“Not until you say it.”
I rolled my eyes, blowing a strand of hair off my lip. “Fine, I love you,” I mumbled.
“Say it like you mean it,” he teased, his lips trailing down my neck.
“I love you!” I moaned as he sucked my nipple into his mouth.
His head lifted, his hazel eyes dancing. “That’s what I like to hear.”
Biting my bottom lip couldn’t hold back my smile. “Pervert.”
In reply, he took my other nipple between his teeth. I wasn’t late for class, I completely missed it.
But as usual, he dropped me off at the next one.
*****
CALEB
“Now repeat after me,” the pastor said. “I, Caleb, take you, Gianna.”
“Actually, Pastor Nelson, I wrote my own vows,” I said, pulling the piece of paper out of my tuxedo jacket.
I couldn’t tell if he was annoyed or amused, but he graciously gestured for me to do my thing. Staring into the future I saw in her eyes, I said, “It’s a list of promises to my wife.”
Tears glistened in her clear blue eyes as she remembered another list five years ago that I’d made her write. She whispered my name softly enough for only me to hear.
I began reading my promises aloud to my bride and our friends and family. “One, kiss you as often as possible. Two, do something every day to steal your heart all over again. Three, make your dreams come true.”
She had the sweetest smile on her face after number three and I continued reading. “Four, travel the world with you. Five, get a tattoo of your name. Oh wait, I did that last night.”
Her eyes widened and people laughed. Just as I’d decided years ago, it was my wedding gift to her.
“Six, give you lots of sons just like me.”
I could’ve sworn the groan in the audience was from Julie.
“And seven isn’t for young ears, so I’ll whisper it to you.” Everyone laughed and leaned forward in an attempt to hear the naughty things I promised my wife as she blushed in embarrassment.
When I was done, Pastor Nelson prompted Gianna recite her vows. “I, Gianna, take you, Caleb.”
Instead of repeating his words, Gianna pulled a piece of paper out of her dress, her bottom lip trembling. “Actually, I wrote a list, too.”
I threw my head back laughing and hauled my girl to me for an early kiss.
*****
“Tell me you’ll love me forever,” I told my wife as we danced at our wedding reception.
Blue eyes glistened as they had earlier when I’d spoken my vows. “I’ll love you forever, Caleb.”
“Good, princess, because that’s how long I’m keeping you.”
“I don’t want to think that the stories are finite; I want to feel that they can go on forever.”
-Steven Moffat