140 All The Man I Need

I used to cry myself to sleep at night
But that was all before he came
I thought love had to hurt to turn out right
But now he’s here
It’s not the same, it’s not the same

He fills me up
He gives me love
More love than I’ve ever seen
He’s all I’ve got,
He’s all I’ve got in this world
But he’s all the man that I need

And in the morning when I kiss his eyes
He takes me down and rocks me slow
And in the evening when the moon is high
He holds me close and won’t let go
He won’t let go

He fills me up
He gives me love
More love than I’ve ever seen
He’s all I’ve got,
He’s all I’ve got in this world
But he’s all the man that I need

Larry Butz
Eagle Mountain Cabins
April 22, 2026, 10:15 AM

The very first thing Larry did after Iris left was to shuck off his pyjama bottoms and jump into a pair of trousers. He held his cell phone wedged between his ear and shoulder while he hopped with first one foot, then the other, trying to quickly get the pants on as he attempted to call Phoenix and find out, once and for all, what his best course of action should be regarding Maya’s wedding. As much as he respected Edgeworth and his ability to randomly quote his undoubtedly on-hand copy of The Guy-ble, he needed to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth!

Unfortunately, his luck was identical to every other time he’d previously tried to contact his old friend – it went straight to voicemail, which, based on the song recorded on it, the artist surmised Trucy must have been the one to put on it since he knew Nick remained as technologically illiterate as a rock!

The lyrics-free, haunting tune of melodic piano chords was very well suited to the mysteriously brooding, beanie-wearing pianist persona Phoenix had morphed into since being disbarred. The song on the voicemail was as lacking in words as the laconic, spiky-haired former lawyer himself.

Being a lover of Pink Floyd himself, Larry immediately recognized the band’s purely instrumental soundtrack, “The Great Gig in the Sky.” The recording didn’t even end with Phoenix’s voice, or even an automated one, instructing him to leave a message. Instead, an abrupt beep at the end of the song was the signal indicating the artist could now speak his piece.

“Nick, it’s Larry!” He grunted into the phone as he quickly brushed his teeth. “This is only the billionth time I’ve called you this year, and I know from the papers that your trial was yesterday. I’m going to go out on a limb and assume despite the haunting melody on your voicemail, which morbidly suggests the great afterlife, that you’re not, in actuality, a dead man walking, nor are you in the slammer?”

He paused for a second to rinse his mouth out in the sink.

“I figured it wasn’t too bad a guess that you got off scot-free. I mean, otherwise, it would’ve been the first thing Edgy told me when he called me this morning, instead of telling me that I’m essentially an ass – name pun not intended! – for going to Maya’s wedding!”

Larry let out a depressed sigh at the memory and continued.

“Not only that, but our prosecutor pal was also busting my chops for my unseemly proximity with Iris! I never intended to be spending more time with your girl than you are, Nick, but somebody’s got to help her and that poor old nun out with the prepping! Dude, why won’t you call me?! All I need is to hear the word from you that you’re not cool with anything about this situation and I’ll remedy it! But right now, what with you not having seen your girlfriend since last year from what she’s told me, and your inability to even pick up the phone and return a simple phone call, I’m just about fed up with you, anyway! As far as I’m concerned, the only one being an ass here right now, Phoenix Wright, is you!”

Phoenix Wright and Iris Hawthorne
April 22, 2026, 9:15 AM

“Iris!” Sister Bikini called from the main hall. “Wake up, sleepyhead! You have a phone call!”

Iris jolted awake, astounded that she had actually slept so late, and quickly rushed out to the phone in the temple hallway. As she lifted the receiver to her ear and heard the voice on the other on the line, she was incredibly grateful the head nun had left her to some privacy, and therefore wouldn’t be privy to hearing the conversation.

“Hey, Iris, it’s me.” Phoenix sounded pleasant enough as he greeted her, yet his voice radiated the same somnolence the shrine maiden was experiencing. “How are you?”

With a start, her groggy mind belatedly realized that her ex’s murder trial, which she’d read about in the newspaper, had been the day before. Ergo, since he was able to call her, things must have gone well!

“Feenie!” She gasped delightedly. “I am so happy to hear from you! Forget about me, how are you faring?”

