Page 80 of In Every Possible Way

Jess wouldn’t let me see the vintage dress she’d found because she said it was bad luck. Another tradition that I was happy to discard, happy to go along with if that’s what she wanted. I was going to wear a gray suit with a blue tie.

“What’s the weather like?” Jess asked, going over to the window to peer out. She undid the latches and was trying to lift the window open when I went over to help her.

“Remember this one sticks,” I said, wedging my fingers in the small hold at the base of the window sash, giving it a jiggle before yanking up. It got caught halfway, but I jiggled it again until I could slide it all the way open.

Jess leaned her head out. “Oh my god,” she said. “It’sperfect. Our lucky day.”

I was about to protest that it was raining, going more off my memory of earlier this morning than what I’d seen outside, but when I joined Jess at the window I saw that sure enough, the sky had completely cleared. It was now sunny and beautiful, a crisp edge to the air that I already knew meant I’d be draping my suit jacket over Jess’ shoulders for a lot of the festivities, since I doubted her dress would be warm enough.

I glanced at her profile as she looked out over the grass. Her hair still tousled from bed, a strand sticking to her mouth, that perfect mouth, that full lower lip, the cute little lines she got at the corners when she smiled. I didn’t understand how she could’ve ever believed she wasn’t the type of person to inspire big emotions. I couldn’t wait to say the words where I tried to express all the ones she’d inspired in me. I put my hand in my pocket automatically, feeling the smooth round circle of metal I had stashed there. It was a claddagh ring I’d made myself in a workshop I’d taken last month and hadn’t told Jess about, some of the metal melted down from part of the Renault. It was a little old-fashioned, maybe, but I knew she’d like it.

I panicked when I didn’t feel the folded piece of paper, until I remembered I’d left my vows on the counter when I’d been reading over them.

“What?” she said, glancing over at me. “You don’t think so?”

“It’s perfect,” I said, and in that moment I wasn’t referring to the weather, which truly could not have been more ideal for a wedding. I set my fingertips at her jaw, pulling her in for a soft, slow kiss that went on for longer than I’d even intended it to. When I finally let her go, there was a stinging at the corners of my eyes I hadn’t expected, at least not yet.

“Perfect,” I said again. “I just don’t give all the credit to luck.”