Page 62 of Surrender

“Sensational,” Ever said, and I nodded in agreement.

I told him, “See those young people with the gold gift bags? They’re our special guests. Will you please tell them—and me—what each of those dishes are, including the gazpacho shooters?”

“Totally!” River’s face lit up. He loved talking about food.

Ever and I hung out with the kids for a while, and once we were sure they were comfortable, he pulled me aside and squeezed my hand. “I’m so glad they decided to come,” he said. “It’s like watching my world and yours weave together.”

It really felt like that.

A couple of hours later, the party was jumping. The DJ was playing 1980s pop songs, and a lot of people were dancing. I was glad to see all my kids laughing and dancing together in a big group, including Joaquin.

When Vee and I crossed paths, he flashed me a huge smile. “This is the first time I’ve seen you last longer than fifteen minutes at a party. I’d have expected you to be tucked away in a quiet corner with a book by now.”

“Not tonight, because it’s all about that beautiful, amazing man, right over there.” I gestured at Ever across the room, and he caught my gaze and smiled at me. “He’s worked so hard to make this happen, and I plan to be right here supporting him, every step of the way.”

Vee said, “It sounds like you’re talking about more than just this party.”

“I am.”

Ever and I met in the center of the room a few minutes later, and he asked, “What’s your opinion on PDA?”

“I’m all for public displays of affection, when you’re involved.”

“Good answer.” He pulled me close and kissed me before asking, “Are you having fun?”

“Definitely. Are you?”

“I am. I feel like I can finally take a breath.”

The photographer joined us just then and said, “I haven’t gotten a photo of you and your boyfriend yet, Ever.”

“Thanks for remembering. I really wanted a shot of the two of us. That’s just for me, though. Tracy doesn’t want his picture on social media.”

“No, it’s fine,” I said, as we turned toward the camera and put our arms around each other. “Go ahead and post it.”

Ever glanced at my profile. “Are you sure? That was always a big nope.”

“This is important. I’ll never be into the whole social media thing like you are, but I understand what it means to you now, and I want to be a part of it.”

He whispered, “Thank you,” and when he kissed my cheek, the photographer snapped a picture. She took a few more posed shots before heading back into the crowd.

I ran my fingertips along Ever’s jawline, and when he smiled at me, it made my heart trip over itself. This was so perfect. In fact, there was really only one thing missing. I said, “So, you’re fine with PDA too, right? I mean, like,a lotof PDA, not just a kiss or a hug.”

His eyes sparkled with mischief. “What are you suggesting?”

“You’ll see. Wait here.”

I hurried through the crowd, stepped up onto the stage that held the DJ and his equipment, and made my request. The DJgrinned and handed me a microphone, and then he expertly tapered off the song that was playing.

My heart was thudding like it wanted to break out of my ribcage. I usually hated being the center of attention, but this was something I really needed to do. I held up the mic and tried to keep my voice steady as I said, “Hi, everyone. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Tracy Garcia, and I’m very lucky to call Ever Daley my boyfriend.”

There were cheers and whistles from the crowd, and Ever moved closer to the stage and beamed at me. “First of all, I want to thank you for joining us tonight to celebrate. As you can see, Ever has made something truly special here. It’s a place where we can gather with our friends, and a place where we can take some time for ourselves. To me, it’s a sanctuary dedicated to self-care, and I think that’s an important and beautiful thing.”

The crowd applauded, and I continued, “This place exists, and all of us are gathered here tonight, because of one extraordinary man, Ever Daley. Let’s give him a round of applause.” The crowd went wild, and he actually blushed, which was very cute.

I took a deep breath. Now for the scary part. I focused on my boyfriend and tried to forget about the other two hundred people in the room. “On a personal note, Ever, you amaze me every single day with your kindness, your generosity, and your positive energy. I’m so lucky that I get to live this life with you by my side. I think you already know this, but you need to hear it, too. I love you, Ever, with all my heart and soul. I love you more than anything on this earth.”

His smile lit up the entire room as he held out his arms to me. I handed the microphone back to the DJ, and the crowd parted for me as I stepped off the stage. I was only vaguely aware that they were cheering, because I was totally focused on Ever.

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