EPILOGUE

Labor Day weekend

The sun was shining when Maddie woke up on Saturday morning. When she opened her eyes, she still felt a little disoriented for a moment until she remembered that they were in the new house. It wasn't too far away from the old house, but it was one more piece of starting everything over brand new. She threw back the covers and slid out of bed, running over to the window. She pushed back the curtains and smiled as she saw the white tent out in the garden, not far from the pool. The chairs were being set up already. Soon the flowers would arrive and the caterers would get there and start setting up in the pool house. She crossed her hands over her chest and twirled around with sheer joy, a huge smile on her face.

Her parents were getting married today.

Once her mom and dad had realized they were meant to be together, things had happened pretty fast. It had taken very little time to sell their houses, even her mom's, but it was like the universe had ordered it to be easy, for once. Since Deacon's house sold first, he had moved in with them. Maddie smiled remembering the serious conversation he and her mom had had with her and Daphne about him moving in and how they didn't want the girls to think that was the right order for things, but they had, after all, loved each other for so long that maybe the girls would forgive them. Maddie thought it was cute that they seemed so conflicted about it when she and Daphne didn't care at all. Then the four of them had looked for a new house, one that they could create new family memories in, and when they found this house, in a small gated neighborhood just outside Belle Meade, they all knew it was perfect. They had moved in two weeks ago, just in time to have the wedding in the beautiful garden that they had all known was the perfect place for Rayna Jaymes and Deacon Claybourne to finally say We belong together forever.

Maddie ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. Her dad was already there, cooking breakfast, Daphne chatting his ear off. When Daphne saw her sister, she ran over to her and jumped up and down. "Maddie!" she cried. "It's the wedding day!" Her smile was infectious and, in spite of her jumping around like a little kid, Maddie couldn't help but get caught up in her excitement.

"I know!" she responded. "It's the best day ever!" She looked over at Deacon, who had stopped to watch the girls. He was smiling at her and she smiled back. "It's your wedding day, Dad, you shouldn't be cooking," she said.

"Somebody has to," he said. "Lord knows, your mama isn't going to be doing it. She's still sound asleep anyway." He looked back at the stove. "Eggs and bacon. That ok with everybody?"

Daphne laughed. "That's all you ever make, Deacon. It has to be ok."

Deacon looked back at her and winked. "Hey now. You make fun of the cook, you may not get any food."

"Hardy har har," Daphne said and then she turned to Maddie. "Aunt Tandy will be here soon and I'm going to help her with everything. She said I could."

Maddie smirked. "As long as you don't get dirty. Or in the way." Daphne stuck her tongue out at her sister.

Deacon turned around. "Breakfast is almost ready. Does someone want to go wake up your mama?"

Daphne's eyes got huge. "Wait! You're not supposed to see each other on your wedding day. That's the rule!"

Maddie shook her head at her sister. "They sleep in the same room, Daph, so they've already seen each other. Duh."

Daphne frowned as she considered that. "Well," she said, "I guess it's okay then." She brightened up. "I'll go get her!" and she ran off.

Maddie looked back at Deacon with an amused look on her face. "She's such a baby. Will you be able to stand it?"

Deacon smiled at his daughter. "Yeah, I think I can manage." He pointed at the table with his spatula. "Can you put plates and stuff out for me?"

"Sure." Maddie went and busied herself with setting the table, while Deacon finished the eggs and put them in a bowl. He brought the eggs and the platter of bacon over to the table just as Daphne pulled Rayna into the kitchen. Maddie and Deacon both looked up to see her smiling sleepily, her hair a little wild, and a robe tied tightly around her waist.

She looked at the table. "Oh, gosh, y'all, this looks great!"

"Deacon made it all," Daphne said, proudly.

Rayna walked over to Deacon and put her arms around his waist, leaning in for a kiss. "It looks awesome, babe. Thanks."

Deacon grinned. "It may not be a fancy Belle Meade wedding breakfast, but I think it will do for us."

"I think so too," Rayna said and turned to Maddie and Daphne. "Don't you, girls?"