“Fair to middling, I suppose.” There was a slight smile in his voice beneath the strain. “I mean, I’m neither going to prison nor going to be executed, so I guess that’s a good thing, right? Walking the green mile in my stead, however, is the solemn fate awaiting the man who tried to frame me for his devilish misdeeds. The real killer was none other than the tetched Kristoph Gavin.”

“Kristoph Gavin?! The famed defense attorney?!” Iris was thunderstruck to hear this. “You’re kidding!”

“It’s a long story,” he chuckled tiredly. “I hope you’ve got a few moments.”

“For you, I have all the time in the world,” she promised him. “Tell me all about it!”

Iris eagerly listened to the unbelievably dramatic turn of events that had occurred at the trial, along with its verdict. When Phoenix was done speaking, there was a strange silence on the line, and it appeared as though neither of them wanted to bring up the proverbial pink elephant in the room. Since it appeared her former lover wasn’t in any mad haste to address the issue, the shrine maiden decided to take the bull by the horns herself.

“Kristoph Gavin – he was the man who was a threat to Maya’s life, wasn’t he?” She asked hesitantly. Phoenix had never disclosed the name of his nemesis, but it wasn’t too difficult to piece the puzzle together now.

“Affirmative,” was the terse response.

“My understanding, based on what you just told me right now, is that he’s now going to be behind bars for the rest of his life,” Iris deduced. “This is great news! Er… isn’t it? Now that Maya’s no longer in danger, what does this finally mean…for…you know…?”

Her earnest curiosity about the matter was not in the least bit intended to come across as self-serving. Iris genuinely adored Phoenix and wanted nothing more than for him to be happy. Consequently, as far as she could see, with that awful German fiend spending the rest of his life rotting in prison until his eventual execution, there was no reason for her ex not to go pursue his heart’s desire, which in this case, was her cousin! Also, seeing as how Pearl and Maya were the only kin she had besides Sister Bikini, Iris was fervently hoping Phoenix would tell her she could now be free to make amends with the two of them.

Her well-intended question was met with dead silence on the other end of the line.

Feeling confused by this, yet strangely emboldened, the shrine maiden finished the hanging query, which Phoenix seemed strangely reluctant to answer.

“What does this all mean for you and Maya, now, Feenie?”

“The only thing that’s changed with this outcome is that I am no longer under threat of capital punishment for a crime that I never committed. Unfortunately, regarding me and Maya, absolutely nothing has changed,” Phoenix replied tenebrously. “She’s moved on and is getting married to another man, and that’s the end of that.”

Iris frowned into the receiver. This wasn’t the answer she had been anticipating at all!

“Yes she’s getting married, but despising the both of us because she thinks that you left her for me,” the nun reminded him anxiously. “I’m not trying to condone or even persuade you to go and try to break up a betrothal, Feenie. Nevertheless, Maya is going into a marriage with unfounded resentment in her heart towards you…”

As well as towards me, which I was desperately hoping to fix now that the issue of her safety is out of the way!

“…Thence, can it honestly be a good thing to let her start a new life while carrying such a heavy burden from her old one?”

“And what would you have me do to counteract that, Iris?” He asked flatly.

She bit her lip apprehensively.

“Well, I’m pretty sure if you simply told my cousin the truth about why you ended things with her, Maya would come running to you in an attempt to smooth things over…”

“That’s exactly what I’m trying to avoid, Iris.” Phoenix’s lassitude over the matter was palpable, even over the phone. “I’ve caused that girl enough strife and grief already. She shouldn’t be focusing on her past anymore, which is all I am now. This Longines guy is her future, and that’s all that matters. Unlike my derelict self, this billionaire she’s getting hitched to can give Maya everything her heart desires.”

“But Feenie…” was the only protest she could muster before he abruptly cut her off.

“Maya is probably under enough stress with her wedding just around the corner. That should be her sole focus, along with her new life and bright future lying ahead of her – not lamenting or feeling guilty about the way things were left between us. She shouldn’t need to worry about feeling obligated to make things right with me so she can go into this marriage with a free conscience. Ultimately, that’s not what’s important anymore. It’s for the best if she doesn’t pay me another thought.”

