Page 118 of Force Play

“Indie had to make a lot of decisions about what to do with that news and she decided to get surgery, but before she can do that, she needs to freeze her eggs if she wants to become a biological mom someday.” His eyes flick towards Dottie.

“Like how we had you, kiddo,” my mom says, ruffling my little sister’s hair. “Made with love and science.”

The reaction to the next part is what I’m the most worried about, but I swallow it down and pick up where Dom left off. “When I moved here a few months ago, I quit my job and have been working with non-profits since. The clinic I was going to is one of those, but with the test results, I was going to need a more extensive team and insurance,” I explain, glancing down at the table.

“There was no way I was letting her give up the work she’s doing. It’s too important. And I already knew she was it for me. So I convinced her to marry me.”

“You make it sound like it was easy.” I laugh remembering my initial response when he brought it up. “I thought he’d lost it and told him there was no way in hell I was marrying him just for insurance.”

“But you weren’t,” he reminds me.

“No, I wasn’t.” I sigh. “He asked me to picture my future. One year from now, five years, ten years, twenty. No matter how far out we got, he was still there by my side.”

“You tried so hard to resist me, but it’s just not possible,” he teases. “The day after we got her test results, we went to the courthouse.”

“I wish we could have been there,” Kelly says, a smile on face and her eyes glistening.

“That was the only thing I’d change,” Indie says, her hand covering mine. “But if you’d like, we can show you.”

“Indie brought a tripod, and we recorded the whole thing,” he says, his face lighting up the same way it did when I set it up in the courthouse.

Like he was shocked that it was something I wanted to be able to look back on. Dom wears his feelings on his sleeve, he always has, even when he doesn’t say the words, you can read it on his face. I knew he was coming for me after our first night together. He never let me forget it. But the way I fell for him—I didn’t see that coming. Sure, the banter was hot. And the sex was unbeatable, but I had myself so convinced that he wasn’t what I needed right up until he was the only thing holding me together.

He’s my home plate. All the other reasons to marry him were non-existent when I walked into that courthouse with him last week. There were no other base runners forcing me home. It was just me and him, doing what felt right. For the first time in what feels like forever, I wasn’t running from something. I was running to it. So yeah, I wanted a video to share with everyone and to look back on when we’re old and gray, probably still bickering on the front porch surrounded by our grandchildren.

Kelly is the first to stand from the table, coffee in hand. “Thank you, Indie.” She walks around the table and wraps her arms around me.

“Let’s go to the living room and I can put it on the TV,” Dom says, joining his mom and standing to lead us all to the oversized couch.

Dom’s parents share the chaise at the end of the couch, his mom’s head resting on his dad’s shoulder. Daelyn takes the opposite side, her legs crossed as she scoots back into the corner. Dom pulls me down next to him in the middle of the couch so my legs are crossed over one of his muscular thighs. With everyone else settled, Dottie stands in the middle of the room, surveying her options. Ronnie circles the spot at Dom’s feet before plopping down and that does it. Dottie skips over snuggling up to Ronnie and Dom.

With everyone seated, Dom starts the video. Even with the awkward angle of the camera and my nose scrunched as I set it up, you can see the happy glow in my cheeks.

“I always knew we’d be here,” Dom says, coming up behind me.

I laugh. “You knew that you’d marry me in the courthouse?”

“No, I knew that it would be you, and I manifested the shit out of it.” His face falls for a second and now he’s thinking about how we got here.

Putting my back to the camera, I turn in his arms. “None of that exists today. This is about me and you.”

He kisses me softly, his lips brushing over mine, once, twice, before a throat clears behind us. The justice of the peace waits with a patient smile on his face.

“Sorry, I think we are ready to start,” I say, smoothing my hands down the white sundress I picked out for today.

“I’ve been ready for a year.”

“You have not, stop it.” I lightly smack him on the chest and he covers my hand, bringing it to his mouth and kissing my palm. He shrugs and leads me to the center of the room. Taking our place in front of justice of peace.

“Dom and Indie, you’ve come here today to join two souls in a beautiful union, to build a life together on a foundation of respect, loyalty, and commitment to each other. This ceremony is a symbol of that bond and the shared vision you have for your future. Do you have vows you would like to read to each other?”

“We do,” Dom answers, clearing his throat. Fingers intertwined between us, he looks at me with so much reverence that tears well in the corner of my eyes before he’s even said anything.

“Indie Jane, I’ve spent my entire life in awe of the love my parents shared. It’s one of the few things in life that’s evaded me. While other things have come easy, this tested my patience. The woman that lit up my soul wasn’t ready for the future I saw for us. But like all things worth having, working for your attention, and eventually admiration, was time well invested. I stand here today a better man because of the partner I found in you.”

He clears his throat before continuing.

“As your partner, I vow to nurture our bond, respect you above all else, and honor the path we walk together. Through the twists and turns life throws at us, I promise to be your compass through the unknown, offering you direction, or just a pat on the ass when the hill seems too steep to climb. I promise to be a stellar pool boy for years to come, and to pick up all the dog poop after the snow melts. To always stock cookie dough when it’s shark week and build a life filled with fun and laughter, even when things get hard.”

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