I remind her to get another tire and she salutes me. I like that little bit of sass.
“Shall I pick you up around six?” I ask her.
“Oh, sure that is fine.”
“Sylvie.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad our dates stood us up.”
Her lips pinch in a cute little embarrassed smile. “Me too.”
“It’ll be something to tell the grandkids.”
Her eyes widen. “Don’t get too carried away.”
I shrug, then lean in and kiss her. “I’ve got a good feeling,” I say against her smile. “We were meant to meet.”
A year later, to the day we had that perfectly imperfect date, I marry Sylvie, surrounded by our family and friends, and beautiful bouquets of flowers all around us. Of course they’re from Love in Bloom, where else would we get our flowers. Truck one eighty is waiting to drive us away, the perfect blend of both of us.
It’s only held up by Lurch, who proudly, but slowly, brings our rings down the aisle.
Prologue
“Don’t fall in love with me, Daniel.”
“I only just met you. That’s not going to happen.”
“Promise me.”
“Okay, sure. I promise. I won’t fall in love with you.”
Baseball
Daniel
“Where are you now?”
Leaning forward, I look over the steering wheel through the windshield. Wrigley Field looms ahead, fully lit up. The sounds of a baseball game reach me even through the closed windows. I’m running late getting into the city so missed the start.
The people I’m meeting are already inside, in our corporate box. The game is in the sixth inning, which I know because I have it on the radio.
“Outside the ball field,” I say, turning off the engine.
“Are you okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Daniel.”
“Jennifer,” I pick up the phone and hold it to my ear, the Bluetooth disconnecting when I open the door. “You don’t need to check up on me. I’m a grown man.”
“A grown man whose life blew up.”
“Can we not discuss this? I’m already late as shit. I appreciate your concern, but it’s unnecessary.”
“I’m just worried. It’s a big sister's right to worry about her baby brother, you know.”