“Because you’re something yourself, Jade. Rian can’t tear her eyes away from you when you’re together.  She glows when you even so much as glance or look her way.  And I know the sex is halfway decent – like, what was up with all that moaning when we all went camping in the Outer Banks last summer, remember?  Even though you pitched your tent at the very edge of our area of the campsite, and you tried to muffle things, that didn’t help much. I’m pretty sure everyone from that campsite to Charlotte heard her express her love for you!”

“Tina!!”

As Jade continued to sputter and protest, Tina’s voice turned serious. “What does she have, what does she do to make you feel so much?”

Jade bit her lip and walked lazily down the path of LED lights that led to a hammock she’d set up under a trellis of tomato evinces.

“She’s beautiful, strong, warm, intelligent, loving, bewitching …”

Tina laughed lightly and interrupted her cousin. “Ok.  I stepped into that.  She’s perfect, Jade.  Or perfect for you.”

Jade smiled. Tina’s voice turned serious again, “So this is what I can say: you’re a good person, the best kind of person, and you have the internal stuff to allow the most important person in all of this, as far as you’re concerned …”

“Rian?”

“No, not Rian. You.  You’re the important one in determining what’s going to happen next.  Nothing I say; not even my story with Bette – these don’t decide what the correct thing to do is.  Trust in yourself, Jade.”

Jade blew a careful breath out.

“So – do you love her? Will you love her enough to marry her?”

Well, Tina, I trust myself. And more than that, I trust her.  I trust her love for me; and yes, I trust my love for her.

“Okay, Tina. Yes:  I want to marry her.”

Tina blinked back tears.

“Can you help me plan this? I want it to be special.”

Jade heard some sniffling over the phone. Which was odd, since she was the one who’d just made the biggest, most emotional decision in her life.

“I’m so touched you asked, Jade. You won’t be disappointed.  I will help you sweep her off of her feet, cousin.  It’s going to be unforgettable, I promise you…”

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