I enjoy watching the chefs because I’ve never cooked anything besides eggs and bacon on the stove— minimal effort, low-tech stuff. Stella texts me that she’s on the way home, which could mean that she’s right around the corner or a mile away. You wouldn’t think there would be that big of a difference, but California traffic is maddening, and something that could take ten minutes will take an hour with traffic.
“Here.” I see a text from her a few moments later, and I quickly jump to my feet, glide over to the door and wait by it for a few minutes. When I hear her key slide into the lock, I unlock the door for her and pull it open. Her eyes go wide with shock, and then she sees the baggage by the door.
“What’s this?” She eyes it then me with skepticism.
“You’ll have to wait to find out.”
“Um—”
“I mean… you’ll have to wait because it’s yours— they’re yours—“
“What is happening?” She laughs, brows upturned in amusement. I clear my throat and take a deep breath.
“We’re going on a honeymoon!” Her eyes go wide, and a smile deepens on her pink lips.
“Wait when?”
“Starting tomorrow morning, we are going for an entire week!”
“Where?”
“That’s also a surprise.” She pauses for a moment, looks at the suitcases again, and back at me with a grin before throwing her arms around me. I pick her up off her feet and close the front door.
“I’m so excited.” She mumbles into my neck. I place her on her feet when we’re in the kitchen, and she notices the truffle smell floating through the room.
“No way,” She gasps, and the chef chuckles.
“I heard you like truffles?” He asks in a thick French accent.
“Um, yes.” Stella quickly nods, and he pours us both a glass of wine while we wait for dinner.
“This goes perfectly with the notes in truffle. Please enjoy.” He bows out of our way and continues to shake something in a pan over one of the stoves.
“How did I get so lucky?” Stella rests her head on her fists, batting her long lashes at me.
“I’ve been asking myself the same thing every day since before I even realized how deeply I love you.” I chuckle and take a sip of my wine. She rests her head on my shoulder, and everything is right in the world. There is no place I would rather be than beside her. It’s dangerous, how deeply I love her. I’m completely exposed in front of her, lost in her like a never-ending, infinite string of passion so world-shifting I begin to question reality apart from her. She’s every twinkling star, a beauty that never fades. Everything about her is shiny. I think I’m the night sky— dark and all-encompassing, holding her until the end of time.
That’s why when she asks me if we’re forever, my answer is always, “Yes, we are most definitely forever.”