Kayden
"Rhys Calder... or as the hockey world so affectionately calls you, the Ice Captain," I began, my voice trembling slightly through the microphone setup at the altar.
The entire hall instantly burst into a collective wave of warm, affectionate laughter, the sound echoing off the high ceilings.
Even Rhys couldn’t hold back a wide, brilliant smile, his deep laugh rumbling softly in his chest as his dark eyes locked onto mine.
I sniffled, my face flushing hot as I raised the back of my hand to wipe away a stray tear from my cheek. "I am... I am just so unbelievably happy to be standing here with you today," I said, the words spilling out in a rush of pure, uncontainable excitement.
My entire body was shivering, a electric mix of overwhelming joy and lingering nerves causing my fingers to tremble where I held my bridal bouquet of white roses and deep blue orchids. The stems vibrated in my grip, the sweet floral scent grounding me in the reality of this moment and I had almost released my pheromones out of excitment.
Almost.
Seeing my physical tremor, Rhys took a half-step closer. He reached out and gently wrapped his broad, warm hands over mine, anchoring the bouquet between us and completely enveloping my shaking fingers in his grounding warmth.
"It’s alright, babe," Rhys muttered softly, his thumb gently stroking the back of my hand, his voice a soothing whisper just for me. "Take your time. I’m right here."
I heaved a deep, shuddering sigh, lowering my head for a quiet second to collect the tidal wave of emotions crashing through my chest. I took a steadying breath, feeling the firm support of his hands, and slowly lifted my gaze back up to meet his.
"Rhys Calder," I began again, my voice growing clearer, richer, and filled with absolute devotion. "Today, I finally get to stand in front of the entire world and tell you everything that I’ve been carrying in my heart for so long. I am so ridiculously glad that I found you."
I paused, sniffling as a fresh wave of tears threatened to spill over my lashes, but I held them back, tightening my grip on his hands and refusing to let go for even a single second.
"You made me realize that I could be so much more than my past," I continued, my voice thick with emotion. "You made me feel like I could climb the tallest mountain and never fall. I fell in love with a man who truly sees me, who appreciates every broken and whole piece of me, and who made me believe that I deserved a beautiful life."
I couldn’t help it this time. The dam broke, and hot, tears began rolling freely down my flushed face, tracing down my cheeks toward my smile.
"Don’t cry, Kayden!" Soren shouted out suddenly from the guest rows, his voice cracking with emotion. "You can do this! We’re right here!"
A soft ripple of giggles ran through the audience, and I let out a watery laugh, wiping my cheek against my shoulder before looking right back into Rhys’s glistening eyes.
"I love you so much that it actually physical hurts when you’re not around me," I admitted softly, letting every ounce of my soul pour into the words. "You are, without a doubt, the absolute best thing that has ever happened to my life. I am so endlessly grateful that I joined the Northern Avalanche, because if I hadn’t stepped onto that ice with you, I would have never found my soulmate. I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to call you my man, the love of my entire life."
I took a slow breath, holding his gaze as I shared the words that had lived in my head for months.
"Someone once said, ’I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.’ And that is the exact truth of us, Rhys. I hope our love lasts for a hundred lifetimes, standing strong against every storm, because nothing in this world will ever come between us. It will always be Rhys and Kayden. Valder forever, unbreakable and unyielding. Thank you for being the absolute best partner I could ever ask for... and I already know, with every fiber of my being, that you are going to be the most incredible, loving father to our baby. My forever, Rhys."
Rhys raised a hand, brushing away a solitary tear that had escaped down his own cheek. He didn’t wait. He didn’t wait for the priest to give the formal cue, nor did he wait for the final blessing.
In one swift, fluid motion, Rhys reached out and pulled me directly into his broad chest. His strong arms wrapped tightly around my waist, lifting me slightly off my feet, while my hands automatically flew up to cup his neck and shoulders, clinging to him as if he were my anchor.
He leaned down and captured my lips in a deep, breathtaking, incredibly heartfelt kiss.
It was a kiss born of years of fighting through darkness, of healing old scars, of locker room tension turned into unconditional devotion. The entire world outside dissolved into absolute background noise.
In the background, the officiating priest let out a warm chuckle, raising his hands over us as he spoke into the microphone. "Well then! By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husbands! You may—and clearly already have—kissed the groom!"
As our lips remained pressed together, we reached down with our hands still intertwined. The priest held out the velvet box, and we slid our wedding bands onto each other’s fingers.
it was Custom-crafted, heavy platinum bands embedded with a seamless line of flawless diamonds—and engraved on the inside, hidden close against our skin, were our names: Rhys’s ring bore Kayden, and my ring bore Rhys.
The Ring had been my idea and Rhys just went along with it and seeing it now on our fingers made me realized that I made the perfect decision.
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