The Fiancé Dilemma

by Elena Armas

To my readers (yes, you. Hi, babe), Your expectations are not impossibly high. Never let anyone make you believe you’re asking for too much.

And like Mom always said, normal is what you make of the cards fate hands you.

“Those are the best things to fall in love with,” I heard myself say. “The ones we find accidentally.”

“If my woman has cold hands, I’m going to keep them nice and warm.”

Based on how my lower belly had perked up at the sight, I seemed to be into glasses-wearing men holding tiny farm animals.

“It’s sweet of you to offer compensation for the hardship of touching you, kissing your cheek, or pretending I have the right to pull you on my lap just because I want to. All of which I agreed to do, by the way.”

“There’s a ring on your finger. I don’t care about the specifics, for all practical purposes, it means we’re a team. We handle shit together. I don’t care if you can do it on your own. You shouldn’t have to.”

“Maybe I would help any stranger. But it’s you I’m going this far for. It’s you. Josie.”

The quality of his gaze changed, the sharpness softening. “But that’s all right, isn’t it?” he whispered, voice tender, the hands at my waist trailing up gently. As if he was soothing me. “We’ll hide behind your rules. I won’t break any until you ask me.”

“Beautiful things shouldn’t be boxed. It eventually dims their light.”

“You’re breaking my heart,” Matthew murmured, his nose almost brushing my temple.

My body stilled, my mind quieting. “Why?” I whispered. “Because I’m trying to flirt and you’re not paying attention to me.”

“It was his dream to get married in a place like that.” “His dream should have been getting married to you.”

Relationships end, and whether you’re the one leaving or the one being left behind, the one thing that you can’t run away from are the memories.

text.” I turned my head to look at him, finding his gaze on me. “It was from Adalyn, and it read: I think I’ve just met your soul mate.” Something in the middle of my chest bucked. Soul mate. Adalyn laughed from her seat. “I’d forgotten about that.” “I haven’t,” Matthew said, his eyes still on me. “Do you remember what I texted back, Ads?” There was a strange pause, and then Adalyn said in a soft, baffled voice, “You asked for a picture. Of your future wife.”

“What if I can’t give you any fucking firsts, so I want to make sure I get a chance at being your last?”

I don’t care about firsts when I have you.”

fine. Perhaps, I love yous were meant to feel this big. To make you feel this naked. This exposed. So big you were terrified to hurt. So safe no one could touch you.

Perhaps to love was to leave a mark.

Or maybe we don’t need to be whole to function, you know? Maybe we just need to learn to love who we are and let people around us love us for that, too.”

“It’s okay to be hurt,” she continued with a fierce expression. “It’s okay to have issues. It’s fine for life to bruise you and leave a mark. That only means you’re living, you know? It means you’re trying.

Roots grow anywhere there’s ground. Commitment and love are shown with actions.