Page 167 of Fire and Icing

“They flew themselves. I just nudged them by giving them the party invite.”

I throw my arms around Dustin. “Thank you!”

“Anything for you, Firecracker,” he whispers into my hair.

I pull back and look at my parents. Dustin tucks his arm behind me in the same show of support he’s been giving me since before we made our relationship official.

“Mom, Dad, this is Dustin.”

“We’ve met,” Mom says. “When he picked us up at the airport.”

“You …?” I look at Dustin.

“I just drove an hour to get them. No biggie.”

No biggie. This man.

My parents watch Dustin and me interact. My heart is so full having the three of them together. The party kicks up with food, music and everyone mingling.

Dustin and Syd and our friends set up tables inside the house for dinner since we’ve heard it might snow tonight.

After dinner, everyone gathers in my front room. Dustin pulls out his guitar.

“I’ve got a song I want to sing to Emberleigh. Most of you know it by heart. It’s calledHappy Birthday to You.”

Our friends and family laugh and Dustin strums a chord. Then he looks down into my eyes and sings straight to me. Everyone joins in, and as much as I love the group of people in this room, I have a hard time forcing myself to glance around at each one of them instead of staring up at the man who won my heart and changed my life.

After the song, Dustin runs into the kitchen and returns with a cake. “It’s a bit lopsided, but I promise it tastes better than it looks.” He lowers his voice and says, “I hope.”

“I give that a five for execution of concept,” Stevens jokes from his spot on the sofa.

“But a seven for thematic cohesion,” Cody says.

Our friends and family laugh.

“I give it a ten,” I say, looking up at Dustin.

“Make a wish,” he says softly, as if he’s only talking to me.

I don’t need to. Everything I wish for is right here in this room. I have the best friends and a man who sweeps me off my feet—literally, that’s even how we met. And I have a community I adore. But I make a wish anyway—just one wish for my future. It might not be now. But one day. One day I hope that Dustin and I are married, living under the same roof, raising children together, chasing fireflies with them in the back yard while our dog named Toad runs around us barking.

That’s my wish.

Dustin hands the cake over to his mom. I think we’re going to scatter while the cake is cut.

But he picks up his guitar.

“There’s just one more thing, Emberleigh. I wrote you a song.”

“You already wrote me two,” I protest.

“Well, what can I say? You inspire me.”

“Awww,” Syd and Mitzi say in unison.

Dustin pulls up the guitar and strums and then he sings this song:

We’ve had our nights of silence,

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