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“I know. If he wasn’t the perfect best man, I’d ask him to be the man of honor for me. Dylan, I need you to get better. There’s so much to do. We have to plan this together. I know what I’m doing but I don’t. I need my sister with me. I need you to dance at our wedding.”
“Ugh. You sure know how to lay a patch of guilt on. You’re good. Very good.”
“So will you?”
“Will I what?” she asks.
“I know we’ve been engaged for like five minutes and like next to no one knows. I can’t think of anyone I’d want to stand with me besides Eli, except for you. If it wasn’t for you, Eli would still be miserable. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have Wes. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have the sister I’ve always dreamed of. Will you? Will you be my matron of honor?”
“Your parents don’t even know and you’re already making plans.”
“Oh. They know. That’s a whole other story I can share while we soak our feet. Too far if I tell you I love you?”
“Yep. But I like it.”
Wes
Until yesterday, I wouldn’t have been prepared for my weekly run with Eli. He’s had more pep in his step the last couple of months, so he’s wanted to go farther and faster. I’ve not been in that same mood until today. He wants to lap the park on its outer borders instead of simply creating the loop on the inside. I think he’s waiting for me to protest.
When I don’t, I get a bit of side-eye then we pound the pavement. Eli, since everything went down with Hayley, he makes efforts to swim in the small talk as we run. He wants rundowns on my clients. We talk about all the latest game scores. He even fills me in on his projects. He wants to keep the conversation moving so I don’t feel like I’m floundering. I definitely am today, only for a different reason.
When Hayley and I first had to tell him we were together, saying it went like shit would be an upgrade. I’m anxious to tell him because I’m equal parts excited and expecting another brawl. At least we’re out in public today so there will be witnesses, which means he should keep his cool.
Every hit of our feet on the pavement, every portion of a mile that we take, my courage rises to share with him one of the most important moments of my life.
“Hey. Can we rest for just a minute?” I ask, slowing my stride at first then halting to a pace.
“What, are you that out of shape? I call bullshit if that’s what excuse you’re giving.”
“No. I have something I want to talk to you about. I just want to focus for a second.”
“Sounds serious. Everything cool?”
“Yeah. Yes. I’m good. Better than I have been in a while. That’s what I wanted to tell you. First, I want to say thank you. The last few weeks, hell, months, have been a total mindfuck. You’ve been steady. I just want to say thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. Really. I know what it’s like. You don’t need to tell me.”
“I do though. It’s taken a lot of thought and shoveling of shit to get to where I am right now. I finally feel like I’ve grown up. I’ve been jealous of you for a long time. You have this amazing, sexy, pistol of a wife who’s your better half.”
“I don’t know how I feel about you calling my wife sexy, asshole.”
“She’d bust my chops for me saying it too. I’ve been a large case of being left behind or out for a long time. It didn't bother me until Hayley. I saw what it was like to have what you have. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever known.”
“I’m sorry. Just be patient. I know it will happen for you.”
“I know it will. That’s what I’m saying. It has.”
“What are you talking about?”
“So many things happened yesterday.” The world is going on around us. There are children chasing each other, couples walking hand in hand, people running by not paying attention to anything other than each foot on the ground. “I went to a doctor appointment with Hannah. I can’t wait for you to have that, man. I got to hear my kid. I even got to feel him move.”
Eli gives himself a second or two to process those statements for himself. “It will happen for us someday. Dylan doesn’t turn stark white when we talk about it anymore. I get it. She’s still scared by what she’d have to give up. I’ll be honest, if it happened tomorrow, I’d be shouting about it from the top of my lungs.”
“Exactly fucking right! That’s how I feel right now. I don’t know how you’ll feel about it, but you’re the first one I wanted to tell.”
“Okay, quit the buildup. Just tell me.”
I take a step back from him, find a deep breath, and let my secret go. “Eli, I went to see Hayley last night. I asked her to marry me.”
