Work Text:
i’ve waited a hundred years
but i’d wait a hundred more for you
nothing prepared me for
what the privilege of being yours would do
Knowing Gina was on her way, Ricky frantically whizzed around the studio, adjusting the fairy lights, lighting up the scented candles – pine scented; Gina’s favorite – and scattering the soft pink petals around where he had set up a small speaker and two champagne glasses, a bottle of sparkling white chilling in the connecting kitchen’s fridge.
As he looked around the studio, ensuring everything was absolutely perfect for what he was planning, he caught sight of a framed photo that was hanging above the barre bars, and slowed down a little to smile up at it.
Plans to expand Ricky’s music school and add the feature of the dance studio where Gina could partner in his business and extend their curriculum into dance and theater had been a project in the works for a long time. There were multiple setbacks – business logistics, Gina’s Hollywood contracts being near impossible to wriggle her way out of, renovating delays – but Ricky had always considered Gina to be his pillar of support, so despite it all, their brand new dance studio, practically sparkling in its pristine condition, had finally been made open to their clients wanting to venture into dance and the performing arts.
Gina was beyond excited to take her first dance class in their very own space, practically buzzing with happiness as she typed up her lesson plans at home, beaming gorgeously at him when he passed her a morning coffee and pressed a kiss to the side of her temple. He knew he wanted to make her first day special, so he had organized for a professional photographer to come in to document the day.
They had gone over the photos together when the film came in, giggling at the adorable kids in their tutus and tiny buns, barely tall enough to reach even the shortest barres, Ricky gushing over how stunning Gina looked in her teaching outfit, kissing her cheeks when she blushed at his compliments.
They wanted to frame one of the best shots of the day, and settled on one taken right at the end of Gina’s first session with her students, where a few of the girls had run up to Gina and smothered her in a big hug. Gina’s eyes were shut, her lips pulled wide in a big smile, her head tilted back mid laugh as she bundled the girls in her arms. It was Ricky’s favorite photo of Gina maybe ever – she looked so carefree, so happy , and after the hellish year she had had working in reality TV, and then trying to smooth out the kinks in their own business plans, Ricky wanted nothing but that sense of joy for Gina.
On top of all of that, seeing Gina deal so kindly and patiently with small children made his heart flip in somersaults as he pondered their relationship and what came next now that their business was semi stable.
When Ricky and Gina had first moved in together, a little after their infamous Paris trip, he had sat her down and tentatively broached the topic of their future, expressing that he didn’t want her to feel rushed or pressured, but he fully intended to marry her one day, to raise a family with her, to fully commit himself to her and whatever else that brought along with it.
Gina had blushed prettily at his expressions, pulling him in for a long kiss, one that still burned at his lips in his memory to that day. Then, she had asked if he was willing to wait, a nervous titter in her eyes. At least until she had established her career. At least until they had settled into their new place together. At least until she could feel full confidence in herself and her abilities.
“I would wait a million years for you, Gina Porter,” Ricky had replied fervently, bringing one of her hands to his lips to brush a kiss over her knuckles. Her responding smile, brighter than a thousand twinkling stars, had made his promise to wait worthwhile.
And wait he did until a month before the official opening of their dance studio. While Ricky was calculating their business expenses for their annual tax invoice and Gina was on a government website trying to figure out how to apply for small business benefits, she brought it up again.
If she was speaking to anyone else, they wouldn’t have known what she had meant when she spoke. But, as Gina slowly took off her reading glasses, gently running a hand through Ricky’s curls while he bit his lip in concentration, trying to figure out why on earth they had bought 200 pink glitter pens when their student base was only a little over 100, she spoke the words Ricky was certain he had been waiting all his life to hear, “I think I’m ready now.”
Ricky had frozen at her words, before turning his gaze to look at her, seeing the fond smile she had on her lips, her eyes intense with her meaning.
“Really?” Ricky had whispered, a reverence in his voice that he had no desire to hide.
“Really,” she nodded affectionately, resting her chin on his shoulder and smiling up at him through her lashes.
