𝐬𝐢𝐱 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫

"Okay, finally finished!" Lanie's excited voice says once the setting spray seeps into my face.

Slowly opening my eyes, I see her standing in front of me. Her silver dress is hugging to her body as she places the makeup palette down.

Allie lets out a gasp, placing her hand over her mouth. "Wow. You look breathtaking."

"Go look at the finished product." Lanie says while motioning toward the full length mirror.

Slowly standing up, my nerves go insane as I walk over to see myself. The minute I catch a glimpse of the long, white wedding dress on my body, I feel like crying. My brown hair is pinned up, allowing the fresh makeup on my face to shine. The gown that Lanie made me is fucking beautiful. It's even nicer now that it's actually my wedding day. The off the shoulder sleeves are lace and the pattern continues down the rest of the dress.

"Oh my god." I whisper, running my hands over the material.

"What do you think? Did I do a good job?" Lanie asks while coming up behind me.

"Yes, are you kidding? My hair and makeup is perfect, and this dress still leaves me speechless." There are no words to describe this feeling. Seeing me in this gown, all ready to head downstairs and marry the love of my life is mind blowing. This day always felt so far away, but now it's finally here.

"You make such a beautiful bride, Stella." Allie says while admiring my appearance. She's wearing the same silver bridesmaid dress as Lanie.

"Thank you." I happily smile while turning back to face them.

"God, Lanie, this dress is gorgeous. I wish I had a real wedding just so you could design me one" Allie says while shaking her head.

"It's not my fault you and Jake eloped on your vacation to Hawaii. You know I would have." Lanie lets out a sigh.

"Yeah, even two years later and it still annoys me." I playfully roll my eyes.

"I'm sorry! It sort of just happened, you know Jake and I didn't want a big ceremony." The blonde throws her hands up in defense.

Grayson and I are the last of our group to tie the knot. Of course, Ethan and Lanie got married a year after their engagement. They were only twenty one, but didn't care. The ceremony was outside at this gorgeous venue and it was absolutely stunning.

Three years after that, Jake and Allie got married on their vacation. It was a totally random decision. My brother proposed and they were planning an actual wedding, but decided to spontaneously get it over with. Now, it's finally my turn to walk down the aisle.

The door to my dressing room bursts open, and Lanie's four year old daughter comes rushing into the room. She's wearing a light pink dress, all ready to be the flower girl.

"Aunt Stella!" The beautiful child rushes up to hug me.

I scoop her into my arms and hug her tightly. "Hi Emily. You look beautiful." I tell my goddaughter.

Ethan walks into the room wearing his black suit and tie. "I couldn't hold her any longer, she wanted to see her aunt."

"I can't wait to throw the flowers!" She giggles while gripping onto my shoulders.

"You are going to be the best flower girl ever." I smile while staring down at her. She's the perfect mix of Ethan and Lanie. She has Lanie's light eyes, but Ethan's dark locks.

"We just saw uncle Grayson. He looks so handsome." She blushes.

"I bet he does." I bite down on my lower lip, my heart rate increasing.

"You look amazing, Stella." Ethan comes over to kiss my cheek.

"Thank you, Ethan. I'm nervous." I admit.

"Well, I just fought off paparazzi at the entrance. They're going crazy trying to get photos of you in your dress. I told them this was a private event."

"Ugh, they're here?" I place Emily down and rush toward the window. Sure enough, men with cameras are trying to snap as many photos as they can.

"They saw Carter walk in, that's why they're so crazy." Ethan picks his daughter up and holds her in his arms.

"I had a feeling this would happen." I shake my head and step away from the window.

"He's one of the biggest pop stars right now, it's not shocking. His new collab with Shawn Mendes is huge." Lanie says while smoothing out her dress.

"And you composed the music for it." Allie reminds me.

"I know. We're just so famous." I say sarcastically with a smirk.

"Well, you are." Ethan laughs.

"Maybe they want a picture of Lanie. After all, she is the head ambassador for Vera Wang." I boost my best friend up.

"As much as that would fuel my ego, they're mostly here for you and Carter." She giggles.

"Speaking of, where is he? He was supposed to be here-" I furrow my eyebrows and glance at the clock on the wall.

"I'm right here, everybody calm down." He finally enters the room, fixing his tie. "Man, this thing is annoying."

"That's because you didn't put it on right. You've been to how many events?" I scoff while rushing to fix it for him. "And the ceremony is starting in ten minutes, you almost missed it."

"I would never be late to your wedding, Stella. I just came from that interview with Rolling Stones magazine, it went a little longer than I expected." Carter says while I make sure his suit is adjusted.

