Page 113 of Yours, For Now

"I should have chosen a different dress." She put a hand on her solar plexus, where a new tattoo healed under the fabric. "Or moved my ink appointment for another time."

The hall this year had been decorated with an Andean theme, heavy on the Quechua fabric designs and Diaguita ceramics. My mom had helped organize the gala this year, and she'd made sure to ethically source and celebrate every piece, which had been borrowed and which would be returned to their people afterwards. I cast my eyes over one of the ceramic pieces displayed nearby, and took in the elegant geometric shapes.

I leaned closer to Lina and whispered into her ear, half my attention still on the red, black, and white painted bowl. "That's the issue with getting tattoos. Once you start, you never stop."

"You’re one to talk. I can see your latest peeking out your sleeve cuff."

I grinned at her. "But that just proves my point! When we first got together, all I had was my shoulder done. Now I have a full sleeve and a thigh one."

"The thigh one is my favorite," she sighed. "Though I really like how it looks when your tattoo peeks out of your shirt."

I stepped closer to her and smirked. "Oh? Tell me, how much do you like it?"

She stared at me with a playful look. She undid my tuxedo jacket's button, finding the muffin tops she so loved to squeeze. "Get tattoos all over, Gabriel. Please. That's how much I like them."

I wrapped my arms around her, her hands still on my sides. "Okay. Just because you like them so much."

"Though at least part of it is because I still delight in the look Tío Miguel had when he saw you shirtless at the lake house."

I laughed. "That was such a high moment in my life."

"Third only to the face he made when my dad announced he was giving me his shares, which is the second best moment."

I lifted my hands to her face and smiled. "And which one is the best moment?"

I had a pretty good idea what her reply would be.

She grinned. "The moment you asked me to make this all permanent. This time with a ring I'm pretty sure people can see from the International Space Station."

The music in the hall changed from soft classical in the background, to more active classical. The kiss we shared in that moment was awkward, with both of us grinning, but it was perfect, anyway.

She smiled against my lips. "I wish that was a sign that they finally added a dancing portion to the night. Instead, it's time to do some bidding."

I let go of her and buttoned my jacket again. "We could dance anyway. If you think you can move your arm around despite the weight of that rock on your finger?"

"You seriously overdid it, Gabe. What if I hurt someone with this thing?"

"I'll pay their medical bills in cash. Not to worry. I don't give you as much jewelry as I thought I might, so let me show off once in a while, okay?"

She faked a sigh. "Okay."

"I have to make it worth it, making your family a little too happy that you're getting married. You're so old at almost thirty-three, they were about to have an apoplexy."

"What?" She laughed. "I didn't want to give them the joy of it. That's why I needed to make you wait."

"Then why did you say yes?"

She hugged me, her arms underneath my jacket, wrecking it again. "Because I love you too much for it to matter more than you and I, together."

"You and I, together. I like how you said that."

"Forever, okay?"

I nodded. "And always real."

"C'mon." She took my hand and led me back to our table. "Let's go spend some of our money and change a few people's lives. What do you think?"

"I think I'm pretty happy you changed mine."

The smile she gave me promised me many more, for the rest of our lives. And I couldn't wait to see each one of them.

The End