She looked stunning in her Sunday morning get up, breath-taking in her pajamas with her wet curls wrapped on top of her head in an old cotton t-shirt. Ricky could never get tired of looking at her, and his heart was so full at the thought that they were both ready for each other, for all of each other, after so long, that he dropped the receipts in his hands and surged forward, smattering a million little kisses to her face and drinking in her giggles like they were the elixir of life.
So, there he was, decorating their brand new studio in the most romantic way he knew how – taking many suggestions from Kourtney who had called him almost immediately after Gina had mentioned what the next step in their relationship would be to ensure he was planning everything correctly – Kourt’s words, not his.
It was the anniversary of the day Ricky had asked Gina to move in with him – three years ago on the streets of Paris, the most momentous occasion of his life to date. Everything was absolutely perfect. All he needed now was for the woman of his dreams herself to show up.
He nervously checked his phone every minute, having asked her to text him when she arrived so he could lead her in blindfolded, wanting to surprise her. After what felt like an eternity, his phone pinged.
From Gina: just pulled up, omw in now <3
Ricky frantically typed out his response.
From Ricky: don’t come inside! wait where you are! i’m coming out to meet you rn
From Gina: okay…?
Ricky bolted out to meet her in the carpark, grinning as soon as he caught sight of her, dressed in a fashionable blazer and satin skirt with a dewy blush glowing on her cheeks, having just come from a meeting with the bank. He purposely chose a moment when he knew she’d be dressed nicely, having had the point drilled into his brain by Kourtney that they had to look good for the post proposal pictures.
“Gina!” he called out, skidding to a stop in front of her and leaning forward to peck a kiss on her lips in greeting.
“Ricky, hey,” she smiled at him, her brows furrowed slightly in confusion, “What’s up? Why did you want to meet me out here?”
“It’s a surprise,” Ricky responded, moving from behind her and gently covering her eyes with his hand, whispering into her ear, “Do you trust me?”
“Always,” Gina replied immediately, letting Ricky guide her without hesitation, though there was a slight uncertainty to her voice when she said, “What is this all about? You know how I feel about surprises.”
“I know,” Ricky said, squeezing his hand on her shoulder as he guided her into the studio, “But this one is worth it, I promise.”
He saw Gina’s head tilt slightly when she heard the soft music filtering through the studio, and he positioned her right in the line of sight of the flutes of champagne and fairy lights, before he took a step behind her and pulled the ring box from his pocket, feeling a nervous energy buzz through him from what he was about to do.
“Okay, you can open your eyes,” he prompted her, kneeling behind her, propping open the box so the sparkling diamond ring he had picked out – something he’d seen her admiring in a jewelry shop a few months earlier – was in her direct line of sight when she eventually turned around.
She opened her eyes and looked around at the layout before her, her eyes softening at the sight of the decorations and candles, and she began to turn around to find Ricky, “What is all this for –”
Her words fell silent in her mouth when she turned around and saw Ricky kneeling before her, her eyes immediately zoning in on the ring in his hands, before flicking up to catch Ricky’s gaze, where he could already feel happy tears building up behind his eyes. Her own eyes started to mist over as she slapped a hand to her mouth, and breathily exclaimed, “Oh my God.”
“Gina,” Ricky started, willing his voice to remain steady, sure there would be plenty of time to cry with the love of his life after he was able to make it through his prepared speech, “I have loved you for eight years now, but it feels like I’ve loved you my whole life. When you came into my life, I could have never imagined how much you would change it, how much you would take me and transport me to a place where all I feel is love and warmth and joy. You are my best friend. Every day with you is a day spent right, and I want to continue spending the rest of my life with you, sharing everything with you always – not just as your best friend, not just as your boyfriend, but as your husband. Gina Porter, will you marry me?”
A few errant tears had leaked past the corners of Gina’s eyes as she nodded her head in shock, elated giggles slipping through her mouth mixed in with happy sobs, “Yes. Of course I will marry you. Yes !”
Ricky flew to his feet, letting out his own elated laughter as he wrapped his arms securely around his girlfriend – no, his fiancé's – waist and swung her around once, then twice, before placing her on the floor. They both surged into each other to crush their lips together, kissing sloppily through their tears and smiles, pressing into each other as close as they could physically muster, needing the other’s presence the way one needed air.
