Reckless

“Winter Hamilton, will you marry me?”
I smile through the tears. “Would hate to make a liar out of you after how long you’ve been telling people you’re going to marry me.”
He winks at me. “When you know, you know.”

“That night we were reckless.” His voice cracks. “But god, I’d be reckless with you over and over again if it means ending up here.”

It strikes me that perhaps I’m not an easy woman to love, but Theo does it so effortlessly that I feel like I could be. Like I deserve to be.

“Anything you want to say to this future wife of yours tonight, Silva?”
I don’t need to think twice.
I hold the mic up to my lips and murmur, “Te vivo.”
It’s better than “I love you”.
It’s more accurate.
It’s us.

“Am I fucking you like a princess or a slut later?”
And just before she kisses me, she chuckles and responds with, “I don’t care as long as you fuck me like I’m yours.”

The woman everyone told me was cold, mean, and unavailable is so thoroughly mine.
And that’s special. That’s everything.

No, Winter may not say the words, but she expresses her love in different ways. She embodies it so effortlessly.

“New rule, you only train people who are less pretty than me.”
His eyes do a dramatic roll. “That’s everyone, Tink. You’ve ruined me. Don’t you get it? I only see you. You’ve got all my attention. Every last bit of it.”

“Da!”
My head whips back to Vivi, but she’s pointing at Peter.
I decide I will never tell Theo that I’m fairly certain she said dog before Dad.

But I get the sense he isn’t only staring at Vivi. He’s staring at me too. His girls.