Les Petites - A Short Story Collection

Enough

The courthouse lights were flickering. The only other person in the hall was the snoring man at the end of the row of seats, and my heart was pounding so loud I was worried it might wake him up.

If I walked in that room and went through with this, Trent would have a furious family and a lost inheritance. No more house in his name. No more family trips to countries I had only ever seen in postcards. The American Dream in his hands, and here I was, in a cheap plain suit, walking right up and taking it from him.

"You ready, babe?" He stepped out of the restroom, smiling and adjusting his ridiculous rainbow tie. His face fell when he saw me. "What's wrong, why do you look sad?"

"I don't want to do this," I admitted, running my fingers through my hair. "I already lost one family, and I'm about to take yours away from you too. I can't do that to you."

"Jake, we talked about this," he groaned. He knelt in front of me and grabbed my hands. "When are you going to listen to me? Yes, it's hard, but I'm losing people who told me I was going to hell for saying that Paul Walker was cute. I'm gaining the guy who brought me pizza and beer when Jazmin broke up with me, and who stuck around after that awkward kiss. I'm getting my best friend. Someone who loves me more than they ever did."

He sighed. "Yeah, we're going to have to work. Our dates might just be us looking at, I don't know, ducks or something. But I would rather live my life knowing that I said 'F the system' and married the man I loved because I could. As long as I have you, I'll have enough."

He was too good at this. I couldn't stay sad or keep doubting when he was looking at me like that. Like the former jock with no family was what he actually wanted. I smiled.

"So, as much as you deny it, The Fast and The Furious was your sexual awakening after all." I laughed at the thought of a younger Trent staring in awe at the screen.

"Shut up." He grinned and looked down, making his glasses scoot down his nose.

"No, I get it, Vin Diesel's really got that hunky Mr. Clean vibe that you love so much," I joked, tickling his sides.

He used his middle finger to push up his glasses and not-so-subtly flip me off. "Get off your butt. I'm not paying you to sit around and talk about hot actors when you're supposed to be talking about how hot I am. That's what weddings are for."

I raised my eyebrow sarcastically, looking at the sleeping dude at the end of the hallway. "Not much of a wedding."

He held out his hand, giving me that stupid smile that had stolen my heart back in college. "It's enough."

This flashfic was originally written in response to the Romance prompt for Aim To Engage 2019, an annual event run by the Ambassadors profile. 

The prompt was: "Right before 'I do', the bride/groom starts to get cold feet, but the significant other stepped up to remind them of how special their love is and the moment they fell in love with each other. Remind him/her why they needed to walk down the aisle."