Love is Always Write Anthology Bonus Volume

an ass I can't believe I didn't drown you as a puppy. Tell Mom—" I should have been cringing but I grinned instead, "—tell Mom that we had one chance to meet Alan's sister in Connecticut so we took it. And— and while we're there we're getting married."
    "Duuuuude…" Will said. "Fucking A! You get married without Mom there and I am off the hook for years ."
    "Yes, that's why we're doing it. To make your life easier."
    "She's gonna flip. She's gonna have kittens. Actual literal fuzzy kittens. That breathe fire."
    "I know."
    "I'll tell her. Watch for the mushroom cloud."
    "Try not to be so happy about her being mad at me, Will. Trustworthy people do not crow over the shenanigans of others. We shake our heads and start picking up the pieces."
    "Booooriiiing. When are you going to be home? Can I call your friends about rock climbing? Since, you know, you're actually going to be dead?"
    "We'll be home in time for turkey. No, you can't call my friends. Mom's not going to kill me, she'll just guilt me into visiting for every holiday for the next five years."
    "Ten years, and Groundhog Day is a holiday. I'll tell her. Congrats. Brotherly love to Alan. Gotta go, those cookies are calling me to come ruin my dinner before Mom gets home, and Lilia doesn't have a cordless phone. Bye."
    "Will, if the cookies are talking to you—" I began, but he was gone.
    ****

CHAPTER 11
    Danbury was a pretty, quiet place, with tall old buildings and tall old trees and weak afternoon sun shining down through torn clouds. The city hall was disappointingly modern with a front of smoked glass and not even any stairs, but that wasn't where we were getting married. I woke Alan and kissed him and took his hand to lead him inside, wishing I'd planned better and had coffee to put in his hand.
    The paperwork wasn't as bad as I'd feared. I had a moment's panic when Alan's student ID wasn't good enough and he couldn't find his driver's license, but then he scratched his head blearily and pulled it from the envelope with his bus ticket, and in far less time than I would have believed, I held our marriage license.
    "Coffee?" Alan asked as I stared at it.
    "Coffee," I agreed, since we had two hours before we needed to meet the minister at the chapel Mallory had located. "I do want you awake for this next part."
    "Might be better if I sleepwalk," he muttered as I led him out of the building to look for the nearest coffee shop. "Now I have energy to freak—" a yawn interrupted him, "—freak out again."
    "Yeah, you look energized." He looked sleepy-eyed and adorable, even down to the red mark on his face from a crease in my jeans. I put my arm around him and guided him across the street.
    The barista saw the marbled paper and gold lettering of the envelope they'd given me for the marriage license and grinned. She congratulated us and gave us a free cupcake with a heart on it. Alan looked startled. I took his hand as I thanked the lady. We found a table and I laid the envelope down because I wasn't ready to put it away yet, and a smiling pair two tables over who had their own cupcake waved their envelope at us. I smiled at them. Alan stared until I guided him into a seat.
    "I think— I keep expecting someone to say something," he said. "To throw something."
    "I think you're a bit jumpy already," I said as I put the marriage license in my backpack, "and maybe the coffee and the cupcake and the brownie isn't a great idea."
    "Don't get in the way of my carbs, man. Don't go there."
    "Noted," I said, and went to get our coffees. I returned to put Alan's in his hands and he leaned over it solemnly, eyes closed as he inhaled. My phone rang and he jumped. It played enough I recognized my mom's ringtone and I wanted to jump too, but instead I pulled the phone out and answered it.
    "Lukas."
    "Don't you 'Lukas' me, mister," Mom snarled. "Lilia hid my charger and her phone until she got me to admit that you probably have excellent reasons, but I am still not pleased and I am not going to be pleased. Now let me talk to Alan."
    "Mom—"
    "I will save my fury for you, young man. Let me talk to my future son-in-law. Now."
    He was staring at me with wide eyes. I swallowed and muted the phone.
    "My mom wants to talk to you. She's pretty angry. You—"
    "You talked to my mom." Alan held out his hand.
    "Hand it back if she starts yelling at you. I mean it, don't—"
    "Give me the phone, Lukas."
    I gave him the phone.
    "Hello, Mrs. Blake. This is Alan."
    Mom talked. Alan