The applause faded into warm laughter and quiet conversation as the small gathering began to disperse. Ryder kept his arm wrapped firmly around Becky’s waist, unwilling to let even an inch of space come between them. Micah squirmed happily in the center of their group hug, his small suit already rumpled and his drawing clutched triumphantly in one fist. The boy’s excitement was infectious, cutting through the lingering emotion of the vows like sunlight on morning dew.
“You really like it?” Micah asked again, holding up the crayon drawing of five stick figures under a lopsided sun. “That’s you, and Mama, and me, and Mason, and Caleb, and Adrian. We’re all together.”
“It’s perfect, buddy,” Ryder said, his voice rough with feeling. He crouched down so he was eye-level with the boy, one larg
