“She has,” Dad confirms.
“Wait, seriously?” That’s the first I’m hearing of this.
“Who wouldn’t want Alice as a daughter?” Mom says.
My parents have always loved my best friend, but this is news to me. Mom and Alice take the back seat as Dad and I take the front.
Their happy chatter carries us the entire way home.
“We’re proud of you, son.” Dad pats me on the back before I pull into the garage. “You’ve done well with your life, and that’s all we’ve ever wanted for you.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
He is never one to heap on praise unnecessarily, so I take it when I can.
“Time for bed, you,” Mom tells Dad. “Thank you both for such a wonderful night.”
Alice hugs them both before heading to my room. Well,ourroom.
“Oh my God.” I run smack into the back of Alice as she lets out a small gasp, and steady myself on her waist. “I forgot.”
“Forgot what?” I sidestep her and grab the neck of my shirt and pull it over my head.
She looks behind her before turning back to me. “We have to share a bed.”
“You know we’ve shared a bed before, right?”
“Yeah, but not as a married couple.”
Toeing off my shoes, I kick them into the corner.
“It’s not like it’s going to be any different.”
Alice crosses her arms and stares me down. Seems she’s already taken a page from my mother’s playbook, because it has me cowering. “It is going to be different.”
“We’ll deal with it. It’s only for one night.”
Alice ignores me and goes into the closet to change. Wanting to finish getting ready and be in bed before she’s done, I brush my teeth and go to the bathroom.
When she comes out of the closet, she’s in a skimpy pair of shorts and a loose fitting tee. I can barely look before she closes the bathroom door.
Fuck. Maybe sharing a bed isn’t a good idea. One look at her and it’s burned into my brain.
I throw the pillows off the bed and climb under the duvet. Alice comes out of the bathroom and grabs them and puts them right back on the bed. Right in the middle of the bed.
“What are you doing?” I laugh. “You know we’ve shared a bed before, right?”
“Yes,” she hisses. “But that was before we were married. I want you to keep all appendages on your side of the bed. No funny business.”
I throw my hands up. “I’ll keep everything on my side of the bed.”
“You better.”
Alice lies down and turns her back to me. I don’t know if I’ve ever slept with so many pillows in a bed. Especially between me and another person. But if Alice needs it to make herself feel better, I’ll deal with it.
One night. It’s only for one night.
Maybe if I keep telling myself that, I’ll believe it.
