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Her eyebrows lift in mock surprise. "Oh? What did you have in mind?"
"Your spring semester doesn't start for a few weeks, right?" It's not really a question. I looked up her University's schedule last night after she fell asleep, a hot ball of dread settling in my stomach at the thought of doing the long-distance thing for months.
Issy's lips press together to stop herself from smiling. "I think I'm going to take some time off. Finishing a pre-med degree doesn't seem like a great use of my time, considering I hate the idea of going into medicine. No offense, Doc."
"None taken." I laugh, slapping her ass playfully and dragging her closer. "So,hypothetically speaking, what do you think about coming to D.C. instead?"
"Hypothetically?" She hums, sliding her hands down to straighten my shirt collar. "That sounds great."
I arch my eyebrows, surprised. "No arguments?"
"Nope." She smiles, and I weave our fingers together and kiss the back of her hand. My heart is so fucking full it hurts. "I'll have to go back to Chicago to clear out my apartment. I should probably get a storage unit or something."
"I have space." The thought of all her stuff mixed with mine sounds pretty damn great. There are zero areas of my life where I don't want her. Issy doesn't argue, and wordlessly she tugs me back toward the wedding reception.
If anyone has an opinion or disapproves of the groom's father holding hands with the bride's sister, I don't notice. Someone, probably Evie, changed the place settings so we're seated together, and when a few of my cousins come over to say hello, I introduce them to my girlfriend. The moment they leave, though, I frown at her.
Issy, who's just finished stealing a slice of cucumber off my plate and popping it into her mouth, stares back at me questioningly. "What's wrong?"
"I don't like it," I admit, looking off to where Reuben is proudly introducing his new wife to a childhood friend.
The wordgirlfriendseems insufficient to describe how much I love this woman, or the level of devotion I feel for her.Girlfriendfeels temporary, but Issy is forever.
She leans her head on my shoulder and helps herself to another piece of cucumber. "We're moving in together after a week, Judah. I think that suggests things are pretty serious."
It does, but I'm still not satisfied. "I don't suppose you'd marry me before we leave? Wife sounds pretty good."
She laughs, shaking her head against me. "You suppose correctly, Doctor Hale. Let Evie and Reuben have their big day. Besides, did it ever occur to you that maybe I want to wear a big white dress and boss everyone around?"
It didn't. "You want a big wedding?"
"Maybe." I kiss her head, and she sighs happily. Across the room, the band has called everyone's attention to Reuben and Evie's first dance. "I'd like to know the groom's middle name before making any big decisions on the guest list."
"It's Charles." I snort, pulling her closer. We watch in silence for a while as the newlyweds dance, wrapped up in each other and so clearly in love. "Did you talk to Evie about what happened with your parents?"
"A little." She admits. "There was some crying earlier this morning, but I think she feels good about standing up to them. I never really thought about how hard it must have been for her to try and be perfect all the time. We agreed that we need to start over and figure out we are without our parents' filters, if that makes any sense."
Fuck, just when I thought I couldn't fall any harder for this woman.
"It does." The song has ended, and people are flooding onto the dimly lit dance floor. I stand and offer Issy my hand, tugging her gently back to her feet and through the other couples until we find a space. It feels so good to hold her like this, in the middle of a wedding packed with our relatives, without the slightest fear or worry. Some people might judge me or her, but there's no opinion in the world that I care about more than my girl's happiness.
"I hope we come back here someday." Issy sighs, looking outside to where the dark ocean is just barely visible. "I'll miss it."
I love the idea of spending time here with just her. No family, no struggling with our feelings, just time to enjoy each other. "We'll come back for our honeymoon," I promise.
Issy looks up at me, and she looks so carefree and beautiful that it takes my breath away. "Don't you think you should learn my middle name before signing up for that kind of commitment?"
"No." I laugh, "Tell me anyway. It might be useful."
Epilogue
Judah
One Year Later
Whenwereachtheairport shuttle, the very same driver who once hit on my now-wife is waiting to take us to the resort.
If he recognizes us, he doesn't give any indication of it, but I have to bite back a smile, tucking Issy closer against my side when we settle into the thankfully air-conditioned back seat. So much has changed in the past year, but how I feel when I touch her isn't one of them. She still takes my breath away daily, and while I keep expecting the honeymoon phase to fade away or to start taking the little things for granted, it hasn't happened yet.
