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I took her hand in mine as we walked through the crowded parking lot to get our tickets, all the while she was chattering happily about the last time she, Bronagh and Cass had been here.
“Cass lost her voice, she screamed so much, and Nonie threw up after riding The Beast.”
“You like coasters?”
“Love ‘em, how about you?”
“Yeah, Brock, Brendan, and I liked to bet on who could keep their hands up through the entire ride without lowering them once. I always won.”
“Ooooh, I’ll take that bet,” she replied, and I was delighted. That’s the only word I could think of to match this feeling within. Delighted. Delighted that she was game for a day of riding rides, and delighted that being with her was the easiest, and happiest, thing I’d done in a really long time.
“You’re on.”
The weather was perfect, not too hot, not too cold, and not a cloud in sight. The lines were long, but not terribly, and we spent that time wrapped up in each other. Getting to know each other better.
“What made you buy your house?” she asked, one hand clasped in mine while the other played with the hem of my shirt.
We shifted up in line, and I replied, “We used to know the people who lived there, and they came upon hard times, couldn’t afford it anymore. It ended up being a short sale, for a lot less than it was worth. I’d been saving up my money, eager to get out of my parents’ house … Brock’s house. Don’t get me wrong, it was fine living with Brock and Bren, we had fun, but I needed my own space. It was time. So, I took a chance, put in for the short sale, and got it. It’s not like it was a huge transition, with my brothers still down the street when I wanted them, but it felt great to own something of my own.”
“You didn’t think about starting with an apartment, or getting roommates?” Ming asked.
I shook my head.
“No, living with my brothers is one thing, but I’m not the kind of person who can handle roommates. Having them in my space, in my business, probably wanting to hang out and chat all the time.” I gave a mock shutter, and she laughed, just like I’d hoped.
“It just seems like a lot of room.”
“Well, I’ve always planned to fill it up with family,” I admitted, turning our hands to link our fingers together. “Unlike Bren, I’ve always known that I want to get married and have kids. It’s just a matter of finding the right person to share my life with, because I only plan to get married once.”
The line moved, so we moved along with it. When we stopped, I leaned back against the rails, and one second later, Ming was in my arms, hers wrapped around my back, her cheek to my chest.
“That’s such a great answer,” she mumbled against my shirt.
I ran my hand down her long, straight hair, enjoying the feel of her there.
“Is that what you want?” I asked, a lump forming in my throat. “A family?”
Ming nodded against my chest, and the lump loosened.
A throat cleared behind us, and I turned to see a guy in his early twenties looking awkward and gesturing ahead of us. The line had moved again, and it was our turn to get in a lane for one of the cars on the roller coaster.
I gave the guy a small smile of thanks, then shifted Ming so my arm was around her waist and led her to the line for the front car.
“You still good with this?” I asked when her eyes widened at being in front. “We don’t have to do the bet, we can just ride.”
“No,” she replied, her voice kind of thin. “Let’s do this.”
“Okay,” I said with a smile, bringing her hand up to brush my lips against the back. “Hands up from the second we take off, until we pull back in.”
“‘Kay.”
Our hands went up as we p
ulled away, the click, click, click of the wheels going up the track sounding off and causing my stomach to drop in anticipation. I laughed when we went over the top and Ming’s scream nearly busted my eardrum, but I watched her as best I could during the entire ride, and she never put her arms down. Never even wavered.
“What do I win?” she asked, as we walked down the ramp to exit the ride.
Once we were clear of the crowd, I pulled her to the side and lowered my lips to hers. The kiss was sweet, and filled with the joy of the day. I pulled back slightly, then peppered her mouth with a few more kisses.