Eventually, they pulled apart, and Ricky fumbled with the ring with shaking hands, taking Gina’s left hand and sliding it onto the appropriate finger. He brought her hand to his lips to kiss over the ring, then lifted his head to once more press a long kiss to her lips, humming with delight when her hand reached up to cup his cheek and he could feel the cool band of the ring on his skin.
After they broke apart again, Gina snaked her arms around his neck, and Ricky secured his own grip around her waist, and they swayed together to the soft music tinkling in the background. Ricky couldn’t help kissing her again, absolutely elated, and Gina giggled into his lips, saying, “This was perfect, Ricky.”
“ You’re perfect,” he whispered back.
Gina beamed at him, her happiness clear in the way her eyes crinkled, and she bounced in their swaying, “I’m going to be your wife.”
“My wife,” Ricky repeated in awe, shaking his head almost in disbelief, but knowing it was all completely true – in a short while, the love of his life would be his wife.
if i had only felt the warmth within your touch
if i had only seen how you smile when you blush
or how you curl your lip when you concentrate enough
i would have known what i was living for all along
what i’ve been living for
Ricky tapped his pencil rapidly against the blank sheet of paper in front of him, wracking his brain for literally anything to write.
He was stumped. He didn’t realize just how hard it would be to write wedding vows. It’s not that he didn’t know what he loved about Gina – there were almost too many things to count, which is where he supposed the problem lied.
How did he summarize into a short paragraph just what it was he loved about Gina Porter? He had written entire discographies for her at that point in his life, poetry set to music, his entire heart encapsulated in the confines of multiple four minute tracks. There was so much to say about her, about them , that sitting there trying to come up with just one thing to say seemed almost an impossible task.
He wanted it to be perfect.
The thought made him think back to a time when everything clicked into place for him, when he’d made the decision that he wanted to be hers forever, in every sense of the word, and he allowed his thoughts to wander into a sweet memory.
*
FIVE YEARS EARLIER
Ricky had shouldered his way into his shared apartment with Jet, trying his hardest not to drop the precarious stack of assignments and textbooks in his hands, utterly exhausted from his final. He was looking forward to having a shower, FaceTiming Gina after her rehearsal and watching a movie together, anything to get his mind off the anxious thoughts he had over whether he had just aced or bombed that test.
He slogged the materials in his hands on the small table in the apartment foyer, locking the door behind him, before he looked suspiciously around the area. Whenever he came home from college, it was routine for his recently adopted cat Spooky – named affectionately by Gina – to greet him at the door, yelling at him to feed her dinner.
The fact that the black and white socked kitten was not there to greet him could mean one of two things. The first, the cat was somewhere up to no good. The second, the cat had somehow escaped the building. Both left a sinking feeling in his gut, as he picked up the pace and burst his way into the connected kitchen and living room area.
What he saw surprised him. Gina was in his kitchen. That in itself wasn’t unusual, he had given her a key to their apartment only a few months after they had moved in. What was really throwing him for a loop was the fact that she was happily stirring some sort of batter in a bowl, and Spooky was sitting on the counter, patiently watching with interest as the spoon rotated its way through the mixture.
“What… is going on?” Ricky made his presence known, completely baffled at the sight in front of him.
Gina whipped her head up, and broke into a delighted grin when she saw her boyfriend in the hallway entrance, “Ricky! I’m baking a cake.”
“I can see that,” he scratched at his curls, an affectionate chuckle tumbling from his lips in her excitement, “And why is Spooky involved in the baking process? On the kitchen counter… where we prepare human food.”
“Don’t be mean,” Gina pouted, picking Spooky up and cuddling her in her arms, the kitten mewling contentedly at her attention, before Gina glided across the room to meet Ricky, holding his kitten up for him to see, “She’s allowed today. Or did you forget?”
Ricky stared blankly at his girlfriend for a moment, sure she was going out of her mind, before it clicked in his head. His mouth formed the shape of an ‘o’ and he glanced down at the kitten in Gina’s arms, her big yellow eyes staring up at him, before he bent over to press a kiss to her soft fur, “It’s my baby girl’s birthday today! I almost forgot because of my exam.”
He surged forward and wrapped Gina in his arms, pulling both her and Spooky against his chest, swaying them exaggeratedly, “No wonder we’re celebrating.”