"You didn't spoil anything, did you?" I raise an eyebrow at him.

"No, but I did mention new music is on the way."

"That's fine, but you need to be tight lipped about your second album. It isn't finished yet." I sigh.

"I know, I didn't mention anything about it." He nods while eyeing me up and down. "Wow, you look gorgeous."

"Thank you, I'm starting to freak out." I inhale a deep breath.

"Grayson is just as nervous, but it'll be fine." Ethan reassures me.

"When can I throw the flowers, mommy?" Emily anxiously asks Lanie.

"Soon, sweetheart. The wedding didn't start yet." My best friend leans over to give her daughter a kiss on the cheek.

"We should all get in position." Allie says while turning to face me. "Good luck out there, Stella."

"Thanks Allie. Tell your husband to get his ass in here so he can walk me down the aisle." I let out a deep breath.

"I will." She nods.

"You look amazing, Stella. Don't be nervous." Lanie says while picking up her bouquet of white flowers, handing the second one to Allie.

"All right, cupcake. It's time for you to throw the flowers." Ethan says while handing Emily the basket of petals.

"Yay, I've been waiting all day." The little girl rushes to give me one last hug. "Love you aunt Stella."

"I love you more baby girl." I kiss her forehead before they exit the room.

Now that I'm alone, I take this time to inhale deep breaths. I can't believe I'm getting married to Grayson. He's everything I ever wanted, and now he's going to be mine for the rest of eternity.

A low knock sounds on the door, causing me to turn around. "Come in."

My brother slowly enters the room, his eyes widening once he sees me in my dress. Tears start to well up in his orbs. "Holy shit, Stella you look-"

"Don't." I cut him off, my lip already quivering. "Don't say anything. You're going to make me cry and Lanie will kill me if she found out I smudged my makeup before the ceremony."

"Fuck, I can't believe my little sister is getting married." His voice is shaking, which is getting me even more emotional. He looks handsome in his tuxedo.

"The day has finally arrived." I gulp.

Jake walks over to me and plants a gentle kiss on my forehead. The gesture makes my heart crack. "You look beautiful. I was just with Grayson, he's so excited to see you."

"I'm so nervous. I don't know why, I've been waiting for this day since he proposed." I rub my lips together.

"Everyone gets nervous on their wedding day." He nods his head. "You know, Sean offered to walk you down the aisle."

"I know, but I would never have anyone else do it." I grab onto his hand.

"Well, I'm honored to give my baby sister away. It's crazy to think you have been dating Grayson for eight years. I used to beg you to stay away from him, but now I'm eager to walk you down this aisle just so he can become your husband."

"Which we should get ready for. The wedding is about to start." I hook my arm through Jake's as we slowly exit the room.

Making our way down the steps of the church, I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. When we get to the door, I look back at Jake. "I love you."

"I love you too." He smiles while staring at me.

The second the music begins and the bridal procession starts, I feel extremely nervous. Once my wedding party walks in, I wait for my big moment.

"Ready?" Jake whispers.

"Of course." I nod.

We suddenly push through the doors, and all of our wedding guests are standing up, looking back at me with wide smiles. My focus is on Grayson, who is standing at the end of the aisle. He's in a tuxedo, and his hair is combed back.

He looks so fucking handsome, I can barely breathe. When I see him start to cry, I can't hold my emotions back. I try to squeeze onto Jake's arm for comfort, but it doesn't work. I'm a sobbing mess.

We continue down the aisle, and I smile brightly at Sean and Lisa, who are also crying. Lisa blows me a kiss, and that warms my heart.

Once we reach the altar, Jake kisses my cheek before going to stand with the rest of the groomsmen. I present myself in front of Grayson and gulp back my tears.

"Hi." I whisper.

"You look beautiful." He eyes me up and down, drying some of his tears.

"Thank you." I say while trying to control myself.

The music dies down and everyone takes their seats. The priest standing in front gives us a happy smile as he looks out into the audience.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. Today, Grayson Dolan and Stella Monroe proclaim their love to the world with these words. Grayson, you may state your vows." The man looks back at him.

He grabs onto my hand and looks deep into my eyes. "Stella, before you came into my life, I didn't think love existed. Settling down and finding my one true love was never something I had an interest in. I was cocky and selfish and I liked living that way. Until you entered my life. It started out as a mere challenge to win my brother's jeep, but it turned into so much more. It turned into my entire future."

His voice begins to shake as he squeezes onto my hand. I inhale a deep breath and continue to listen to his beautiful words. 

