“I’m not sure. Everything saves to a cloud now—”
“Are you both going to get this moving? I want to go on the rides!” Ani pops her head out from behind my back.
“What she said!” Cal calls from the other side of Rowan.
“We’re having a moment,” Rowan snaps back at his brother.
“We’ve all had to live through three years of your moments already. I’ve heard some of them too,” Cal calls back.
“Hello! My parents are right there.” I glare at Cal.
“They’re jealous,” Rowan whispers into my ear before placing a kiss on my cheek.
“Not really. You both are gross.” Ani makes a retching noise. She’s so full of it, especially when JP hangs all over her like an octopus.
Claire runs up to us with her kitchen smock half undone and her hair everywhere. “I made it!” She throws her sweaty arm around me before taking up a spot next to Ani.
“Finally,” Rowan grumbles under his breath.
“You were stalling for Claire to make it?”
Don’t cry, Zahra.
“Of course. Without her, you might have never submitted that drunk proposal in the first place.” Rowan smiles effortlessly, with every ounce of love in his eyes.
Goddammit, Zahra. Don’t cry or else you’ll give it all away.
“Thank you for always being so thoughtful.”
“I made you a promise, didn’t I?” He rotates the ring on my finger once as if to remind me it’s still there. As if I could forget. I’m pretty sure my diamond can be seen from outer space because it’s that obnoxious.
My eyes water, but I blink away the remaining tears before they can escape. “Ready?”
My husband smiles back at me and lifts the scissors higher. “Take it away, wife.” His voice drops, sending a wave of heat down my spine.
He hasn’t stopped calling me that since we got married last winter in the snow. And every single time, it sends a rush of something through my body, making me feel every bit owned by him.
I call out to the crowd. “Thank you for joining us today. Nebula Land holds a special place in all of our hearts because we know how much it would have meant to Brady. While he can’t be here today, I’m sure he’s looking down at us, just as excited as we are. Iggy was his favorite character, although he might not have admitted it in so many words. Brady cherished his first drawing because it represented him, a young immigrant who felt like he traveled to a completely different world when he came to America. Iggy became a way for Brady to channel his happiness, excitement, and fears. In itself, Iggy is an extension of Brady in many ways—of the values Brady wants to spread with his movies. So we are thrilled to open Nebula Land up for all of Dreamland to visit and love as much as we do.”
Rowan and I snip the ribbon together. Everyone cheers around us, clapping and hooting. Some kids run toward the entrance of the land while our family members mingle.
Someone grabs the scissors from Rowan’s hands. “You did—”
Ani calls Rowan’s name like we had planned before. I knew out of all the people, he couldn’t resist answering her. His soft spot for my little sister has only grown over the years, and now I use it to my advantage.
My mom bustles over, swapping my enamel pin for my new one. She gives me a wink before turning back to my father.
Rowan wraps his arm around me from behind. He kisses the crook of my neck before turning me around so we face each other. “I’m proud of you. That was an amazing speech.”
“Just amazing? I can do better than that. Let’s call the reporters back here and have a redo.” I twirl my finger like he does when he wants something done.