The white dress I find is a simple sundress with a corseted top and open in the back. It抯 not a wedding dress, but I wasn抰 looking for one anyway, just something a little nicer. I pay for the dress and change in a nearby restroom while Thayer does the same, changing into whatever he found.
When I walk out of the stall, I try to do something with my hair, but give up and leave it hanging down in its usual loose waves.
Walking out of the bathroom I抦 met with Thayer leaning against the opposite wall in a pair of khaki-colored pants and a crisp blue button down. My eyes eat him up.
I get to love this man every day for the rest of my life.
If I could go back in time and tell my eighteen-year-old self that, I wonder what she抎 think? She抎 probably be cheering me on, to be honest.
Thayer looks me over in the white sundress. His tongue slides out, wetting his lips.
揧ou look厰 He can抰 find the words.
揃ack at you.?
We already picked our wedding spot and called ahead for an appointment time. We head straight there since as soon as it抯 over梬hich shouldn抰 take long梬e have to grab our stuff and head straight to the airport.
The venue is cheaply decorated with gaudy, stereotypical d閏or, but I don抰 care. As we stand in front of the officiant all that matters is the man at my side.
Thayer Holmes.
My asshole neighbor.
My boss.
My lover.
My child抯 father.
My someone.
And with the echoes of our vows, and the rings on our fingers, he finally becomes?
My husband.
CHAPTER 48
THAYER
The entire flight home I hold the hand of my wife. Did I think when I went to Vegas this weekend, I抎 be marrying Salem? Absolutely not. Do I regret it? No.
I抳e waited a long time to marry this woman.
When the plane touches down, I can抰 wait to get home and just continue to live life with her.
It抯 fucking crazy, but with her, existing is enough. With her, I crave the little things梬atching TV together, staying up late talking, even doing the dishes, which is just baffling.
But Salem Holmes is my best friend.
Salem Holmes. I love the sound of that so fucking much. Having her wear my last name is such a turn on. I would抳e been more than fine if she wanted to keep her maiden name, but she wanted my last name.
揇id you drive to the airport or take a taxi??
揑 parked my truck. It抯 this way.?I wheel her suitcase behind me, my bag slung over my shoulder. It leaves one of my hands free to hold my wife抯。
My wife桰 grin to myself. I can抰 stop thinking about those two words.
揥hat are you smiling about??she asks.
揧ou.?
揗e??She scoffs. 揙h no!?She starts to panic. 揇o I have donut on my face??She rubs at her mouth with the back of her free hand.
揘o, your face is perfect.?
揟hen why do you have that goofy look??
揟his goofy look??I let go of her suitcase long enough to point at my face. 揟hat抯 called love, Sunshine, and it抯 all for you.?
揙h.?Her cheeks turn the softest shade of pink.
We reach my truck in the parking garage and I load our stuff into the backseat.
The weekend away was unplanned, but nice, just like our spontaneous decision to get married, but I抦 going to be happy to get home.
揙h my God.?Salem looks at me with panic just as I start the engine.
揥hat??I look around, thinking I did something wrong or forgot something or maybe something is wrong with the truck.
揥innie and Binx! You didn抰 leave them alone, did you??
揙f course not,?I scoff. 揟hey抮e in the very capable hands of Thelma and Cynthia.?
揙h no,?she says softly.
揥hat??
揟here抯 no telling what Thelma has done to them.?
She probably has a point.
I knock on the door of the house across the street, eager to get my pets back. It takes a moment for one of them to reach the door. It抯 Cynthia. She opens it with a smile.
揅ome in, come in. Thelma is out back with Winnie. I think she wants one of them short squatty dogs now.?
揂 corgi??I ask when Binx comes running out from some hidden corner, rubbing his body against my legs.
揑f that抯 what they抮e called then, sure, that.?
She opens the back door and yells for Thelma that I抦 here. I scoop up Binx before I lose him again. He nuzzles his soft head into my neck. The cat and I have really taken to each other. I look him over and I?揑s that nail polish on his nails??I eye the hot pink glitter coating his nails. It definitely is, but I need to hear confirmation to believe my own two eyes.
揥e had a spa night, boy,?Thelma responds through the screened door, coming up the porch stairs. 揂nd on spa night we pamper ourselves.?
揂nd so you painted the cat抯 nails??
Thelma shrugs. 揌e picked the color.?
It takes me another fifteen minutes to get Winnie and Binx抯 things packed up, finish up talking to Thelma and Cynthia, before I finally can head back home.
Inside, there抯 a commotion coming from the kitchen. I set Binx down and take Winnie off her leash, both animals sprinting for the kitchen.
I follow along, more slowly, coming to a stop when I find Salem humming along to music, her hips swaying, as she stirs something in a bowl.
揂re you baking??I try to hide the astonishment from my voice.
She whirls around, gracing me with a smile. She looks happy, and fuck if that doesn抰 make my chest puff up with pride because I know I抦 part of the reason she feels that way.
揧eah.?A bit of pink flushes her cheeks. 揑 felt like it.?
揑 know you don抰 really bake anymore厰 I trail off, eyeing the ingredients. 揅ookie dough cupcakes??
揑 miss it,?she admits with a shrug. 揑 stopped because厰
揃ecause, why??I prompt, needing to hear the answer.
She sets the bowl down, picking up cupcake liners and lining them up in a cupcake pan. 揑t reminded me of you too much. My candles too. But I have you again and now those things don抰 feel so painful anymore. I want to give it a try again. It was nice too, before my mom died, we made cupcakes a few times. She抯 pretty insistent when she wants棓 She winces. 揝he was pretty insistent when she wanted something. I can抰 help thinking she wanted me to find my passion again.?
揧our mom probably knew deep down you missed it.?
揚robably.?She smiles sadly and I know her thoughts are now with her mom.
揑抣l leave you to it, then.?I head out back to my greenhouse. I want to cut a bouquet for my wife.
My wife. I can抰 help the stupid grin that overcomes me just thinking about it.
It doesn抰 take me long to trim enough flowers for a bouquet. When I come back inside from the back deck, Salem is sliding the cupcakes into the oven and she抯 spread the ingredients out for the icing.
揅aleb called. He抯 on his way to drop off Seda.?
揂ll the way here??I ask, since one or both of us usually meets him halfway. Besides, it抯 late.
揟hat抯 what he said. I assume he抯 going to spend the night at his parents or something. I didn抰 ask. I try not to pry into his business. I need to take Seda back-to-school shopping tomorrow and we need groceries.?She starts naming off all the things she needs to do.
揂ll right. Let me know what I can help with.?I grab a vase, adding some water into it and then her flowers. 揟hese are for you.?
She smiles. 揟hey抮e beautiful.?She turns her attention back to the frosting, her nose wrinkling in a way that I know she抯 thinking about something.
揥hat is it? You know you can talk to me about whatever is on your mind.?
She sighs, powdered sugar smeared across her cheek. 揑t抯 just that, for so long I haven抰 known what I want to do with my life, what makes me happy. I didn抰 go to college, I didn抰 want to, and I抳e worked a few odd jobs just to bring in some income.?She stares into the container of powdered sugar like maybe it holds the answer to everything she抯 searching for. 揑 want to find something that抯 just mine. Does that make sense??