Rachel nods happily, and I gingerly hug my granddaughter, not wanting to mess up her beautiful white dress.

From the moment I met her as a surly fifteen-year-old girl, I felt a connection with her. There’s not a moment we share that our heads aren’t together as we chat and plot. Rachel has a special little place in my heart, and she will until the day I’m no longer on this Earth.

“You’re sure about this Brian?” I ask her with a smile, and she laughs.

“I’ve loved him since I was seventeen,” she says.

“And you’re only a woman of twenty-two.”

“You were nineteen when you married Grandma. You said so yourself.”

I nod, unable to argue. The truth is, I like this Brian, but it feels as though he’s taking my girl from me, and that makes me a wee bit sad.

“I wanted to give you this,” I say and open my hand, revealing a brooch that belonged to my grandmother. “It’s sapphires, so it’s something blue. Belonged to my grandma, so your great-grandma, and I know she would have loved you very much. She’d want you to have this.”

“Grandda,” Rachel whispers and brushes her finger over the sparkling blue stones. “I’ll pin it to my bouquet. It’s so beautiful. But are you sure you don’t want to give it to…well, to someone related by blood?”

I frown and take her sweet hand. “Darlin’, you are my family by something just as strong as blood. You’re my granddaughter of the heart, and I couldn’t love you more. Couldn’t be more proud of you. Your grandma and I have plenty of nice things to give to all of our grandchildren, and we chose this for you.”

“Thank you,” she whispers and then sniffles. “Okay, I don’t want to ruin my makeup. It took an hour to get me like this.”

“Brian’s going to pass out, and that’s the truth of it.” I kiss her cheek and then turn to leave, just as Hunter comes to the door and almost passes out himself at his first look of his daughter.

“Wow,” he says.

“It’s a vision she is.” I shake his hand and pat his shoulder. Walking your daughter down the aisle isn’t an easy thing. “Good luck, my boy.”

I walk out of the house to where the wedding ceremony has been set up, and Fiona waits for me to walk her to our seats.

“How is she?” she asks me.

“Gorgeous,” I reply and kiss her cheek.

I offer her my arm, and we walk down the white aisle to our seats in the second row. I’m overcome with pride as I see my children, all seated with their spouses, the people who make them better, as well as their wonderful, perfect children.