I smile at my mother-in-law. “Thank you, Nani. It’s lovely.”
“Make sure you plant this somewhere it can spread out,” she advises. “It’ll grow larger than you expect.”
“Good to know,” Alana says, studying the plant.
“Can I get you something to drink?” I ask my mother-in-law.
She shakes her head. “Thanks, Jackson. But I need to head over to the community center. They’re expecting me to help with the festival preparations.” She gives us each a hug, her small frame still surprisingly strong as she squeezes me tight.
After she leaves, Alana and I stand alone in the yard. The late afternoon sun bathes everything in warm light, peaceful and perfect.
I turn my wife in my arms, pulling her close for a kiss. When I pull back, Alana’s cheeks are flushed, her eyes bright.
“What was that for?” she asks, smiling up at me.
I shrug. “No reason.” But then I break into a grin. “Okay, maybe a lot of reasons. Because I love you. Because you’re an incredible mom to our kids. Because you still wear those tiny shorts when you garden even though you know exactly what they do to me. Because last night in our bedroom was possibly the hottest?—”
“Okay, okay.” Alana laughs, pressing her fingers to my lips. “I get the point.”
I look at her, really look at her, and my chest swells with something deeper than love. Every line on her face and every sumptuous curve of her body is made more beautiful by everything we’ve shared.
“I’m so grateful that I get to spend the rest of my life with you,” I tell her.
Alana’s eyes soften, her hands coming up to rest on my chest. “I feel exactly the same way.”
I exhale dramatically. “Thank God.”
She breaks into a grin and runs her hands over my shoulders, squeezing the muscles there. “Have you been working out, Jackson?”
“Maybe.” I grin, bending down to kiss her again. “Is it working?”
And her laugh vibrates against my lips, the sound as bright and clear as it was the day I first heard it.
