Page 124 of Forty, Flirty & F*cked

I hear the sound of heels clicking, and I turn to look at my wife, who's definitely not meeting my eyes. "Vegas-iversary?"

“One month since the reenactment!" Lily starts hanging decorations. "Though technically it's been three months since the actual wedding, but who's counting?"

"Everyone," Kat mutters. "Everyone is counting."

"I can explain," Ariana starts.

But before she can, Callum strolls in, looking far too amused as his green eyes widen at me. "I brought champagne.”

I glance at the bottle in his hands. “For God’s sake, Cal, that’s whiskey.”

“Scottish whiskey. And it’s the same thing as champagne.”

I throw up my hands. “It’s literally not.”

"Speaking of entertainment!" Lily unveils what appears to be a karaoke machine. "Who's ready for some Elvis classics?"

"No one," Kat says firmly. "No one is ready for that."

And as if knowing things can’t get any worse, my too-enthusiastic father-in-law’s volcano decides this is the moment to start spewing.

The hulking monstrosity sends slime-green smoothie parts flying everywhere. Parts that splatter on the walls. On the sequined banner. On the Elvis cut-outs stacked into the corners.

And I try not to panic. Much.

"Oops?" Gideon offers. “If it helps, you know, the spirulina really brings out everyone's eyes..."

I look at my wife, covered in protein powder and glitter—representing everything I once tried to push out of my life.

And I've never been more certain that this is all I want for the rest of my days.

As for the rest of this day…

Hours later, after the protein powder has been cleaned up and the mechanical Elvis has finally given up the ghost, I find myself on the balcony, staring at the single framed photo I usually keep on my desk. James grins back at me, young and bright and forever twenty-three, his Stanford diploma caught mid-flutter in the wind.

"I knew I'd find you here."

I don't turn as Ariana's footsteps approach. She still has glitter in her hair, still smells faintly of spirulina, but her voice is soft. Understanding.

“You know, his birthday is technically next week,” I say quietly.

She moves closer, her hand finding mine. "Tell me about him?"

"He would have loved all this chaos." I gesture. "The protein powder disaster, the Elvis memorabilia... he always said I was too serious."

"Sounds like a smart guy."

"He was." I squeeze her hand. "He also wouldhave loved you. Probably would have helped your dad with his protein empire just to drive me crazy."

She laughs softly, the sound warming the center of my chest. "To James then?"

"To James." I pull her closer, breathing in the vanilla scent of her hair. "And to finally being brave enough to live the way he always told me to."

She leans into me like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and I place the frame on the nearby end table, wrapping my arms around Ariana, slow and steady.

“This was quite the party, by the way," I murmur, resting my hands on her waist.

"Mmm. It was." She sighs, her body melting into mine. Then, almost shyly, “To be honest… my favorite part was watching you try to protect your pocket from the protein powder explosion."

---