Page 38 of Look on the Bright Side

At the end of their first semester, Lark and Justin decided they were both old and responsible enough to sleep together. Justin booked a room at the Copley Square Plaza. And though they’d been friends since kindergarten, it was strange, stepping into that room. It seemed so…adult. So committed. Her heart nearly thumped out of her chest, and her fingers shook as she unbuttoned her blouse.

But when they got into bed, they just lay on their sides, facing each other, smiling. This wasn’t a simple hookup. This was love, soft as velvet, strong and enduring as granite. How many people could say they’d met the One in kindergarten? Love and happiness—no, joy—bubbled inside her. They were both virgins, and still, it was exactly right. They’d been waiting years for this moment, and it was tender and thrilling and a little awkward, but awkward was fine, because it was the two of them.

“Sorry,” he said as he leaned on her hair, making her yelp. “I’m new to this.”

“You better be,” she said back, and for some reason, that set them off into unstoppable giggles, which turned into sighs, which turned into hums and moans and whispers of love. It was perfect. Meant to be.

Afterward, they ordered room service, ate turkey club sandwiches and drank root beer, since they weren’t yet twenty-one, and made love again.

“I think we’re figuring this sex thing out,” Lark whispered afterward, and there it was, that laughter, that abundant love.

College was wonderful. The classes were challenging and fun, and Lark made friends, though Addie and Jordyn Rae maintained their top-notch rank. Jordyn was at Suffolk University, so theirs was a happy triangle. It also took some of the twin pressure off Lark, knowing Addie had Jordyn and not just her. Lark’s grades were stellar, the professors liked her (but told her to speak up more) and her roommates were nice people.

Sophomore year, Justin got an apartment, telling his parents the truth—he could study better without dorm life, and he wanted to be able to spend time with her. Already, he was declaring his commitment, and the Deans lectured them both about safe sex and committing too early, but they didn’t protest, either. Justin had an inheritance from his maternal grandfather, so money wasn’t an issue, something Lark couldn’t quite imagine. She didn’t move in with him, but gosh, it was so nice, those nights when they made dinner together, when she could study at his kitchen table or read in his bed, highlighting text and taking notes. It was, she thought, the way things would be forever.

During her junior year, Lark went to Rome for a semester. She missed Justin horribly, despite the beautiful architecture, appreciative men and confident women, the amazing food and abundant wine. But she was determined to have these adventures and not be joined at the hip, as her mother often worried. Addie came to visit, and they laughed and finished each other’s sentences and analyzed Addie’s latest girlfriend, then cried at the airport, both reassured that nothing had changed between them and sad that they had to part. Once again, she took to writing to Justin almost every day, signing the letters Love from your little bird. When he came to visit for spring break, she fell into his arms and sobbed with relief and joy.

It was fair to say she was no longer a puppy. She was twenty-one and had been with Justin Dean for most of her life. She’d never even had a crush on anyone but him. Some people were made for each other, like her parents and grandparents…and now, continuing that family tradition of perfect, drama-free love that grew with each passing year, Justin and Lark.

During that visit, they rented a tiny car and drove to see some more of the country. Florence was glorious, Milan sophisticated, but Venice…Venice took her breath away. They booked a gondola ride to go under the Bridge of Sighs at sunset, because legend had it that if you kissed at that time under that bridge, your love would last forever.

As the gondolier paddled along past the pastel-colored houses that lined the canals, singing, Lark looked at Justin. This beautiful man, his hair now thick and short, had filled out in the past few years. His smile still made her heart melt; she knew their love would last forever. At the exact moment they went under the bridge, they kissed, and the gondolier said, “Bravo, bravo, bellissimi amanti! Il primo amore non si scorda mai!”

First love is never forgotten. Lark smiled against Justin’s lips and pulled back. The sunset lit up the sky, and when she pulled back, she wasn’t surprised to see that he was holding a small velvet box. Sure enough, he dropped to one knee.

“I love you more than I can ever say, Larkby,” he said. “We grew up together. Let’s grow old together, too. Marry me.”

She couldn’t speak, her throat was so tight with joy, and tears spilled down her cheeks.

“Say yes, signorina!” said the gondolier.

Lark wiped her eyes, held Justin’s face in her hands and kissed him. “Yes,” she said. “Yes. Yes. Yes.”

“You didn’t even see the ring,” Justin said.

“I don’t need to.”

“Well, since you’re gonna wear it every day between now and a hundred, take a look and make sure you like it.”

Of course she liked it. It was an art deco ring, the diamond set in white gold with sapphires on each side. Delicate scrollwork held the stones in place, and it was the prettiest piece of jewelry she’d ever seen.

Sure, they were young. No, they didn’t have a single doubt. Not one.

Her mother was worried they were rushing, her dad cried and said he didn’t want his little girl to grow up too fast. Heather hugged her and wept with joy, and Theo said he’d raised a smart son, and he was thrilled that Lark would be his daughter-in-law.

The wedding would be…someday-ish. They were in no hurry. Babies would come after she was done with residency. They were barely adults, and planning a wedding was a whole endeavor neither of them wanted at the moment. They were still in college, after all. A wedding could wait.

“We could just sneak off and get married at city hall,” Lark suggested, but Justin said she deserved a beautiful dress and Addie as her maid of honor, Winnie and Harlow as her bridesmaids.

“Your parents would kill me if they didn’t get to walk you down the aisle,” he said. “I’d never do that to them.”

After graduation, Lark got a job as a certified nurse’s assistant—direct patient interaction was required for med school—and loved the work (if not the degrading pay). Being old-fashioned, she didn’t want to live with Justin before the wedding, so she moved into Addie’s adorable little place, wanting this last bit of unmarried life to be spent with her twin, even though she was with Justin at least a few nights a week. In her off time, she studied for the MCAT. She wanted to get into medical school somewhere local—Harvard, Tufts or Boston University so they wouldn’t have to move—and they put off the wedding until she could know for sure.

Justin had a job at an architectural firm in the South End and would be starting off designing ventilation systems for large-capacity buildings. His parents bought a condo in Chelsea—“We’re not trying to smother you, we just don’t want to deal with the traffic!”—and had dinner with them two or three times a month. Lark went home to the Cape to keep tabs on Robbie and check in with Winnie, who was studying at Cape Cod Community College, not sure what she wanted to do for a living just yet.

While home, Lark would practice her nursing skills on Grammy, who was getting over some cancer treatments of her own (and doing very well). In the evenings, the Smith family would play rowdy games of Scattergories or try to beat each other at Jeopardy!, yelling answers at the screen. Harlow had just moved back from Colorado and was helping Grammy renovate the bookstore, and it was all just wonderful.

When she and Justin were at the Deans’, it was quieter but just as fun. The four of them would have dinner and talk about the future—Heather was so excited to help plan the wedding, hinting that they should pick a date. She offered to contribute (by which she meant pay for everything). Lark envisioned a simple, family-only wedding in Wellfleet with dinner at the Ice House or Winslow’s afterward, but she sensed she’d be having a pretty big bash. Justin was an only child, and the Deans wanted to go all out and would fund just about anything.

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