Page 111 of Husband of the Year
Olan pulls a small piece of paper from his pocket, unfolds it, and hands it to me.
“Surprise four.”
Adrenaline courses through my veins, my breath coming in quick gasps as I process the whirlwind of surprises.
“Go ahead.” Olan sits next to me. His strong hand wraps around my shoulder. “Read it.”
The Blue Rose
This flower, in starry skies with lovers, weightless…
Like saying forever.
Rare and gorgeous,
Once in a lifetime,
I pluck the petal, place it in your palm,
and smile at how well it fits in your hand.
“You wrote this?”
He nods, a smile sneaking over his lips.
Before I’m able to say more, Olan opens my left palm, the soft petals touch my skin, and then my eyes see it—a blue rose.
“Surprise number five—the last one. Just so you know.”
“A blue rose?”
“For both of us.” He pulls another one from behind a throw pillow on the bed. “Sheldon helped me with these. That man can locate anything.”
“He knows a guy in Kennebunk.”
“Of course he does.” Olan pins his flower to his shirt. “Now, go get ready and we’ll affix yours. My beautiful blue rose.”
As his lips touch my cheek, my eyelids instinctively flutter shut. I breathe deeply, Olan’s scent and the flowers mixing as I attempt to process it all.
“It’s too much. The poem. The flowers. Greggie’s outfit. I thought this was supposed to be simple.”
“Marvin, this is simple. But we’re getting married. Let me spoil you a little.”
“I love it.” I hold the poem up and kiss right in the middle of the paper. “But I love you more. Most.” I lean over and hear a soft breath escape his lips as our mouths connect. There is a part of me that longs for us to remain in this moment, frozen in time. But my mom is downstairs and our friends are meeting us.
“Now, go. Get ready. We have a date at city hall.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
The trees on the street outside city hall are lush with fresh green leaves and burst into bloom, their delicate petals drifting on the breeze, carpeting the sidewalks. Olan finds a parking spot, and when I spot Isabella and Illona standing by the entrance waiting, it takes me a minute to catch my breath.
“Look at them,” I say. I turn around toward the backseat. “Mom, can you get Greggie out of his car seat?”
“You boys go ahead. I’ll be right there with this little munchkin.”
As soon as Olan puts the car in park, we jump out, and when Illona spots us, her face lights up like a menorah on the eighth night and she dashes over.
The dress she’s wearing is absolutely breathtaking, with its intricate lace and vibrant colors. It’s white and covered in blue and pink flowers. The fabric gracefully flutters in the wind as she sprints toward us, enveloping us both in a tight, affectionate embrace.
