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He looked at the clerk. “Hi, we’d like to get married, please. Right now.”
The clerk worked her mouth in an attempt to remain stoic at the scene unfolding in front of her. “Okay… I need a driver's license, social security, and a witness. We’re pretty empty today so you’re in luck.”
Andrew handed Jacob to me, still holding Matthew over his shoulder by his ankle. He dug into his jeans for his wallet, giving me a side-eye.
“You’reserious.”
“Maria, you and the boys are not leaving this building without my last name. And then I’m going to spend the rest of my life bending over backwards to make you happy. Now give the lady your paperwork.”
I froze. This was serious. This wasn’t just me moving in with him, living with him anymore. This was us, as a family, forever.
My mind raced.
Word of advice, Maria. Don’t marry Andy just because he’s the father of your kids.
Drew must have seen the panic on my face. He set Matthew down on his feet, and dropped to his knee right in the middle of the court office, holding my hands firmly in his.
“I’m never going to quit on you, Maria.” I swallowed hard at his words. “You know I’m shit at this,” he added, mumbling, but cleared his throat. “I didn’t even know how badly I needed you until I started to think about life without you. I didn’t know I wanted a family until you gave me one. I didn’t know how much I could love those boys until—”
“Da da da da da da,” Matthew said, tugging on Andrew’s hair.
I gasped. “Is he… he’stalking.”
People around us snickered. Andrew coughed. “Excellent timing, son.”
I guess that depends on your definition of love… being in love is nice, but the trust and the devotion and the security that comes with really loving someone and not quitting on them? That’s the real magic.
“Andrew, this is forever.”
“You better damn well believe it is.”
“Language, Andrew.”
“Marry me, Maria.”
This was stupid. Really, truly thoughtless, and stupid, and we should move back in together and wait.
Jacob giggled and threw his arms around Drew’s neck.
Pick the one you know you’ll regret if you don’t.
“Okay.”
Around us, people cheered and clapped, and Andrew stood up and pulled me into his arms again. I hadn’t even noticed people had stopped to watch or listen. I dug through my pocketbook to find the requested paperwork, sliding it across the desk to the clerk, my hands shaking with giddy energy.
What is even happening in my life right now?
“Did you bring a witness?” the clerk asked.
We looked at each other, and then turned around to the room around us. Andrew spoke up. “Uh… anyone want to witness a wedding?”
The whole thing was absolutely ridiculous. Two random strangers held our sons in the pews of the small chapel, a man and a woman I didn’t know stood by and signed as witnesses. Andrew and I stumbled through the most chaotic, unplanned vows ever exchanged. But when it was over, he kissed me and put a gold band on my finger he’d bought for fifty dollars at the front desk, and we posed for a few pictures. My hair was a mess and both of our eyes were red from crying, but we couldn’t stop smiling. On our way out, we filled out the paperwork to get mine and the boys’ name changed.
Back at Andrew’s apartment, he helped me unload and unpack all the stuff we’d packed that morning, and we laughed the whole time. I’d never seen him smile so hard.
He kissed my cheek as he walked past me with my suitcase, winking at me as he brought it into the master bedroom.
I shivered in excitement. I loved Andrew, but I craved him even more than I had when I’d first met him, even more than I had when I realized I was in love with him. Because now, he was mine. Like it had so many times before, our night in the grungy little inn came back to mind and I felt myself tingle in excitement.
