"Oh! He's so adorable!" Kyle gushes as Xavi and I join everyone in the kitchen with Ariel. His arms shoot out in front of him expectantly. "Gimme!"

"Don't you have something you want to present?" I counter wryly as I begrudgingly hand over my son.

"He makes me want a baby of my own," Mariluz laments longingly with a pout.

Kyle takes him gently, placing his three-month-old little body high on his hip. Ariel's beautiful sage green eyes sparkle back at me as his hair hangs in ringlets around his face like an angelic halo. It's getting lighter as it grows, oddly enough. His roots appear almost blonde.

"I do have something to present," Kyle agrees, smiling at Ariel, "but I can't miss an opportunity to hold this little guy."

"Pero ya, I have shit to do," Rigo orders him impatiently with his arms crossed.

"Your big mean tío is in a hurry, huh?" Kyle asks Ariel, who watches him speak with awe.

"Don't start with me today," Rigo warns him.

"I don't know who pissed in your cheerios, but I'm about to fix it all," Kyle announces grandly, approaching the large confection box he brought along. "May I present..." He flips open the box. "The Kiss That Launched a Thousand Paparrazzi. Happy anniversary!"

It's a round cake with white icing and rainbow sprinkles in a banner along the bottom, and right on top is an edible version of the photo of Chris and Rigo kissing in a hotel that started this whole thing. The two of them stare at it for a long time, long enough that Kyle starts to look nervous.

Then Chris cracks a smile, and they can't hold it in anymore. Both burst into laughter that everyone else joins in with relief.

"This is insane," Chris sputters through chuckles. "You actually got a bakery to print that?"

Kyle nods proudly. "It helps to have a roommate who owns a bakery."

Rigo leans over it with his phone for a picture. "Pinche Kyle," he snickers. "Save me some. I have to go to the studio."

"It's always the studio with you guys," Kyle scoffs.

Rigo's eyes tighten. "I wonder why."

"Me too sometimes," Kyle says with a shrug. "I haven't seen any new music from 'Rigo' in a long time."

"It's coming," Rigo fires back with a playful glare. "See you guys later."

He quickly grabs Chris's face for a kiss that lasts way longer than I'd expect—evoking whistles and cheers from Xavi, Mariluz, and Kyle—then heads off with a wave. Chris's face is beet red after as he slices into the cake and passes out plates, but there's a hint of a smile.

"So, when are you guys gonna get married?" Kyle asks immediately when he gets his plate. He sets Ariel into his rocker, which Xavi brought over from the living room, and takes his seat.

My eyebrows furrow. "It's nice to see you today too, Ky," I say sarcastically.

"Yeah, it's nice to see you and all," he fires back, rolling his eyes, "but it would be so great if it was in a white dress one of these days, you know?"

"That's what I've been saying for months," Xavi agrees with an exasperated sigh.

"Yeah, well you didn't go into labor on the red carpet, did you?" I challenge him.

"Neither did you," he scoffs. "You were already in labor and hiding it because you're nuts."

"Well, that's a low blow," I respond, feigning hurt.

His face turns pale. "No, I didn't mean—not because you're—"

I look back at him with a smirk. "I'm kidding, Xavi."

His shoulders drop as his eyes narrow. "Now that's a low blow."

"When are you thinking for the wedding then, Lola?" Mariluz inquires from beside Kyle. Her pouf of brown curls is pulled back into a ponytail for a change, highlighting her slender neck.

I chew on the inside of my cheek as I think about it, but it's not an easy decision. First and foremost, there's the attention. I don't want it! I've had enough ever since Ariel's birth, even from strangers saying they saw my red carpet photos. Then there's the fact that I don't exactly have family to attend my wedding—I don't want to invite them. The only exception to that these days is Liam. Then there's Jazmin. I want her there, and I want her and Xavi on good terms.

It's definitely getting better, but it's not there yet. She's back in LA ever since Ximena went back to Chicago for classes so she can help with the twins whenever Chris and Rigo need it. That's where she is right now, upstairs with the twins while their dads work.

I see her more now, but we never speak. She only ever acknowledges me when Xavi is around, and that's perfectly fine with me. It's their relationship that was destroyed and needs fixing. It's slowly on the mends, but they're still not close like they were.

"I just don't want any more attention," I say finally with a sigh. "I've had enough eyes on me."

"That's why there's a thing called a courthouse wedding," Xavi retorts, smirking.

I eye him hard. "You wouldn't do that."

"Wouldn't I?" He raises his eyebrows in challenge.

My expression slowly drops as my heart rate picks up. "Would you?"

He smiles softly. "Of course I would. I just wanna marry you."

"Stop it right now!" Kyle shouts, covering his mouth with both hands. "I'm gonna cry."

"That's so sweet," Mariluz adds, watching us with doe eyes.

My cheeks burn up with embarrassment at yet more attention, but I keep my eyes on Xavi. "When would we do it if we did a courthouse wedding?"

His eyes stay locked on mine. "I'd marry you today."

"Today?" I repeat in shock.

He nods. "Today."

It's so soon, and he and Jazmin still aren't close, but... I want to. I want to marry him today.

"Okay," I say after a moment. "Let's do it."

Kyle gasps dramatically and starts fanning his face. "Oh my God! It's happening!"

Mariluz jumps from her seat, holding up her keys. "You need a dress, right?"

I inhale deeply. "I do."

