He shook his head as he held the cab door open for me. “I’ll quit calling you that when it sinks in that this is real.”
“Oh, it’s real all right,” I said, sliding to the middle of the seat to make room. “I have wedding night memories to prove it.
He leaned against me, running his nose up the sensitive skin of my neck until he reached my ear. “We sure do.”
“Ow…,” I said when he pressed against my bandage.
“Oh, dammit, I’m sorry, Pidge.”
“You’re forgiven,” I smiled.
We rode to the airport hand in hand, and I giggled as I watched Travis stare at his wedding band without apology. His eyes held the peaceful expression I was becoming accustomed to.
“When we get back to the apartment, I think it will finally hit me, and I’ll quit acting like such a jackass.”
“Promise?” I smiled.
He kissed my hand and then cradled it in his lap between his palms. “No.”
I laughed, resting my head on his shoulder until the cab slowed to a stop in front of the airport. My cell phone rang again, displaying America’s name once again.
“She’s relentless. Let me talk to her,” Travis said, reaching for my phone.
“Hello?” he said, waiting out the shrill stream on the other end of the line. He smiled, “Because I’m her husband. I can answer her phone, now.” He glanced at me, and then shoved open the cab door, offering his hand. “We’re at the airport, America. Why don’t you and Shep pick us up and you can yell at us both on the way home? Yes, the whole way home. We should arrive around three. All right, Mare. See you then.” He winced with her sharp words and then handed me the phone. “You weren’t kidding. She’s pissed.”
He tipped the cabby and then threw his bag over his shoulder, pulling up the handle to my rolling luggage. His tattooed arms tensed as he pulled my bag, his free hand reaching out to take mine.
“I can’t believe you gave her the green light to let us have it for an entire hour,” I said, following him through the revolving door.
“You don’t really think I’m going to let her yell at my wife, do you?”
“You’re getting pretty comfortable with that term.”
“I guess it’s time I admit it. I knew you were going to be my wife pretty much from the second I met you. I’m not going to lie and say I haven’t been waiting for the day I could say it…so I’m going to abuse the title. You should get used to it, now.” He said this all matter-of-factly, as if he were giving a practiced speech.
I laughed, squeezing his hand. “I don’t mind.”
He peered at me from the corner of his eye. “You don’t?” I shook my head and he pulled me to his side, kissing my cheek. “Good. You’re going to get sick of it over the next few months, but just cut me some slack, okay?”
I followed him through the hallways, up escalators, and lines of security. When Travis walked through the metal detector, a loud buzzer went off. When the airport guard asked Travis to remove his ring, his face turned severe.
“I’ll hold onto it, sir,” the officer said. “It will only be for a moment.”
“I promised her I’d never take it off,” Travis said through his teeth.
The officer held out his palm, patience and amused understanding wrinkling the thin skin around his eyes.
Travis begrudgingly removed his ring, slammed it into the guard’s hand, and then sighed when he walked through the doorway, that time without setting off the alarm. I walked through without event, handing over my ring as well. Travis’ expression was still tense, but when we were allowed to pass, his shoulders relaxed.
“It’s okay, Baby. It’s back on your finger,” I said, giggling at his overreaction.