On Valentine’s Day, just a few days before Max was born, Dylan serenaded me again to the band Train’s song, Marry Me.
“We’re already married,” I said, sighing at the lovely voice and words.
“For real this time. I want to say the vows in front of God and our friends and family and mean them.”
I started to cry, which I blamed partly on hormones, but mostly just because I was so overwhelmed with emotion.
“Yes. I will always marry you, Dylan.”
So here we were, joining our lives and hearts again, except this time it was for real. Because it was, Dylan insisted on making our own vows.
“Before I met you, Tessa, I’d given up on the idea of love. I didn’t believe in it or trust it. Even when you came into my life and loved me, I couldn’t let myself accept it. But now I know that all my life I’d been waiting for you. All those times I’d hoped to find someone to love me unconditionally, to accept my imperfections and see the man I could be even though I couldn’t see it, that someone was you, Tessa. Thank you for making my dream come true.”
There was an audible sigh from our guests. I wiped away a tear. He could be so wonderfully romantic. Now it was my turn to share what was in my heart.
“The minute I met you, my heart and soul were yours, and all I wanted was to love you. Thank you for letting me love you, and for loving me back. Right here, right now, with you and Maisie and Max, and our family and friends, this is all I need. I want to spend every day letting you know how much I love you. How much you deserve to be loved. How much I love our family and how you love us.”
This time when we kissed, it wasn’t for show; the groom kissing the bride. It was a man and a woman joining their lives into one.
“I love you, Tessa.” Every time he said it, from that first day on the walkway of my parents’ home, it made my heart turn cartwheels.
We had a little reception, but then we left Max with my parents and drove Maisie with us to Manhattan for a visit with her mother while we celebrated our marriage renewal. One good thing that came from our little family unit was that my parents took on the role of grandparents for Maisie, and Veronica supported that. As a result, whenever Maisie was with her mother in New York City, they’d always arrange to get together.
Like the first time, our honeymoon would be short, but that was mostly because I wasn’t ready to spend a week away from Max. Dylan had suggested a tropical honeymoon, but I wanted to go back to the hotel where we had our last one.
“I want to redo that day, only this time do it right.”
“Was it wrong the first time? Because I remember having a very orgasmic honeymoon,” Dylan joked.
“It wasn’t wrong, but this time I want to be able to tell you that I love you when I suck your dick.”
He was more than happy to oblige me. And this time, we did do it right. He carried me over the threshold, setting me down near the table with a bottle of champagne waiting. The couch was by the window, suggesting Dylan had called ahead to make arrangements.
“You spoil me,” I said when he handed me the flute of champag
ne.
“I want you to be happy. I don’t want you to ever question my love for you.”
“I am happy.”
“To happiness,” he said, raising his glass. I clinked mine with his and then drank my entire glass.
His brow rose. “Thirsty?”
I shook my head. “I want to show you something.” After my first wedding, the honeymoon was just for show. I hadn’t made plans to sleep with him, even though it had happened. This time, I came prepared. I reached back to unzip my dress, watching Dylan’s eyes darken as I pulled my arms from the sleeves and let the dress drop to the floor.
“Holy fuck.” Immediately, his dick made an impression on the front of his pants.
“Do you like it?” I looked down at the pretty lace push up bra with matching panties. But I knew that wasn’t what had him going. It was the garters and stockings.
I was right last year when I said that men were a slave to their primal nature. But I’d learned that while a lot could make a man erect, not all sex was the same. Joining two bodies in an act of love went beyond nature into something deeper.
His finger traced the edge of the stockings and then up the little garter belt. “I like it a lot. I think I just came in my pants.”
I looked at the significant bulge in his pants. “If you did, you’re hard again.” I reached out to undo his belt.
“Let me do it. Seriously, I could come in an instant.”