I would think about that look for 17 years.
At the reception, we laughed, danced, and talked about the future until late into the night. Nina kicked off her heels before dinner was even over. I teased her about it, and she lifted her dress just enough to show me her bare feet under the table.
"You married a practical woman," she said.
"I married a beautiful one," I replied.
She rolled her eyes, but her cheeks went pink.
Our friends clinked glasses and shouted for us to kiss every ten minutes. My cousin Winston gave a speech so embarrassing that I still remember half the guests covering their faces. Nina's college friend, Tessa, caught the bouquet and announced she was "deeply unavailable but willing to negotiate."
The whole night felt alive.
Later, when the guests thinned and the music softened, Nina and I stepped outside for air. The parking lot was quiet, silver under the moon. Her hair had come loose from its pins, and she leaned into me as if she were tired down to her bones.
"Are you happy?" I asked.
She looked up at me. "More than I thought I was allowed to be."
That answer made me pause. "Allowed?"
Nina blinked, then smiled too quickly. "You know what I mean. It just feels unreal."
I accepted that because I wanted to.
Because I was young, married, and stupid with joy. I kissed her forehead and told her we had the rest of our lives to get used to it.
She held onto me tighter.
That night, in the little honeymoon suite we had booked two towns over, we sat on the bed still wearing half our wedding clothes. I had my tie undone. She had her veil in her lap, smoothing it with her fingers.
"We should get a house with a porch," she said.
"A porch?"
"Yes. A big one. With two rocking chairs."
I laughed. "We are 23 and 22. Rocking chairs can wait."
"Fine," she said, smiling. "A porch with no rocking chairs until we are at least 40."
"We can do that."
"And maybe a dog."
"One dog?"
"Two. So the first one doesn't get lonely."
I leaned back on my elbows and grinned at her. "You have thought about this."
"I think about everything."
There it was again, that strange dip in her voice. Like the words meant more than she wanted them to.
