I can’t deny that it’s a good feeling, having Mom here next to me. It feels like such a simple—albeit strange—gesture. But it feels nice, like we’re mother and son again.

“There’s always the chance that he’ll be more accepting in person?” she offers. “Maybe he just needs some time to himself, mull things over.”

“Yeah … right.”

I just keep thinking about the thing that she said earlier. About being brave, about how something must be worth doing if it scares me so much.

But I guess it wasn’t worth doing.

Then again, was a phone call the thing that scared me the most?

No, what scares me the most is leaving this entire wedding behind, flying all the way back to North Carolina just to see them again, just to show up on their doorstep and kiss them until I can’t breathe anymore. That’s what scares me. Loving Wyatt Fowler scares me.

Showing them that I love them scares me a billion times more.

“Sorry, Mom,” I tell her, standing up.

“For what?”

“I think I’ve got to go.”

“You’re leaving now? You can’t just walk out. You’re a groomsman.”

“I’ve gotta go.” She’s still shouting my name as I race through the garden, past guests still making their way in. “Sorry! Sorry!”

I’ve got to work fast.

I make it up to my hotel room, looking for the perfect flight on my phone while I ride the elevator up. There’s one in an hour and a half, not completely booked, not direct, but the next one leaves in three hours and I can’t wait that long, even if I’d be landing in Charlotte around the same time. My brain doesn’t understand that, though, so I buy the ticket; the price doesn’t matter.

I just need to get to them.

I just want to get back to Wyatt.

I want to get back home.

I throw as many things into my carry-on as I can, barely taking the time to peel myself out of the suit. The important things like my phone and laptop. We have the room until Sunday; maybe there’s some universe out there where I manage another flight back here to get everything.

But it’s just clothes, skin care, shoes.

That can all be replaced.

And Wyatt can’t.

For Wyatt, this will all be worth it.

*  *  *

Getting onto the plane isn’t easy. I feel like I run from one end of the airport to the other just to get to my gate.

At least without Wyatt here I can use my PreCheck.

The flight is long, night coming so much faster now that I’m racing toward the East Coast.