“What does this mean? That you’re never going to tell her the truth?” Iris inquired morosely, an icy cold hand wrapping around her heart at the thought of Maya and Pearl carrying their loathing for her to their graves. “You’re just going to let this rift remain between the two of you … for good?”

“Of course not.” He let out a humorless snort. “I’m not so completely discourteous that I’ve forgotten
your hardship ensured amidst all this!”

Thinking of Larry, Iris sighed silently. Her ex didn’t even know the half of it!

“There are no words to describe how disheartened I am about the sacrifice I asked you to make, Iris. I hope you know that I am eternally indebted to you for all the affliction you’ve endured on my behalf, throughout this whole calamity.” His suddenly tremulous tone was impossible to miss now. “But I beg you, please, don’t hate me for requesting one last favor.”

“What is it?” She asked cautiously, unwilling to immediately agree to anything at this point and ensnare herself into a new binding agreement, as she hadn’t even been released from her old one just yet!

“It’s just as you said – you weren’t trying to encourage me to attempt to break up their engagement. It would be an exercise in futility, anyway, as Maya has willingly plighted her troth to Longines, and I have no desire to try to interfere with that, nor cause her any sort of confusion or botheration whatsoever. I know she’s happy with this man. I – I’ve seen the photos in all the papers and tabloids.”

“Oh, Feenie…” She murmured sympathetically, her chest tightening at how much he must have been suffering by being forced to endure the inescapable details of the happy media darlings for the past year. “I’m so sorry.”

“Moreover, no matter how far from grace I’ve fallen, I most definitely could never be so immoral as to try to pursue a wedded woman, one who belongs to another man, to break her marital vows on my behalf.” His voice broke then. “After all, Maya must love Longines if she’s agreed to spend the rest of her life with him.”

She couldn’t refute this as a possibility, so she remained silent.

“That’s why I can’t have her finding out why I ended things. Not before she’s officially married. Because while I am not of so little integrity to indulge in an extramarital affair, I –I can’t trust myself to see her before then, for I am only a man, and most definitely no saint.”

Iris’s heart ached as she realized that he now sounded near tears.

“No good can come of it if I should see Maya before she walks down the aisle; if she comes running to me, trying to patch up our friendship, or because finding out the truth makes her feel duty-bound towards me, or suddenly get an attack of cold feet … I just can’t risk being the one responsible for creating such havoc and upheaval for her.”

“I know you’re trying to be noble here, Feenie but my cousin does have the right –”

“Iris,” Phoenix whispered brokenly. “It is to my great shame to tell you this: should I lay eyes on Maya Fey before she’s a married woman, I know I’d be too selfish and lack the moral fiber to let her go through with her wedding – even though her heart now belongs to another. It wouldn’t matter to me, because I still would try to persuade her to remain by my side, even though doing so would mean ruining her life and reputation, knowing I can offer her nothing, while this man can offer her the world. I cannot do that to her! I love her too damn much! If she were to come to me now, I know that I just wouldn’t have the strength to let her go again.”

“I understand,” she told him sadly. “My heart breaks for you, Feenie, and I wish I could do more to help you, but I do understand, I honestly do.”

“Please forgive me, dear friend, for being a weak man, and for asking you to bear the unnecessary cold shoulder from your family just a bit longer, for my sake.” This time there was no disguising his profound anguish. “Ultimately, all I’m asking you for is two more months of silence. I’ve even written a letter to Maya, confessing everything in the meantime, which I will send off in the post, right after she says ‘I do’, so it will give your story validation when you finally run to her to repair this mess I’ve made for you. Just two more months of living this burden of a lie, Iris. That’s all I’ll ever ask of you. I swear it.”

Never before had the shrine maiden felt so numb or conflicted. The small, selfish part of her wanted to wail and cry about how unfair all of this was to her, not only for having to have continued strained relations with her relatives but also for being forced to keep the man she loved at arm’s length for another grueling eight weeks, which would feel like an eternity!

That being said, it simply wasn’t in her to be so self-seeking and think of only herself at a time like this. She knew firsthand what it was like to not only lose someone you loved but to then watch them love another. Luckily, destiny had bestowed favor on her, allowing her a tentative, second chance with Larry.

