Page 22 of Be My Wife

Her mother huffs in my ear. “What on earth is going on?”

I’m desperate, so I push as far as I can.

I’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

“I’m sorry to say this, ma’am…”

“Brogan…”

“But the truth,” I hold the phone tighter, “is that Elizabeth and I aren’t—”

“YES!” Elizabeth screams over my confession. “I’ll marry you. I’ll do it.”

Relief shoots through my veins.

I collapse against the bed.

Thrust a fist in the air.

Squeeze my eyes shut.

I did it.

I got myself a wife.

Pandemonium breaks out in my ears. Screams and shrieks of ‘she did what’ and ‘are you serious right now’ shatter my eardrums.

I wince.

Something thuds.

Sounds like the phone hit the tiles.

“Mama! You cracked my screen!”

“I can’t believe this. My baby’s getting married! My baby’s getting married!”

There’s more rustling.

Feet pattering.

Suddenly, Elizabeth’s voice sounds crisply in my ears. “I have to go.”

“Wait.”

She does.

“I’ll book a flight to Vegas for tomorrow. Can you make the time?”

“For my own wedding?” She sighs loudly. “Yeah, I think I can do that, but there are rules.”

“Of course.”

The screaming and weeping on her side of the line intensifies.

“We’ll discuss it tomorrow. I need to go.”

Click.

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