After a moment of stupor, she picks up her jaw and says, “Your mom. You picked it up from your mom, right?”
“I did. She hated when I used it, though, so I eventually stopped.”
“Well, if it helps fix whatever trauma she gave you, I really,reallylove hearing it. We are a hundred percent using it for roleplay at some point. God, you sound hot. Even hotter than usual.”
Her attention returns to the passport before I can answer, and she reads my name there. “Andrew Wilson… You’re so cheesy, I swear,” she snorts before her amusement fades. “Wait, it’s the same surname. Please, don’t tell me we’re supposed to be related.”
“We’re not.”
The possible scenarios loop in her head for a couple of seconds, and then she gets it. Or I think she does because she looks at me with a conflicted expression on her face. “Lex…” she starts, her throat so tight she stops to swallow.
“I know, freckles. We’ll do it right one day, I promise.” From the envelope, I take out three rings. Two wedding bands and a rather standard engagement ring with a solitary diamond on gold. “But for now, this is who we need to be.”
I hand her the two rings she’ll need to wear, and as I’m about to slip mine on, she stops me. “Wait, no!”
She straightens up with a grimace, turning toward me and extending her hand, demanding the ring I’m holding. I comply, and after a few moments of thinking, she says, “This will be garbage because I’m winging it, but bear with me, okay?” I nod, unsure where this is going.
“I never… I never thought I’d live a great love story,” she starts, more emotional than she was moments ago. “My entire existence was average until you entered my life and showed me my worth in so many ways, again and again. You’ve given me and my boring little life the greatest love story I could have fathomed. I love you like I didn’t think was even possible. There’s nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you, as your wife, your best friend, your lover, your confidant… You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, baby, and claiming you as my husband will be the smartest move I’ve ever made. You are my forever, Alexan—Andrew.”
I can’t hold back a small chuckle at her correction, and my heart still hammers in my chest. Her words rang true, and I know she meant every single one of them, no matter the situation. When she motions toward my left hand, I extend it toward her and watch her slip the gold band on my ring finger.
The sight of it does something to me, something profound and powerful. When I bought those rings, I didn’t think too much of it. But seeing it like this… I long for it to become real, to become her husband, to be tied to her forever.
I take the smaller rings from her and, holding the one with the diamond, I ask, “Would you make me the luckiest man on this planet and become my wife, freckles?”
She nods, wiping away an emotional tear. Presenting her hand the best she can with the sling, she watches as I slip it on her. The ring looks good on the slim finger, and seeing it is even more powerful than the wedding band on mine. It’s not as personal as her grandma’s, but I didn’t want to tarnish its meaning with pretenses. When the time is right, when we’re out of this mess, I’ll ask again, for real. Not that I didn’t mean it moments before.
As she did, I give myself a quick moment to think of what to say, which vows to profess. I can’t believe we’re doing this in a rush, stuck in her small, uncomfortable car. But I see why it had to be this way, instead of the bland and impersonal moment I’d envisioned.
“Falling in love with you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done,” I say. “As I got to know you, it became inevitable. There’s nothing in you that isn’t lovable, and I was helpless to resist you and your qualities, flaws, and quirks.”
“I’m flawless,” she cuts in with a sniff.
“You are, my love. And even a lifetime won’t be enough to satiate my need for you, my desire to learn more, to be with you, to give you everything you deserve. You gave life to an entire side of me I didn’t know existed, one I wasn’t supposed to find, one I didn’t even want. And now, I can’t think of a greater accomplishment, a greater goal, than to become your loving husband.”
She’s fully crying now, probably barely able to see as I slip the ring on her finger, to settle it next to the first one.
“Your vows were so much better than mine,” she croaks. “I demand a redo.”
I laugh softly and frame her face with my hands. With my thumbs, I wipe away the tears and lean in to kiss her pouty lips. “You’ll get a redo, my darling. When we do this for real.”
I bend forward again, giving a longer, tender kiss, and then rest my forehead on hers, keeping her close, reluctant to let her go. “I love you, Andrea.”
“I love you, Alexander. Sorry,Andrew.”
I shake my head, already regretting the names I picked. I should have known it would lead to far more teasing than I’m comfortable with. But as long as she’s enjoying herself, it doesn’t matter.
Lex’s plan leads to a small farm near the Canadian border. The farm itself is of no consequence, but the five hundred acres that surround it are. During the drive, Lex explained to me how the land sits halfway between the US and our northern neighbors, and how an unmonitored dirt road will allow us to cross the border without anyone ever knowing it. This was part of his original plans to escape, something he’d carefully prepared in the event that he’d need to vanish.
About seven years ago, he bought the farm and its land during a foreclosure, only to return it to its owners. In exchange, they would have to keep a car in an old, unused barn and allow him to cross their land, no questions asked. They’d immediately accepted, thankful they could keep their family farm, which was passed down for six generations.
I watched, wondering how the fuck I ended up with a better-looking Ethan Hunt as Lex removed the thick cloth that protected the Jeep waiting for him, with Canadian plates. Then he walked up to a rusty can with paintbrushes in it to take out the car’s key. I felt bad for not helpingas he loaded our luggage yet again, and then listened as he explained we needed to get rid of any potential evidence that could make anyone realize we’d smuggled ourselves to Canada.
And by that, to my dismay, meant my car. The sight of it slowly disappearing into a large pond near the barn breaks my heart far more than it should. It’s old, smells weird, and has been making a worrying noise that probably would have cost me thousands of dollars to fix. But it was my valiant companion, and seeing it disappear like this hurts.
“Was this really necessary?” I lament.
He shrugs, and I swear to God there’s the ghost of a smile on his lips. “We could have put it under the cloth in the barn instead. It’s unlikely anyone would have discovered it.”
