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My palms are slick as I grip the steering wheel, turning into the drive of my future father-in-law’s home.

I can honestly say I’d never imagined meeting my future wife’s father like this. Not to mention the fact that I already know him.

The path to the house is lined with brick, leading up to a one-storey Victorian-style home with a large bay window in the front that boasts a brightly lit dining room that I can see clear through the drawn curtains.

“Are you ready for this?” she asks, resting her hand on my thigh, giving it a tight squeeze.

“Never been more prepared for anything in my life,” I lie.

She rolls her pretty blue eyes, smirking at my expense. “Such a liar.”

“Maybe a little,” I admit. “I’m going to fuck this up, you know. Inevitably I’m going to say something stupid, and he’ll be mentioning it in our wedding speech.”

“Our wedding speech ?” she asks, her brows raised and eyes wide, but that smirk still dances across her pouty lips. She’s beautiful, and I want to kiss the expression clean from her mouth.

“See?” I shake my head. “It’s already started.”

Her face turns serious as she grabs my cheeks in her palms, resting the tip of her nose against mine to stare directly into my eyes. “It doesn’t matter what you say in there. I’m still going to love you, and even if he doesn’t approve, he’ll get over it. Okay?”

“Okay.” I breathe, closing my eyes and revelling in the solace she brings me. “Ready.”

When I open them, I’m met with hers, filled with such determination that all of my fears seem to melt away. Even if he’s pissed, it changes nothing.

Because there isn’t a world I want to live in without Elise. A life without her wouldn’t be worth living at all, and over the last few months, I’ve come to realise that.

If there’s one thing our love will never be, it’s selfless love.