I nodded, and we headed out. As we walked toward the elevator, I reached for her hand without thinking about it. Her fingers interlaced with mine, warm and familiar. Even though we never really touched like this, it felt right. Too right.
"Remember,"—she whispered as we stepped into the elevator where another couple was already standing—"we're madly in love."
“Got it," I whispered back, wondering how I was going to be able to pull this off.
The Grand Pavilion was a huge event space with an amazing view of a gorgeous lake. About fifteen couples were already seated in a circle of plush chairs, all looking like they'd stepped out of a lifestyle magazine. Olivia tensed next to me.
"We don't belong here," she whispered.
I squeezed her hand. "We belong wherever we damn well please."
That earned me a smile, and we found two empty chairs. A few seconds later, a tall woman with silver-streaked hair stepped into the center of the circle.
"Welcome, beautiful souls," she said. "I'm Serena, your guide for this weekend's journey of connection and rediscovery."
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smirking. Olivia must have sensed it because she landed an elbow to my ribs.
"Let's begin by introducing ourselves and sharing how we knew our partner was 'the one,'" Serena continued. "Who would like to start?"
A couple across from us volunteered. The woman shot a million-dollar smile at her husband. "I knew Chad was the one when he surprised me with a trip to Paris for our third date."
Several couples shared similar stories about grand gestures, expensive gifts, and picture-perfect moments. Olivia crossed and uncrossed her legs, snapping that hair tie around her wrist over and over.
Then it was our turn.
"I'm Olivia McCrae," she said, her voice a tiny bit shaky. "And this is my husband, Garner."
"You’re the newlyweds." Serena clapped her hands together. "I’m so glad you’re able to join us. There’s nothing like getting a lifelong relationship off on the right foot. Tell us, Garner, when did you know Olivia was the one?"
All eyes focused on me, including Olivia's. I had some generic bullshit answer ready, but as I looked at her, something else came out.
"I was sixteen," I said, going off script. Her eyes widened, but I kept talking. "We'd grown up next door to each other our whole lives, but that summer was different. My old man had been on a bender for weeks, and I’d been sleeping in the treehouse we'd built in Olivia's backyard to keep out of his way."
Everyone was quiet. This wasn't the glossy love story they'd been expecting.
"One night, there was this wicked thunderstorm. I was curled up under a ratty sleeping bag, freezing my ass off. Then I heard someone climbing up the ladder. It was Liv.” I glanced over and saw her lips part as she remembered. "She had a huge rainbow poncho on over her pajamas, with a thermos of hot chocolate in one hand and a plate of cookies in the other.”
Olivia's eyes never left my face as I continued.
"She came up and sat there until the rain stopped, telling me about this book she was reading to distract me from the storm. And I remember looking at her and thinking that’s what it felt like to be home. That home didn’t have to be a place. It could be a person.”
My words hung in the air. The other couples faded into the background until all I could see was Olivia's face, her eyes filling with unshed tears.
"That was beautiful," Serena said, sounding genuinely moved. "Olivia, did you know that was when he knew?"
Olivia shook her head. "No," she whispered. "I didn't."
"And when did you know Garner was the one?" Serena pressed.
Olivia seemed to gather herself. "I think I’ve always known," she said, her voice soft and low. "Even when I was too young to understand what it meant."
Something twisted in my chest. She was a damn good actress, making it sound so real.
The rest of the session passed in a blur of couples' exercises like writing love letters and sharing three things we appreciated about each other. By the time we broke for dinner, I felt raw and exposed, like I'd revealed way too much of myself.
Dinner was served in a massive dining room with a view of the mountains. Tables were set for two, candles flickering in the center of each. Olivia and I were led to a table by the window.
"You okay?" I asked as we sat down. "You've been quiet."
