Protected

Forgetful

That night, for the first time, Lucas and I slept in his bed. But I could tell he had been preparing for that night.

When I walked in, the books on his night stand were in neat, orderly stacks. The laundry was picked up off the floor, and the bed was made. Correctly. Including the sheets.

I laid down and watched as he took off his shirt to go to bed, then he crawled in behind me and wrapped his arm around my waist. We fell asleep like that, and that's how I woke up. 

When I woke up, he was still asleep, and his arm was still around my waist. I wriggled out from under it and got dressed as quietly as possible so I wouldn't wake him. I slipped on my leggings and a blue t-shirt, but I didn't feel like wearing shoes, so I slipped on my fluffy gray slippers.

I noticed that there was an envelope on the dresser, addressed to Maya Hart and Lucas Friar in curly gold calligraphy. I slid it open and pulled the paper out. 

It was a rectangle of stiff white card stock with flowered vines creeping up from the sides. I pinched the paper in my fingers and read it:

Riley Matthews and Farkle Minkus request your presence as they exchange marriage vows

The 25th of April, 2018

At half past five

2491 Quail Call Court, Taylorsville, KY

To be held at the Garden in the woods

Escorts waiting to guide you

Dinner and dancing to follow

I was almost crying. The whole thing was written in elaborate pink and black calligraphy, and it was made to look as if flowers were growing off the letters. It was beautiful, and I was super excited that I had a part in creating it.

My little baby Riley, getting married! It was almost too much to comprehend.

I slid the invitation back into the envelope and set it back on the dresser. I noticed that Lucas had a lavender scented candle sitting on the dresser with a sticky note attached to it: Remember to light. Apparently he forgot to light it, so I figured I would light it for him before he woke up. I rummaged quietly in his night stand drawer and pulled out a green lighter. I carefully lit the wick, trying hard not to burn myself. Every time I handled fire in any sort it ended badly.

"Do I smell that bad?" Lucas asked. I jumped. He was propped up on one elbow, looking at me with a sleepy smile on his face.

"You forgot to light it," I said, tossing the lighter at him.

He caught it and wrinkled his nose, "How did you know?" he asked.

I crumpled up the sticky note and threw it at him. He caught that, too.

"Oh, yeah," he said with a laugh, "I forgot about that."

"You forgot about the note reminding you to light the candle?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

He chuckled, "Yeah. I need a don't-forget note to remind me about my don't-forget note."

"You'd forget that, too," I said.

He laughed and jumped off the bed, coming up behind me to wrap his arms around my waist and bury his head in my hair.

"First night together," he commented.

"The beginning of the rest of them," I said.