Furthermore, if the fates smiled upon Iris for once, and the artist somehow didn’t decide to give up and move on between now and the Kurain Master’s wedding, there remained that small chance that perhaps she and Larry could be together after that.

Whereas once Maya walked down the aisle and became Mrs. Longines Beaugosse, her cousin would be pounding the final nail in the coffin for her and Phoenix Wright forever, resigning the nun’s dear old friend to nothing but a life of shattered hopes, vanquished dreams, and everlasting loneliness.

The shrine maiden didn’t have the heart to do what most other women would have in her position: relentlessly shriek at the top of her lungs at Phoenix Wright and inform him that irrespective of what misfortune had fallen upon him, he had zero right to so inconsiderately be asking her for any further sort of lagniappe! Goddammit, she already had gone above and beyond the call of duty as far as friendly exes went by this point, and ergo, she no longer owed him a blasted thing!

However, Iris knew she could never do such a thing. While she was no longer in love with Phoenix, the sentimental part of her would always love him and be grateful for all he had done for her. The was the part of her that ached with sympathy for his plight and thence, could never allow her to refuse him this one last request.

In the meantime, she and Larry would have to be put on hold – along with all temptations! – if she hoped to have a prayer of success in fulfilling this very last Feenie obligation!

Larry Butz
Eagle Mountain Cabins
April 22, 2026, 10:20 AM

Larry hurriedly finished washing up and grabbed the tools he was going to need for that day’s chores. He’d taken a tad longer to gather his bearings than anticipated and hoped Iris hadn’t already started the strenuous task of hanging up the decorative outdoor lights. The only object they had in their possession to reach high areas was a rickety old wooden ladder that had seen better days. He didn’t want her putting herself in any sort of precarious situation or climbing anything, in light of her recent injury.

The aide-mémoire of this only further irritated him and his newly reinstated aggravation with the Edgeworth situation was what caused him to pick up the phone one final time and leave yet another short, but blistering, message on Phoenix’s voicemail.

“You know Nick, I get it, we’re all busy. Heck, I work with my hands too, so I’m even willing to be understanding if you were to claim that your fingers are too worn out from playing the piano all week to dial the phone and call me back!”

The sarcasm was positively dripping from the artist’s tongue.

“But what I cannot comprehend is how you can be so apathetic about even contacting your own girlfriend! Did you know that she twisted her ankle about a week ago? Even if circumstances may have kept you from visiting her and seeing firsthand if she was OK, I’d have hoped that you at least would give the woman who loves you a phone call! Otherwise, even at the risk of sounding like every bit the jerk you’re being right now with your continual dismissive silence, I’m going to call you out and just flat-out tell you something. Iris Hawthorne is not only a gem, but she’s too damn good for the likes of you, Phoenix Wright! You don’t deserve such an angel! There, I said it! So take that!”

Flashback…

Larry Butz and Iris Hawthorne
Eagle Mountain Cabins
April 14, 2026, 8:15 PM

“Iris, I seriously wish you wouldn’t be so stubborn and just give me that basket of linens!” Larry grunted under the mass of his pile of dirty laundry. It was a most generous offer of him to take on her load as well, seeing as how the basket of soiled linens he was heaving was piled so high, that he could barely see the path in front of him. “At least put down half and make a double trip so you don’t break your back! These are as heavy as hell!”

“Larry, your hands are full enough already!” Iris insisted obstinately, even as she staggered with the weight of the basket of freshly laundered towels and bedsheets as they headed into the next cabin to spruce it up. “We always use the thicker wool and flannel bed coverings for the winter season, when it’s colder, but I’m only holding new cotton ones, as the wedding is going to be in the summer, which is much lighter compared to the winter bundle you’re carrying! I may be a sylph but I’m wiry, and I can manage just fine! Don’t worry – oof!”

The words had no sooner left her mouth when suddenly the heel of her sandal got caught on one of the throw rugs in the room, making her lose her balance and go hurtling towards the ground.

Time seemed to slow down when one was falling. In the seconds it took her to hit the floor, she knew it was going to hurt.

