Page 84 of Wild Card

“That’ll be the biggest honor of my life. I promise to make you proud to have it.”

“I’ll always be proud to have you as my husband.”

I bury my face in her neck, kissing her.

“I don’t deserve you. But I love you. I love you so much.”

“You do. And I love you too.”

After my parents died, I wondered if I’d ever feel joy again, if things would ever be the same.

And things weren’t the same. That was impossible. I’d been changed by their deaths, but I did start to have small moments of happiness here and there, and I realized I could be okay even though I missed them. But I never would’ve believed I could feel joy in the way I do now. How can the human experience contain so many extremes? It’s one of life’s great mysteries, but I’ll take it.

I’ll live life as fully and as bravely as possible, with deep gratitude that I get to do so with this incredible woman at my side. My wife, Catriona DeLuca, the absolute love of my life.

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