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Summer blushes. “Thanks. You don’t look too shabby yourself.”
“I thought we were doing the smart-casual thing, and then you come in looking like you’re off to an awards ceremony in ten minutes. Is the limo’s meter running?” I tease, lifting her hand to my lips and kissing it. I don’t want to incite Cybil’s wrath by breaking tradition and going straight for a smooch. That’s for the end of this “I do” business; I know that much.
Summer chuckles, squeezing my hands. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Seriously, you look amazing. Still think you should’ve gone for the white sweatpants combo, though.” I grin, feeling the tiniest bit nervous. “I thought you might keep me waiting a little longer, to really make me sweat. Me and this humidity are having some disagreements today.”
“You look your best when you’ve got a bit of a glisten to you,” she tells me, laughing. All feels right with the world when she laughs, and I’ll never tire of hearing that sweet sound.
“I love you,” I say, suddenly serious. “I always wonder if today is the day when I’m going to love you only as much as I did yesterday, but then you go and make me love you more. When does it stop, or does it just keep growing higher and higher?”
She points upward. “Never-ending.”
“That’s what I hoped.”
“I love you, too.”
I take a breath, and my body relaxes. “This is it.”
“This is it, unless you’re wearing those sneakers so you can run?”
I shake my head. “No chance. Read them, you’ll see why.”
She glances down and squints as she takes in my bespoke sneakers; the only thing thatIinsisted on for the wedding. Embroidered words etch the tongues—two on each: Live Big, Love Bigger. And on the toes, in tiny lettering, the words “Mr” on the right and “Mrs” on the left.
“They’re perfect,” she tells me, her eyes shining as she looks back up.
At that moment, the officiant begins the ceremony, welcoming everyone to this “joyful occasion.” I don’t hear too much else as they talk, lost in the woman who is going to be my wife, almost to the point that I miss the cue for me to start my vows.
“Oh, that’s me!” I blurt out, stirring up a ripple of laughter from the guests. “I’ve decided to keep it short because if I said everything that I want to say about this woman, and our future together, we’d be here until tomorrow morning.
“I broke a promise to my sister when I fell in love with you, Summer, but she should’ve known that I never listen to her.” The crowd laughs, likely as grateful as me for the comic relief. “We had a shaky start, as those who know us will agree—it’s not often that you go to tell the woman you love that you love her and end up in the hospital for a month. Not if it goes well, anyway. But I’m grateful for that wreck, if you don’t count the ache in my right knee when I sit down for too long. I’m grateful because it showed me that you would be there, through the high times and the lows, and that I was right to drive to you that night, because even though I didn’t make it to you, you made it to me. And for the rest of my life, I swear that I will show up. I swear that I will love you, that I will stand by you, that I will bring you hot soup and cold compresses when you’re sick, that I will keep opening up the world for the both of us, until we’ve seen it all; that I will repay you for never leaving my side since that night, or that morning, depending on whether or not you slept. See, the truth is, you’restuck with me, Summer, and there’s no one I’drather be stuck with.”
Summer smiles, a tear escaping down her cheek. I step closer to brush it aside, gaining an “aww” or two from the guests. “I guess it’s my turn,” she says, and the officiant nods.
“There’s a practice in Japan that goes by the name of Kintsugi. It is the repairing of broken things with gold, making what has been broken more valuable for being broken in the first place. Too often in the west, we throw things away when they’re dropped and cracked and broken, and there was a time, not too long ago, when I didn’t think it was possible to put the shattered pieces of me back together. I certainly never thought there was someone out there who could putme back together, not the way I was, anyway. And then you appeared, Rowan, with a heart of molten gold, and you poured that into the broken parts of me, fixing me, transforming me into something different. Better. For all of the gold that you have painstakingly molded into my life, for all the gold that you are, I promise to spend the rest of my days pouring myself into you; telling you every day how priceless you are to me. You have opened up the world to me, Rowan, and I swear in front of everyone we love that I will follow you on every adventure, every journey, until our lives are etched with the golden cracks of a million experiences. A life well lived, together.You’restuck with me, Rowan, and there’s no oneI’drather be stuck with.”
“That might be the most… beautiful thing I’ve ever heard,” I murmur, overwhelmed by the love that swells in my heart for this strong, brave, wonderful woman who has chosen me, as I’ve chosen her.
The officiant beams and clasps her hands together, declaring, “It is my great honor to declare you husband and wife. You may now kiss.”
I don’t hesitate. I’ve been waiting for permission since Summer shooed me away for two days, so I wouldn’t see the bride before the wedding. My arm slides around her waist, tugging her to me, my lips finding hers in a slow, passionate crush that isn’t for public eyes. And though I’m well aware of the congregation whooping and hollering, led by Ms. T, I don’t care. I can’t help it. When I kiss her, everything else fades away.
“We did it,” I whisper, cradling her face.
She smiles up at me. “We did.”
“I love you.”
“I love you more.”
I raise a knowing eyebrow. “Say that again and I’ll have to kiss the lies off your lips.”
“I love you more,” she repeats, laughing against my mouth as I do what I promised, kissing her hard so she knows that she’ll never love me more than I love her.
And as we finally come up for air, and I walk with her back up the aisle to the applause and cheers of our nearest and dearest, I know without a doubt that the future with her is going to be one hell of an adventure.
* * *
