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  “So,” Maria said as she poured glasses of iced tea. “How’s A-list life treating you?”

  “Well, only three people have mistaken me for an assistant,” Anna said, tossing her head. “I guess that means I’ve made it big.”

  “Always knew you would,” Marisol said fondly. “Dion loves your interviews, by the way. You always get the reporters eating out of your hand.”

  “It’s one of my finer skills.” Anna shrugged as she took a bite of bean and potato. “Years of having to steer the conversation away from intrusive questions, I guess. There’s nothing they can ask that I haven’t deflected a hundred times already.”

  “No one on set is giving you a hard time, are they?” Maria narrowed her eyes over her tamale. “I don’t have to make any formal complaints?”

  “Nah,” Anna said. “Everyone’s really great. It’s a pretty diverse cast and crew, and James basically got to hand-pick everyone, so it’s been a good experience. I’ve been really lucky.”

  “It’s not luck,” Maria protested. “It’s what you deserve. Everyone deserves a respectful work environment. And you’ve worked so hard for this, sweetheart! We’re all so proud of you.”

  She reached a hand across the table. Anna accepted it and gave it a squeeze. “Thanks, Ma. Couldn’t have done any of it without you guys.”

  “And don’t worry,” Maria continued. “No one else knows you’re here, so you won’t have to do any visiting. It’ll be an immediate-family-only visit.”

  “Yeah,” scoffed Marisol. “I’m sure you’ll be able to lie low, with the way gossip flies in this family. Guaranteed someone saw you and Pop driving home.”

  “I don’t mind,” Anna said. She leaned her head against Chris’ shoulder and snatched half a tortilla off her plate. “Let’s not fight it. Let’s just enjoy the quiet time together now while we have it.”

  * * * *

  After lunch, Chris and Anna visited the small non-denominational cemetery in the Pine Barrens where Anna’s parents were laid to rest. Chris drove, taking the back roads and keeping exactly to the speed limit. Anna’s navigation only got them lost one time, a personal record.

  They wandered along the shaded paths, hand in hand. Once they got to the Jacksons’ markers, William and Sharon Jackson stamped across plain brass and stone, they stopped. Chris stood behind Anna, arms wrapped around her middle and chin nestled on her shoulder.

  The vase at the head of the stone held Shasta daisies, only slightly wilted. Nick’s doing, most likely. Anna’s relationship with her parents had been strained. Bill and Sharon had tried their best to support their daughter, but while they had never outright condemned her, they’d never fully understood or accepted her, either. Maria and Nick had not approved of Anna’s treatment, but since their passing, Nick made a point to ensure their graves were properly kept up.

  Anna sighed and leaned her head against Chris’. “I miss them. Is that what I’m supposed to say?”

  Chris pulled her closer. “You aren’t supposed to say anything, if you don’t want to.”

  “It feels…strange,” Anna mused. “We were twenty when they passed. College kids. A whole different life. They never saw any of my plays or indie movies, they’ll never see me on the big screen. It’s like…I know people like to say that they wish their loved ones were here to see their success, or that they know they’d be proud if they were here, or whatever…but I don’t know that for sure, do I? And it doesn’t really matter. We weren’t close when they were alive. I’ve always known they didn’t fully get me. I got used to not being fussed about what they’d think. No point in changing that now that they’re gone.”

  Chris kissed her cheek. “You don’t need their approval. You’re kicking ass all on your own.”

  “Not on my own.” Anna rested a hand against Chris’ on her middle. “I’ve got you.”

  The leaves rustled as a welcome breeze ruffled through their hair. Chris closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of Anna’s soap. Jersey Girl scent, handmade from their favorite boutique on the boardwalk, coconut and sea salt mingling together.

  “So…” Anna shifted her weight to her left foot. “Have you thought at all about marriage lately?”

  Chris let out an incredulous chuckle. “Seriously, babe? You wanna talk about this now? In a graveyard?”