"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. My world before you was empty and lonely and now it's filled with happiness and love. I love everything about you. I love how you challenge me, how you support me in everything I do, how you make me laugh until my stomach hurts. When you look at me, I feel whole. I feel like anything is possible. I can't imagine spending my life without you. You are my world, and I vow to never leave your side. I will always protect you and keep you safe until the end of time. I love you so much."

"Stella, you may state your vows." The priest turns to give me a nod.

"Grayson, before I met you, my only concern was for myself and my brother. I didn't think it would be possible to care for another human being, but I was wrong. You changed everything in my life. Every broken piece, you picked up and put back together. You saw through my reputation and saw the real me. You've taught me how to love, how to trust, how to let someone in, and how to see the good in life."

I inhale another deep breath, trying so hard to not let a sob slip out of my lips. He's looking at me with teary eyes, and I'm containing my emotions as best as I can. 

"My world was a never ending struggle, until you came shining in. You were a breath of fresh air, the calmness in my storm. I can't even put into words how much I love you, and how much I appreciate everything you've done for me. You love me like no one ever has, and no one ever will. I vow to spend the rest of my life loving you, appreciating you, and supporting you no matter what. You're my best friend, my soulmate, and the love of my life."

There isn't a dry eye in the audience. Everyone is crying, including myself and Grayson.

"Grayson and Stella, you came here today to exchange these vows." The priest clears his throat while looking at the man I love. "Grayson, do you take Stella to be your wife? To have and to hold from this day forward? For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do." Grayson says without hesitation.

"Stella, do you take Grayson to be your husband? To have and to hold from this day forward? For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do." I nod my head.

"The rings please." The man announces.

I quickly turn around, and Lanie is handing me the ring I am going to slip onto Grayson's finger, while Ethan does the same for him.

Grayson takes my hand and puts it on. "Stella, this ring symbolizes my desire for you to be my wife from this day forward."

I also slip the ring onto his finger, with my unsteady hands. "Grayson, this ring symbolizes my desire for you to be my husband from this day forward." I repeat his words.

"I love you, Monroe. This is the last time I'm ever going to be able to say that." He whispers while wiping away more tears.

"By the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

"Finally." Grayson says before cupping my cheeks and crashing his lips onto mine.

The room spins as I wrap my arms around him, pulling him closer to me. This kiss is magnetic, electric, it's what keeps the world turning on its axis. Our first kiss as husband and wife.

I pull away from him as the entire room stands, everyone clapping and cheering for us. I'm no longer Stella Monroe, I am now Stella Dolan. It's a name I will never get sick of hearing.

"We did it, baby. We made it all the way through." I smile while clinging onto his body.

"I love you so much, Stella Catherine Dolan." He grins before kissing me again, allowing our new life together to finally begin.

-

𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠

"Ugh, I'm fucking huge." I groan, staring at my forty weeks pregnant self in our full length mirror that is in our bedroom. "My stomach looks like a watermelon ready to pop any second."

"Baby, you're nine months pregnant. I'm pretty sure you aren't supposed to look skinny." Grayson laughs while lying down on our mattress. "Come to bed, you need to sleep it off."

"He was supposed to be here three days ago." Shaking my head, I place my hands over my baby bump. "Why does he have to be late?"

"Give my son a break, baby. He just wants to make an entrance." Grayson playfully rolls his eyes.

I turn around and walk toward the edge of the bed, sitting down with my hands on my belly.

"Come out, little man. Mommy and daddy want to meet you already."

"Little Dyl will be here soon." Grayson sits up and starts to rub my stomach.

"Already gave him a nickname, I see." I smile at him.

"Well, his name is Dylan. I'll be calling him Dyl as an alternative." He leans down to kiss my bump.

"Grayson, I hate being pregnant. It's heavy, and annoying, and it fucking hurts." I groan while lying down on my back. "You did this to me."

"Sorry we wanted a baby." He leans down to kiss my lips. "Let's just try to get some sleep. We can go to the hospital tomorrow."

"I'm craving tacos." I sigh.

"Do you want me to go get you some?" He raises an eyebrow.

"No, we need to decide his middle name." I look up at him next to me. "I want Jacob for my brother."

"But I want Ethan for mine." Grayson protests.

"Dylan Jacob sounds better than Dylan Ethan." I point out.

"But Ethan called the spot first."

"Ethan and Lanie get to be the godparents, the least you could do is use my brother's middle name for our son." I groan.

"Fine, his name can be Dylan Jacob Dolan."

"DD." I giggle while rubbing my belly.

"God, I can't wait to meet him." Grayson whispers while staring at me. "He's going to be such a little ladies man."

"Yeah, especially if he takes after you." I roll my eyes.