“I knew you’d get it,” Gina nuzzled her nose into the side of his neck, and Spooky seemed to grow upset with the lack of attention she was receiving and nudged her own nose into Ricky’s abdomen.
Ricky laughed and picked up Spooky from Gina, cradling the kitten like a baby the way she had grown accustomed to from Ricky doing it since he had adopted her. The kitten purred in response, slowly blinking her eyes up at him in her happiness. He followed Gina back into the kitchen, and watched as she poured the finished cake batter into a baking tin. She hummed as she placed the tin into the preheated oven, and when she stepped back from the heat, Ricky leaned forward to press a sweet kiss to her neck, at the sensitive juncture below her ear.
She gasped slightly, as Ricky murmured into her skin, “You’re cute for doing all this.”
Ricky relished in the way a pink hue flushed across Gina’s cheeks, and she smiled softly at him, tugging gently at one of his curls which had fallen into his eyes, before brushing it back over his forehead, “Well, your pet kitten only turns one once! Now help me make the frosting.”
He had every intention to do that, but he couldn’t help but hang back and watch her for a moment, taking in the rosy tint on her cheeks, the way her thick lashes prettily framed eyes he so often got lost staring into, the way she nibbled at her bottom lip in her concentration as she began measuring out the icing sugar.
He decided to commit this moment to memory – this feeling of secureness, that with Gina in his life he had purpose, he had a reason to want to come home, a reason to be proud of what he was doing with school and beyond that, a reason to be happy.
He hugged Spooky to his chest and whispered down to her, “You better cherish your mom for life.”
*
PRESENT DAY
Ricky smiled at the memory, and like she could sense what it was he was thinking about, Spooky appeared in the doorway, chirping socially and nudging her head between Ricky legs, pawing at his lap in a silent entreaty to pick her up. Relenting easily, Ricky bent over and cradled Spooky in his arms the way she was used to, rocking her slightly and brushing a finger down the line of her furry nose.
He thought about that day in his old apartment, about how Gina and him had built a life together in the meantime, so intertwined and intrinsically made for them that he couldn’t imagine a moment without her. All of his successes were her successes, all of their hardships were halved in the wake of each other’s support, and Ricky thought that was what he loved the most about them.
They were fine on their own – both accomplished in their fields and established in their community as singular figures. But they were better together. They gave each other purpose, and their love fueled their motivation.
Ricky gently placed the cat on the ground, finally picking up his pencil with the intention to actually write something, and he scribbled a single opening sentence onto the previously blank page:
You’re what I’ve been living for.
i surrender who i’ve been for who you are
for nothing makes me stronger than your fragile heart
if i had only felt how it feels to be yours
well, i would have known what i’ve been living for all along
what i’ve been living for
Heart heavy and footsteps heavier, Ricky unlocked the front door and slowly lumbered his way into his and Gina’s apartment. He had been working with a record label for just over a year now, and he was starting to question whether it was the right fit for him – this meeting being the tipping point to confirm his suspicions that his team were not at all interested in helping him put his art out to the world, but only in making money.
He supposed he shouldn’t be so surprised, they were a business after all. But after such a successful first EP release the year before – his song dedicated to Gina being his lead single, and being a massive success on the charts – he had thought that he would have the freedom to explore his creativity for his upcoming debut album.
It seemed that the thought was overly optimistic, when his manager had told him that his record label had rejected all five demos he had sent through the week before. The news shook Ricky to his core. He had put his heart and soul into those tracks, genuinely loving each and every one of them, all of them unique in their own right but still distinctly him – highlighting his experiences, and his pain and also spotlighting the brightness in his life as a natural foil to the negative.
To have them thrown back in his face, it sickened him deep in his stomach.
Were his own experiences not good enough? Not entertaining enough? Did he have to pander in order to get some semblance of his art out into the world?
He dragged his feet into the kitchen, intending to eat his feelings, when he noticed Gina sitting at the kitchen bench, hot glue gunning paper flowers to mason jars – gifts they were making for their wedding guests, intending to put small treats like chocolate, coffee beans and tacky Eiffel tower knick-knacks in each one.
Her head lifted up when she heard him shuffling in, a bright smile on her face and the glue gun dangling dangerously in her hand, “Hey, baby. Welcome home.”
