Page 138 of Something Like Forever

“Electric body groomers was a good answer,” Ben said beforelaughing.

“Ipanicked! It’s all I could think of! We have sixty dollars tospare, you know. I don’t like throwing away money, but wasting timeis even worse!”

“I thought it would befunny,” Ben said with a shrug.

Tim shook his headruefully. “What am I going to do with you?”

“I’m sure you’ll think ofsomething.”

“Do we have to goback?”

Ben basked in a gentlebreeze that cooled his face, then thought of the muggy trailer. “Itwould be rude if we bailed now. Wouldn’t it?”

“Honestly? I think she’ll be relieved if we don’t showup.”

“You’reprobably right. Remember what I said I was thankfulfor?”

“Pasta?”

Ben nodded, his stomachrumbling at the idea. “I shouldn’t or I’ll never fit into mywedding dress.”

“You’re perfect just theway you are. Even when you pull shit like this.”

“I adore all of yourfaults too,” Ben said. Then he patted Tim’s leg and stood. “I thinkthat’s all the marriage counselling we need. Let’s goeat.”

“No.First we go to the county clerk and get our license. I don’t wantto wait any longer.”

Ben smiled. “Neither doI.”

* * * * *

They treated the day likeany other. They woke up and had breakfast, although they smiled ateach other over the table more than normal. They took a showertogether, washing each other affectionately but not allowingthemselves to go further. Not yet. Then they got dressed in thecasual clothing they usually wore. They both had fresh haircuts,and Ben spent more time in front of the mirror than he would haveotherwise. After making sure their phones were turned off, theywent together to the backyard, and even though Ben had told himselfover and over that this was a mere formality, he couldn’t help butfeel excited.

“We have to find the exactspot,” Tim said, walking into the yard. “I think it was riiiight…here.”

“You’rethinking of Jason and William’s wedding,” Ben said, crouching toinspect the ground. Then he stood again. “This is where the gazebowas set up. You can tell because the grass still hasn’t grown backas thick.”

“Yeah, but they took theirvows in the same spot we did.”

“Thatwas closer to the patio. Remember how we made the rows of chairswider instead of deeper?”

“No. Well… Maybe. Why doweddings have to be so stressful?”

Ben laughed. “It doesn’thave to be. I think we were about…” He strode forward, then turnedaround. “This is it. Right here. I can feel the goodvibes.”

Tim laughed but stayedwhere he was. “Sounds like something I would say. And I can feelgood vibes here too.”

“Didn’t we learn somethingin our marriage course about meeting halfway?”

Tim grinned. “You know, Ithink we did!” He took a step forward. “Maybe we should have stuckaround for the rest of it.”

Ben also took a stepforward. “Eh. We’ll figure it out as we go along.”

“We did fine for all thoseyears already, didn’t we?” Another step forward.

“Yes, we did.” Andanother.

Tim raised a foot, lettingit hover before he put it down nearer to him. “So our firstwedding, does it still count? Do we still say we were married backthen?”