It’s firm.
My whole body seems to shift into place.
The clerk pronounces us married.
Maddie gasps like we just scored in overtime.
“You have to kiss,” she stage-whispers loudly.
Her mom laughs through tears. Mason exhales like he’s losing a bet.
I step closer.
Natalie steps closer too.
This isn’t strategy.
This isn’t a play.
I cup her jaw lightly.
Soft.
Gentle.
Intentional.
Her lips are warm.
Not hurried.
Not shy.
Just there.
And I realize I was prepared for paperwork.
I wasn’t prepared for that.
When I pull back, she looks at me like she felt it too.
We don’t say anything.
We don’t need to.
Outside, her mom hugs us both at once. Her dad shakes my hand again, firmer this time.
“Take care of her,” he says.
“I will.”
Mason steps forward next.
“You look calm,” he says to me.
“I am calm.”
“That’s concerning.”