  “Hey!” Anna protested. “It comes up when it comes up! And what better time than now, as we contemplate life, and the loss thereof—”

  “Please,” Chris groaned, even as she laughed harder against Anna’s shoulder. “Spare me your faux intellectual ramblings.”

  “But they always make you smile!” Anna turned around so she could drape her arms over Chris’ shoulders and rest their foreheads together. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. Being apart made me want to be closer, I guess. I know we’ve hashed out the reasons to get it done, and I do want to be there for you, in all ways, forever, but…”

  She sighed and reached down to lace her fingers through Chris’. “I worry about being a good partner, too. James always talks about keeping your life separate from work, staying grounded and not getting caught up in the glitz and glamour of Hollywood bullshit. It’s all fake, and it’s poison if you get too drawn in. I can see that from where I’m standing now, of course, but I can also see how it’s a slippery slope, you know? And you’re doing so well right now.”

  “I’m not—”

  “You are.” Anna pulled Chris’ hand up to her lips and pressed a kiss against their joined fingers. “You’re doing amazing, babe. You have rough days, but you get through them. You always have time to cheer me up when I’m bored out of my mind on set. You’re dealing with the distance like a champ. And you’re thinking about your future, really weighing what you want instead of just diving back into where you used to be. I don’t want to hold you back.”

  Chris leaned in to kiss Anna, gentle but determined. “You could never hold me back. Baby, you’ve always been supportive of me.”

  “We’ve both always been pretty awesome at supporting each other, but our lives are getting more complicated now.”

  “All the more reason for us to make things official,” Chris pointed out. “I want to be there for the good and the bad.” She sneaked another kiss against Anna’s cheek. “Especially the good parts, though. And there’s always plenty of good parts when we’re together.”

  “Plenty of amazing parts, you mean!”

  “Absolutely,” Chris giggled. “And you know, I worry about being a good partner, too. Especially after everything that’s happened this past year. I’m in a good place now, but that’s not guaranteed. You know what my doctors say. Mental health isn’t something that gets cured. It’s something I have to take day by day.”

  Anna’s brow furrowed, and she bit her lower lip. “Do you not feel ready to take on marriage just yet? Or ever? I don’t mind waiting, or never doing it at all, if you think it’ll be too much pressure. Whatever you want, babe, we can work it out. We’re already family, nothing can change that.”

  “I know.” Chris took a deep breath. “I do feel ready. Coming back home…I needed this. Being with my family, helping with the wedding, tagging along on errands, just…being a part of their everyday lives, and them being a part of mine. It feels good. It’s like I’m finding pieces of myself that I hadn’t realized I’d lost.”

  “It’s like you’re finding your roots again,” Anna said softly. “We moved to California to strike out on our own, and now that we’ve sprouted our branches, we can tend to our roots.”

  “Wow, babe.” Chris laughed, but her heart leapt in her chest and she could feel those pesky tears brimming once more. “That’s so poetic.”

  “Another one of my talents,” Anna crowed. She pulled Chris closer and they stood together in silence for a few long moments, wound together. Eventually, Anna pulled back slightly and tapped a light kiss to the tip of Chris’ nose.

  “Let’s swing by the clerk’s office on the way home and pick up a m
arriage license. We get six months until it expires, so there’s no rush.”

  “Oh really?” Chris grinned. “Been doing some research, huh?”

  A sly grin appeared on Anna’s face. “Maybe so. You okay with that plan?”

  Chris sighed as Anna pulled her in for one last kiss. “Absolutely.”

  Chapter 5

  “Alright, the lasagnes are done.” Maria reached over and turned off the timer, then maneuvered two large lasagne trays—one with red sauce and meat, and one white vegetarian—out of the oven and onto the counter, where two trivets were ready and waiting. “They need to sit, so they’ll be ready whenever we are. The rolls are sliced, the salad’s already mixed, and Dion only needs five minutes for the green beans, so I think we’re all set. Unless you think we’re missing something?”

  “Ma, it’s just a family dinner,” Chris said. “If anything’s missing, someone can run out and pick it up. Calm down.”

