Only small doses of her have been granted to me over the last few years. Her mouth tastes like home to me, and I’ve been away from home, living in Chicago alone, for so long. “Are you surprised?” I laugh into another kiss. “We’re really doing this?” Tessa asks as I lean down to lift her floor-length dress from the floor, up to her waist. “I’m just blocking the door.” I’m thankful for the chairs placed in women’s gathering places, and I pull two of them over to the door to keep anyone from coming inside. Too soon, I pull away, and she drops her hands from my belt.

“I’m always sure with you.” I can feel the vulnerability and sweet relief as she presses her mouth to mine, lips trembling, breathing slow and deep. “You’re sure?” I hold her beautiful face between my hands. Her hands move to my shoulders, tugging the heavy jacket off me, and the expensive cloth falls to the floor.

“I’ve missed you so much,” I say into her hair. About our souls.” She ends her sentence with a whimper. She looks up into the mirror, eyes red and cheeks stained with tears, and turns to face me when she realizes that I’ve followed her. When I reach her, she’s leaning against the sink, her palms resting on both sides of the marble. She disappears inside, and I don’t bother to look around before following her inside. When I finally catch up to Tessa, she’s pushing the women’s bathroom door open. “You won’t know how lucky you are to be able to spend your life with the other half of your soul until you have to spend your life without them.” I bring the microphone down and lay it on the table just as I catch a glimpse of silver rushing through the crowd, and I hurry down from the stage to follow after my girl as the crowd drinks to my toast. I actually look up to you in a fucked-up way, and I want you to know that you deserve to be happy and be married to the love of your life, no matter how quickly you two put this together.” Basically what I want to say is, I thank you, Landon, for being an honest man, and for giving me hell when I needed you to.

After ever happy online read