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“I’m gonna get Hudson’s stuff together.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Soon, we were driving away from my parents’ place. They were taking Hudson for the night, so Hailey and I could have a date night. I wanted to make this a night to remember for Hailey. After everything she had done for me and everything I had put her through recently, she deserved a night dedicated to her.
“I think we’re a little overdressed for pizza,” she said after I placed our order atSalerno’s. It was a great restaurant, but we did look kind of fancy. Hailey’s deep green dress made her look even more beautiful, if that was even possible. I wore one of my suits. Hailey said I looked like a stud. And the way she was looking at me right now made me hungry for more than pizza.
“I ordered a fancy bottle of wine. And I know that pizza is a special meal for us. Right?”
“Absolutely. I’m not complaining. You know I could eat pizza morning, noon, and night.”
I chuckled. “Yes, I do.”
After our wine was poured, I held my glass up. “I’d like to make a toast,” I said. “To you, Hailey, my love, my wife, my life. I love you. And I love our life. Even when I was missing parts of it, you always made me feel whole.”
“Oh, Vince,” she whispered. “I love you too. So much.”
We clinked glasses and ate our complimentary house salads. When we left, we had some leftover pizza boxed up. When Hailey sat down in the passenger seat, I handed the box to her and said, “Here’s your breakfast.” Her howl of laughter had me chuckling as I rounded the car and slid behind the wheel.
“Thank you for tonight,” she said.
“The night’s not over yet.” I kept my eyes forward and drove to our next stop for dessert.
“Frozen yogurt, huh?” she asked as I pulled into a parking space.
“It’s your favorite,” I commented. After we ordered, I led her to a bench outside. White lights lit up the trees above us. They gave the appearance that we were covered under a blanket of stars.
I waited for her to finish her third bite. Before she could take her fourth, I stopped her. She blinked in rapid succession. “Are you okay?” she asked.
I kissed her with just a hint of tongue. Her lips were cold, and she tasted like lemon cream. “I’m more than okay,” I said. “I just couldn’t wait another second to kiss you.”
A familiar recognition flickered in her eyes. She smiled softly and replied with a simple, “Okay.”
Thirty minutes later, back in the comfort of our home, we changed into our pajamas and went to the living room. “You want to watch a movie?”
“Okay,” she said.
I was relieved she said yes. I thumbed through the movies we had and found the one I wanted. “How about this one?” I asked, holding upNotting Hill.
“Sure.”
“I know how much you love this movie. And Julia Roberts.”
“Don’t forget Hugh Grant.”
“How could I?” I joked, lighting a few candles. I dashed to the kitchen and returned with a massive bowl of kettle corn and Hailey’s lemonade. We settled in and snuggled up on the couch. It was the perfect way to end the night.
When the movie ended, I turned off the television. The glow of the candles flickered around us. “You look so beautiful, Hailey. I need you to know how much you mean to me.”
“Vince, you’re scaring me.”
“I’m fine, Hailey. More than fine. I promise.” She looked utterly lost. “I know I’ve caused you a lot of hurt and worry. I can’t take that away. But I can try to make up for it. Thank you for your support and believing in me. Thank you for staying by my side through thick and thin. Thank you for making me a dad. Thank you for giving me Hudson. Thank you for marrying me on St. Patrick’s Day and making me the happiest man on Earth.”
“Wh-what? W-wait a second.”
If my smile were any bigger, it would have split my face in two. “Hailey—”
“You said St. Patrick’s Day.”