While losing her footing, she simultaneously sent the basket flying in the air in an explosion of white fabrics. Fortunately, the wooden floors had been freshly swept and mopped the day before, so all the scattered bedding and towels hadn’t landed on a dirty surface and thus would not need to be re-laundered.

“Iris!” Larry immediately dropped his load of bedding and came rushing over to her, trying to unearth the shrine maiden from beneath the mountain of towels and sheets that covered her. “Iris, are you alright?”

“I’m fine!” She lied, flipping a towel off her head and trying not to wince as she attempted to untangle herself out of the mangled pretzel position she had fallen into. Her poor left ankle had gotten caught beneath her and it cried out in protest as she attempted to pull herself up against the bedpost. With an aggrieved grunt, she flopped back down with a muffled cry and attempted to smile weakly to mask the embarrassing pain.

God, she was such a complete and utter idiot!

“Er, I’ll live, anyway…”

“You’re a lousy liar, you know that?” His tone was a mixture of exasperation and concern as he squatted down on his haunches and peered anxiously at her. “There was no need to try to be Supergirl and deal with a load so massive, all at once! What did you think you were doing!?”

Bracing herself on her forearms, Iris lifted her chagrined gaze from Larry’s shoes to his face.

“Auditioning for the circus?” She attempted to joke, hoping he wouldn’t say I told you so about having been carrying more than she could handle. “And for an encore, I usually fall off a burning bridge!”

“A feat that’s only survivable if you’re Phoenix Wright!”

A guffaw sounded from the artist as he took her firmly by the shoulders and helped her to her feet, lifting her slightly so she could sit on the bed while he remained crouched down, noticing her cringing at the faintly red-looking ankle.

“That was quite a spill you took,” he noted worriedly. “Can you walk?”

“For miles,” she assured him unsteadily. Every muscle in her body was protesting, and her left ankle was throbbing painfully. “It looks worse than it feels, honestly!”

Larry saw through her attempted bravado; it was evident she wanted to not be any sort of albatross to him. The fact that she was more embarrassed about being a bother to him than actually being concerned for her well-being, which was such an Iris thing to do, and he smilingly shook his head.

What am I going to do about this mulish maiden?

“It doesn’t feel swollen,” he commented, bending his head toward her ankle. “Does it hurt at all?”

“Very little.” Her cheeks turned pink as he gently flexed it, determining that mercifully, nothing appeared to be broken. “Though not nearly as much as my dignity.”

“I have some emergency treatment training.” He was already reaching for the first aid kit from the night table equipped in all the cabins. “Fortunately, it seems like it might just have been twisted, not even sprained, so it should heal just fine, as long as you don’t overdo it and listen to me this time, missy!”

“Oh, thank heavens!” She sighed in relief, wiggling her toes more comfortably as he wrapped the bandage around her ankle. “I can’t believe I’m such a klutz! I’m beyond mortified!”

“All that matters is that you weren’t seriously hurt.” There was a grin in his voice that matched his eyes as he looked up at her flushed face. “As long as you keep it elevated and iced once you get back in the temple, by tomorrow your ankle and your dignity will probably be fine.”

“Whatever you say, Dr. Butz!” She giggled, and he felt the familiar stirring in his chest at the musical sound.

There’s a certain enchantment in the manner she smiles and responds to my jokes—a kind of poetry that unfolds with each shared moment. Observing her laughter is an exquisite experience; it’s as if the burden of the entire world dissipates whenever she tilts her head back, her eyes forming delicate crinkles. In those moments, a profound sense of relief washes over me, making her laughter my most cherished sound in the whole world.

From a crouched stance, he delicately cradled her heel with his left hand, seamlessly extending his right to retrieve her sandal. His affectionate touch was never overtly sensual, always confined to her face, hands, or, in this instance, the obsidian strands of hair cascading in dishevelled waves around her flushed cheeks. With a tender gesture, he reached up and artfully brushed aside those locks, leaving her wondering if she had almost imagined the exquisite moment.

Just as he was about to slip the sandal onto her foot, he glanced up at her, and his teasing smile sent her pulse racing.

