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We lean in to kiss again, but an airport cop appears out of nowhere and halts our forward movement with his frantic, angry waving at me to move along.
“I’m going,” I mouth to him, before pulling away from the curb. “So, guess what?” I say excitedly. “Madelyn the Badasselyn is going to UCLA!”
Henn cheers and high-fives me. “I had a premonition that would happen. When did she get the news?”
“This morning. The only not-perfect thing is that she only got in for spring quarter, rather than for fall, which is what she wanted in a perfect world. But of course, the main thing is that she’s in.”
“Hell yeah. That’s all that really matters.”
I sigh with deep satisfaction. “I’m so fucking happy for Maddy. UCLA film school has been her dream for so long. She applied as a freshman and didn’t get in. And look at her now! Now that she’s in, all on her own, I’m so relieved you didn’t ask Reed for help. I’ve been nervous about that decision and worried I’d regret calling you off if she didn’t get in—but now that she has, her admission is that much sweeter!”
Henn smiles. “Absolutely. I’m so happy for Maddy.”
For the rest of the drive home, we chat enthusiastically. First, about Maddy. And then, about tonight’s wedding, with both of us deciding we’re going to let loose and maybe even get shitfaced, both in celebration of Maddy’s good news and our newfound love.
I ask Henn how he’s feeling now about the job in DC, since we generally avoid the topic during our FaceTime chats, and he says he’s actually feeling much more confident about the project these days. Confident enough to predict he won’t need any more than a week or so to complete the job after returning to DC tomorrow.
“Wow! Sounds like we’ve got yet another reason to celebrate tonight.”
“Not so fast. Let’s not jinx it.”
We reach my apartment building and, miraculously, find a parking spot right out front.
“It’s a sign,” I declare. “All good things happen when I find parking out front.” As we head to the elevator, I say, “I’ve got that chicken curry you love in the fridge, if you’re hungry. I made a batch last night. Just need to heat it up in the microwave.” With so little time before Jonas and Sarah’s wedding, Henn and I have already hashed out our itinerary for this afternoon: sex the second we get to my place, if he’s not too hungry. Food first, if so. And then, we’ll shower and enjoy a pre-game cocktail, and then another one while dressing for the wedding, and then off we’ll go to the wedding via Uber, so we can both drink like responsible fishies, all night long.
“I’m not hungry for chicken curry,” Henn says with a lascivious waggle of his eyebrows. “And by that, I mean to imply I’m hungry for your pussy.”
I giggle. “Oh, thanks for the clarification. I thought you meant you’re hungry for a cheeseburger.”
As we walk down the hallway, Henn taps out a text to his mom, letting her know he’s made it to Seattle safely. We stop in front of my door while he finishes his text exchange, and when I’m sure I have his full attention, I swing open my door with gusto and bellow, “I love you, Peter Hennessey!”
My tiny living room is filled to bursting with helium balloons in red, pink, and white, all of them butting up against my low ceiling and all bearing the phrase “I love you!”
“Oh my god, Hannah. This is amazing. I can’t believe you did this for me.”
“You beat me to the punch at the airport.”
“And you beat me to the punch with all this.” He slides his hand into his pocket and pulls out a little wrapped box. Gold paper. A perfectly tied, white bow. “Got you a little something.”
“Oh, Henny.” As Henn puts his bags on a chair, I unwrap the box. When I open the lid, there’s a dainty gold-chain necklace inside with gold lettering in its middle, its phrase held in place by the chain on either side of it. The lettering declares “I AM LOVED” with the “O” punctuated at its center by a rather large, sparkling diamond.
“Oh my gosh. I love it.” I look up from the necklace, tears springing into my eyes. “It’s the best gift I’ve ever received. Thank you.” Henn opens his arms, and I sink into them and against his chest. “I love you, Henny. I truly never thought I’d get to experience this kind of love.”
“I love you, too. So, so much.”
When we disengage, Henn helps me get the necklace on, and we stand in front of a mirror, looking at it together. I gush about how much I love it, and he looks equal parts enthralled and relieved. Finally, I turn around and slide my arms around his neck and kiss him deeply, until I feel a tell-tale bulge pressing against me from behind his jeans.
