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Cracking my neck, I lie to my wife for the first time. “Sorry, wife. I should have thought of that. We’ll plan something with them soon, I promise.”
She squeezes my hand and leans her head against my shoulder. “Probably better you didn’t. They might not have shown anyway, and that would have been worse.”
Pausing at the door before we enter and determined to put a smile on her face, I tug her against me. “Hey, Kitten, can I show you something?”
Before me, she takes a deep breath, her chest heaving, and closes her eyes, resetting herself and letting go of the things she can’t change. For now, at least. “Yeah, please.”
I slide my fingers against her left hand, over the yellow diamond on her ring finger. “I know we can’t announce to the world that we’re married, and I would give anything to see a wedding band along with this ring—”
Cat squeezes my hand and shakes her head, but I continue.
“And it kills me that I can’t wear a wedding band either. I want the world to know that I’m yours.” I flip my left hand over and show her the inside of my ring finger and the newCtattoo there.
A small gasp slips past her red pout, lifting my spirits a little.
“But for the rest of my life, Catherine, I’m yours and you’re mine.”
She lifts my hand up and pulls it closer to her, studying it. Then her brown eyes meet mine. “I want one.”
I chuckle. “Yeah?”
She smiles. “Yeah. After dinner.Please. I want your name on my body, Jay. We may not be able to tell the world, but I’ve been yours since we first met, and I want the proof of that etched on my skin, the same way you’re tattooed on my heart. You and Chlo are the only family I need.”
“Fuck, I love you.” I pull her into me and press my lips to hers.
“I love you too,husband.”
Later that night, wearing matching smiles, Cat and I sneak into a tattoo shop and meet with the artist I’ve known for years.
Dinner was fun. And celebrating our birthdays with Chloe, watching her interact with my brothers and hearing her call me Daddy throughout dinner made this the best birthday of my life.
As Cat sits in the chair, she holds out her hand to me. I bring it to my mouth and lick my lips, then suck her finger into my mouth and drag her engagement ring off by my teeth for safe keeping.
“Could you get any hotter?” she purrs.
Then we both watch as the tattoo artist stains her skin with my name.
61
UNCONDITIONALLY BY KATY PERRY
Cat
Between preparing for the Christmas List forJolieand dealing with the merger of the whiskey companies, November flies by. Cash and I still aren’t in a great place, but we’re on speaking terms again. It still hurts that my brothers didn’t reach out on my birthday. But I don’t let myself dwell. Because while one part of my life may be falling apart, the other parts are so full. We’ve officially moved into the house across the street from the park. My workdays are long as editor in chief, but every night, I come home to find Chloe and Jay hanging in the living room. Sometimes they’re watching television, and other times they’re listening to music. I’ve even found them cuddled up on the couch sleeping a few times. I snuck a picture, and when I shared it with Jay, I’m pretty sure he swiped a tear or two, even if he tried to play it off like he had something in his eye.
The way Jay has fallen into fatherhood with such grace has been the silver lining of my life. There’s no doubt he was meant to be a father. And when the time comes for the doctor’s appointment Jay scheduled, we’ll hopefully find out if that’s a possibility.
Or, like Jay said, I’ll prepare for the biggest fight of my life.
Either way, we’ll do it together.
To top it all off, I have an engagement party to plan. Jay got it into his head that we should make a big show of it and somehow convinced my grandmother to allow us to use the house in Bristol.
I have an inkling that he’s using the celebration to bring my brothers and me back together. But his motives aren’t completely altruistic. Because my husband is a diva and probably wants to show us off as well.
And secretly, I love that about him.
I’m approving photos for the January issue when the door to my office swings open and Carter appears, looking disheveled. His hair is a mess, and his suit is rumpled. “You married him.”