  Maria shot her an unimpressed look. “There is no quicker way to rile someone up than to tell them to calm down. And I am calm. I’m just trying to keep things on point.”

  Chris raised an eyebrow. Maria had already rolled up at least fifteen sets of silverware into napkins, and the dining room table had been set with her abuela’s good dishes. This was out of character, but since Maria seemed committed to it being the norm, Chris declined to argue.

  Miraculously, dinner that evening would be only the immediate family. Chris wasn’t sure whether Maria had warned off the extended relatives, or whether they’d actually been able to fly under the radar about Anna’s arrival. Either way, Chris had enjoyed the quiet time.

  They’d returned from the cemetery yesterday with their marriage license tucked away safely in one of the notebooks that Anna always had on hand in her oversized bag. The rest of the evening had been spent debating pizza toppings, watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy for the millionth time, and laughing at the same jokes they made during every viewing.

  Watching Anna throw popcorn at Tony, then scramble to pick it up before Nick chided her about crumbs, made Chris happier than she’d felt in a long time. As much as they’d enjoyed their time alone together in California, it felt like it was time to come home.

  Dion had pulled her aside in between The Two Towers and Return of the King, while everyone refilled their drinks and argued over who got the last ice cream sandwich. “Listen,” he’d said, “you and Anna been giving any thought to sticking around? No pressure, I’m just wondering.”

  “Yeah,” Chris had replied. “Not sure of the details yet, but we’re thinking about it. Tony’s already gunning for World’s Best Tio, but World’s Best Auntie is still up for grabs, right? Anna and I need to put up a good fight.”

  “You’ll be getting some tough competition from my cousins,” said Dion with a chuckle, “but I’ve got faith in you, little sis.”

  Dion had wrapped his arm around Chris’ shoulders in a hug, then pulled back and continued. “Now like I said, no pressure, but if and when you decide you want to get back to work, and if you’re looking for something new, let me know. I got a few nonprofits in mind that could use your skills.”

  “Really?”

  “Absolutely,” Dion had affirmed. “You’re smart as hell, you’re organized, you get shit done, and you know how to handle people. I’m not coming to you with an ideal position right off the bat, but when you’re ready, we’ll talk.”

  Chris had thanked him and given him another hug. She’d never done any work outside of tech before, but she trusted Dion’s judgement. When she was ready to start making moves—which seemed more and more enticing every day—she knew he’d help to steer her in the right direction.

  “Christina!”

  Maria’s voice shook Chris from her daydreams. She looked over at her mother and blinked. “Huh?”

  “Go and get changed.”

  “What?”

  “Are you all right?” Maria asked. “I said, get changed. As in, change into something nice. I want to try and get some family pictures tonight. Something good enough for the mantle.”

  Chris was about to protest, but a quick glance down at her ripped pajama shorts and bleach stained T-shirt silenced her. Her hair was pulled back in a low bun, but half of it had come loose and been tucked haphazardly behind her ears. She was definitely not up to mantle picture standards.

  “And why don’t you shower, too?” Maria suggested. “So you can blow dry your hair, and use some of that coconut serum, get your waves all smooth and shiny.”

  Suspicion bloomed in Chris’ thoughts, especially when Maria smiled a bit too enthusiastically, but she pushed it aside and headed upstairs. Anna and Tony had been holed up in Tony’s rooms for the past hour, probably caught up in one of their epic gaming sessions. Dion and Marisol were in the living room going over the wedding seating charts, and Nick had run out to pick up pastries for dessert. The idea of a shower and some time to herself was appealing.

  She headed straight to the bathroom, cranked up the shower water to high heat, and shook out her hair before stepping in. Once she’d showered and taken care of her hair, she slipped on her robe and crept to her bedroom. She heard hushed voices and a clatter or two coming from downstairs, but nothing concerning.

  Chris was surprised to find an outfit laid out for her on the bed. Linen pants paired with a lacy camisole style top, with thick straps that would cover her bra straps. Both items were a shimmery cream color, and the top had some pearl accents that managed to be cute rather than over the top. She’d bought the pants last year on a weekend trip to San Diego, but she’d never seen the top before.

