The return flight to LA goes by quickly. It feels like as soon as we get up in the air, we’re already making our descent into LAX. Becka’s hand is held securely in mine as we make our way to the car waiting for us. I’m confident in my decision to marry her, but I won’t lie, I’m worried about how Tristan will take the news that I got married without him there. It’s not like me to do something quite as rash as this, but I still have no regrets.
When we arrive at my house, he’s sitting on the couch, his guitar in hand and a notebook and pen next to him. He glances up.
“Hey, how’d it go?”
Becka and I glance at each other before I decide to just rip off the Band-Aid. “Becka and I got married.”
His eyes widen slightly, but he doesn’t say anything, just continues to stare at me like he’s trying to determine if I’m messing with him or not. Finally, after what feels like several long minutes, he gently places his guitar next to him and walks over to us. He gives Becka a hug first.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” she says, a delicate pink blush spreading across her cheeks. She turns to me, “I need to run home and get some things. You still want me to stay here tonight with you?”
“Definitely. Nothing will keep me from my wife tonight.” I love calling her that. It feels so perfect for her, like she was always meant to be mine. “If you want to stay at your place, I can grab a change of clothes and come with you.”
“No. This is fine. It’ll give you two some time together,” she says with a brief glance at my brother.
“Sounds good.” I give her a kiss that’s soft and sweet but full of promises of much dirtier things to come later and then watch her get into the car before it pulls away. When I look back at my brother, he’s staring at me again, his expression unreadable.
“Tris? You okay?”
“You really got married?”
I nod, holding up my left hand with my titanium wedding band on my ring finger as proof. “I didn’t want to wait. I thought you of all people would understand.”
His mouth turns down, and his eyes get that faraway haunted look that they sometimes get when I know he’s thinking about the first time he met Jolie. “I understand.” He wraps one arm around my shoulders and pulls me in for a hug. “I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks, man.”
We get the rest of the band and Robbie and Jolie on a conference call where I announce the news to them. They all take it way better than I expected, and Robbie immediately starts planning press releases. Kasen and Miles tease me about being shackled to the “ol’ ball and chain,” but then offer me sincere congrats.
But it’s when Becka comes back to my house with a bunch of her stuff that I finally feel like everything in my life is exactly as it should be.
No longer do I feel lonely or lost. No, Becka found me and saved me and for that I plan to spend the rest of my life proving how grateful I am that no other man realized the gift they had in front of them.
“So, what do you think of this one?” Becka asks me as we lie in my plush California king bed. I glance at the venue she’s pulled up on her laptop screen as we plan our wedding reception. Her family was happy for us, but her mom wanted a reception as soon as possible so she could celebrate with us properly.
So now we’re trying to plan everything in less than a month. I’ve hired one of the best wedding planners I could find, but there are still a lot more decisions we have to make than I was expecting. Venue, flowers, colors, cake, guest list, sit-down dinner or just appetizers, and the list goes on.
But I’m determined to give Becka her dream wedding reception. After all, she’s already made all of my dreams come true.
“I like it, and it fits all our criteria.”
She smiles, her eyes lighting up as she scans through the slideshow of pictures showing different setups and décor that the venue can provide in-house.
“It’ll hold all our family and friends and cater the dinner. They also have a florist that they work with that is available to do all the flowers, and they just had a cancellation, which means they can fit us in for two weeks from Saturday.”
My gaze traces the lines of her face, watching her light up while she talks, and my heart feels lighter in my chest than I think it’s ever felt.
This is what true happiness feels like.
“Then let’s do it.”
She turns to me, “Are you sure? Is there anything else you want?”
I lean toward her until her lips are just a whisper from mine. “All I want is you. Everything else is just extra.”