"Very true. He's going to be the coolest kid ever. I mean, we're already pretty cool so-"

As he rambles on, I feel a rush of water escape from my body. My eyes widen as I grab onto Grayson's hand. "Oh my god."

"What?" Grayson says, looking at me with concern. "Are you okay?"

I stare at him in total shock. "I think I'm in labor! My water is breaking!"

"Now?!" He looks down my stomach.

"Yes, now! We need to go to the hospital." I can feel contractions piercing my stomach.

Grayson jumps up from the bed and starts racing around the room, throwing on jeans and a t-shirt. "Okay, I'm ready. The bag has been packed for days, so we can head out."

He lifts me and helps put my shoes on. I inhale a deep breath as he grabs everything we need for a long stay at the hospital.

Twenty minutes later, we're in a cab and on our way to our destination. Of course New York traffic is making this longer than it's supposed to be. Grayson already called the hospital and they have a room ready. He also informed all of our family, who are currently rushing over there.

"Oh god, this is taking forever." I groan while squeezing onto his hand.

"Hurry up, man. My wife is in labor and is about to give birth in the back of your cab!" Grayson yells at the annoyed driver.

"I'm trying to get there as fast as possible!" He screams while stepping on the gas.

"Babe, he knows the situation. You yelled at him like five times." I laugh while feeling another contraction in my stomach. "Fuck, it hurts."

"Just hold on tight, Stella. We'll be there soon." He kisses my forehead.

An eternity later, we arrive at the hospital. I check in and get brought into a room. The nurses put me in a gown and help get me comfortable in the bed.

"This is it, we're about to be parents." Grayson whispers while staring at me.

"I'm so ready to meet our boy." I bite down on my lower lip.

Moments later, the door swings open and Sean, Lisa, Ethan, Lanie, six year old Emily, Jake, and Allie pile into the room. It's like a fucking party.

"Oh my god, this is so exciting!" Lanie says while jumping up and down. Of course she would have this much enthusiasm at a time like this. "Em, you're about to have a baby cousin!"

"I'm so excited!" The girl squeals.

"I'm about to have my first grandson!" Lisa says while staring down at me. "Just take in deep breaths, it will all be okay."

"No, giving birth is horrible, there's no sugar coating it, but it's worth it." Lanie says while motioning to her daughter.

"Holy shit, I can't believe you're about to have a baby." Jake says while eyeing my stomach.

"We need to get him out of me, now. It hurts." I groan while looking back at Grayson.

"It's going to be okay." Ethan nods.

"Let's give them some space." Sean instructs while motioning to the door. "We'll be waiting outside, ready to meet him."

I nod and watch them all exit the room. My eyes shift back to Grayson as I let out a sigh. "Don't leave me."

"Are you kidding? I would never." He squeezes my hand. "I will be with you the entire time."

And he is. Through the intense contractions and unbearable pain. Even hours later when I'm pushing out our baby boy, Grayson is by my side for it all. He never lets go of my hand, even when I almost break it from squeezing so hard.

The minute we hear the loud cries, I let out a sigh of relief. They clean him off and immediately place him into my arms. I have never been mesmerized by a tiny human before, but I am now. I'm looking at half of me and half of Grayson.

"Hi, Dylan." I say as a tear streams down my cheek.

Grayson's voice cracks as he looks at his son. "Hey little guy."

I begin to cry once Grayson holds him for the first time. He's still crying, but so am I. The sight of Grayson cradling his son with such love and tenderness is the most amazing sight in the world. Before everyone else comes in to meet the new addition to our family, I enjoy this time between my husband and I.

He looks down at me. "You did it, baby." He says softly, his eyes filling with more tears.

"We did it." I tell him with a smile. "Let me see him."

Grayson brings Dylan closer to me, and I really get a chance to look at his face. "He's beautiful, so perfect."

"He's so tiny." Grayson smiles.

My son continues to cry, slowly reaching his little hands out to me. I rock him in my arms and feel nothing but pure joy. I can't believe I'm holding my son, I can't believe Grayson and I created him.

"I love him so much." I look back at Grayson.

"He's my world." He mumbles while staring at me. "You both are."

"I think he looks like you." I say while glancing at him. "He has your eyes."

"But he has your cute little nose." Grayson leans down to kiss the top of his head.

"He does." I laugh while staring at my little masterpiece.

"You are going to be such an amazing mother."

"And you're going to be the best father ever. This child is so loved." I whisper while looking down at him.

"I love you, Stella Dolan." He says while looking into my eyes.

"I love you more, Grayson Dolan." I gently kiss his lips, before slowly pulling away from him. "And this is just the beginning of forever."

-

this is for you guys (my thank you will be on the next page) 💜