Deliosa watched Sammy as Ambrose and Barbara danced right past his chair.
He doesn’t seem to be bothered by it. His expression is calm and nothing whatsoever has dropped dead.
But maybe he’s hiding it deep down.
“Samer?” She touched his hand. “Are you all right?”
“Much better than I thought Ii would be. I was so afraid to attend this wedding. I thought the sight of her saying her vows to him would break me. I thought seeing them together, so happily together, would make me destroy the world. But I am whole, Lee. I feel peace inside.”
He put his hands on top of her hands. “Part of it is because I know they’ll be happy. He’ll make her happy. That is very important to me.”
“What’s the other part?”
“You. I have yet to get my elder’s permission for us to be a pair. But right now…here. At this moment in time, I have you. And that gives me happiness. The best kind of happiness I know.”
She pressed her head against his chest. “It gives me happiness too, Samer.”
***
His hands on me.
His arms around me.
His body close to me…so close to me.
And there are no barriers.
“This is happiness.” Barbara whispered. “The best kind of happiness.”
“No.” he said lovingly. “That happiness comes later.”
She blushed and ducked her head.
“No. Look at me. My Barbara, look at me.”
The sound of his voice.
The warmth of his words.
His touch.
She looked back at him.
He grinned mischievously.
“Uh oh. What’s that grin all—” She let out a startled whoop as he scooped her up in his arms and twirled her.
He laughed and slowly lowered her back to Earth. “I’ve been wanting to do that for some time now.”
She giggled. “I bet you have.”
The song ended.
She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.
He embraced her. His hands spread wide on her back.
She gasped. “oh. oh. umm.”
He looked at her with so much love. If she were a pint of ice cream, she would have been liquefied. He kissed her one more time before letting her go. “I suppose we should go sit down.”
She nodded in mute agreement.
ambroseandelsie 