"Yes!" they both cried.

As they sat together in their new house, enjoying each other's company on this special day, Maddie found herself observing what was going on around her. Her dad was serving up breakfast for everyone. Not so long ago, he had just been 'Uncle Deacon' and, while he was certainly someone that had been prominent in her life, she realized she had never really known him until now. Finding out he was her father had been upsetting and confusing at first, but now that she had spent time getting to know him as a father, she felt happier than she'd ever felt in her life. Everything in her life made more sense now that she knew where it had come from.

She watched her mom, laughing and looking really happy for the first time in, well, ever. They had gone through tricky times after it had come out that Deacon was her father and they had struggled for a while, trying to find a new normal for the two of them, a normal that moved past the knowledge that Rayna had lied, not only to her and her father, but to so many other people. For so much of her life, she had been in awe of her mother, the country music legend, and put her on a pedestal. Now that she was no longer this perfect person, Maddie found that she loved her all the more.

And finally her parents had found their way back to each other. Maddie liked to think that she had helped that a little. When she had decided that she wanted her real dad in her life, in a big way, she believed that it forced them to come back into each other's orbits. Even when they both had other relationships, she could see that there was something that kept pulling them back together. And she believed that that something was mostly her.

Even Daphne seemed happier, now that all the pieces of the puzzle had been reorganized and were where they belonged. Teddy had very grudgingly given in on letting Maddie explore her relationship with her birth father, but once he stopped fighting it, she felt like their relationship was stronger too. She would always be grateful to him for being her dad, for loving her and raising her like she was his own flesh and blood. And the fact that he fought to keep her meant the world to her.

But this – these people sitting around this table, laughing and talking and just being a family – was what Maddie had been waiting for. It was her heart's desire and now she felt like her heart would burst from the joy of it. She realized that her dad was looking at her oddly.

"Maddie? Are you with us?" he asked.

Maddie shook away the daydreams and smiled. "Yes! I'm sorry. I was just thinking what a special day today is."

Her mom smiled at her and grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly. "Yes, it is a very special day," she said, looking over at Deacon.

Maddie knocked on the open bedroom door. She could see her mom sitting in front of a mirror while her hair and makeup people were at work. Rayna smiled when she saw her older daughter in the mirror. "Hey, sweet girl." She motioned for her. "Come on in."

Maddie smiled and walked over to stand beside her. "I can't wait to see you in your dress," she said.

Rayna took her hand. "Well, speaking of dresses, you look so beautiful."

"Thanks," Maddie said softly, turning in a circle. She had picked out a dramatic floral sundress, very different for her. Juliette had taken her shopping and when Maddie had tried it on, Juliette gushed over how grown up she looked. That had sold her immediately.

Rayna looked at her teasingly. "Are you happy?"

Maddie laughed. "Very. This is the best day." She squeezed her mom's hand. "It's like a dream come true."

Her mom smiled. "You know, it is for me too." Maddie raised her eyebrows. "You know, because I've told you, that I've loved your dad for a very long time."

Maddie nodded. "Since you were sixteen."

Rayna nodded. "That's right. And I actually did used to think about marrying him, a lot, but, you know, things happened." She looked sad for a moment, but then recovered. "But finally everything has fallen into place. And you had a lot to do with that."

"Me?" Maddie pretended to be surprised.

Rayna gave her a look. "Yes, you, working hard to bring us all together." She winked.

Maddie beamed. "Well, it all just worked out that way. But I'm glad it did."

"Me too." She looked into her mirror and saw Tandy and Daphne come in. "Hey, my people!" she called out. "Have you got everything organized?"

"We do," Tandy said, leaning in to kiss her sister and giving Maddie a quick hug and a smile.

"It's beautiful, Mom!" Daphne cried excitedly. "So many flowers!"

"Yay!" Rayna said, her eyes dancing.

