More Than Hate You (More Than Words)

Yeah, I haven’t had a chance to fill my mother in, so bless Sloan for not saying that we’re rivals…or that she married me for business reasons more or less against her will.

“That’s impressive. Sebastian said you’re very smart.” Mom gives my wife the kind of proud smile she would any of her kids. “And obviously ambitious.”

“Very,” I assure her.

“That’s great. My son is, too. In fact, I would have sworn he was too busy to ever get married. Hopefully you two aren’t so wrapped up in your careers that you put off having kids forever.”

“Mom…”

“What? You’re over thirty. It’s time to think about the future. Your youngest sister is barely twenty-five, and she’s going to beat you to parenthood.”

“It’s not a race,” I volley back.

Mom turns to Sloan. “What about you? Do you want children?”

“I’d love to have kids,” my wife says. “Probably in a few years.”

After we’re divorced—at least in her mind. And that will be over my dead body.

“It’s not a bad idea to enjoy each other and marriage for a while.” Then Mom’s smile falters. “In retrospect, I wish my ex-husband and I had.”

Suddenly, Keeley approaches, plastic smile in place. “The bride and groom for our noon wedding just informed me that they need to be here a bit early so the bride can be sewn into her dress.”

Sewn? Is that a thing? “How early?”

“In two and a half hours.” Her smile almost looks manic now.

“You need this place picked up by then?”

Keeley nods. “And reset for their wedding.”

In other words, there’s no time for small talk. We need to get this reception started so we can wrap it up. Fine by me since I’m eager to be alone with Sloan. “Got it.”

“Everything okay?” Mom sends a questioning stare my way.

“Yeah. We just need to kick off the festivities,” I tell her, then I take Sloan’s hand. “You ready, wife?”

“Yes…husband.”

Sloan doesn’t look ready, but I can’t refute her. Hell, I can’t even spend the time to reassure her. All I can do is stay by her side until she realizes what’s between us is right.

Isn’t that a metaphor for our marriage?

“We’ll finish catching up with you in a bit, Mom.”

With Keeley leading the way, I guide Sloan to the front of the lanai where the bride and groom chairs have been offset from the others. Evan sits on my right, Nia to my wife’s left.

After a rushed breakfast, my best friend’s heartfelt toast, and a whole lot of clinking of glasses demanding that Sloan and I kiss, the deejay starts spinning tunes. We take the middle of the floor for our first dance to Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud.” It’s fitting since I’m pretty sure I’ll love this woman until I’m seventy—and beyond.

But in the back of my head, I hear Hey Violet’s “Like Lovers Do,” warning me that she considers love another four-letter word. It’s very like her to think that life is no fairytale, so it’s time to pay up.

Somehow, I have to change her mind.

“We’re married,” I whisper in my wife’s ear.

“I still think you’re insane.”

I smile as much for everyone watching as I do for my wife. “You went along with it, so what does that make you?”