Feeling especially sulky, he shifted over to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders from behind and slumping into her, hiding his face in the crook of her neck, trying his hardest not to burst into tears.
“Hey,” Gina said, her voice softening into a soothing lilt, and he heard her place the glue gun down before she rubbed her hands over his arms that rested on her clavicles, “What’s wrong?”
Ricky sighed into her neck, nuzzling a little further, before pulling away from Gina and taking the seat beside her. Picking up the discarded glue gun, he began to assort the paper flowers around a bare mason jar the way he knew Gina wanted, wanting something to occupy his hands before he opened up.
Gina waited patiently, allowing him time to process his thoughts, the way she always was so good at doing, knowing he needed a moment to properly articulate himself. After a few minutes of silent gluing, Ricky eventually said, “They hated it.”
Gina frowned, “Your song? Which one?”
“All of them,” he replied, trying to feign indifference, but failing spectacularly if the feeling of tears gathering at the corners of his eyes was any indication, “They rejected all five. Said they were too derivative, that not a big enough audience would relate to them.”
“How can your personal experiences be derivative?” Gina responded, a self righteous anger simmering beneath the surface of her words, but he could tell she was trying to keep calm for his sake. She was so good at knowing when he just needed someone to listen to him, to make him feel like his feelings mattered – it was one of the many things he loved about her.
“That’s what I said,” he shrugged, feeling his words clog in his throat, a tightness in his chest at the feeling of having failed present and hurting, “They told me to come up with five new demos after our honeymoon. They pushed the album release date back. I have one more chance before they drop me completely.”
Ricky finally put the glue gun and jar down, allowing his tears to slip through, scared out of his mind that he was about to bomb out of the one thing that he actually thought he was good at. Gina, sensing where his thoughts were, scooted closer to him, gently swiping her thumb beneath his eyes to wipe away his tears.
She soothed, “Hey, it’s okay. You have another chance to prove yourself, to create something even better than before, to blow their socks off and prove them wrong.”
“But what if they don’t like the new stuff either?” Ricky felt his eyes sting with now freely rushing tears, “Then they’ll drop me, and it’ll all be over. God , Gi, for once I thought maybe I wasn’t a total screw up, but I can’t even get the one thing I’m actually supposed to be good at right.”
“Stop that,” Gina cupped both of his cheeks, forcing him to look into her eyes, determined and fierce, “If they drop you, they’re idiots , Ricky Bowen. You won’t be a failure, because you already have a loyal following who will love whatever you come out with. Who says you have to release your music through a record label? It’s your music. Release it however you want.”
She shifted one of her hands to card through his curls, scratching her nails gently over his scalp in a comforting movement, and Ricky found himself melting into her touch, staring into her eyes and hanging on to her every word. She kept talking, “And even if you only have one fan, or if you gain a thousand, I will always be your number one fan. Ricky, your music is insightful and touching and true to you, and it makes me cry every time you reference something you overcame. It is powerful, and genuine, and people will hear that. People will love it. They’ll love you.”
Ricky stared at Gina in shock, never realizing just how much she really paid attention to his music. Sure, he played her his demos, but he never really expected her to enjoy it. To hear that it connected so deeply with her, to the point where it impacted her emotionally, was the confidence boost he needed to want to give it another shot, to want to prove that he could stay true to himself and his ethos, and he would go down trying no matter what some jacket at the record label had to say about it.
He moved his hands to her waist, and shifted to slot his knee between her own two, pulling her as close as comfortable on the high kitchen bench stools they were seated on. He kissed her then, and tried to put as much emotion and appreciation into the kiss as he could muster, taking his time to savor the softness of her, the comforting sounds of her sighs and her hands brushing down his back and over his shoulders.
He pulled away, but kept his forehead resting on her own, eyes still closed as they breathed each other in, before he whispered, “I love you.”
“I love you too,” she responded, stroking her thumb along the base of his throat, nudging her nose against his, “And I love you most when you are true to yourself. Don’t let them take that away from your music. Write what you want to write.”
“Everything I write, I write for you,” Ricky said earnestly, “For you to be proud of me.”
He paused.
“For you to fall more in love with me.”
