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“Then… I have your blessing?”
Ben smiled, wiping his eyes. “I think my brain is just catching up. I get to see you once a year—and you get to spend the rest of it with the man you love. I think that’s a no-brainer, don’t you?”
I hugged him so tightly. “Thank you. Thank you.”
“Love you, bro,” Ben whispered. Then he burst out laughing.
“What’s tickled you?” I demanded, releasing him.
“I’m just thinking… oh my God, theirony.” I stared at him, and he grinned. “Weren’tyouthe one who told me Santa didn’t exist?”
Okay, that was pretty funny, now that I thought about it.
I rose, and Ben extended a hand to Nicholas. “I’m so glad I got the chance to meet you.”
“Me too.” His eyes sparkled. “Whatever happened to your elastic Superman, by the way?”
“My—” Ben gaped. “How did you—” He rolled his eyes. “Stupid question.”
“That wasmygift to you.” Then Nicholas hesitated, and I wondered what was coming next. “But there’s a gift you could giveme,if you’d be willing.”
Ben blinked. “I doubt there isanythingI can give Santa Claus that he couldn’t find for himself,” he said with a chuckle.
Nicholas’s breathing quickened, and I realized I had never once seen him in that state.
He was nervous.
He inhaled deeply. “The thing is… I’m an old-fashioned kinda guy. And if I’m going to ask a man to join me in my realm, to commit to a life with me… I want to put a ring on his finger first.”
Wait… What did he say?
When I was at a loss for words—again
Nicholas reached under his cloak and removed a small black velvet box. “Anthony thinks we came here to ask for your blessing, but as soon as I learned what you did for a living, I knew I was here with an ulterior motive.”
Ben’s breathing hitched. “Oh my God. You want me to perform a marriage ceremony?”
I hadnotseen this coming.
Nicholas nodded. “I doubt you’ve performed such a ceremony for two men before.”
Ben grinned. “And there you would be wrong. There are two soldiers on that base who stood before me and exchanged rings and vows. No one else knows, only the three of us.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “And I would be honored to marry you.”
I coughed. “Excuse me? DoIget a say in this?”
Nicholas’s face fell. “Don’t you want to marry me?”
I rolled my eyes. “Duh. Of course I do. But I would still like to beasked, you know? Properly?” I lowered my gaze to the rug and cleared my throat.
He laughed. “Well, seeing as I’m only going to be doing this the once…” He knelt in front of me, the ring box held out. “Anthony James Gordon, will you—”
I was suddenly crying, but they were happy tears. After decades, I was finally getting what I wanted—Nicholas, all to myself.
Nicholas was staring at me in obvious concern, and I knew I needed to snap out of it. “You know my middle name?” Another eye-roll. “What am I saying? You know everything.”
He gave me a mock glare. “Er, in the middle of something here?”
I straightened my features, doing my best not to laugh. “Sorry. Continue.” Inside I was buzzing.
