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Tess

It was almost midnight before everybody went home, and I was worn out but completely, entirely, incandescently happy.

Jack sat down next to me on the porch swing and pulled me into his arms. “Do you remember when you sat out here breaking up with that Snodgrass guy back when I first knew you?”

I smiled at him. “Owen is doing very well. He’s married and has a baby on the way.”

“Is this real life?” Jack tensed. “I can’t help but worry that maybe I’m not meant to be this happy. That life is too perfect.”

I laughed and then kissed him. “We’re both meant to be this happy. But I can fuss at you once in a while about leaving enormous stacks of mail lying around, if it will make you feel better.”

“Maybe later,” he suggested, standing and sweeping me up into his arms. “I’d like to make love to my fiancée now.”

“What a wonderful idea.”

I decided the next morning to take a rare day off work on a weekday. Tuesday seemed like a good day to lie around being lazy and answering a billion phone calls about the engagement.

I talked to Molly for nearly an hour, and then she had me put Jack on the phone, so she could threaten his life if he ever hurt me. We promised to fly out to one of her concerts within the next month, and she promised to come home and help me with all things wedding.

It was an idyllic day, after an idyllic night, but we knew Wednesday would be back to real life.

NACOS was still an issue.

General Barstow was still out there.

And—even more terrifying than both—we had to plan a wedding.

“You know,” Jack said, when we were cooking dinner. “We’re going to have to invite half of Atlantis.”

I almost dropped my spoon. “Oh! And the Fae queen and her court. After Aunt Ruby gave her the key to the city, she takes things personally. It might be a massive insult to her honor if we don’t invite her.”

“And all of Dead End, pretty much,” Jack said, resigned.

“What about all your buddies from your soldier days? And Frazzle and all the pixies.”

“I draw the line at Leroy,” Jack said.

“This is going to cost a fortune,” I groaned.

Jack just laughed and hugged me. “Luckily, we have Atlantean treasure and Fae gold.”

“Okay, but you have to make me one promise.”

“Only one? I’d promise you the world, Tess.” He grinned at me. “What’s the promise?”

“No disco balls!”