Page 26 of Always Alchemy

She said yes.Dex said yes, too, when I proposed it to him.

‘Do you mind that we planned it behind your back?’ Dex asks Darcy, and she smiles.

‘Not in the slightest. It was really romantic. A double proposal—what girl could say no to that?’

We’ve talked about the future plenty over the past six or seven months. It’s not something we’ve ever shied away from. But I suppose Dex and I are traditionalists at heart, however unorthodox the circumstances of this relationship the three of us have built. It was important to us that we do this the old-fashioned way. And that, to us, meant a trip toGraff on Old Bond Street and a devious plan involving an Italian lake and bucketloads of flowers.

‘The plan was most definitely not for you to say no,’ I say drily, and she and Dex both laugh. She glances down at her ring again and tilts her hand back and forth so the diamond sitting on her long finger catches the candlelight. I look on approvingly. It’s a beauty—a brilliant-cut solitaire on a band of pavé.

‘Not to bethatperson,’ she goes on, still admiring her ring, ‘but I assume we can’t actually legally get married.’

‘Unfortunately not,’ Dex says, reaching across to take her hand. I set my mouth in a grim line, because the British government’s views on polygamy aren’t where I’d like them to be, to say the least.

‘So what shall we actually do?’ she asks, turning to me. It makes me inordinately happy that that’s her default, that they both believe me to be capable of looking out for them. Of solving all their problems in life.

‘Let’s get this straight, sweetheart,’ I say, setting down my fork and reaching out both my hands. They each take one, so we’re in a circle. A circle connected by flesh and blood and love. ‘A legally-binding marriage is just about financial and legal protection, really. It’s about tax breaks, and equitable asset splits in the event of a divorce, and custody of children, of course, as well as protecting your loved one when one of you dies.

‘We can deal with all that. We’ll take the tax hits, we’ll put some private legal agreements in writing, and we’ll redo our wills.’

‘I don’t have a will,’ Darcy offers, and I roll my eyes.

‘Of course you don’t.’

‘I’m twenty-six and childless. It’s not like I have anything to give away, anyway,’ she says, and Dex smirks.

‘She’s got a point.’

‘You’ll have plenty to give away when I’ve finished with you,’ I say sternly, and she smiles her adoring smile.

‘Don’t give me all your money, baby. You know I’m irresponsible with it.’

‘As long as you’re responsible with my heart, both of you, that’s all I care about,’ I tell them, and it’s true. Nothing else matters. We have money coming out of our ears. The financial and legal stuff is immaterial. ‘What matters is that we’re making a lifelong commitment to each other.’

Darcy frowns. ‘And kids? What happens if we have kids?’

‘Whenwe have kids,’ Dex corrects her smilingly, and he and I exchange an amused look, because there’s no fucking way we’re not impregnating the hell out of this woman.

‘Whenwe have kids,’ she agrees with a huge grin.

‘Well, one of us will be the biological father, so we’ll have full rights,’ I point out.

‘So we just have a commitment ceremony?’ she asks.

‘We have a beautiful, heartfelt ceremony wherever in the world we want,’ I tell her, ‘and when we promise ourselves to each other for all eternity, I vow to you it will be more special than any vows ever pledged in any church or town hall.’

‘And then we have a huge party,’ Dex says, looking misty-eyed and squeezing my hand hard, ‘with everyone who loves us.’

‘Your dad’s NFI, obviously,’ I say, and we all laugh.

‘Obviously. But Mum’ll be there.’

‘Yes she will.’ Lauren is a lovely woman, and I’m pretty fucking confident I won her over with my considerable charm the moment Darcy and I met her.

But Darcy’s frowning again. ‘You two should get married, though. Legally, I mean.’

‘How so?’ I ask her, but I don’t fail to notice how my heart skips at the mere idea of Dex being my husband in the eyes of the law.

‘Hear me out. First, it gives whoever isn’t the legal father of any of our children more rights, but secondly, if you can do it, you should. I could never choose which one of you to marry, and anyway, it’s a bit meh for me to get married. We’ve been able to do that for centuries, you know? But same-sex marriage has only been legal for, like, a decade. It’s a stand you should take—if you can do it, you should.’

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