“Isn’t there some fairy tale about a royal dude who searches for the woman whose foot fits into a glass slipper, who also happens to have a major compulsion for cleaning?”

She nodded, her eyes gleaming.

“Cinderella.”

“What happens if this slipper fits?”

I become your Princess, and you whisk me off to your castle and the two of us live happily ever after!

Those were the words she longed to say but dared not. He must think her a fool for not listening, and now was not the time for fairy-tale fantasies.

To be fair, Larry treated her neither as if she were a clumsy clod nor a mere afterthought. Instead, he was simultaneously therapeutic, charming, and take-charge. With him tending to her injury, she felt secure.

His warmth permeates my essence, a silent solace that needs no words. If given the chance, I’d meld with him like ice cream on a heated porcelain bowl, for it feels natural to be by his side, just as it feels right for him to be by mine. Every day, as we bid each other goodnight, the yearning to be enveloped in his embrace resurfaces. I yearn to share kisses and divulge all my secrets, confessing that I’ve longed for this sentiment. I want him to love me.

Larry continued to gaze at her expectantly, momentarily interrupting her reverie. She searched for a response, trying to sound normal. It was a relief to turn away and gather her bearings, focusing on anything but the tingles his warm fingers sent through her body as he adjusted the bandage.

“I turn you into a handsome frog,” she jibed, relieved that her voice sounded normal. Larry chortled, assuming she was the type who liked fairy tales.

“Such flippancy!” He chortled. “I’d foolishly assumed you were the type of girl who liked fairytales!”

“I did,” she admitted. “I guess I still do. Just not that one.”

“Why’s that? With all this extra chore load, I thought the punctilious Mystic Mildred perfectly fit the role of the wicked stepmother in your Cinderella story!”

She tittered softly at this but then shook her head.

“In all actuality, despite all the additional cleaning I’ve been doing as of late, I’ve never been partial to the story of Cinderella,” Iris admitted. “I felt better connected to Rapunzel because her secluded tower was as remote from the rest of the world as Eagle Mountain is to me. I like how in the end, the Prince rescued her from that solace and loneliness.”

“Do you now?” Larry finished his handiwork, gazing meaningfully at her. “But Rapunzel had long, flaxen hair. I never understood why princesses always had shining blonde hair in fairy tales. I’ve always preferred ebon-haired brunettes.”

Her breath caught. Lost in his amber eyes, she felt mesmerized. The sunlight made her eyes sparkle like dark orange topaz, and under the moon, they twinkled like black garnet. He seemed equally captivated.

Their lingering gaze signalled something, and Iris felt like she was drowning in golden honey. Maybe, just maybe, Larry wasn’t entirely over her.

In the precise embrace of golden sunlight, her eyes sparkle with the intensity of dark orange topaz, mirroring my birthstone. Beneath the sun’s glow, they gleam akin to topaz, but beneath the moon, whether directly overhead or streaming through the window, illuminating the room as if it were daytime, they twinkle like black garnet. The eyes that once merely glanced my way years ago now pierce into mine, silently posing an unasked question, a query neither of us dares to articulate.

The intense expression in his eyes was impossible to miss this time, and Iris felt as though she were drowning in a pool of warm, golden honey. Her heart fluttered at what this could mean – if she dared to even dream it meant that perhaps…Larry wasn’t entirely over her yet.

Well, this was most… unexpected. It’s like there’s been a subtle vibe, though deciphering these nuances has never been my strength. Distinguishing between friendship and something deeper becomes challenging, especially when sought after. His eyes scrutinize mine, leaving his thoughts ambiguous. Perhaps he contemplates the same about me.

“I guess you can let me go now.” She shifted her foot out of reach, hoping to at least liberate his actual
physical hold on her if nothing else.

“Do I have to?” He asked playfully, slowly releasing her ankle, as though reluctant to do so.

“No.” Her throat ached, as though tears were going to start. She craved his touch, more than the air she breathed. But why put herself needlessly in temptation’s path? “But, um, my foot’s all wrapped up, and I think I’ll be alright now, thank you.”

“Dr. Butz to the rescue!” He kidded. “Available for house calls 24/7!”

