18 months later

Malcolm stood at the altar with his cousins Sean and David.  He was so nervous he was afraid he was going to sweat through his black tuxedo.  He couldn’t believe he was about to marry the woman of his dreams; the love of his life.

Cameron and Angie acted as bridesmaid and matron of honor, preceding her down the aisle.  Once they’d taken their places at the altar, Lynne and her uncle Henry appeared in the vestibule. As she started her walk down the aisle, Malachi began a beautiful rendition of Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud”.  His voice was gentle and haunting; strong but so sweet. It was a like a hybrid of Babyface and Maxwell.  As Lynne took in the sight before her, her son singing her favorite song, her daughter and best friend looking so gorgeous in their emerald green gowns and the man she loved, smiling at her with so much love, the tears began to flow.  For a while there, Lynne didn’t think she’d ever be this happy again.

In the months after Lynne’s attack, she and Malcolm had grown steadily closer.  He’d been her rock since that awful night.  He kept her company, doted on her and laughed with her.  They could sit in the same room in a companionable silence.  They’d spend more and more time outside of work and his visits to the house became more than just him checking up on her.  He had dinner with her and the kids every Sunday.  He’d become her best friend.

Cameron and Malachi absolutely adored him.  Given the rift between Malachi and his father, Malcolm had become something of a mentor for the young man.  He was there to talk to; whether it was about music, school or girls.  Malcolm had also encouraged Malachi to mend fences with his dad.

“Do it for you, not for him”, Malcolm had advised.  “Holding on to resentment doesn’t do anyone any good.  It’ll be a relief for you to not have to hold on to that baggage”.

Malachi didn’t think he and his father would ever have the same type of relationship they’d once had, but if his mother could forgive him, so could he.  He called Saul and invited him out to lunch and started the process of becoming reacquainted with one another.  Malachi realized that Malcolm was right, he felt lighter once he let go of the anger he felt towards his father.

Malcolm had also developed a cute relationship with Cameron.  He vetted any guy she dated and she would run scenarios by Malcolm where she would tell him things that a particular guy would say or do.  He would translate the “guy speak” and let her know if she could consider giving the guy the benefit of the doubt or kick him to the curb.  Cameron referred to him as her personal BBSD (Boy Bullshit Detector).

It was clear to see that Malcolm had become important to her.  He was now part of her family.  She’d known the day that she’d forgiven Saul and put that part of her life in the past, that Malcolm would be a huge part of her future.  She had fallen in love with him, and the reservations she’d had about getting involved with him seemed silly.  He was wonderful, thoughtful and strong.  She wasn’t going to make the mistake of letting him go.

One day when he was at the house hanging out watching movies, she decided to take the bull by the horns.  She kept giving him furtive glances while he was intently watching “Prometheus” then she just went for it.

“Malcolm, look at me”.  He turned his head towards her and she placed her hands gently on both sides of his head, leaned in and kissed him passionately.

He pulled back and looked into her eyes for a long moment and then said “Well okay then” before laying an equally passionate kiss on her.  It was a good thing the kids were both at friends houses that night or they’d have walked into the den and gotten their feelings hurt.  Lynne and Malcolm expressed their desire for one another once in the den, once on the stairs on their way to Lynne’s bedroom and twice more in her bed.  When they had no more energy for another round of lovemaking, Malcolm lay on top of Lynne and said with a lopsided grin “So...I guess you like me, huh?”

“No, I don’t like you.  I love you”.

“So the lady finally catches up.  I think I’ve been in love with you since my first week at Arbor”.

Lynne laughed, “It’s not a contest, sweetie.  But since I made the first move, I win”.

“Whatever you say, darling”, he said wrapping her in his arms. “Whatever you say”.

***************************************

And now here they stood, in front of friends and family celebrating the love they found after they’d both been so wounded.  And after the minister pronounced them husband and wife, Malcolm kissed his lovely bride then bent and kissed the bump that was the temporary home of their daughter, scheduled to arrive in four short months.  This was bliss.  And they were grateful for it.