I kiss him. I kiss him hard. I kiss him passionately. I kiss him to let him know there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. I kiss him to let him know he has all of me and that as long as I can help it, I’m not going anywhere.

Something about the need feels new. Like there’s been an unlocking within me and all of my firsts have been rolled into one to make something far better.

‘Do we have time?’ I ask.

‘They won’t miss us. Not our wedding,’ he replies with a coy smile, pulling me on top of him.

*

Although, pre-Liam, a huge sadness engulfed me whenever Valentine’s Day would come around and I’d either be single or in a doomed relationship, the same cannot be said for weddings. I have always loved attending weddings – to the point I’d happily be a guest at one even when I haven’t ever met the bride and groom. Purely so I could ogle at the day and soak it up. Valentine’s Day is essentially a day the shops made up to make money; weddings, however, and the core root of why they exist, have been around for centuries. Yes, it originally came about so a man could take a woman as his property and lay claim to his ‘heirs’, but it has since evolved into something that I find endearing, beautiful and, perhaps, even idyllic. I know the marriage that comes after that doesn’t always follow those characteristics. I know that marriages still have to be worked at otherwise they fall apart. I know that sometimes one party can get lost in the idea that the grass might indeed be greener on the other side but, for that one day, love is allowed to shine through. Celebrating the glory of a bond that has people teary-eyed as they declare their commitment in front of people they love (and me, even if I am the stray plus one) is the ultimate romantic gesture. Walking down the aisle on the arm of someone special, the wedding vows, the speeches, the first dance, the grandparents getting drunk in the corner before taking over the dance floor – I love all of it. They are days that reaffirm the brilliance of human connection, of everyone coming together for a good time.

This wedding is the most spectacular one I’ve ever been invited to. Liam’s brother Duncan and his fiancée Lisa have been together for over a decade, so it’s a big deal for everyone that they’re finally tying the knot. Even if Duncan protested against the idea of marriage for many years (saying they were happy as they were) he’s gone into the wedding planning fully invested. It’s a big affair. Huge venue, massive guest list, flowers everywhere, and a firework display to boot, which is a sight to behold.