Iris nodded mutely, her dark hair falling into her face so he couldn’t see her wistful expression. Frowning, at her inexplicable temperament change, Larry attempted to lighten the mood once more.

“Anyway, back to fairy tales! Tell me how the story goes after the dashing Prince arrives at the tower of the beautiful Princess, milady?” The jocoserious question was coupled with a shy smile. “What happens after he rescues her from the tower?”

Her pulse was racing so fast she could barely breathe as her lips formed the words.

“She rescues him right back.”

End Flashback

Larry Butz and Iris Hawthorne
Eagle Mountain Cabins
April 22, 2026, 10:20 AM

The beautiful Princess just wants to be rescued from her turret, otherwise known as Hazakura Temple, yet her long-distance romantic interest is hardly acting the part of the noble Prince! Heck, he’s not even a knight in shining armor – more like a jerkface in tin foil, since he’s content to play the role of the willfully blind and clueless fool and simply leave her pining away without even having the courtesy of calling her regularly!

Thoroughly vexed now by the injured Iris situation, despite his exhilarating memories attached to it, the artist hung up the cell. He was still grumbling in annoyance to himself about Phoenix’s negligence as he flung open the door to his cabin, a large piece of plywood under one arm, a pail of red paint in one hand, and a hand saw in the other. As part of the setup for the wedding, he was going to make wooden signs, with painted arrows, navigating the guests in the direction of the ceremony. As the wedding wasn’t exactly getting
further away, he figured now would be as good a time to start as any.

Exiting his cabin, he saw Iris standing off to the side several yards away, resembling some sort of garden fairy as she leaned over the flower beds in the surrounding fields. Beside her was a large plot in the damp earth the two of them had dug up. They’d put soil and compost upon it, planning to plant a flower bed. Unfortunately, the night before, there’d been an unexpected torrential downpour. This meant they would now have to wait until the designated planting ground had dried up somewhat before being able to sow anything at all, as it was now essentially a shallow wading pool of mucky manure!

Oblivious of his presence, the shrine maiden busied herself with a bed of vibrant sunflowers and daisies, her eyes alight with pleasure as she ran her fingertips over the velvety petals.

“There now,” she murmured to the flowers with encouragement. “You have sunlight and water. You’ll be flourishing and radiant in no time.”

“Do my ears deceive me?” Larry’s voice interrupted from behind her as he set down his supplies on the dewy grass near the dugout. “Or did I just hear you talking to the flowers?”

Iris started, turning around with an embarrassed laugh.

“They like it when I talk to them. Our childhood gardener used to say all living things need affection, and that includes flowers.”

Turning back to the garden, she finished tending to the flowers, then stood up, brushing off her hands.

“I hope you don’t mind,” she gestured toward the garden. “I know we’re supposed to be working on the garden together, but we need to wait until that mud hole  – don’t get too close to it lest you sink in! – over there dries up somewhat. In the meantime, the flowers needed some attention, and they were practically begging for a little extra care.”

An indescribable expression flashed across his face.

“You heard them?”

“Of course not!” Iris twittered. “But I did take the liberty of fixing a special nutrient mix – well, compost, actually – for them. It will help them out quite a bit for now, and if I’m diligent with tending to them, I think they’ll be much happier and even more blossoming by the time the wedding rolls around…”

Iris awkwardly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“You needn’t appear as if you expect them to collapse at my feet,” she playfully admonished with a tinkly laugh. “They’ll fare far better with their meal than we did with ours that infamous morning! I am no cuisine expert of course, but the meals you’ve been having with Sister Bikini and I have at least been edible, have they not? I mean, that one incident with the charred bacon and eggs notwithstanding, I am a much better gardener than I am a cook –of breakfast foods, anyway!”

She halted in her blathering as she realized Larry hadn’t said a word since she’d begun her floret babbling and ducked her head self-consciously.

“Sorry, I just feel so at one with nature, especially in the springtime, and I just love gardening,” she explained apologetically. “But that doesn’t mean I have to bore you to death rambling about my perennials.”

“I can’t believe after all this time, you think I could ever be bored being in your presence.” Feeling mildly emboldened by their flirty exchange earlier, Larry took a step forward and playfully tapped her on the nose, wishing he had another excuse to kiss it again, even though the same fetching blush rose to her cheeks all the same. “I admire your dedication to creating beautiful things to surround us with.”

