Page 23 of Hail Marry
She narrows her eyes at me. “You trying to get rid of me, Crusher?”
“Nope. But I’m worried you’ll regret this once you’ve had more time to think about it. It feels like…I’m taking advantage of you or something. You don’t owe me anything, you know. I didn’t help you the other day hoping for something in return.”
Her usual upbeat energy gives way to something a little more serious and sincere. “You’re not taking advantage of me, okay? And I know you don’t expect me to do this. If you did, I wouldn’t be standing in the courthouse with you; I’d be running the opposite direction. I’m here because I want to be—yes, I want to do whatever I can to help you, but I also need something like this in my life. Something to shake things up and help me feel more alive. And this is working like a charm. Okay?”
I’m tempted to ask her some follow-up questions. There’s got to be a story behind what she’s saying. But now’s not the time to delve into it, so I take in a breath and nod. “Okay.”
She smiles. “Now it’s my turn. Areyousure you want to go through with this?”
My heart races as I think about what this marriage license in my hand means, about the doors it will open. And given that Victoria says she needs something like this? It’d be crazy to turn away.
“Positive,” I say.
Her smile grows bigger, and she puts a hand on the door, then stops. “Shoot.”
My heart drops. “What?”
“We forgot rings. Do we need rings?”
I open my mouth wordlessly because I have no idea.
She sighs with mock frustration. “You’re no help. It’s like you’ve never been married before or something. Oh well.” She starts to pull the door open.
“Hold on.”
She waits as I pull the chain I’m wearing over my head. I undo the clasp and let the two rings on it slide onto my palm.
She smiles incredulously. “Look at you, all prepared! Where’d you get those?”
I slip the chain into my pocket. “They’re my grandma and grandpa’s.”
Her wide-eyed gaze swings to mine. “Luca…I can’t wear your grandma’s ring. We can just get a cheap one off Amazon later. Or from a vending machine. Or no ring at all.”
“It’s just for the ceremony,” I say. It’s not like I really planned to use these in the future. They’re just a reminder of two people I love and miss—the only people who’ve really supported me in my dreams.
Until now, I guess. It’s pretty sobering that a near-stranger is willing to go this far to help me, while my mom and her boyfriend—the guy who was supposed to be a father figure to me—couldn’t even bring themselves to get me on a youth team. My real dad didn’t stick around long enough to know whether he had a baby boy or girl.
Victoria still looks unsure, but she nods and takes Grandpa’s ring. “Okay.”
They’re ready for us in the ceremony room—the officiant and a witness. We hand over our marriage license, and the officiant inspects it, then starts right into things. He’s got the air of a man who has this routine down pat and a list of brides and grooms to get through before lunch.
“We’re here today to witness the union of Luca and Victoria in marriage,” he says. “Marriage is a commitment founded in love, respect, and friendship. It is more than just a ceremony—it marks a lasting bond.”
Victoria clears her throat, and the officiant glances at her. She smiles reassuringly at him.
None of the things he said in that little opener apply to us. Well, I respect Victoria as much as I can after knowing her less than a week, but there’s definitely no love between us, and even friendship seems a generous term.
Regardless, the bond will not be a lasting one.
The officiant looks at me. “Luca Callahan, do you take Victoria Sheppard to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in joy and in sorrow, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?”
Oh, man. This is weirder than I thought it would be. I force myself to hold Victoria’s eyes while I answer. I try to be a man of my word, so looking someone in the eye and promising to do something I have no intention of doing isn’t exactly a walk in the park. “I do.”
He turns to her. “Victoria Sheppard, do you take Luca Callahan to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in joy and in sorrow, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?”
Silent, her gaze locks on mine, but her mind is clearly elsewhere. I stop breathing. She’s changing her mind. She’s about to say no.
But she doesn’t say anything at all. She just stares at me, her eyes glazed over.
