“I’ll never forgive you if you die for me.”
He kisses my temple. “Understood.”
“Not even a scratch from here on out.”
He kisses my cheek. “Got it.”
“If you die for me, I’m gonna die for you, just to spite you.”
“Okay.” He’s laughing when he kisses my mouth.
He lifts my hands to his lips and kisses my knuckles. But he pauses midkiss. He’s arrowing in on something extremely important and extremely new. I’m already humiliated. Grand gestures are excruciating.
“What the hell is this?” he asks low, scrubbing one thumb over the pearl ring I’m wearing on my left ring finger.
“Oh, who cares?” I scowl.
“Roz.” He’s nearly tugging my arm out of its socket, trying to get a better look at this thing.
“It’s one of the pearls Aunt Therese left me,” I tell him, because, after all, even if I’m the one wearing it, this whole thing was for him. “Something beautiful made from the irritation of a grain of sand, et cetera, et cetera. You get it. I took it to the jeweler down the block. He set it.”
“You’re wearing aweddingring.” His voice has been rubbed over sandpaper.
“What a stupid name,” I gripe. “It should be called a marriage ring.”
“You’re right,” he agrees, his eyes shiny. “Should I have thought of this? Gotten it for you?”
“No! That would have defeated the whole purpose! You wear yours for me. I should wear mine for you.”
“A marriage ring, huh?” He looks so young right now. His eyes are open and uninjured. He’s hopeful. He’s got an entire life ahead of him.
“Hey. No halfway proposals this time,” I tell him with a bossy finger. “No misunderstandings. I’m saying this once. And I’m saying it in black and white.”
“Okay.” He nods obediently.
“Will you stay married to me for the rest of our lives?” I very nearly demand.
He’s laughing at my ferocity.
He pulls me in so close that he says the next part against my lips.
“I will.”
Vin goes to meet Ethan on his own. I send him with enough enchiladas and fruit salad to feed twelve.
While he’s gone I do a totally casual, almost meaningless, no-big-deal Google search. The keywords?Therapists in my area.Oh, boy.
The second he comes home I pounce on him. “Did you tell him he can freeze them? I forgot to tell you to tell him that you can freeze the enchiladas!”
He’s smiling down at me, arms around me. “You think I’ve never delivered someone your enchiladas before? Three-fifty for thirty minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Freeze what you don’t bake and defrost it before you bake it.”
“I love you so much.”
He’s tucking my hair behind my ears. He takes a long breath, looking into my eyes, but his thoughts are clearly far away.
I watch him while he walks to the sink and washes his hands. Pulls down a glass and takes a long drink of water.
“How…was he?” I’m not sure I want to know the answer. It’s why I didn’t go with Vin today.
