Yours Truly

Because that’s what love does. It shows up. And I’d never stop doing it.

“Because love shows up. And here I am.”

“And you want a wife?”

“Only if it’s you.”

She peered gently at me. “I’m open to discussion.”

My heart rate picked up. We both knew it, because the heart rate monitor started beeping out of control.

Maybe I wasn’t ready. I might never truly be ready. But I was going to do it anyway.

I was going to be brave.

But if you don’t deal with trauma, it just circles back around.

“We’re all a little broken, Briana. We are a mosaic. We’re made up of all those we’ve met and all the things we’ve been through. There are parts of us that are colorful and dark and jagged and beautiful. And I love every piece of you. Even the ones you wish didn’t exist.”

“Like, we get it, you’re obsessed with each other. Quit it already.”

“Use me,” he said, his eyes resigned. “Use me for whatever you want. Just stay.”

My entire universe condensed to a single place and time.

“And your forearms. I love them.”

Well. I was never wearing long sleeves again. Winter was going to be rough.