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“Like trees,” she says.
I laugh despite myself. It sounds just like the clown who should be wearing this seersucker suit. “Sure, like trees.”
The crowd laughs. I’m not used to being in the spotlight like this. In a courtroom, sure, but this? With my whole life on display?
“Dear God, alright, let’s just do this –”
More laughter.
I sink down to my knee and pull out the ring box. I send a message through my eyes to Jude that she better not laugh as I say, “Judith Amelia Parry, will you marry me?”
I pop the box open.
Again, Jude’s absolutely melodramatic shocked face. “Oh my God! Seriously?”
I resist rolling my eyes. As if it wasn’t obvious this whole time what was happening.
“Yes, yes, of course, I will!” she exclaims, sticking her hand into my face. Her eyes are pinched tight, drawing anemic tears out onto her water line.
Gosh, I just wanted her to cry, not give herself an aneurysm. Better hurry this up.
I take her hand and start to slide Gram’s ring onto her finger, but it stops before it even meets the knuckle.
We exchange a look of terror. I hadn’t even considered that the ring wouldn’t fit onto her finger. I should have known, though, given Gram’s lithe hands.
“Um… we’ll have it resized,” I say.
Jude laughs and pulls me up from the ground, the ring still tenuously halfway down her finger. “I don’t care.” She cups her hands around my face and whispers. “You should probably kiss me.”
I only have a split second to decide what to do, but I know I only have one option and that is, obviously, to kiss her. We’re in front of our friends and family who have all been invited here to celebrate this farce. None of them know it’s a farce. Just us two.
I wrap my hands around her waist and swallow louder than I intend. Jude smells like warm vanilla with a hint of cinnamon. Delicious. “Okay, I’m going to kiss you.”
“Great.”
“Great.”
I can’t seem to make it happen. I try to lean in, but I’m too scared. I’ve never kissed Jude, let alone in front of at least thirty people.
“What are you waiting for? Kiss her!” a voice shouts from the crowd, no doubt one of my uncles who doesn’t know how to hold his tongue.
I look over at the crowd for a split second, knowing my face is going red.
Suddenly, Jude wraps her hand around my chin, jerking my face back toward hers, and kisses me.
I gasp at first against her mouth, wide-eyed and shocked. But it only takes a moment for me to settle into her kiss.
Jude’s hand slides from my chin to my cheek, caressing it tenderly. If she’s playing pretend, she’s doing a pretty good job of making me believe her.
Because this kiss…
I can feel it in my entire body.
The crowd of family members cheers in response. I don’t give a shit about them anymore, though.
All there is is Jude. Jude’s lips on my lips, Jude’s hands in my hair, Jude’s body pressed up against mine so close I can feel her heartbeat.
As she pulls away, satisfied with her performance, I can’t help myself. I want more. I pull her back to me and kiss her again, this time with the gumption I should have had this entire time.
