Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 43536 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 218(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43536 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 218(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
“That’s exactly it,” I said, “I think we should do something, some kind of formal pledge that we’re in this together. That we’re your family now. That we’ll always be here for you, no matter what.”
She was crying. She didn’t even try to hide it. She just let tears roll down her cheeks before sniffing once bravely and reaching for our hands.
“I know from being in social work that families come in all shapes and sizes, but I never really, in my heart, thought I’d be part of one myself. So it’s amazing that you’d think of this and want to reassure me. It’s very sweet and romantic, and I love you both for it. But you don’t have to do this. There’s nothing we can really do to formalize it the way that monogamous couples do.”
“Now, I have this friend down at the station, Pedro, he does some metalwork in his free time. He even sells it at craft fairs. And I wondered if the two of you would want to wear rings. Like the three of us, with matching rings. I mentioned it to him, about maybe making us three rings and he had the idea to make them each out of three strands of silver twisted together. Like us,” I finished, waiting expectantly.
“I’d like that,” Rafe said finally.
“I want to wear your ring. I like the idea,” she said, and hugged me.
I wanted to see peace in her eyes, assurance that we loved her not just for today or this week, but for life. I wanted to give her that kind of commitment. It was a deep thrill to see her accept that, to let herself believe it was something she could have. I kissed the top of her head. She leaned against my shoulder, still holding both our hands, and the three of us sat in silence for a while, just letting it sink in. This was our life, the one we’d chosen and built with our own rules. And it was even more beautiful than I could have imagined.
14
Lexi
Growing up, I never thought of myself as lucky. In fact, I felt pretty sorry for myself a lot of the time—no family or real home, no best friends, not even a guarantee that I’d have a winter coat or rain boots when I needed them. Now it seemed like the universe had decided to settle up with me. That all the years I spent uncertain and lonely were the dues I paid to get to where I was now. It sounded dismissive of my unhappy childhood to say it all seemed worth it from where I was standing, but it was the truth.
Sometimes, you appreciated things more because you never dreamed you could have them. I figured it’s like if you grew up really poor and finally saved enough from your first job to make the down payment on a car. Like, you grew up riding the bus or walking and a car wasn’t something you were used to having—it was something that your richer, luckier friends had. But then you get one, and it’s not just a convenience, it’s like your own personal miracle.
That’s what Rafe and Leo were to me, my miracle.
So when Leo suggested we exchange rings, I thought it was sweet. A nice gesture, but one I didn’t really need. Still, when he said Pedro had the rings ready, I picked up a cake from the grocery store, and a bottle of sparkling wine just so we could celebrate, make it an occasion.
I kind of hoped no one read a poem or anything. Because I loved the idea of the commitment, but I felt a little bit like Leo was making a big deal out of this for my benefit, like I needed a ceremony or a secret handshake to make me feel like I was part of the family. I knew it deep down already. They’d kept vigil at my bedside. They’d taken me to depositions and doctor’s appointments and taught me what it was to be supported and nurtured and wanted, really, deeply wanted. The acceptance they’d shown me was unlike anything I’d ever known. It came with a bone-deep trust I had in Leo and Rafe. I could be vulnerable with them and silly with them and cuss a blue streak over Call of Duty with them. So the rings were kind of an afterthought for me, a formality on top of all the more meaningful parts of the relationship we’d formed together.
When I got home, I showered and changed. I felt the need to put on a dress. Not a wedding gown or something stupid, but a sundress with little yellow flowers on it. I put the cake out on a nice plate and set the table with it in the middle. I wondered whether I should put a candle on it, or three candles like one for each of us. I decided candles were overkill. I wondered if I was fussing too much, but Rafe came in with flowers. They were pink roses, a dozen of them.