Page 103 of The Home Game

Antoni handed it over.

“Will you be exchanging rings?”

“No.” Matty shook his head. They were going to pick out some later to wear for show, but they hadn’t had time this week.

“Ahh, well, my husband and I have a little surprise for the grooms actually,” Eliza said, stepping a little closer. “We bought them bands they can use, if they’d like.”

“Mom,” Antoni said, sounding surprised but touched. “You didn’t have to—”

“Oh, I know. But your dad and I wanted to. I hope they fit. We had to guess at the sizes but …” She shrugged, handing over a small wooden box.

Antoni cracked it open and blinked. For a moment, they both stared in silence.

It was easy to tell which ring was for Matty. It was bigger around than Antoni’s for one, but also, it just looked like him.

The band was made of black metal with a thin line of pinkish gold set slightly off-center. A diagonal grid pattern crisscrossed them both and the ring looked sturdy and tough.

The other band was made of the same two metals but was a little thinner, the black metal brushed smooth with two recessed thin lines of the same gold on each edge. Kind of … elegant. Like Antoni.

“They’re tungsten,” Eliza explained. “With rose gold detail.”

Antoni looked up. “They’re beautiful, Mom. I love mine.”

“I hope you like yours too, Matty,” Eliza said, her tone hopeful.

“It’s perfect,” he whispered, his throat feeling a little thick as it hit him that they were about to get married. Somehow the rings made it seem so much more real.

“Lovely.” Dave smiled. “And who will your witnesses be today?”

“Me!” Alexis said. “I’m fourteen so I’m old enough to do it.”

“And both of us,” Eliza and Enzo added.

“Well, there’s only two spots on the marriage license, so you’ll have to duke it out about who gets the honors,” Dave joked.

Enzo gestured to his wife. “You go ahead.”

“Then it’ll be Alexis and me.”

“The grooms indicated they wanted to begin at the front of the room rather than make an entrance to music, yes?”

Antoni nodded. “Yes.”

“Okay. Give me a few minutes to prepare the register. Feel free to take photos while you’re waiting.”

“Ooh! Can I get pictures of you guys?” Eli said.

Antoni looked over at Matty, who shrugged. “Uh, sure,” Antoni said.

“You can use my phone,” Matty offered, pulling it out of his jacket pocket and unlocking it.

For the next few minutes, Antoni and Matty posed for photos, going wherever Eli directed, standing however they were told.

Matty was suddenly aware of the press of Antoni’s body against his, the way he leaned in a little more when Matty wrapped his hands around his hips.

Antoni shivered when Matty touched him and Matty hoped he didn’t blush when Eliza smiled at them knowingly.

They hadn’t talked about sex. They’d talked about so many other things—about money, about how this marriage would impact the kids—but other than agreeing to share a bedroom, they hadn’t talked about what it would mean for the two of them.

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