He said the last line with a cheeky grin, and Gina playfully slapped his shoulder, her own smile creeping on to her lips, “You just have to pick up your guitar and I fall all over you like a schoolgirl with a crush.”
“Mm, if only my guitar was within reach right now.”
“You’re staying right here,” she commanded, pulling him in for another kiss before he could think of moving away. Then, in a softer voice, she said, “And I am. I’m proud of you. Every day.”
Ricky felt heat rush to his cheeks, a deep seated love bulldozing through him as his heart pounded behind his ribs, and with a breathy voice he managed to choke out, “I can’t wait to marry you.”
Gina only giggled, and as Ricky watched her with fond eyes, he wondered if he could bottle the sound up and sample it in his next track.
though we’re tethered to the story we must tell
when i saw you, well i knew we’d tell it well
with a whisper, we will tame the vicious seas
like a feather, bringing kingdoms to their knees
As Gina floated down the aisle, a silk slip dress gliding down her form, with pearls studded amongst her curls and delicately strung along her neck, Ricky could hardly contain himself at the sight of her. He had started crying the minute the song they had picked out for her to walk the aisle started playing, but he had to look away from a moment when had finally caught sight of her, a hot rush of emotions charging through him as he comprehended just how insanely lucky he was to be marrying the most ethereal woman in the entire world – and Ricky was certain he wasn’t even exaggerating.
Eventually, with rapidly blinking eyes, Ricky had pulled himself together enough to look back at his bride, and she beamed brighter than the sun when they did make eye contact – her own eyes shining with unshed tears, gripping her bouquet of daisies and peonies tightly. She walked down the aisle with purpose, her eyes never leaving his, except to hug her mother who had delivered her, whispering I love yous to each other before she passed off her bouquet and turned to Ricky.
Ricky immediately reached for Gina’s hands, pressing one of her palms to his chest, and whispering to her with an emotionally charged chuckle, “Heart’s racing.”
Gina’s eyes crinkled in delight, her eyes shining with adoration, and Ricky was sure he barely heard a word of the speech the wedding officiant had prepared for them, just so enraptured by the woman in front of him, his bride, his soon to be wife.
Eventually, the officiant called for the vows to be read, and so Gina tightened her grip on his hands, took a deep, trembling breath and began to speak.
“Ricky Bowen, I told you the day you kissed me for the first time that you were my yes, and you have spent every day since then proving to me why that’s true. You love and support me in a way that I never thought I’d ever get to experience growing up – unselfishly, always considering my feelings before your own. There has never been a day in our relationship where I have doubted your love for me, and I hope I always incite that same confidence in you as well. I promise to always be your yes, to always prove that I am here for you and will stick by you even when it’s hard. I promise to always just get you. Because you do. You just get me.”
If Ricky wasn’t crying before, he sure as hell was then, and Gina laughed affectionately as she leaned forward to brush his tears away.
“Your turn, my love,” she whispered, and Ricky nodded shakily, trying to regain his calm.
“My Gina,” Ricky started, and then he had to pause to blow out a shaky breath, earning a good natured laugh from the audience at his lack of composure, “My Gina, if I had to list the things that made me fall in love with you, we would be here until the universe collapsed, because every day I discover something new that I cherish. So, I’ll just say this one thing: you’re what I’ve been living for. My life is split in two segments, before meeting you, and after meeting you, and now that I have you, I have light in my life. You give me drive, and purpose, and your faith in me has always been the motivating force for me to keep pushing, the way you always have the courage to do. I want to always be your lifeforce, someone that motivates you to be your authentic self always, because your authentic self is who I fell in love with, and who I will love forever; and I will spend my whole life showing you how much I do.”
Ricky felt satisfied with his vows when he heard quiet sniffles amongst the crowd, but most importantly when he saw the wobbling joy that had settled into Gina’s expression, as she looked at him and only him, her cheeks ruddy from emotion.
When the officiant called for him to kiss the bride, Ricky wasted no time, pulling Gina in by the waist and crushing her into him, the silk of her dress sliding beneath his palms. Gina brought both of her hands to his face, pulling him even closer to her if that was remotely possible, and kissing him with an eagerness that made him weak at the knees, only breaking away after he heard a wolf whistle from the crowd. He looked out, sure he had lipstick smeared over his lips, to see Jet smirking over at him, gesturing at him to pack it up while the rest of the Wildcats all clapped and cheered heartily beside him. With a stupid grin on his face, Ricky turned to kiss Gina deeply one last time, just to prove that he could do whatever the hell he wanted with his wife at his own wedding.
