"I do." It was that simple, but infinitely complex in its ramifications on how my life had just changed. I was married. I had someone I had to look out for and care for now. I had someone to live for. Those concepts were all radical changes to the routine ebb and flow of my structured and dispassionate lifestyle.
I stood outside the judge's chambers feeling awkward and unsure of what came next. Anna was inspecting her second ring, her face content with satisfaction. In fact she looked a bit like the cat that ate the canary. She looked up at me inquiringly as to what came next.
"What would you like to do?" I asked.
Her eyebrows rose and her expression was all tease.
I closed my eyes briefly feeling my face flush, "I didn't mean for that to sound like that! I…"
Her hand closed over my mouth and her eyes were kind. "I know. You were just trying to be sweet and romantic and make my wedding day even more eventful than it already is, but all I want right now is for you to make me your wife in truth! Think you can do that Nikolai?" She asked seductively as she pressed up against me.
A chortle of laughter escaped from her, "Oh honey you're about to blow a blood vessel!"
"Let's go!" I gritted out.
She mock saluted, "Yes Sir! Ready to serve you anyway I can, Sir! At your service, Sir just give the order, Sir!"
I just shook my head; the woman didn't have a serious bone in her body. We turned to go and I felt Kevin's hand slip into my free hand. I looked down to see him looking at me. In a way his gesture completely made my day as much as the ceremony had. The end of something old and the beginning of something new.
We left and for whatever reason I thought it would be nicer to walk then ride back to the apartment in a taxi. We ambled on and I had to admit my control was slipping a bit as we neared the street where the apartment building was.
My pace inadvertently quickened and Anna gave me a cheeky smirk. I stopped dead in my tracks and then almost as quickly as I'd halted I hustled a surprised Anna and Kevin inside a corner bistro that we were beside of. In an awful form of dawning dread, I walked past the waitress picking out menus asking us how many were to be seated. I went to the glass window painted with advertised specials and gazed across the street at the apartment complex building.