Lib Novel Page 107
“It works for babies,” I say. “Makes them forget what they were doing. I thought it would help you stop crying.”
“You’re an ass,” she laughs.
She collects herself, then addresses the crowd. “I have no idea how to top that, but I guess this isn’t a competition. Here I go.”
She brings out her own piece of paper, but this one looks old and weathered, as if she’s been holding this for years.
“Many of you know my cousin Jordy. We’ve been close since we were young, and our favorite movie of all time is Practical Magic. There was this one night we watched the movie, and Jordy thought it would be a great idea to come up with our own lists for the man of our dreams.”
“Oh my God, the list,” Jordy laughs behind her. “I thought you lost it!”
Nina turns around, shooting Jordy a grin. “Not exactly,” she says, then she continues.
“The thing is, I had just experienced something that convinced me I would never fall in love. So, just like the lead character, I came up with things that were so specific, there was no way any guy would match up. I’d like to read that list for you now.”
Nina unfolds the paper, and I nervously watch her, not sure what to expect.
“He will make me feel safe,” she reads, then looks at me. She doesn’t lower her gaze back to the list as she shares the rest.
“He will call me Sugar. He’ll like country music, and he’ll have a good singing voice. He cares for animals.” She smiles at me, then cups my face. “He has deep dimples, and he listens with his eyes and his ears. He has ties to San Francisco where my grandmother met my grandfather.” She smiles softly, while my jaw drops. Then she moves her hands to my hair, tugging on my curls. “He will have curls I can wind my fingers through.” Then she looks at everyone in the crowd. “He’ll like Tony Bennett, just like my grandmother did.” She looks at me then. “Just like the song you chose for me to walk down the aisle.” She smiles and takes my hand. “My love for you started with this list before I even knew you. When I met you, I recognized you immediately, but I couldn’t tell you, because it’s all so crazy, right? Except, it isn’t. Every day I’m with you, I’m introduced to a new kind of magic that can only exist within the safety of loving you. Because my love started with that list, but every day I’ve learned so many more things to love about you. Still, I can’t help feeling like that list is a sign that our love was written in the stars.”
I am speechless at this. At the list, at everything she said, at how obvious fate had a hand in our meeting.
“You really wrote that list when you were young?”
“She really did,” Jordy pipes in. She looks at Nina. “Oh my God. It was Brayden this whole time.”
The realization takes my breath away. It’s a sign. I have believed Nina was the one since that very first day. But hearing her list, something she came up with years before she met me? It just solidified the meaning of our union.
“I love you so much,” I say.
“I’m not finished,” Nina returns with a grin. “I still have vows, you know.”
I remain quiet, but I’m bursting with so much love for this woman, I can barely contain myself.
“Brayden James Winters, I don’t have a long list of promises to give you. All I can promise is that, in everything I do, from the most mundane of chores, to any arguments we may have, to the good and bad times, the hard and easy times, and every other time in between, I promise to do it all with love for you in my heart. I will remain grateful that you chose me, and I chose you to love in this life, and I will never take that for granted. I promise to stay by your side, to support you and accept your support, and to love you through all your strengths and faults, and accept your love in all of mine. I promise to love you loyally and fiercely—as long as I shall live.”
“Sweetheart,” I breathe, taking her hands in mine. I don’t even bother wiping away the tears. There’s more where those came from.
My dad clears his throat, and Nina and I shoot watery grins at each other.
“Before we get to the good part, I thought I’d find an Italian prayer to honor Nina’s heritage, and this one fits the bill,” my father says. He clears his throat, then continues.
“Brayden and Nina,
“Now you will feel no rain,
“For each of you will be the shelter to the other.
“Now you will feel no cold,
“For each of you will be the warmth to the other.
“Now there is no more loneliness for you,
“Because now you are no longer lonely.
“Now you are two bodies,