Chapter 31 #2
Mom beams, delighted. I think she’s happy to be getting a daughter-in-law, period. But I think she’s truly pleased that it’s Courtney because she can see how happy Court makes me, the same way Earl does for her. We both did well. Even if mine started with some craziness.
“Speaking of cake, have you started on wedding cake options or any of the wedding details yet?” Mom is acting casual, moving a glob of icing around on her plate, but it’s a show.
She is over the moon excited and holding herself back from bringing out a Pinterest presentation board.
I’m sure of it because I know where I got my planning gene from, and she’s sitting across the table from me.
I take this one, volleying it easily. “We’ve actually talked a lot about the wedding plans. We decided to wait until Ross and Vi have their baby girl—”
Mom interrupts, clapping and grinning. “A girl? I didn’t know that!”
I laugh. “We just found out a few days ago at the gender reveal party. They’re really happy.
” I wait a second for her to calm back down and continue, “We’re going to do it at the Andrews Estate.
Ross is going to be my best man, and Abi is going to be the maid of honor and do the flowers. And the best part is . . .”
I taper off, ready to toss the bomb my mom won’t see coming, but Courtney jumps in.
“We hired a wedding planner!” she shouts before her hands cover her mouth like she was really trying to let me say it but just couldn’t wait any longer.
“What? I thought you were both these Type-A, perfectionist, control freaks,” Mom says, her brow wrinkled in confusion.
“We are,” Court agrees. “And so busy between the Charlotte gym and my work that we don’t have time to dedicate to the wedding and do it right.
And it needs to be right. So we outsourced it to someone whose sole job is to plan weddings.
I sent her my Pinterest board, Kaede sent her his, and we sent her the combined one we made. And told her to make it so.”
I grin. it’s another Courtney thing, the Picard-isms. At least she hasn’t told me to ‘engage’ when we’re having sex. Not that it would hold me back from her, but I’d definitely laugh, which might not go over so well. Then again, for such serious folks, we laugh an extraordinary amount of the time.
“No analysis paralysis. No watching and worrying about every single penny. We told the planner what we want, and if there’s a decision to be made, she’ll either make it or present two acceptable choices for us to decide between.
It’ll be beautiful, perfect, and low-stress for us, leaving us to focus on other things so we can start right. ”
“I think you’re already starting right,” Mom says, her eyes looking glittery.
I take Courtney’s hand, smartly leaving her right hand free to keep eating cake because no one gets between Court and chocolate sprinkles, not even me. “Thanks, Mom.”
“Thanks, Donna,” Courtney says. After a moment, she adds, “Can I take a slice home too?” She turns to me. “Don’t you dare tell Jessica or AJ, though. They’ll make me do extra work. Or Stacylynne. She’ll make me do squat twerks.”
I’m totally going to tell Stacylynne. And do a walk-by on her class to watch my woman drop it like it’s hot.
Our house.
And it is ours now, with Courtney’s stuff mixed in with my stuff in the closet. Well, maybe not mixed, but sorted and organized. Yes, by ROYGBIV.
It’s our sofa, with too many pillows, and our bed, with a comforter, a folded quilt at the foot, and a throw blanket over that. We don’t use any of them, tossing them back and only covering with the sheet each night as we snuggle into each other for warmth.
And a whole slew of plants scattered about, some by windows and some away from the sun’s direct light, depending on their needs.
But as much as everything here is ours, she is mine.
My Courtney, snuggled into my arms on the couch as I blow softly on her ear to tease and tickle her. She shivers, one of those good warm shivers that lets me know to do it again.
Even after months, I can still melt the Ice Queen with a single touch .
. . and I like it. Because she only does that for me.
I see the Ice Queen less and less these days, and Courtney tells me that she’s still kicking ass at work, even without the defensive armor.
Pretty soon, I think the Ice Queen is going to melt for the last time and just leave Courtney as her true self, the one I’m lucky enough to know.
“Your mom’s so sweet,” Courtney says as we semi-watch TV. “When we were doing dishes, she started back on the ‘Kaede’s the best’ action again. Apparently, she doesn’t realize how deeply and thoroughly I’m in love with you.”
“Deep? And thorough?” I’m not talking about love. I’m thinking much filthier thoughts when Court says things like that.
“Mmmhmm, she asked when we were going to give her a granddaughter too, like Ross and Vi.”
I hiss, banging my head against the arm of the sofa. “Shit. Sorry. I thought she’d at least let us get married before pulling out the big guns again.”
Courtney’s fingers tiptoe across the dragon on my chest. “What do you think about that?”
I look down at her, smiling. “Kids?”
She licks her lips and I realize she’s nervous.
I sit up, looking at her more fully, analyzing her.
“I think that as much as I think they’re ten-pound bundles of noise and poop right now, as soon as I see Ross and Vi’s daughter, she’s going to have an aunt and uncle who are going to be gaga over her.
” She nods, but I’m not done. “And though I think we should wait until after the wedding, I absolutely want to see your belly grow round with our baby, see your brains in our child, and raise a family with you.”
She smiles, snuggling into me again. “Me too. I think we should wait, but in the meantime, we can practice. A lot.”
I growl, jumping up from the couch and pulling her with me. “First one to the bedroom gets to choose who’s on top,” I challenge her, knowing that no matter who gets there first, we both win.
“You’re on.”