And when he pulled away the second time, looking at Gina with hazy eyes and a grin so splitting he thought his cheeks might fall off, he marveled to himself that maybe those D-Coms were onto something. Maybe happily ever afters did exist after all.
your love is my turning page
where only the sweetest words remain
every kiss is a cursive line
every touch is a redefining phrase
Stumbling out onto a secluded balcony at their reception venue, slightly tipsy and giggling amongst themselves, Ricky and Gina plonked themselves onto an outdoor settee, their slices of cake wobbling precariously on their dishes, ornate forks shifting with their momentum.
“You know, I don’t care if Carlos thinks that vanilla is a basic flavor,” Gina spoke through a bite of her cake, her cheeks flushed and her skin glowing in her happiness, her giggles never ceasing, “This cake is delicious! We are cake connoisseurs.”
“Hear, hear!” Ricky cheered, leaning forward to kiss some crumbs off the side of her mouth, and then leaning forward again to kiss her lips for good measure, just because he could.
He couldn’t believe he was sitting there, looking at his wife lounging across from him, holding her stomach which was slightly bloated from gorging herself on all the good food the night had offered, and looking so stunning that Ricky could hardly think straight. He smiled lazily at her when she caught him staring, mind slightly hazy from the countless flutes of champagne he had downed throughout the night, and he said the first thing that came to his mind, “You are so beautiful. Have I told you how beautiful you look today?”
“Only several hundreds of times,” Gina giggled again, leaning into him, her shoulder pressing into his as she looked up at him through her long lashes. It was driving him crazy to see how stunning she was in her wedding dress. He wondered if it was reasonable for her to always wear it.
“Well, let me say it again,” he whispered, shifting his lips just over hers, trailing a slow finger over her exposed shoulder where the strap of her dress had loosened slightly in all the dancing of the night, “You are so beautiful. Stunning. Otherworldly.”
Speaking into her lips, he could feel her hum in delight before she applied pressure into their kiss, melting into his embrace. They stayed there for a moment, savoring the feeling of lips pleasantly dragging along lips, jaws, collarbones, before Ricky settled for Gina’s sweet spot below her ear, biting just slightly to elicit that delicious gasp he loved to draw from her. Then he pulled away, running a thumb over her bottom lip and just staring at his perfect wife in front of him.
Gina leaned forward to rub the fabric of his collar between her thumb and forefinger, really only wanting to stay close to Ricky, pursing her lips just slightly to press a soft kiss to his thumb resting on her mouth. They stayed staring at each other for a moment, and Ricky wondered if she was thinking of what he was thinking.
Because he was thinking about how every single moment they had, every heartache and every celebration, every challenge and every victory, all led up to this exact moment. They were where each other belonged, they were each other’s homes.
Ricky tried to express his idea in a simple sentence, mind much too buzzed to properly articulate his thoughts, “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Gina was his turning page – he didn’t know what the future had in store for them, but he knew every chapter of his life would have her starring in it, up front and center, and every choice he made and every step he took he would ensure she was right there with him.
It seemed Gina really was on the same wavelength, as she always was, when she whispered back, “Our story has only just begun.”
She took his hands in hers, pressing light kisses to the calluses on his fingertips created by his guitar strings, and Ricky’s heart pounded as her thumb brushed delicately over the wedding band on his finger, placing a final kiss there.
She mused, “It would be nice to have our story documented.”
Looking up at him, a teasing glint in her eyes, she continued, “If only one of us was a poet.”
Ricky shrugged, feigning ignorance as he said, “I’m only a measly songwriter.”
“Then, we’ll have to make do,” she grinned up at him, pressing his hand to her heart, still fidgeting with his ring, and as Ricky leaned forward to capture her lips again for what must’ve been the hundredth time that night, Ricky thought to himself that he would write her a million songs if that's what she wanted from him.
A million songs for Ricky Bowen’s wife. It had a nice ring to it.