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“And notarized. You’re officially my wife now.”
I stare down at the document. My hands are damp from washing and I wipe them on my jeans, not thinking about anything but forever. He’s still watching as I pick it up and stare. I hold it to the light like I might prove it’s fake.
“I thought there’d be a wedding.” I don’t know why that’s the first thing I say.
“Do you want one? I’d be happy to walk down the aisle.”
“No, no, that’s okay. We don’t need one.”
“You’re freaking out.”
“No, I’m not.” I try to smile but it must look awful because he shakes his head.
“It’s going to be okay,” he says and gently takes the license away. “This is what you signed up for.”
“Right.” I take a deep breath. “I know.”
His fingers graze my cheek. A tingle runs into my stomach and I pull away. He lingers there, too close, too big. He’s right, I’m totally freaking out.
My forever only shakes his head. “I’ll give you space to process.” He moves away.
“Wait,” I blurt out, not sure why.
He turns back around, head tilted expectantly.
My hands ball into fists. I feel tears in my eyes, and I stare at the floor, embarrassment flooding through me.
“Can you just come back over here? Just for a minute?”
He doesn’t hesitate. I let his arms wrap around me as he pulls me close against his body. It’s strange, letting him comfort me like this, when he’s the reason I’m feeling like my world has suddenly contracted to a tiny point in space. My forever, my everything, right here in this house.
But he smells good, and he feels good, and I like the sound of his heart in my ear. It’s steady and consistent. He doesn’t say anything, only hugs me close against him, and that’s what I need.
Chapter 17
Saul
Despite how much the old woman smokes, Molly’s former apartment doesn’t smell like cigarettes at all. “This enough?” I ask, giving her nana the carton.
“Perfect. You’re a good man.” She pats my hand and lights up. I unpack the groceries I brought over, putting away the refrigerator stuff first.
“Do you need anything else?”
“We’re fine. You stop your worrying.”
“How about help around this place? I can hire a cleaning crew to come through.”
Nana shakes her head. “I’d rather do it myself.”
“And since that’s not possible, I’ll have them come in a couple days.”
She looks like she wants to argue but only shakes her head. “Alright, young man, if you insist.”
“I most certainly do.” Once the groceries are done, I lean against the doorframe and study her. She gives me a sharp look in return. “Last chance. Any requests?”
“None. You keep this up and I’ll be set for life.”
I snort, shaking my head. “Can’t live on cigarettes and coffee.”