Maddie leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I'm going to see Dad." Rayna nodded and Maddie walked out of the room and down the hall to the music room. She stood at the door. Her dad was sitting on the couch with his guitar, playing the melody for "A Life That's Good." Maddie waited for the beginning of the chorus and started singing. Two arms around me / Heaven to ground me / And a family that always calls me home. Deacon turned slightly but didn't stop playing, smiling at her. He picked up the harmony and they ended the song. At the end of the day, Lord I pray / I have a life that's good.

He grinned at her. "Hey," he said.

Maddie beamed. "Hey." She walked around and sat next to him. He put down the guitar and she leaned in to hug him, enjoying the feel of his arms around her. "That's the perfect song for today."

Deacon nodded. "I think it's kinda what I wrote it for. Without even realizing it." He worked his lip. "You look beautiful, Maddie."

She smiled. "Thanks. Juliette helped me pick it out." She couldn't stop smiling. "I'm so happy today."

Deacon smiled. "Me too." He reached out and brushed her cheek lightly. "I think you had a little hand in it though."

Maddie feigned shock. "Me?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, you. You took every opportunity you could to make us remember all the reasons we needed to be together again. You reminded us of everything we'd tried to forget."

Maddie shrugged, then smiled. "Just coincidence." She gave him a sly look. "But it was meant to be."

Later that afternoon, Maddie was sitting near the pool. The wedding had gone off perfectly. It had been a day filled with love and joy, with all the people they loved most. Her mom had looked beautiful in her wedding dress, something she'd never had a chance to wear at her first wedding, because she had been nearly four months pregnant the first time she got married and she did it in front of a justice of the peace. Her dad had looked incredibly handsome in his dark suit and white shirt. They had both looked so happy. Her mom had cried during her vows, saying that she'd never thought they would ever finally get to this place but how happy she was that they had. Her dad had talked about falling in love with her the minute he'd seen her and how, no matter what they went through, she was always the place he came back to.

Maddie's heart had felt so full as she watched them give each other rings. And then they had surprised her by asking her to join them and telling the guests that she was who had finally brought them back to each other. And how much they loved her. Then after the ceremony there had been much singing and playing, by her parents as well as many of the guests. She could hardly take her eyes off her parents the whole afternoon, watching as they held hands, kissed each other, talked softly and intimately to each other. It gave her a warm feeling inside to see them so happy.

She looked up when she heard footsteps and smiled as she saw her mom approaching, in her simple but elegant ivory wedding dress. "Can I sit down?" she asked. Maddie smiled and nodded. Rayna carefully lowered herself down on the lounge chair, trying not to get twisted up in her dress. She leaned in to her daughter and put her arm around her, and they brought their heads together. "Was this everything you thought it would be?" she asked.

Maddie nodded. "And more." She turned and looked seriously at her mom. "It was all worth it. Everything we had to go through to get here was worth it."

Rayna gave her a small smile. "Yeah, I guess it was. It was a little different path than I would have thought we'd take, but I think it was all just right." She tucked a stray lock of hair behind Maddie's ear. "Your dad and I love you very much. And we're very proud to be your parents." She got a little teary. "I remember the first time I said that to your dad, that we were your parents. I think that's really when I started to realize that I wanted him back in my life. In our lives." She looked away for a moment, then back at Maddie. "I always wanted us to be a family. It was what I'd always dreamed of. I'm sorry that it took so long for that to happen, but I'm so happy that it finally has."

Maddie reached for her mom's hand and squeezed it. "I am too."

Rayna smiled. "So, I think that we should go find your dad now and tell him just how amazingly gorgeous he looks today."

Maddie laughed happily. She stood up and then took her mom's hand to help her up. Rayna put her arms around her daughter and hugged her tight. Then they put their arms around each other's waists and walked back towards the rest of the guests. Maddie felt tears in her eyes, but they were happy tears. This was the best day of her life so far and she was looking forward to all the rest of the days to come.

THE BEGINNING

I can't imagine Deacon and Rayna being anything but together. So this is the beginning for them, not just a happy ending, but a lifetime together.

Thanks for reading. I have enjoyed writing for you. And for myself. It's been great fun to tell all the stories in my head!