Page 46 of The Vow

“To you kicking that guy’s ass.”

“I’ll drink to that,” I said. “You’ll come to the fight?”

“I’m not missing another one. Now stop leaving me in suspense! How’s it taste?”

I ate the fatty piece of juicy meat that was resting on my fork and made the face. “The face” is what Alex called it the first time she witnessed it. Whenever I make the face, it means I just had a culinary orgasm.

“Succulent.”

“Yeah?”

Wordlessly, I traced the air around my face, as if to ask, “Isn’t it obvious?”

“Thank Goodness.”

“You did great, baby.” She was drinking faster than me and barely eating. I picked up the wine bottle on the table, briefly read the label, and refilled her glass. “This is a good wine.”

“I was saving it for a special occasion.”

“Then why didn’t we save it?”

“Because this is a special occasion.”

I know her birthday isn’t until December. I racked my brain trying to think of the reason why this day was special, but there was nothing in my mental filing cabinet.

“I’m sorry. I think I forgot what day this is.”

“No, you didn’t. Put down your fork.” Alex held my hand, and said, “It’s not about marking the day. It’s a special occasion because every day is special with you. You held me up when I was ready to fall. You make me feel safe. You make me feel whole, and you completely changed my life. You also...”

“What, baby?”

“You made me realize that I can still love someone with all my heart. Just because a heart is broken, doesn’t mean it’s dead.”

When I was old enough to have an adult conversation with ma, I asked her if she ever thought about getting married again. Her answer surprised me. She had said that maybe she would, if the right man came along. Then she told me a story about pop, and the day he lost his wedding ring. He had been afraid to tell my mother, thinking she’d be angry, but she simply told him, “Why would I be mad? Does it mean we’re no longer married?” Ma said she’d always be my father’s wife, and as for pop, he’s an angel, and angels don’t get jealous. Ma never did meet the right man, but with Alex sitting in front of me, looking ethereal, I struggled not to cry. She chose me.

“I love everything about you,” I said, brushing my thumb across her lips, “including your beautiful, smart mouth.” I winked at her so that she knew I was teasing. “Sometimes, you scare the shit out of me, like tonight. But that’s what gives me a reason to get out of bed in the morning. You’re spunky, and spontaneous, and I can’t imagine my life without you. I never want to imagine my life without you.”

“When did you fall in love with me?”

“The second I first laid eyes on you.”

“Come on. Be serious.”

“I am being serious. You’re a force of nature, Alex. Love has eluded me all my life. Even my mother was starting to worry about me. But now I know that I wasn’t meant to fall in love before now. It was only ever supposed to be you, and every day, I fall deeper in love with you.”

“How deep can you go?”

“Pretty deep, apparently.”

There was nothing reflected in her eyes except sheer love, and a raw hunger. Alex drained her glass and scraped her chair across the floor. She extended her hand. I took it and felt her warmth. “We’ll heat up dinner later,” she said, leading me to the bedroom. “I need you. Now.”

The morning sun shone through the kitchen window. I made coffee and said a prayer, thanking God for bringing her to me. We had left the dishes in the sink, unconcerned with how the house looked, but I made sure to clean up so that Alex didn’t have to. By the end of the night, we had opened three bottles of wine. I took them to the garage where I keep the empties and next to two large, black garbage bags, I found a receipt on the ground from Giuseppe’s Deli & Catering. Instead of being upset that she lied and pretended to cook for me, I folded that receipt to put in my wallet and vowed that I would never in my life tell her that I found it. I would take the secret to my grave. It represented the lengths she would go to just to please me, and I couldn’t think of a single more romantic gesture.

Seventeen

“Who put this shit on?”

Cable hobbled over to the radio and punched it before turning it off. Stan, who’s been on the receiving end of Cable’s tirades, rolled his eyes. I was in a great mood, despite the stench in the locker room. The arena manager told me that it was probably caused by the decaying carcass of a dead skunk, but they haven’t found the body.