Page 122 of Resisting Isaac
Someone sniffles back tears. It might be my mom. Or my aunt. Hell, it might be me.
“Number three. There will never come a day where I don’t give you everything I am. There may be days it’s not much or not enough, but I swear on everything sacred, that I will do everything in my power every day to make you happy. Because I see you, Elena Maria Ortega. Your strength, your fierce unbreakable spirit, and your beautiful, guarded heart. And I see that you deserve the world. And I am going to spend the rest of my life doing my best to give you the love, life, respect, and happiness that you deserve.”
Oh God, was that number three? I hope so, because if he’snot almost done, I’m doomed. My eyes are filling, and my vision is blurring. I don’t think anyone here has seen me cry since I was a small child.
As if he’s trying to push me over the emotional edge, Isaac squeezes my hands. “Those were my three real things. And these are my vows.” He tucks the napkin away, and looks deeply into my eyes.
“I vow not to take you for granted or take for granted the fact that you trust me.. And that’s the greatest thing anyone’s ever given me. I will never stop earning that trust. Not for a single day. I vow to show up, even when I mess up. To tell you the truth, even when it’s hard. To be your safe place, your soft place to land, and to bring you your favorite snacks when your blood sugar is low and you’re cranky.”
Someone laughs but I have to dab my damn eyes. I widen them at him as if to saywhat are you doing?
Clearly, this man missed thefakewedding memo.
He’s not deterred by mystop this immediatelyglare either.
“I vow to build a life with you where our kid never wonders what love looks like. They’ll see it, every damn day, in the way I look at you. Because you’re the one for me, Elena. The realest thing I’ve ever known. And if you’ll let me—I’ll spend forever proving it.”
More sniffles from the crowd.
I have to compose myself to recall the vows I memorized on the way here.
“Wow, I wish I’d have known your vows were going to be so eloquent. I would’ve gone first so I didn’t have to follow that.”
Isaac winks at me. I resist the urge to wipe my sweaty palms on my dress.
Damn him.
“You, Isaac Logan, are on my list of three real things every day. And yeah, sometimes it’s because I want to throw things at you.” I smile up at his tall frame. “But mostly because I have always been full of darkness, and you, you are the sun. You make every moment of my life brighter—whether I want you to or not.”
My mouth twitches like I might cry and fuck me, I did not know I was going to feel like this.
I suck in a deep breath and say the words as quickly as I can manage. “You taught me that being strong doesn’t always mean standing alone. That rest isn’t weakness. That softness doesn’t make me less fierce. You take care of me when I’m sick. You hold space for me when I need it.”
I glance over at my mom and dad, and I see a new side to them. The side where they committed to a hard life together, where they didn’t bail on each other when it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. And it never was.
“I didn’t grow up watching fairy tales,” I admit. “I’ve never expected anyone to ride up on a fancy horse and save me. I grew up watching my parents work themselves to the bone. I watched my mom count every penny and my dad fight for every breath. And I learned that love—real love—wasn’t some fluffy dream in a white dress. It was keeping someone warm when the heat got cut off. It was spending your last twenty dollars on their medication instead of your own.”
I wave my hand around at the flowers and my family. “I never let myself hope for something like this. For a soulmate. For someone who would have my back and make me laugh. Until you.”
He blurs before me and I’m crying.
What is happening to me?
This has to be pregnancy hormones.Has to be.
“You saw the real me when I was trying hard not to be seen. You didn’t give up when I made you work for every inch. You made me feel like I wasn’t too much. Like maybe, for you, I was exactly enough. So these are my vows.”
My voice trembles and my hands shake and I might as well be standing up here stark naked in front of everyone for how exposed and raw I feel. But I push through, saying words I hadn’t planned and meaning them.
“I vow to meet you halfway, even when I’d rather win the argument. I vow to kiss you like it’s the first time, every time. I vow to be the best partner that I can be. Even when I’m tired. Even when I’m scared. Because you make me feel special when the world makes me feel small. You never ask me to shrink to fit beside you. And for the record? I never dreamed of a wedding. But if I did, the view from where I’m standing would look exactly like this. Like you. I don’t know if I need to make my lists anymore because you’re my real thing, Isaac. And the person who reminds me that I’m real. That I’ll never disappear. And I hope you always will be.”
“I will be,” he says solemnly, his own eyes watering.
We exchange the rings. His is a vintage silver band I found in a market stall a few hours ago. Mine is something Ivy helped him pick out last-minute—simple, delicate, vintage. The exact kind of thing I would’ve chosen if this were real.
Somehow, they match perfectly.
We agreed that this was for show, but I suddenly feel guilty that his family isn’t here.
