Page 43 of Wicked Destiny

“I planned some sort of amusing quip.” Both my hands are in hers now. “I can’t remember a word of it.”

Our wedding guests all laugh.

The priest is a softspoken man and, thankfully, he keeps it short. When he gets to the part about all the days of our lives, Elodie’s hands tighten on mine. The two of us made a deal about days. No counting. No arithmetic about how many summers I have left against hers.

We say our vows and then come to the words we’ve written to say to each other.

“Let’s be real and acknowledge everyone is focused on calculating the math,” Elodie chokes out then grips both of my hands. “I want to say this in front of everyone so nobody has to wonder. I don’t care if you’re older. With every fiber of my being, it was always going to be you. I believe the universe has mysterious ways. I was put on this earth on a schedule and the schedule was you.” Her voice steadies. “You’re a family man. Anybody who’s spent five minutes with you knows it. You loved Yolanda completely and raised Theo and Billie and your love story was cut short. It wasn’t fair, and none of us get to know why.” She flicks her gaze to Billie, then at Theo and back to me. “I think I showed up exactly when I was supposed to. Not to replace anyone. How could I? The truth is, you deserved a second chance. I’m the luckiest woman in the world to be the woman who experiences your love, whether it’s for one day or for one million.”

“Ten million” I mouth.

Elodie smiles and nods. “I’m going to spend the rest of my life making you happy.”

Then it’s my turn.

“I’ve got four Grammys on a shelf, a few songwriting awards, and have knocked out something like four hundred songs. I sat down every night for a month to write these vows and realized there’s no hook to how I feel about you. What you mean to me doesn’t fit into three minutes and a chorus.”

Taking a deep breath, I focus all of my intention on my beloved. “I was done. Half the people sitting out there watched me crumble. Then you blew into class like a flourish. Plopped down next to me and spoke to me like a man instead of a monument. I’m going to spend every day I have left making sure you never have to be anything but yourself. I love you for your positivity and sunny outlook on life. Also know you can be furious. A mess. Tired. Cranky. Be whatever you are, all of it, out loud, in front of me, for the rest of my life. I’ll take every version of you.” I get my thumb over her knuckles. “You’re my whole life.”

We exchange rings and our officiant tells me I can kiss my wife. I take her face in both hands the way I did in a field in Paris in front of ten thousand strangers and plant one on her. Our guests whoop and cheer and my son whistles through his fingers like we’re at a ballgame.

The party comes next. Elodie arranged for long tables under strung bulbs on the lawn. Glancing around as we eat, I see all of the people we love most are here. Suddenly, Elodie’s best friend Priya pings her wineglass and stands.

“I know we agreed there were no toasts, but I just have to say a few words. When Elodie told me she had a crush on Beau, I gave her my best advice, which was to have incredible sex with a hot old man and then go about your life .” Everyone at the table chuckles. “I’d like it on the record: I was wrong. I’d also like it on the record that this is the only time in my life I’ve ever been wrong. Cheers to you both.”

Priya sits down to an ovation.

Billie stands up, and Elodie’s hand finds my knee under the table.

“I’m not doing a speech, but I owe it to my dad and to Elodie to say this. Everyone here watched me be horrible about their relationship. Elodie never tried to change my mind. She let me be nasty and kept turning up anyway. Thank God.” She turns to Elodie. “My dad laughs now. I hadn’t heard it in a long time. The first time I heard him happy again was the day I found you sitting at our kitchen counter. I drove home crying.” She wipes her face with the back of her wrist, irritated at herself. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get on board, but now you’re stuck with me. Thank you for loving my dad.”

Elodie’s out of her chair before Billie sits down, and my daughter and wife cling to each other in front of everybody. I stay where I am because the two of them deserve to have this moment.

My heart is full.

More toasts. A bit of dancing after. I hate to be a man who wishes his friends and family would leave, but I’ve been patient through a ceremony and two hours of a party, and I need a moment with Elodie. Alone.

I circle my hand around her wrist and lead her down the grassy slope past the tables, out along the dock to the little boathouse we had built.

She’s laughs. “Beau. Everyone can see us. They’re here for us.”

“They’ve got cake to keep them occupied.” I shut the door behind us and flip on the light.

Elodie leans back against the wall, her shoes already kicked off. I kiss her the way I wouldn’t out there in front of my kids. Her mouth, her jaw, her throat, the top of one shoulder. She works both hands through my hair and pushes me down on my knees.

I run my hands up under the silk, over her calves, the backs of her knees, the insides of her thighs, dragging the dress up and pushing the whole thing around her hips.

Fuck me. She’s bare.

My wife married me with nothing on under her wedding dress.

“You’re perfect, my sweet Elodie.” I breathe in her scent and my cock, which was already hard, twitches in anticipation.

“I’ve been thinking about you doing this since before the ceremony.” She’s breathing hard. “Lick me.”

I place her leg up over my shoulder and dive in. She’s slick already and tastes like the best thing I’ve eaten all night. I work her slow, tongue flat and tight on her clit. She grips my head, holding me right where she wants.

“Don’t stop.” She fights to stay upright on one leg. “Beau.”