“Hank, I’ve heard much about you,” Vi said, but I must warn you, I’ve already asked someone else to be my date tonight.”
“You have a date?” Amy asked.
“The cellist,” Vi replied. “I told him before the ceremony that he owes me a dance.”
Hank laughed. “I’d tell you to keep him in line, but I think he’ll be outmatched.”
Amy looked back at the quartet. “No. It can’t be,” she said with a laugh. She hadn’t recognized Logan, clean cut, and in a suit as he played cello.
“I told you you’d be surprised,” Callie said. She sat down next to Hank.
“We thought it would be a gesture of goodwill.” Vi said. “Hank and I had the pleasure of speaking by phone while you were off house hunting with your fiancé. I still can’t believe you two are going to leave me homeless for a whole two weeks while you go on your honeymoon. I don’t see why you had to sell both your places.”
“This way the new place will be ours. Not his, not mine but ours,” she said looking across into Ethan’s eyes. He smiled. “Logan, on the other hand, is all yours. I know you’re staying with Callie anyway,” Amy replied. “Now who’s hungry?”
After the dinner and speeches and drinks, Amy leaned against Ethan’s shoulder. The wedding guests were all up and dancing, but Amy could think of nothing better than relaxing with Ethan.
“So what do we do now?” Amy asked.
“I was hoping you’d ask that,” Ethan replied. He turned and gave a nod toward one of the staff members working the event. Amy watched as a thousand tiny lights flicked on overhead, hanging above the dance floor like stars. When she looked back to Ethan, he was standing with his hand out. “Amy, can I have this dance?”
He placed his hand on her waist and walked with her to the dance floor. At the start of the next song, he slid his cheek against hers and tightened his grip on her waist. “I’ve dreamt of this day for years,” he whispered in her ear.
“I have, too.” Amy turned and kissed Ethan. She closed her eyes, but she could still see the lights twinkling above them. Everything was perfect. How could anything else compare to this? She opened her eyes again as she and Ethan twirled around the dance floor. Amy felt like the world was in motion around them. As they danced, everything felt right, each motion, each glance, each breath. In that moment, she and Ethan were one. She didn’t want the feeling to end. She wanted Ethan to hold her there on that dance floor forever, beneath those star lights, surrounded by their friends and family. She knew the moment would have to end, and they would pull apart, but she also knew that she’d carry that feeling with her forever. To her surprise, when the song ended, and Ethan slid back, holding her for another moment as he gazed at her, the feeling didn’t stop. Even as they waved to friends and talked and worked their way around, that feeling of complete connection stayed inside her. Maybe this is what marriage is, she thought. It seemed like a much better definition of marriage than some agreement on some piece of paper. “What do we do to top this?” Amy asked as she and Ethan snuck off the dance floor several songs later.
“You deserve a honeymoon,” Ethan offered. “I have the perfect one planned. The jet is fuelled and ready to go. I have a few places in mind that I think you’ll love.”
“Just as long as it’s not like last time.”
“It won’t be. I promise.”
“Let me guess, you’re going to leave me guessing until we get there.”
“Yup,” Ethan said with a grin.
“How is that different than before?”
Ethan’s grin grew even wider. “Because this time we’re not going to Wyoming.” He laughed, and added “Don’t worry, this time we’re going somewhere warm. Next time, you’ll get to surprise me. Deal?”
“Deal. Now come over here and kiss me again.” She grabbed Ethan by his tie and pulled him in for another kiss. This second marriage was off to a much better start than their first.