The woman stayed resolutely silent, trembling where she stood. Hope knew there was no point in trying to convince this stranger of her lifestyle, but she refused to walk away without explaining.
“My love for both of those men is not diminished in any capacity because of my love for the other. Grant…is like snuggling next to a wood fire, cozy Sunday mornings, reading in bed together. He is strength and warmth and kindness. And Van is sunshine on your face, and your favorite comfort food, rainy days watching a storm roll in on the front porch, and so much goodness…” Tears stung her nose and she tried to keep them from filling her eyes. She failed miserably, the tears sliding down her cheeks, and she shrugged, smiling. “Asking me to choose is not only impossible, but unfathomable to me. I would rather stop breathing than choose between them. I love them. It’s as simple and finite as that. Nothing anyone is going to say to me is going to change that.” She shrugged her shoulders and smiled again. “Most people consider themselves lucky if they can find one great love in their lives… How lucky am I that I found two at the same time?”
When the woman didn’t respond, Hope nodded, then walked out of the restroom.
As she approached their table, Grant looked up with a smile, but it quickly fell as he took in her expression, the way she was trembling, the tears in her eyes. He stood, towering over her and demanded, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she whispered, placing her hand on his forearm. “Grant, it’s nothing. Please, just sit down. I’m okay.”
The older woman returned to her seat several tables away, her face pinched as though she smelled something disgusting, but she kept her gaze away from Hope and her two men.
“Please,” she whispered, tugging him back into his seat. He sat reluctantly, his hand finding hers as he stared at her. She brought his hand to her mouth and kissed it gently. “I am on a date with the two loves of my life. Nothing can take that away from me.”
Van’s hand slid over her thigh under the table. “Did you hear that, Grant? We’re the loves of her life.”
She smiled over at him and nodded, then turned to look at Grant once more, tears gathering in her eyes again. “There are some love stories where two isn’t enough… And I’m so glad that this is our story. I got my wish. I get both of you. For always.”
“For always, butterfly,” Grant agreed, his dark eyes shining. “Ours.”
She looked over to Van and she let out a quiet sigh, another tear tracking down her cheek. He cupped her cheek gently, swiping the tear away, his own green eyes luminous with unshed tears. “Ours, little one.”
She nodded, smiling radiantly, her heart fairly bursting from her chest, her love for both of them consuming her entirely. “Yours.”
Epilogue
THREE YEARS LATER
Grant paced, hands shoved into his pockets.
Van swore, dragging his fingers up through his hair.
Hope bounced on the balls of her feet, her hands clasped tightly together under her chin. Her finger worried the twin wedding bands on either side of her engagement ring. Her heart was in her throat, her stomach in knots. She stared at the towel on the bathroom counter, then glanced at the clock on the wall.
Two minutes left.
Van stepped up beside her, dropping his chin to the top of her head, his arms curled around her shoulders, one hand trailing through her hair.
“Would you fucking stop pacing—” Van snapped at Grant, who only grunted in response, not slowing his pacing in the slightest.
Forty-five seconds. Hope was fairly vibrating with nervous energy. This was it. She knew it had to be it, finally. Finally.
Grant strode over toward them, clasping her face between his hands and forcing her face up to his. His mouth was nearly on hers, as he breathed, “If it’s not—”
“If it’s not, we’ll keep trying,” she whispered, closing her hands over his where they were clasped on either side of her face. She stroked the wide gold band that surrounded his left ring finger.
“If I can’t—”
“If you can’t, it won’t make me love you any less,” Hope whispered earnestly, reaching for his mouth with hers. Grant kissed her hard, and she could feel all the fear and tension in him. When he broke the kiss, he looked over to Van and said gruffly, “You—”
Van nodded, clasping Grant’s shoulder with one hand and squeezing tightly. “It’s all of us, no matter what. That hasn’t changed, Grant.”
Hope glanced at the clock. “I think it’s safe to look, now. Oh my god, I’m scared.”
Grant kissed her again, sending his tongue into her mouth and she moaned breathily. “Fuck I’m scared, too, baby girl.”
Grant backed away, stepping to her side. She found his hand and squeezed it tightly, then reached for Van’s with her other one as they stepped toward the towel on the counter, their wedding bands clinking as they clasped their fingers together tightly. Van reached for the towel, then looked down at her. “Are we ready?”
“Yes!” Hope cried, smiling and laughing and crying all at the same time, bouncing where she stood. Van lifted the towel, revealing the small plastic applicator that had been hiding beneath it. As one, they leaned closer to see it.
