15. Mai （22）
Sixteen years ago
Walking off the stage at their Sydney concert, Ford flung his sweaty arm around her shoulder.
Mai shoved him, saying, “Ewwwwww. You’re gross.” Then snuggled into his side; she was as sweaty as him.
Ford laughed and leaned down, stealing a kiss from her as they walked. “I love you.” He tugged her tighter to his side.
“I love you too,” she said and meant it with her whole heart.
“Let’s get married. Tomorrow,” Ford whispered in her ear.
“Yes.” Mai didn’t even hesitate, and then her face fell. “We can’t. Mum and Dad are on holiday. They’d be heartbroken to miss it.”
Ford grinned. “We get married now. For us. No one else will know. Then, after the tour, I’ll propose in a grand fashion, and we’ll have a proper wedding. A rock and roll wedding where you can wear black if you want, and I’ll wear my best leather tuxedo.”
Mai laughed and swatted at his muscled chest, then glanced down and admired the leather trousers that had become his signature look and made her—and most other women—very hot under the collar.
And when she looked back into his eyes, she found herself wanting to marry him more than anything else in the world. “Yes.”
He hugged her tightly and lifted her off her feet, spinning her around.
“Yes!” He exclaimed in return, then dropped his lips to hers, kissing her until they were both breathless.
They quickly found a celebrant and got their marriage licence. When she filled in her name, she wrote ‘Maisie Harrington’, just like it said on her driver’s licence, and no one questioned it.
The pair of them stood in front of the celebrant. Ford dressed in his leather trousers and a black shirt. Mai in a white sundress that she’d dashed out that morning to buy, along with simple matching silver rings for them both.
“Do you, Maisie Harrington, take Graham Ford to be your husband?” the celebrant asked, and they grinned at each other to hear their full names.
“I do.” Mai gazed up into Ford’s eyes, which never once left hers.
“Do you, Graham Ford, take Maisie Harrington to be your wife?”
“I do.” Ford’s smile widened.
They slipped their rings onto each other’s fingers, both giggling at how badly she managed to size his as it spun around his finger and nearly fell off.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Ford didn’t hesitate and tugged Mai into him, murmuring, “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” Before his lips met hers.
Mai’s heart accelerated as it did whenever they kissed, and she laughed against his lips when he dipped her backwards and kept kissing her.
She clutched onto his shoulder and kissed him until they heard the celebrant clear their throat to stop them.
Ford pulled her upright, and they left the celebrant’s office as husband and wife.
Mai knew they would be together forever.