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Chapter Sixteen
AUTUMN
Boxes were stacked meticulously in Lizzie’s closets, and we’d managed to create a path between boxes and piles winding through the condo. She pretended not to mind, saying it was like a fort and the cats would love to climb on it all.
Moving in with the woman I love, coming home to our bed after work…it was all I wanted, all that kept me together through long, grueling days. It had been two months, neither of us in any hurry to unpack. Muffin was fine, the cats were okay. Things were great. Our eyes and hearts were focused on the future, even if it brought bumps and deployments. We were promised to each other, and that meant everything.
“Should we get a bigger house?” she asked me one Thursday morning over coffee. We had the morning together before I’d be at the fire station until the Saturday morning of Sean and Avery’s surprise wedding. Everyone’s lives were changing, even ours, and we reveled in moments together.
“It’s just us.” I smiled at her, squeezing her hands. “We don’t need space.” I didn’t want her to think more about having kids. We’d seen Callie once since the paternity scare and, even though we knew it wasn’t mine, the issue seemed even ickier since then.
“But what if you want more dogs? Like a lab or shepherd or something that needs room to run?”
“I run. I’d take them with me and, please, don’t talk about another dog.” I chewed my bottom lip. “Muffin’s irreplaceable.”
“Well,” she picked at her croissant, “do you ever think about leaving Wisconsin?”
I glanced around the back room at the Coffee Trader, checking out the students studying, the professionals and families chatting over a cup and treat. “This is home,” I shrugged, “but anywhere with you is home, Lizzie. Do you want to leave?”
“Calm your buns, mermaid.” She winked at me over the rim of her coffee mug. “I just like to know the future is open for us.” I pushed the sleeves of my shirt back, watching my ink dance around my skin and thinking more about the concept of a future.
“Want to come with me to see Silas today?”
Her eyes brightened, lips stained with foam. “You, shirtless, getting a tattoo?”
“Yeah.” I chuckled, licking my lips while she blushed. I leaned back in my seat, watching Lizzie melt across from me.
“I’ll get one too,” she squealed. Lizzie leaned forward, and I knew what she was trying to do with the edge of our table and the neckline of her dress. She knew I knew, and that’s why we were out of there and on our way home before going to Silas’s parlor within five minutes.
***
We were late, and I felt horrible, but I knew Lizzie’s friends would understand. She pulled me with ferocious strength onto the rooftop of Retrovaille, blabbering on in the cute way she did about how excited she was, how hot she thought Sean would look, and how happy she was for Avery. I loved surprises, but keeping this one from Avery was difficult.
She and Sean were sitting with Jesse and Ella at a long table near the point that overlooked downtown and the Capitol. Sean was right; it was perfect.
“Hi, everyone,” Lizzie called as we approached the table. “Sorry we’re late. This one was busy saving lives already this morning.” She rested her hand on my chest, patting her palm a few times.
“That’s not fair. I only got one coat of polish on my toes before I had to leave,” Ella teased. “Hi, you two.” I waved at the table, taking in the group I’d met under horrific circumstances in a past life. So much changed; anything before that moment, before Sean winked at me in greeting across the table on the rooftop, anything before Lizzie squeezed my hand, it all seemed like a dream. A nightmare, but one we’d come through as a family.
“I ordered a mimosa and bloody Mary for you two,” Jesse informed us. Lizzie reached for her mimosa, greedily taking a sip while I glanced at Sean. His eyes were elsewhere, behind us at the entrance. I tugged on Lizzie’s elbow when I noticed Sean stand, his fingers intertwined with Avery’s.
“What? Are you okay?” Avery stammered. Sean stroked his fingers along her blushing cheek and nodded to the doorway where, upon her confused gaze, Avery gasped.
“What’s going on?” she demanded, her tone light and humorously confused. I recognized Avery’s mom and sister in the doorway, tears already streaming down their faces, standing next to Sean’s parents. All the emotions swirling around us and I couldn’t yet reach for the bloody Mary Jesse ordered me. I wanted to hide behind the glass for a minute. Weddings were never easy for me. I was supposed to have one, in another life.
“Noah,” I heard Lizzie whisper while my eyes glazed over, “what’s wrong?” I shook my head, smiling down at my girlfriend…thinking about weddings, captivated by her.
Sean guided Avery away from the table where we all stood, pausing with his hands around hers under a pergola dripping with flowers that looked to the east of State Street.
“Avery…” He took her chin between his thumb and finger, holding her other hand against his chest. “You don’t want a big wedding. It took you months to accept my proposal. You’re four months pregnant. Let’s just do it. Right here, right now, with the people we love.”
“Here?” Her gaping mouth was priceless. “But I’m not wearing a white dress.” Sean placed his hands on her stomach while laughing and kissing her forehead.
“The jig is up on that one, my love,” he teased. Lizzie started cooing and jumping at my side, pulling me with her each time her feet slammed back to the ground.
“What do you say?” Lizzie squealed. “Can we do it? Right now?”
Ella joined in the jumping, the two of them looking like prairie dogs while yanking Jesse and me with their bouncing. Like them, but still, Avery was all over the place. Her eyes were on Sean. They flashed to me, and I could only offer a smile; they were on the bouncing broads and Jesse, and then her mom, all before she grinned at Sean. Avery was beautiful, and her smile could seriously do damage, but it was Elizabeth Jacqueline Lewis who stole the show for me every single time.
