Page 84 of Write Me For You
I smiled as my mom danced with Pastor Noel, her sadness momentarily forgotten. June’s parents rarely left the floor,cheeks pressed together, and I understood how June had grown up a believer in true love with them as an example. We drank it all in.
The day had been perfect, but the truth was, we were tired. Clearly seeing that was the case, Neenee came over and said, “First dance, then we can say good night?”
“Yes please,” June said, and turned to me. “What song did you pick for our first dance?”
“You’ll see,” I said, and June groaned in trepidation.
“That doesn’t fill me with confidence, Jesse.”
“Mrs. Taylor!” I said and watched June beam at her new name. “Don’t you trust me? Your husband?”
June sighed, and I took her hand. I helped her to her feet, and it took us longer than I’d hoped to get to the center of the dance floor. I nodded at Neenee and the opening bars of Alphaville’s “Forever Young” began to play.
With June’s hand in mine and her arm around my back, she dropped her head onto my chest and said, “A bit on the nose, isn’t it, Jesse?”
I shrugged but knew she had found it as funny as I did by the shaking of her shoulders. “It felt appropriate.” I kissed June’s head. “Eternally seventeen,” I said, and dropped my cheek to lay on her head. “Eternally yours,” I added and could tell June liked that better by the squeeze of her hand on mine.
We swayed, unable to do much more. I wanted to soak in every minute of this night. I didn’t know what would happen for us after this, didn’t know how much time we had together. But we would always have this night. We would always be joined as one.
As the song ended, Mom and Mr. and Mrs. Scott came over. Emily and Lucy were asleep on the benches at the side of the room. Mom kissed my cheek and hugged June. “I amso unbelievably happy for y’all. I’ll see you both tomorrow. I’d better get those two to bed.” She motioned to my sisters.
Mr. and Mrs. Scott gestured for us to follow them out into the hallway. I placed my arm around June’s back and helped her walk. My heart fell a little at how much of a struggle it seemed to be for her. It wouldn’t be long until she needed a wheelchair to get around. But I knew how determined she’d been to get through today unaided.
A flare of panic ran through me. Selfishly, I didn’t want to live a single day without her. Even if it took me only a few days to follow behind, every single minute without her would feel like a lifetime of loneliness.
“Jesse?” June said, moving her hand to my face. She was exhausted. I looked to Mr. Scott, and he must have seen it too by the worry lines on his face.
“I’m good, baby. Let’s just get to bed.” I didn’t want her to know I was worrying about her.
“Speaking of,” Mrs. Scott said, stopping at a bigger suite a few doors down from where we had previously been staying. June and I both looked at her in confusion.
Mrs. Scott opened the door, and we saw all of our things were there. A king-sized bed sat in the center, with June’s notebook full of our nearly finished happily ever after story on one bedside table and my sketchpad and pencils on the other.
“Mama?” June whispered, seeing the wall of my drawings that June had previously had in her room.
“Y’all are married now,” Mr. Scott said. “This is your new home. Together.”
I itched my nose to chase away the tickle of emotion that ran up it. “Thank you, sir,” I said, and shook his hand.
“Let’s get you both inside.” He could clearly tell we were exhausted. We had pushed ourselves too hard today, but it was all worth it.
“We’ll see y’all tomorrow,” June’s parents said, and shut the door behind us.
I helped June sit on the bed, and she drank it all in. It was beautiful. “Do you need help with your dress?” I asked, and June nodded.
She turned and I unbuttoned the long row of buttons that ran to the bottom of her spine. She slid the dress off until all that remained was a silk slip underneath.
Her cheeks blazed under my heavy attention. I peeled off my suit until I was down to my boxer briefs. We had already made love and slept in each other’s arms most nights. But this felt more intimate. It felt bigger somehow.
June yawned and I laughed. “That wasn’t at you,” she teased.
Pulling the covers back from the bed, I said, “Into bed, Junebug.”
“Are you trying to seduce me?” She attempted a terrible wink.
“Junebug,” I said, “we’re both on so much medication right now, we couldn’t do anything if we tried.” Her light peal of laughter rang around the room. I climbed in beside her, sliding her headscarf off and turning off the main light switch. Only the dull light of the beside lamp remained.
We faced each other and joined hands, content to just stare at one another.
