Memories Without Him novel · Chapter 23 of 24

Chapter 23: Second Vows

"Yes," I said.

It came out before he had finished the sentence, and the room laughed and clapped.

Vincent shut his eyes and let his head drop, and for a second I thought he might not get up again.

Then I took the ring out of his fingers and put it on myself.

We married on the roof of the brownstone five weeks later, in the first cold week of December.

Nobody stood up for him, and nobody stood up for me.

The doctor came, and the older guard from the lobby with his cap in his hand, and a judge who had known my father.

Francesca sent a plant.

It had a card on it, in red ink, that said only, Sorry again.

I wore ivory.

My hair had grown back over the scar, and I had pinned the pearl bracelet over my sleeve.

Vincent wore black, and his arm was out of its sling.

The judge asked us to say what we meant.

I had written mine in the notebook, and I did not read it.

"You sat outside my door for six hours when I was fifteen," I said. "I never knew I'd heard you until I read it in my own hand. I'm going to forget a lot of things in my life. I've been told so. I want you to be the thing I get back."

His face did something I had not seen it do in public.

"I have no paper," Vincent said. "I'm not good with words. I called you every night and only said goodnight. I'd like to say it for the rest of my life, in the same voice, if you'll let me."

"Yes," I said again.

"I haven't asked yet."

"You're about to."

"Do you take..."

"Yes."

The judge looked from one of us to the other and gave up.

"Then you are married," he said. "I'll leave the rest to you."

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