Page 120 of Memories Like Fangs
When he saw us, he shrieked over our excitement, “You knew?!”
“Of course, we did!” I cackled. “You think Eevee could do this all on his own?!”
While Everett rolled his eyes, Teddy laughed before grabbing my hands. “Please tell me you’re going to help me plan this wedding, Byrdie! I don’t care what the budget is for you, I need your assistance!”
“She’s definitely helping. It’s part of her duties as my Best Woman after all.”
I squealed, pulling both of them into a tight hug. “I already knew I would be, but I can’twait! I already have so many ideas, swatches, and appointments made!”
Everett muttered while glowing with happiness, “What have I done?”
As Teddy went around hugging everyone, I overheard Ayrie whisper to Xander, “Remember the boat when you were seasick and still proposed?”
He groaned, “I was trying to be romantic, Air!”
“Hey, you succeeded.” She kissed his cheek.
Nearby, Simone was curled into Cole, dabbing her eyes with a napkin not to smear her makeup. Cole didn’t say anything outright to her, but the way he looked at her… I could easily see the wheels turning in his mind for their future. Maisie, Nat, and Cody were content, laughing. They enjoyed this moment, and they were okay with the solid steadiness of their company.
Oh, and Quinn?
She kissed the top of my head so softly, so reverently, that it made tears well in my eyes. They weren’t from sadness, though. It was fromlonging. This moment. This ordinary yet extraordinary happiness? I wanted this. The joy. The peace. The back-and-forth love. The soft kisses between deciding on wedding colors and what to serve for dinner. The commitment to be with this person as they grow and to choose to love them every single day as they do. I wantedallof it. I wanted the regular as much as the supernatural of life that normal had to offer.
As servers came around with flutes of champagne for us to celebrate, it was easy for me and Quinn to maneuver to the outskirts of the group and give my Uncle and future Uncle-in-law space, while everyone else drifted forward to congratulate the newly-engaged couple. Quinn and I sipped our drinks, leaning on one of those standing tables overlooking the ongoing fireworks.
“Have you thought about how you would want to get proposed to?” Quinn whispered in my ear for me to hear over allthe noise. Her warm breath caressed my ear like she had tucked one of my locs behind it.
I raised an eyebrow. “Proposedto? What ifIwant to do the proposing?”
Quinn leveled me with a look that those questions deserved. “You? The femme in this relationship?”
My jaw dropped. “Excuse me! Femmes can propose, too!”
“Absolutely, they can.” Quinn put a hand on her chest like she was offended. “But, why would you emasculate me that way, Sweetness?”
I laughed. “I would never!”
Quinn laughed, too. “You are the most adorable brat, I swear. You love traditional romantic bullshit, babe. As much as you hate the patriarchy, you love a butch/femme dynamic and need to be treated like an absolute princess.”
“I feel so seen.”
“So, my question still stands.”
“You know, I actually have no idea. I haven’t really thought about it.”
Quinn’s eyebrows fly up. “Really?Youhaven’t thought about it?”
I chuckled. “ I know, I know. The hopeless romantic hasn’t thought about her proposal is wild work. Sure, I have saved so many ideas on Pinterest, but I don’t want my proposal to be something generic that you can find through a Google search or that doesn’t make sense for the relationship I’m in, you know? I want my proposal and wedding to be a culmination of our journey there. Whether that’s in public or private, elaborate or simple, whatever, I just want it to be fitting and surprising.”
Quinn nodded. “Good to know.”
It was my turn to raise my eyebrows. “Oh, so you are saying you are thinking of proposing?”
Quinn smiled slowly. “I would love to wife you upeventually, yes.”
My brain came to a screeching halt with a record scratch. The only thing running there was a smaller version of me screaming in pure exhalation. It was a wonder that I was able to speak at all when I said, “R-r-really? Do you have a ring already?”
“I didn’t say that, Sweets.”
