I hold my phone out, our faces appearing as she glares at me. “You’re serious?”
“Yes. Smile, hold up your hand.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
She laughs before grinning at the phone and holding up her left hand. Pressing my lips to her cheek, I take the picture and then look at it. She looks so blissful, so in love, and this is my wife. My forever.
“It’s cute.”
“Yeah, it’s getting framed,” I say with a wink before going on to Facebook and uploading it, tagging her with the caption: Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Sinclair. #wifey
“You dork!”
I grin as I look back at the picture. Man, we look so ecstatic. So unified and perfect. Her eyes are full of the promise of forever. And even though my eyes are shut tightly as my lips press to her cheek, I know what I’m feeling and it’s nothing but love for this woman. As I stare at our picture, I know we have nothing to worry about.
We’ve got this.
Or at least, I hope we do.
I feel on top of the world.
If I thought I loved Jace before this crazy day, nothing compares to the way I feel about him right now. Looking at the picture of us on Facebook, I can’t stop smiling as he drives back to campus, singing badly to the radio. We look so damn content and it isn’t a lie. We are, and the comments are so sweet. Everyone is so happy for us. Yet, I’m waiting for a comment from my family.
I hate that I don’t have the balls to call and tell them. I want to scream it from the rooftops, but I know they won’t care. They would be more mad than anything, and I don’t need that negativity in my life. I’m so happy right now, and I don’t want them ruining that. They aren’t like Jace’s family, and they won’t support us like they have. So screw ’em. I don’t need them.
The pathetic part of me may still want them, but I don’t need them.
I have Jace.
I have our baby.
My God, I still can’t believe how today went down. I thought today was going to be the worst day of my life. Instead, it’s the best. I’m still freaking out a bit, but like Jace has said, it feels right. It feels natural. Crazy, but perfect. With a grin on my face, I go to shut my phone off, but it starts to ring.
It’s my mom.
Jace looks over at me and I suck in a breath. “Shit, it’s my mom.”
“You gonna answer it?”
Damn it. Nodding, I hit answer. “Hello?”
“Avery, what did you do?”
“What?”
“Don’t what me, young lady. Your brother just sent me a picture of you and your boyfriend from Facebook, and apparently, it means you got married!”
“I did,” I say as strongly as I can.
Jace’s hand slides into mine as my mom cries out. “Are you insane? Why? Why would you do that?”
“I’m pregnant.”
“Oh God, Avery, what in the world? Why are you ruining your life? I thought you were smarter than that. Do you know how embarrassing this is?”
“Embarrassing?”