Page 61 of The Score

"Oh, Papá," I whisper.

"You're a beautiful bride, hija." He kisses my cheek. "I'm so proud of you."

He helps me onto the small dais where the ceremony will take place.

He stares up at Bear. "Every time I imagined this moment, I thought I'd crack a joke. Now I find that all I want to say is that I'm proud of you, too. I'm grateful it's you here with my daughter. There's no one I'd rather have as a son-in-law."

"I'll take care of her." Bear's voice isn't too loud, just for my dad and I.

I think he's feeling a swell of emotion, too.

"I know," Dad says. "That's why I'll save the jokes for the speeches later."

He brings our hands together and goes to find his place next to my mom in the front row.

All feelings swirling inside settle when I gaze up at Leon. His smile brims with so much tenderness, I can't help but trust everything will be all right.

"You look beautiful," he says.

"You look very handsome," I reply.

He smirks to hide a wide smile. "Let's do this."

We asked the officiant to keep it simple, and her first words go by quickly. She mentions the gift of marrying your best friend, and the miracle of finding your forever love in someone that has been there with you through it all. The words settle inside of me in that space where my affection for Leon lives. They glow and, with their light, they ink new words into a book that feels like a sacred text. Ancient and delicate, full of powerful truths about being alive.

But soon it's time for the vows, and butterflies take hold of my stomach.

Evie passes me my notes. I unfold the thick watercolor paper I used to write everything down, take a deep breath, and stare up to Bear.

"Leon." I smile. "You know me better than anyone else, so you won't be surprised to hear that I never thought I'd marry. In fact, I made several very public declarations that insisted I didn't care enough for romance to keep looking— and I really didn't care. So I stopped looking. Now imagine my surprise when I started planning this wedding, and choosing a dress, and telling people I was your fiancée, and I was happy. I'm so happy to be doing this with you. Who better to promise things to than the kid who moved-in next door twenty years ago and never left my side?"

My throat tightens. It's a surprise, but I ignore it. I'm taken by the soft way in which Leon looks at me.

"Bear, you're one of the best people I know. With your generosity, loyalty, perseverance… I'm the luckiest person alive. That's why I promise I'll give back by taking care of your heart. I will do everything in my power to make sure you get everything you've ever dreamed of. We'll keep going on adventures together, and I'll be an ear when you need one, and I'll stay here, caring about your happiness as much as my own. Maybe even a bit more than that. You need someone who puts you first, too."

I fold my piece of paper again and give it back to Evie. My heart skips every other beat. This is so real, maybe too real, and I'm starting to believe every word of it.

Oh. My. Well, the words were true. All of them. The feeling in my chest glows, and I'm so happy I could burst, so I won't ruin this by remembering it's supposed to end one day. Emotion fills Bear's eyes, and my body echoes every ounce of them.

"Penélope Duarte," the officiant says. "Do you take Leon Karlsen to be your spouse?"

"Yes, I do."

The officiant gives me Leon's grandfather's ring and I place it on his finger. Those feelings in my chest— they multiply.

I take a shaky breath and chuckle. I didn't expect to respond like this.

Bear studies me. His eyes search mine. I blink a few times, and smile to reassure him.

Everything is okay. Very okay. More than okay. I can let myself feel this joy. No need to worry about believing in this too much, so much so that I reach a place I can't come back from. Everything is under control.

"Leon, please share your vows," the officiant says.

Bear nods and clears his throat. "Pen. The moment your parents came to introduce themselves to the new neighbors with you in tow, we were inseparable. You invited me to play with you in your backyard and it set us on a path that led right here to this moment. There's nothing I would change about our history, because marrying you feels right."

I can't help it. I grab his sleeve between my fingers. Like I need reassurance back, and only his proximity will achieve the kind of peace I crave.

Blue flames flicker intense in his eyes. "There are people who make the world a better place just by being in it. Pen, you're one of them. I admire your openness to life, your determination to make it be everything you want and never settle for less, and how you care for community and connection. How one day you met this kid next door and never let go. Like you claimed me for yourself and that was it. We'd be friends forever. You can't imagine how much that has always meant to me."