Page 245 of What We Become

I look at Eli. “Every monster.”

At Knox. “Every door.”

At Holden. “Every case.”

At Micah. “Every morning.”

At Milo. “Every version.”

“I’m yours,” I say. “All of me. The savage, the fury, the kitten, the wildcat, the baby girl. All versions of me. Forever.”

Gloria looks at Milo. “The rings.”

He whistles. “Mars!”

She appears in the doorway, tutu bouncing as she trots toward us. Halfway down the path, she veers off to investigate a bush.

“We rehearsed this,” Milo tells her. “Don’t make me regret choosing you over goldfish Frank.”

Mars sniffs the bush.

“Mars. This is your moment.”

She squats.

Knox makes a noise that might pass for a cough if I’d never heard him laugh before.

“I specifically requested no improvisation,” Milo says.

“Show her the treat,” Holden tells him.

“This is a wedding, not a hostage negotiation.”

“She has our rings, Milo.”

He considers that. “Fair.”

I press my lips together as he crouches and fishes a treat from his pocket. Mars finishes her business, spots the payment, and scampers over, suddenly the most committed member of the wedding party.

“Good girl, you tiny extortionist.”

He rewards her, then unties the little pouch secured to her collar. Our wedding bands inside.

“All accounted for,” he announces. “Nobody tell her what they’re worth.”

He hands the pouch to Gloria, and she holds it out for me. I take the new bands from the pouch, one at a time. My fingers shake as I slide a ring onto each man’s finger. By the time I reach Milo, I have to stop and wipe my cheeks.

He helps me settle his band, then holds his hand out to admire it until Holden nudges him.

Gloria hands my ring to Knox—it’s the one he forged, adjusted slightly so it’ll slot perfectly against my engagement ring. The alexandrite is green out here in the afternoon sun. It was blood red the night Milo put it on my finger.

His thumb traces the thin gold line before he passes it on. It moves through all five pairs of hands, each of them holding it for a moment, until Milo takes my left hand and slides it in place.

The familiar band settles against my skin. I look at their hands and start crying all over again.

Gloria smiles. “Then by the power vested in me by absolutely no legal authority whatsoever, I pronounce you committed. To each other. Permanently. Irrevocably.” She looks at me. “You may kiss your partners.”

If I could kiss them all at the same time, I would. But instead, I reach for them one at a time.