Page 116 of Grasp The Moment

“I thought you said it was close!”

She waves me off. “Psh… no! I said that I wonder if it’sclosed.”

Laughing her off, I follow behind her into the booth. I take a seat and smile when she plops down on my lap and holds out her hand for my card. Chuckling softly, I remind her, “You’ve had my wallet all day.”

“Oh, right!” She laughs at herself, pulling the wallet from her tiny shoulder bag and tapping my card on the reader before putting it back in her bag.

I watch as she picks the design for our photos. It’s cute how focused she is on picking the perfect picture frame for us.

“Pictures will begin in five…” the machine announces.

Georgia’s eyes widen as she looks between the camera and me before she grins. “Make a silly face!”

In an instant, I pull my arm around her body and stretch my smile with both of my pointer fingers while looking at her through the monitor. Georgia puckers her lips like a fish, squeezing her cheeks with her index finger and thumb as she crosses her eyes.

It takes everything in me not to laugh as she makes tiny noises, imitating a duck.

When the pictures snap, she immediately stares down the camera like an axe murderer.

“Are we supposed to do serious faces?” I question, grimacing and showing my teeth as she giggles, breaking character to point at the screen.

“Yes! Scowl, now!” she yelps, scowling at the screen, but my eyes are locked on her.

When the picture shows on the screen, she pauses, her eyes going round at the edges.

“You weren’t… You weren’t looking at the camera, silly.” She says, her voice rising in pitch as I smile at her, grasping her chin.

“Have I ever told you how much I love you?”

She smiles instantly, “Yes.”

“Good.”

I pull her in for a kiss, completely disregarding the camera as our lips lock. Our mouths move in a slow, languid dance. I can taste the sweet marshmallow flavoring on her tongue as it tangles with mine. Her fingers go from cupping my jaw to tangling in the strands of my hair, and when she tugs at it, I groan.

“Take me home?” she asks with a heavy breath as I press another quick kiss to her lips.

“I wouldn’t dream of doing anything else.”

43.Georgia

If Derek isthe king of being early and on time, then I am the absolute queen of being late. However, today of all days, I was the one who was ready before everyone else.

Derek and Delilah took at least an hour to get ready. Which I can understand for Deli, considering I’m the one who got her ready this morning, but Derek is a different case.

He says that he needs to be perfect for today. I told him that was his default, and now, after ten minutes of waiting in the car for him, we’re on the way to campus.

“Papá, I’m so excited!” Deli squeals from the backseat, kicking her legs.

“Is that right, Sunshine?” he asks, quickly eyeing her in the rearview mirror as she giggles.

I turn in my seat, smiling at Deli, causing her to giggle again.

Today’s our graduation day, and it’s safe to say that Delilah is more excited than the both of us combined. She’s been bouncing up and down since we told her we would walk acrossthe stage, and has asked different questions about graduating since.

Derek has traded his signature sweater for a button-up and trousers with the sleeves rolled up, and I’ve been drooling over him ever since he stepped in the car.

His hair is still damp from his shower and the product he put in. His glasses are a stony black, and he’s allowing his beard to grow, so now there’s a light dusting of hair, trimmed neatly on his cheeks.