"Will you all quit fussing?" I huffed, looking down at my white dress. I smoothed out the dress over my hips and looked in the mirror. Little patches of red hives dotted my skin from my nerves. I was a nervous wreck as I studied my reflection.

I looked back at Jessa; her hair was piled on her head in little ringlets with a flower halo stuck in place with hundreds of bobby pins. Her white dress was a little carbon copy of mine, except for the strategically placed lace cutouts. My dress was meant to accent my best attributes; her dress was meant to showcase her adorableness.

"Momma, I'm bored." Jessa said to me. She had gotten a little bit of an attitude over the last year and a half. She had her tablet in her hands and was playing some game where she dressed up paper dolls. Jessa had gained a new independent streak well beyond the normal five year old's capabilities.

"I know Jess, I'm sorry. We will be able to go out soon." I looked back in the mirror and frowned at the reflection staring back at me.

"You look gorgeous." Aiden walked behind me and whispered into my ear. "Ezra is one lucky son of a..."

"Aiden." Kiera scolded him, laughing as she placed her hand on her growing belly. She had such a beautiful glow on her face. I saw Aiden roll his eyes in the mirror and crossed the room to plant a kiss on her forehead.

"Do you think he'll like it?" I asked nervously, turning away from the mirror.

"You look amazing, peanut." My Mom said as she came over to try to pin a stray hair back from my face.

I heard a knock on the door. I was so close to throwing up I couldn't take it. Ezra was the one who wanted the big fancy wedding, not me. I would have been perfectly happy with a small little courthouse ceremony. I had enough of being the center of attention to last me a lifetime.

We had spent almost a year back and forth with the court system due to the night at the bar when Jenna and her cronies attacked me. Jenna and the group were fighting the charges claiming I had asked for them to come up to stage the whole thing. Luckily for my family, it became a slam dunk case since the video footage was found on the cell phone.

The lawyers submitted the video footage as evidence for the case, which was beyond embarrassing for me. I shouldn't have been ashamed because it was not my fault, but it was hard to think of anyone seeing me like that, especially strangers and a whole courtroom. Everyone's eyes turned to me when they watched the footage of the brutal assault and I felt victimized all over again. Jenna shrunk down in her seat when the eyes turned to her, seething with hatred. No crying or pleading would get her out of this. Jenna was going to go to jail for what she did.

Ezra and I fought over him being present in the courtroom that day. I knew he wouldn't be able to handle watching the video. He would lose his mind and go after her and get himself in trouble, which would only add more drama to the situation. I was ready to move past this and start our lives. I never let Ezra or anyone else in my family watch the tape and never would. I made everyone promise they would never tell Jessa what happened to me when she got older. I never wanted her to look at me like her Dad did with those same frustrating light icy eyes filled with heartache. She would never know how close her Momma came to dying that night.

"Open up." JD complained as he pounded on the door.

"He's not with you?" I called out to JD. I was not going to open the door if Ezra was trying to get a peek. I wasn't very traditional, but that was the one thing I stood my ground on. Ezra wanted the big wedding, then he was not going to see me in my wedding dress before I walked down the aisle.

"He tried to come with me. I duct-taped him to a chair so he couldn't come find you."

"Do you really think that is going to stop him?" Aiden opened the door for JD and laughed.

"It was worth a shot. It is duct tape." JD said, patting Aiden on the back.

JD stopped in his tracks when he saw me and his eyes began to water.

"Lil Bit." He stopped, unable to choke anything else out. He wiped at his eyes, trying to collect himself. I moved my hands over the long veil and blushed.

"Is it too much?" I wasn't sure about the veil. I had taken it off and added it back on dozens of times already. It felt over the top when it was on, but I missed it when it was gone. I am so damn fickle.

"No, you look perfect." He was crying like a baby. He straightened his tie and collected himself before saying. "I come bearing a gift to the beautiful bride."

"Ooh, I like presents." I grinned.

JD handed me a small bag and I looked inside eagerly. There was a note on the top of the bag and I pulled it out first. I was so impatient, I almost went past the note for the actual present, but I stopped when I saw my name in black pen in Ezra's chicken scratch on the outside of the envelope.

I tore open the envelope. He wrote me a letter. I looked down at the paper in his perfectly rushed scribble, hoping I could read half of what he wrote. I always was amused when I looked into his lyrics journals and couldn't make all the words out. He thought I didn't know where he hid them, but he wasn't very good at hiding things from me.

My Beautiful Girl,

I am sitting here terrified you will change your mind. I have been up all night pacing, praying I will see you walking down that aisle towards me. The thought of seeing you in that white gown and knowing you are mine makes me feel more alive than I have any right to feel. I fell hard for you the moment I saw you and I have fallen deeper with every breath since that night. You have saved me from myself and loved me even when I didn't deserve it. You never gave up on me. You always believed in me even when I did everything I could to shake your faith in me. It's always been you and will always be. I can never repay you for everything you have given me. You taught me to laugh, you taught me to love, and you taught me to live. You gave me my gorgeous daughter and fought above all else to protect her from the troubles of the world, even when it was me she needed to be protected from. I will spend every day for the rest of my life trying to be the man you deserve. You gave me a life worth living.

As I'm writing this, I know you are feeling excited, scared, and even a little bit sad. You won't say it out loud because you are stubborn and proud, but I know you miss your Dad. He should have been here today to walk you down the aisle. I know that was part of the reason you didn't want to do the whole big wedding thing. I'm sorry I can't make that dream come true for you. I hope my gift will help ease some of the pain you are feeling.

I know JD and Aiden are staring at you right now as you read this and they will explain what it is when you open it. You may not understand what it is right away but give them some time to explain before you judge it too much. I don't blame them for watching you right now. I could never keep my eyes off you either. Even when you didn't see me, I always saw you. See you soon, Mrs. Miller.

With all my love,

Ezra

P.S. Don't you dare try to run from me, you know I'll find you, I always do.

I read the last line and stifled a laugh. I looked up and I almost died laughing. Ezra was right. JD and Aiden were both staring at me. I looked back down in the bag and pulled out a little white box. I lifted the little lid and turned my head, studying the gift. I had the most confused look on my face when I was looking down at them.

"Are those guitar strings?" I asked JD and Aiden, holding the box up to the room. There were six steel strings fastened to a silver clasp making a bracelet. It was odd and beautiful at the same time.

"They're from Dad's guitars. Ezra saved them when he replaced the strings." JD said proudly.

I looked over at my Mom, who was smiling and I looked back down at my beautiful new bracelet. Tears fell from my cheeks and Anna ran over to me, wiping frantically at my face while swearing.

"You're going to ruin your makeup." She said. "No crying, you stop it right now. You hear me?"

"Give it up, Anna. You know she's a crier." Kiera said, rubbing her swollen belly.

"Hey, I am not." I said as my lip continued to tremble while holding the box. I looked back over to JD and asked. "What made him save the strings?"

"Ezra figured it wasn't right to throw them away. He told me that Dad was the reason you guys were able to find your way back to each other. He decided you couldn't go down that aisle without having Dad with you." JD teared up again.

My Mom took the bracelet out of the box and fastened it around my wrist. I looked down at the old stressed steel strings. It was perfect. The perfect addition to the perfect day as I married the perfect man.

"Can I go get married now?" I asked my Mom's permission as I looked up at her, smiling. I was ready to hold the beautiful man I will spend the rest of my life with.