Allie angled her head back just a fraction, enough to catch half of Barra’s face. Her short hair suited her better. Honestly, Allie couldn’t imagine it any other way. “You think so?”
“I know so,” Barra said, nodding. Then she spun Allie around so she was facing her fully and rested her hands at her waist. Her fingers were like pleasant little anchors, keeping her fromfloating away into the mess of it all. “Why do you still seem stressed?”
“I just want it to be perfect,” Allie replied. “Tilly, Toph, Val, and June are coming, and I want them to think I’m more than just the woman who let Elodie pee on her leg.”
Barra’s laugh bounced off every exposed brick and glass pane and landed somewhere in Allie’s chest. It made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. Which, honestly, had kind of become her baseline. She felt perpetually warm and fuzzy these days. Ever since Barra had proposed to her at that Final Sending, ever since Allie had somehow won the title ofUltimate Outlast Her. Although she had to admit that winningOutlast Herhad paled in comparison to the engagement. Everything had changed for them the moment they’d made the decision to stop pretending that distance would be the thing that could keep them apart.
They were swallows now, wintering in LA, summering in New York, with the occasional flight in between when work or family and friends demanded it.
“And it will be perfect,” Barra said. “It’s already perfect.”
Allie moved out of Barra’s arms and walked around the room. The space was beginning to feel more like her space, just like her life was beginning to feel more like their life. Barra was right. Things were already perfect.
“Do you remember when you said that once the gallery opening is done, we’ll finally set a date for our wedding?” Barra said after Max had stepped back from one of the plinths and declared that he couldn’t work another second without an iced matcha.
“I do remember,” Allie said, rolling her eyes but still smiling at the same time.
Barra laughed. “You could sound more excited about it.”
“I am excited,” Allie said immediately. And she was. She truly was. It was just that the gallery had hijacked all her timeand mental space while their wedding was buried underneath all the planning. She took a few steps back toward Barra. “I was thinking of a wedding in Big Sur...”
“Ah, I don’t think so,” Barra said instantly.
Allie laughed before she could stop herself. Barra looked so instantly horrified by the idea of Big Sur that Allie almost felt bad.
Almost.
“It was a beautiful wedding,” Allie said.
“It was,” Barra said. “Very elegant. Very romantic. Very... memorable.”
Allie’s smile tilted. “Memorable?”
Barra gave her a look. “Don’t start.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“No, but your face was thinking it loudly.”
Allie stepped closer, her fingers smoothing over the front of Barra’s shirt. “I was thinking about how irresistible you looked that night.”
Barra’s mouth twitched. “What else were you thinking?”
“How much I’d like a reenactment of that night.”
For one delicious second, Barra forgot to blink.
Behind them, Max made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a fake cough and an even faker attempt not to listen.
Allie slowly turned her head.
Max was standing beside the reclaimed oak plinth, holding a tape measure in one hand and his dignity in the other. “For the record,” he said, “I heard nothing. I am merely an underpaid theatre major trapped inside a very expensive lesbian art installation.”
Allie gave him a look.
He raised both hands. “Going. Happily going to get my tea. In fact, I have never wanted an iced matcha more in my life.”
Allie softened before he could flee. “Thank you, Max. Seriously. You saved me today.”