“Thirty minutes.”

“Thirty minutes?”

“Thirty more minutes and I get to deflower you.”

Spencer laughed, “Ashley…”

Ashley smiled brightly as she traced the hem of Spencer’s dress around the circumference of her thigh, “All I’ve wanted to do all day is…”

“Ladies!” Aiden’s voice boomed over the speakers as he held a microphone close to his lips, “it’s toast time.”

Ashley removed her hand, straightening her posture to give Aiden her full attention. She had waited a long time to hear this toast—almost as long as she had been waiting to touch Spencer again.

There was a deafening wave of clapping before silence fell over the large room.

“I’ve known Ashley since I was fifteen,” Aiden began, clutching a flute of champagne, “I’ve known Spencer for ten years…and so I guess you could say that I’ve been around to see these two go through hell and back and all the way to hell again. And the whole time I never even broke a sweat. Because I knew, like I’m sure most of you knew, that these two were meant to be and one day when the timing was right and the egos deflated…everything would work out. I guess I just don’t believe in a God that would make two people to fit each other so well and not allow them to have each other. Ashley, you know I love you, right? You’re my family and my best friend and I’m so happy for you. You really couldn’t have chosen a more amazing person to spend the rest of your life with. How she puts up with you, I’ll never know, but she does it…and somehow makes it look effortless. Over the years I’ve watched you grow in the shadow of her presence and become a version of yourself that no one would’ve seen coming. Your heart opened and you were exposed and vulnerable and in that moment, I knew she had made her way in and you wouldn’t be the same Ashley Davies. Spencer, don’t get me wrong. You got pretty damn lucky too. I mean, Ashley loves you so much and it’s easy to see why. I think you guys are going to set the bar for what relationships should be and I think it starts today. Good luck and many blessings to you and your lives together. Cheers.”