taught me to be less selfish and less of an asshole. I needed that."

We all laughed as Christian paused briefly before continuing. "I love you more than anything, and I vow to always be a good partner to you and father to Eloise. I'll prioritize the two of you over everything else. I'll listen to you every day and always be available to talk through our struggles . . . and our triumphs. I'll continue to learn from you . . . Because you're the smartest person I know. I'll make you breakfast sometimes, even if it's bad. When we can't be together physically due to our jobs, I'll try my hardest to bridge that gap in other ways. I'll be your best friend and the love of your life, and I'll be forever faithful. You're my world."

I promised myself I wouldn't tear up, but I was failing miserably. Christian smiled at me and squeezed my hand when he finished, which was sandwiched between his two much larger hands.

I knew it was my turn, and I took my much crisper sheet from Hannah. "Christian, we've already been through hell and back together, so I think this marriage thing is going to be a breeze. Even if we drive each other absolutely nuts sometimes, there is no person I would rather spend time with than you. I love your smile, your laugh, your giraffe legs, and your mumble-y voice, and I can't wait to experience all of these qualities for the rest of my life. I vow to take care of you no matter your mood — on the good days and the bad — even when you strike out five times in one game. I promise to be the best mom and wife I can be. I know I'll make mistakes sometimes, but I'll actively try to learn from them to better our family and relationship. I love you so much, and, now that I have you, I can't imagine life without you. You turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me, and you're my favorite part of every day."

Christian had a smile on his lips and tears streaming down his face, and I returned the smile as he wiped the tears away. "I love you," he mouthed without sound.

He had my heart one hundred percent. The rocky path it took to get here was worth the pain. He was my person, and I was his.