  Maria wasn’t usually so persnickety about appearances. Chris wondered if something was going on. Maybe Marisol and Dion were going to announce they were expecting, or maybe someone had gotten a promotion, or was retiring. Chris didn’t dwell much on the options. She’d find out soon enough. Instead, she dutifully put on the outfit, checked her reflection in the mirror—she never wore makeup, but she did apply a tinted lip balm—and headed downstairs.

  She paused at the bottom of the stairs. To her left, the kitchen was dark and empty. To her right, the dining room table was filled with candles, flickering in the dim light of the evening that filtered through the drawn shades. Music streamed from the living room at the front of the house; John Legend, it sounded like. Other than that, the house was silent.

  Slowly, Chris walked past the dining room table. The music got louder, and more candlelight illuminated her way as she got closer to the living room. As she entered the room, she turned to her left, and inhaled sharply.

  The living room had been completely transformed. The couches had vanished, replaced with spindly end tables filled with candles and white Gerbera daisies. The same daisies adorned the mantle, along with some tulle and more candles. Maria and Nick stood to the left, while Tony, Marisol, and Dion stood to the right.

  And in front of the mantle stood Anna, in a cream fitted jumpsuit with forest green accents. Her hair fell in waves around her face, trailing over one shoulder in a loose braid. She was smiling, but there was a nervous edge to her movements as she took a step forward.

  “Surprise, babe.” Her voice was low, hesitant. “You look gorgeous.”

  “Um.” Chris opened her mouth, closed it, then tried again. “Thank you? But what’s all this?”

  “A wedding,” Anna said simply. “If you want.”

  Chris’ heart leapt in her chest. Anna’s smile faltered as she took another step closer. “Or it can just be an engagement party, if you like? We’ve already got each other forever, no matter what, I don’t want to—oh!”

  Her words were cut off as Chris threw herself into Anna’s arms and kissed her soundly.

  “It can be a wedding,” Chris breathed. “I can’t believe—how long have you been planning this?”

  Anna shrugged. “Been on the back of my mind since the hospital. I knew we’d want something small and quick, but I wanted it to be special, so Mari and Ma did t
he decorations, Tony got ordained online, Pop cried a lot, and now…” She grinned and stuck a hand in her jumpsuit pocket. “Will you marry me?”

  A plain silver ring appeared in her grasp. Chris nodded and held out her left hand, and Anna slipped the ring onto her finger. “Now you do me,” Anna said, handing over a second ring.

  “Will you marry me, too?” The question was only halfway out of Chris’ mouth before Anna was sliding her finger through the ring. Chris laughed and clasped Anna’s hands. She heard the click of a camera as they kissed, salty with the tears that they’d both been shedding. From the muffled sobs coming from their left, it seemed that Nick had joined in as well.

  “Okay, hold up!” Tony moved to stand in front of the mantle. His short sleeved button down and grey slacks looked nice, but his bow tie was particularly garish, featuring a print of Frodo and the One Ring. Chris loved it.

  “You’re doing everything backwards,” Tony complained. “I’m supposed to marry you first, then you exchange vows and rings, then you kiss! Quit jumping the gun!”

  “Jump the gun all you want,” Marisol called out. “That lasagne smells too good to wait much longer!”

  “No lasagne until I get my pictures,” Maria retorted. “Dion, help me with this tripod, it keeps slipping down and I don’t want a headless family picture on the mantle.”

  Chris ignored the chaos around them and kissed Anna again. There were papers to sign and file, but she knew they’d work out the details eventually. As far as Chris was concerned, Anna was officially her wife starting from that first kiss, and she always would be, through every kiss yet to come.

  THE END

  ABOUT SAM COUSTE

  Sam lives in New Jersey between the beach and the Pine Barrens with a recovering academic and a maladjusted malamute. You can find Sam on Twitter chatting about writing woes, pizza, and Bucky Barnes.