"There's no time for rehearsal, Lola!" Kyle yells as he stands. "We have to get your dress!"

I stand slowly, eyeing a sleeping Ariel with my chest tightening. "You're okay watching him?" I clarify with Xavi unnecessarily. He's been watching our son without issue for the entire last week that I've been back at work.

"We'll be fine," he promises anyway.

"Okay," I relent. "I'm coming."

Mariluz takes us to a big chain bridal store because we know we'll be able to take a dress home today. I feel like a doll Kyle and Mariluz are playing dress-up with as they pick out dresses and send me into the dressing room with little time in between each. They're both as excited as me, it seems, although more outwardly so.

It's the sixth dress I try on that catches my eye, and I strut out of the dressing room in it with a confidence I didn't have before putting it on. It's a soft-white, form-fitting crepe dress with a cowl neckline, chiffon long sleeves, and a slit above the left knee. Kyle finds a matching pair of pumps for me to wear with it, and is brought to tears just looking at me. I just imagine the pictures of me in it beside Xavi, and I'm sold.

Before we leave, Kyle and Mariluz take a moment for their own fashion shows. Kyle's choice is a simple white tux, which he considers dressing down. Mariluz's selection is a wine-colored, flowy, strapless chiffon gown. I pay with Xavi's card for all our clothes, and then we stop at a local beauty chain to have our hair and makeup done. Sure, going to chains for everything isn't exactly glamorous, but it looks good enough for a last-minute wedding at a courthouse.

Once we're all made up like dolls, we head back to Beverly Hills to put on our new clothes and collect our wedding crew. Chris called Rigo while we were gone to let him know about the last-minute wedding, and Xavi called Liam. They'll both be meeting us there, and as soon as they arrive, Xavi and I are getting married.

Xavi pulls me aside as we wait for our turn outside the courtroom. "You nervous?" he asks, grinning eagerly.

"Only a little," I say. "About the attention. And the vows."

"The vows?"

"Yeah." I look at my hands as my cheeks burn up. "I don't want to say them in front of people. They're just for you."

"Then let's do that now," he suggests with an easy shrug. A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.

"Okay," I agree with a nervous laugh. "Uh, I-I wanna go first. I'm sure yours are better, so I don't want to follow—"

"Mi amor," he cuts me off. "You're overthinking it."

I exhale heavily. "You're right."

"You can go first, though," he allows, taking both of my hands in his and looking me directly in the eyes.

My cheeks are on fire and my heart is fluttering in my throat, but I can't look away. "Xavi..."

My mind goes blank for a moment, because there are just so many things I could say. He's been there for me from the moment I found out I was pregnant, even before I was really there for him. He helped me when my dad passed, and he comforted me through so many moments of anxiety in the months that followed. He forgave me for a heartless betrayal of his trust, and never for a moment since then has he held it over my head. My diagnosis was hard to swallow, and he made the hard days so much easier as I fought through the remainder of my pregnancy unmedicated. Even now as I struggle to find the right balance of meds, he's here for me; never judging, always listening. I don't know how on Earth I got so lucky to find him.

"Xavi, you're everything to me," I begin, watching his smile grow. "You were all in from the moment you found out about Ariel, and I should have known right then that you were the one. You've supported me through this bipolar diagnosis, and on top of all that, you're already the world's best dad."

He blinks rapidly then, fighting tears, and shakes his head as he snickers. "I'm not that great."

"You are that great," I disagree, and I realize now that I'm crying. I don't even care about my makeup, I just need Xavi to know what he means to me. "You're that great and even better. I might be a writer, but there aren't enough words in the universe to explain how much I love you. And I wanna be that great for you, Xavi. I promise I will. I'll be there for you whenever you need someone, just like you always are for me, for the rest of our lives."

I'm blubbering like an idiot now, but Xavi's still smiling with watery, red eyes. He drops one of my hands for just a moment to wipe my tears as we giggle about it, and then he takes it again, interlocking our fingers tight.

"Lola, you're worth it," he says softly. "I have never for a second wondered if you were the one. I always knew it. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid my eyes on, and you're so smart and talented that sometimes I wonder if I'm good enough for you."

"No," I say in shock.

He nods. "I mean it. You're so much more incredible than you realize, and I wake up every day thankful that you chose me. I won't let you down, Lola. I'll never give up on you, either. You'll always have me. For the rest of our lives."

"I love you, Xavi," I say through tears.

"I love you too, Lola."

He pulls me into a tight embrace and I unload my tears into his shoulder as I hold on to him for dear life. He really is my whole life. He and Ariel.

"Yo! You getting married or what?" Rigo calls out.

We pull apart slowly and see that Liam and Rigo have arrived, and everyone is watching us with big grins like a street performance as we embrace. Rigo even brought Mía along—Xavi's favorite frenemy in the family. Mariluz holds Ariel toward us in his little tux, and his face fills me with so much joy I just might burst.

"I guess it's time to get married," Xavi snickers.

I begrudgingly drop his left hand, but keep his right held tight. "I guess so," I say with a smile.

"You ready?"

I nod. "I'm ready."

It's not a moment I ever thought I'd be ready for, but with Xavi, there's not a doubt in my mind. I know it as our eyes lock one last time—a gaze that says I love you in a million ways that words could never achieve—and I know it still as we walk hand-in-hand into the courtroom with our family and friends in tow to officially begin our lives together. Xavi is my forever, and I don't want forever with anyone else.