Page 22 of Never Enough

Them. And that love that has endured five decades. It’s why I thought we could announce our marriage here. Maybe Gracie could see what we could have together.

“Hey,” Gracie says. “You’d better not leave me to fend for myself with this story of ours.”

“Wasn’t planning on wandering off.”

“Good.”

“Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else anyway. I’ve got the prettiest girl here on my arm.”

She rolls her eyes.

“Oh, before I forget.” I pull the ring out of my front jeans pocket and slide it onto her left ring finger.

She looks down at the simple platinum band. “It’s beautiful, Henry.”

“And no stones, so there shouldn’t be anything to get hung on dough or whatever.” I slide my own band on. “Now we’re official.”

I tighten my grip just enough to guide her forward. “C’mon,” I say. “Let’s go give the people something to talk about.”

She huffs out a quiet laugh, but it’s a little breathless around the edges. “Oh, I’m sure they’ll manage that without our help.”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

We take our first step into the crowd together.

It takes exactly three seconds for someone to notice us.

“Well, I’ll be damned.”

I don’t even have to look to know who that is.

I grin, already bracing myself. “Here we go.” I squeeze her hand.

By the time we’ve made it through the bulk of the crowd and have claimed seats at one of the tables, my face hurts from smiling.

Caroline appears with plates of food for Gracie and me. “I figured it might take y’all forever to actually get food and back to a table with everything still hot.”

“Oh, thank you,” Gracie says. “That was very thoughtful of you.”

“Sweetness, pick a seat so I can put these plates down.” That comes from Damien, Caroline’s husband. “Let’s sit with the happy couple, yeah?”

“Yes, y’all sit with us,” Gracie says.

They sit, and then Caroline waves another woman over, whom she introduces as Cora Black. Cora is new to town and works as Pops and Mimz’s caretaker. They both still feisty, but everyone feels better knowing they aren’t living entirely on their own. I hadn’t met Cora before now, but I like her, despite the fact that Oliver has spent all day scowling at her in a way that is so uncharacteristic I’d give him shit about it if I wasn’t already caught up in my own shit. We visit and eat, and eventually my dad stands and gives a toast to his parents.

A few groans. Some laughter. Then, a few tears as he talks about following their example in his own marriage. He ends everything with “Happy wife, happy life, right darlin’?”

My mother heckles her agreement.

I feel Gracie shift beside me, her shoulder brushing mine.

“Pops wants to say a few words,” my dad says.

That does it.

The crowd settles like someone flipped a switch.

Pops steps forward, slow and steady, one hand reaching back for Mimz without even looking. She fits into his side like she’s been doing it her whole life because she basically has been.