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“Mattie,” was all I could say. “Thank you, big brother. For everything.”
He knew what I meant.
Then I turned and took Xavier’s arm, allowing him to guide me the rest of the way until we stood with our hands clasped in front of the justice.
His gaze trailed slowly down my dress, then back up with the blazing blue fire I had come to know was mine alone.
“You look stunning,” he whispered. “Am I really this lucky?”
“You gave me another library,” I whispered back with a blush. “I think you were ready for it.”
Xavier’s grin lit up the entire room. “You once told me there’s a whole world in a single book.”
My own happiness was practically splitting my face in half. “So I did.”
“Well, I don’t want to give you the world, Ces. I want to give you millions of them.” He nodded toward the endless shelves around us. “You and Sof and the little one in there. You’remywhole world. The only one I’ll ever need. But I’ll never stop trying to give you the rest.”
The ceremony moved quickly. We’d opted for simple. No readings except a poem read by Kate and then our vows. By the time we were finished, Xavier looked ready to carry me out of the room over his shoulder, practically bursting at the seams to grab me.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” said the justice. “Er, you may kiss the bride.”
“About bloody time,” Xavier growled as he yanked me across the aisle, lifted me off my toes, and landed a soul-searing kiss that had me very glad we weren’t in a church—a priest would have been utterly scandalized.
“Me too, me too, me too!” crowed Sofia even louder than the cheers from our audience.
Xavier broke our kiss long enough to sweep Sofia up in one arm, allowing her to throw her little arms around both our necks and cackle as she pushed us together for yet another kiss.
“Mine at last,” Xavier murmured before his lips met mine.
His at last, I thought, as all faculties for speech had been effectively cut off.And ours, for always.
* * *
The party moved swiftlyto Chie, which was only five blocks away in the heart of midtown. The restaurant, with its pinks and purples, was alight with flowers, its furniture completely rearranged to accommodate our guests and provide a small dance floor in the middle of the space where, eventually, Xavier and I would go through all the other milestones for a pair of newlyweds. We spent the first hour or so greeting our guests, accepting completely unnecessary envelopes from my relatives, and letting great-aunts and distant cousins kiss both of us on our cheeks and remark on how very tall “Frankie’s man” was.
It wasn’t until everyone was settled and we were digging into the second course of the evening, a salad of fresh mizuna and feta in a sesame vinaigrette, that Xavier and I finally had a moment to ourselves.
We hadn’t stopped touching, of course. If Xavier’s arm wasn’t slung over my shoulders, shepherding me close to his side, his hand was toying with my hair, slipping around my waist, or reaching for my knee.
“No champagne?” I asked as Xavier took yet another sip of water.
He shrugged. “If you’re not drinking, neither am I.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I do,” Xavier said before pressing a kiss to my lips. “We’re in this together, babe. Top to bottom.”
It was then I realized that more of the reception had been planned for me as well. Despite the fact that the restaurant primarily served Japanese fusion, there wasn’t a piece of raw fish in sight. Nor was there anything else in the way of cured meats or raw cheeses. Nothing a pregnant woman like me couldn’t enjoy.
For at least the twentieth time that night, I wanted to tackle Xavier into a back room and show himexactlyhow much I appreciated his thoughtfulness. By the look on his face, he was more than ready to accept my thanks as well.
Alas, too many guests.
There would be time for that later.
“Are you sad that more of your family didn’t come?” I wondered as he played with my fingers, watching my engagement ring and its matching band gleam under the candlelight.
Xavier’s side of the aisle had been woefully small. Mine was bursting with extended family, cousins, family friends from up and down Arthur Avenue, as well as a few from school. I wasn’t Miss Popularity, but it was warming to see just how many people wanted to wish me well.
