Page 74 of This Love
“Gram will help.”
She started sobbing again. I pulled her close. “Hey, what about a seizure dog? We could get on a list. You know your dad. He’ll find the best company.”
“I’ll make him pay for it.”
I wasn’t going to argue with that. God, Marcus was going to freak out when he heard Ava was pregnant. All the better to get married.
Ava sat up. “Let’s get married right now. Before the meds change. Before anybody knows anything. We’ll keep it a secret until it’s done. Then spring it on them in a few weeks.”
“Okay.”
“Just a few people. Family only.” She hopped from the bed and began pacing. “I shot a small wedding up on Mount Bonnell last fall. It was pretty. A small gathering. We like Mount Bonnell. We’ve been there together.”
“We have. We do.”
“How fast can we do it?” She lunged for her phone and started typing. “Okay, it says here we can apply at any time. Even today. And we have to wait three days. Then we can do it.” She flung her phone onto the bed. “I know lots of officiants. I liked the guy who did the wedding a few weeks ago. He was funny.”
I stood next to her. “See, we’re figuring it out.”
She turned to me, her cheek on my chest. “So, doctors. Wedding. Tell everyone. New meds.” She lifted her chin, her gaze meeting mine. “Then what?”
“We hope,” I said. “We hope that the seizure stays far, far away.”
Her arms wrapped around my waist. “We hope,” she repeated. “We hope and hope and hope and hope.”
Chapter 28
Ava
The OB/GYN got us in the next day for an emergency appointment. The pregnancy was confirmed, and a slew of checkups were scheduled.
Dr. Simmons wanted the med change to happen immediately, so we notified the family that we were getting married that very weekend in four days. We applied for our license, and Vinnie called all over, looking for an officiant who could marry us on short notice.
One of our favorites said yes; he could do a brief ceremony Friday afternoon before a 7 p.m. one that evening. Tucker took off work, and Dad, Tina, and my sisters drove down Friday morning.
I already had a white sundress, and I decided that was good enough. Tucker wore khakis and a pale blue shirt with a tie.
Tina stopped for flowers on the way to Austin and handmade a bouquet plus a matching halo of flowers for my hair and a boutonniere for Tucker.
Harry picked up Maya and Gram. Tucker and I rode together with Vinnie in the back seat, snapping everything he could.
We didn’t take the one hundred and six steps because of Gram, but we slowly made our way up the slope on the back side.
We chose a cluster of flat rocks and waited for the officiant to arrive. It was warm for February, a lovely low sixties and bright sunshine. Harry opened a camp chair for Gram while Vinnie took photos of us.
“This is so romantic,” Jennifer said, aiming her phone at herself from an extended arm. “Last minute wedding with my sister!” she said as she took a short video. She made a circle, ending with us in the background.
I shook my head. Everything was a photo op for her.
The overlook was quiet on a February afternoon. Vinnie took pictures of everyone. Gram. Big Harry. My sisters. Dad and Tina. The officiant arrived in a gray suit that almost exactly matched his hair. Vinnie arranged us on the right rocks for the best scenery behind us.
“Let us begin,” the officiant said, opening a black folder.
I didn’t know if we had written our own vows last time. Tucker rarely spoke of the wedding that never was. But this time, we repeated our lines after the officiant.
The breeze ruffled Tucker’s hair. He was happy, his eyes glinting. I did love him. The only thing that had held me back had already happened.
Tomorrow, I would start the new medication and begin weaning the old one. Every day would be like a game of Russian roulette. Would this be the morning my life was wiped again?
