Derek pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket.
“What’s this?” I asked, confused. This was not a part of our marriage ceremony.
“Open it.”
My fingers trembled as I tore it open. Inside was the deed to a house, a new home with a swimming pool that Derek had shown me on his laptop, saying how wonderful it’d be to raise our kids in a place like that. I hadn’t considered that he was serious about it.
And now both our names were printed on the document in official black ink.
“Now this isn’t my home you’re moving into,” Derek said, his voice deep and soothing. “This is our home. Ours.”
I couldn’t speak and I could only throw my arms around his neck while he held me.
“You may kiss your bride,” the officiant finally said, his tone amused.
Derek’s hands cupped my face as he tilted my chin up. His lips met mine, and the kiss was soft, sweet, and full of promises. He kissed me like we were the only two people who existed.
When we finally pulled apart, we were breathless and grinning. I barely heard our guests erupting in applause because my heart was pounding in my ears.
We are married now. Derek is my husband.
During our first dance, Derek held me close, one hand splayed across the small of my back and the other cradling my hand against his chest.
I could feel his heartbeat through the shirt.
“I can’t believe you’re really my wife,” he whispered against my hair.
“You better believe it,” I said. “You’re stuck with me now.”
“Best thing I’ve ever been stuck with.”
I pursed my lips, wondering about the question that had been stuck with me for a while.
“What is it?” He asked, sensing I had something to say.
“It was you, wasn’t it?”
“Me?”
I nodded. “That night at the party. Seven minutes in heaven where I was blindfolded and someone kissed me.”
His arm tightened on my waist and I knew it. My lips parted in disbelief.
“It was you.”
He swallowed. “I…”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, wishing he had. Then I wouldn’t have dated Jack, thinking he was the one who kissed me because he was standing outside the room when I stepped out.
“Because… you were my friend,” he said, brushing his hand on my cheek. “I didn’t wanna ruin our friendship.”
I kissed him, tilting my head and deepening the kiss until he took over, humming between the kiss and smiling. We pulled away breathless and giggling, just like our first kiss.
“Too late for that, don’t you think?” I asked, stroking his cheek and wondering why the hell I had mistaken this wonderful kiss and this wonderful man for Jack?
We swayed together to the soft song until small hands tugged at Derek’s leg. Lily had escaped from Richard, Derek’s father’s arms, and toddled onto the dance floor, her little arms reaching up and demanding to be held.
Without missing a beat, Derek scooped her up. She squealed with delight, and suddenly we were dancing as three… or four.
