“This won’t take long,” he says. “Who wants to go first?” He looks from me to Emilio.
“Me,” Emilio replies. “If you’re shitty at this, you’re not touching my wife’s skin.”
“Okay.” The artist shrugs. “Hand up here.”
Emilio gets my entire name tattooed around his ring finger. Not just my initials. When it’s my turn, he holds my free hand. This will be my first tattoo. I’m nervous but I want this.
“Wait! I want his name. Emilio, not EL, because I just realized his entire family shares those same initials.”
“They do.” Emilio chuckles.
“Okay, Emilio it is.” The buzz of the needle is somewhat soothing. The minute it touches my skin, I relax.
“That’s it?” I ask Emilio.
“That’s it.” He kisses my temple. “I’m still buying you a big fucking diamond, by the way.”
“Oh, I know you are.” I laugh.
After getting cleaned up and the guy giving me aftercare instructions, Emilio pays the girl at the front counter and we walk out.
“We’re really married.” I sigh.
“We’re really married,” Emilio repeats.
“I can’t wait to grow old with you, Emilio Lopez.” Pushing up on my tiptoes, I press my lips to his.
“I’m going to do everything to make sure you have the happiest life, Frankie.”
“All I need is you,” I tell him. “Now, how about we go home and get naked again?”
“Let’s go.” Emilio takes my hand in his and we head back towards the car.
I smile as I jog to keep up with him. He stops, turns, and suddenly I’m over his shoulder, his hand on my ass, holding my skirt down.
“It’s faster this way,” he tells me.
I have a feeling we’re going to be just fine. Everything happens when it’s supposed to happen. I might have loved Emilio forever, but waiting until the timing was right was what made us as strong as we are today.
Epilogue
TWO MONTHS LATER
“You ready for this? Seems like a big step,” Elias says.
I shake my head at him. “What step? We’re already married, idiot.”
“Yeah, but a wedding, sayingI doin front of everyone. She might get cold feet.” He smirks around his glass tumbler filled with clear liquor.
“Sure, let’s pretend for a second that she does. I’d fucking chase her ass down and drag her across the aisle myself,” I tell him.
All three of my brothers laugh. We’re sitting in a room, waiting to be told it’s time. If it were up to me, I would have started this shit hours ago. I’ve been dreaming about this day for so fucking long.
“You know, I’m really fucking happy for you. You got the girl. I love seeing you finally happy,” Elias says.
“Thank you.”
“To Emilio’s happily ever after. It’s been years in the making, but we got here.” Ezekiel holds up his glass. All four of us clink our tumblers together.