In truth, he admired everything about her, from the way the breeze played with her hair to the soft lilt in her voice. To him, she seemed like a nature sprite amongst the blossoms, completely at one with her surroundings. Even though she was a true lady, she wasn’t afraid to work hard or get sweaty – even now, she was brushing excess soil off her delicate hands.

“Start talking, milady.” He grinned down at her, adoring how her color heightened at his propinquity. “I’m listening – the topic of your choice, heedless of what it is. I remain your captive audience.”

“Great! We can, um, work while we talk then!” Iris backed away a step, averting her gaze. “There’s just so much to do, you know, though I’m willing to multitask if you are!”

He strode forward, puzzled by her skittishness. Iris took another step backward, exclaiming, “I mean, there are so many interesting topics for conversation, are there not?”

“Are there?” He moved forward again, mystified about what could have possibly occurred in the last quarter hour that now resulted in her being so visibly uncomfortable with his proximity. “Shall I remain within earshot while you speak, or will you bellow at me across the fields, in hopes the wind carries your voice?”

“Let’s try that out and see if it works!” She exclaimed, taking two paces back this time and pointing to the sunflowers beside her.”Um, so you want me to keep talking about flowers? Aren’t they just cheerful and uplifting?”

“So very cheerful,” he agreed, noticing a smudge of dirt on her cheek. Without thinking, he reached for her shoulder, intending to draw her forward to brush it off. Iris jumped back so swiftly, that his fingers merely grazed the fabric of her garment.

“Well, er, check out these vibrant sunflowers, specifically.” Her voice now sounded a bit more determined.

“Absolutely vibrant.” His eyes locked onto hers, his gentlemanly resolve nearly unraveling. “The take-my-breath-away variety.”

“Sunflowers,” she babbled with determination as he began closing the distance between them, past the planted pansies and daisies. “They’re part of the Helianthus genus, and did you know they can track the sun across the sky?”

“Do go on,” he prodded, closing a firm hand on her shoulder so she couldn’t pull away this time, while he, at last, managed to wipe the smudge off her pale cheek, letting his fingertips linger on her heated skin.

Iris nervously licked her lips, then placed her hand over his, letting her soft fingers rest atop his for a moment. She let out a quiet sigh as she briefly closed her eyes, as though reveling in the moment, before shaking her head fiercely, breaking the spell.

“Well, there’s a whole science to it, and they do it to maximize their exposure to sunlight for photosynthesis. In Japanese culture, they’re often seen as a symbol of longevity, luck, and loyalty. They’re associated with the summer and are believed to bring positive energy and happiness. Isn’t that fascinating?”

“Spellbinding,” he teased softly, unable to tear his fervid gaze away from hers if his life had depended on it. “Positively enlightening, in every way imaginable.”

Iris knew he was referring to her and not just the sunflowers. The air around them crackled with electricity. He wasn’t even trying to hide his blatant flirtations or mask his touches as accidental anymore.

Regardless, she’d given Feenie her word! She reminded herself sternly. Therefore, she had to keep her will strong, for just another lousy couple of months, no matter how sorely tempted she was to act upon this now smoldering, the irrefutable spark between them!

He glanced at her parted lips, then studied her quietly.

The two stared at each other for several long moments. Although she commanded herself to move further out of his reach, her legs refused to budge. His eyes were full of something she hadn’t seen before – a wanting, a longing, a craving. And he was right there, so close she could feel the heat of his body. Her stomach tumbled, and her heart fluttered. And it was happening. That moment. That pull between them was hypnotically drawing her in. This time she couldn’t find anything to hold her back; nothing was stopping her…

“Iris, I – ” he began, moving forward just as she whispered, “Larry, I wanted to tell you –”

“Well now, isn’t this the coziest mosaic I’ve ever seen?” A prickly cadence intervened then, just as the two were inches away from one another, utterly annihilating the intimate mood.

Larry and Iris simultaneously jumped apart like a couple of guilty teenagers.

“If you’re quite done regaling the young man with the tedious details about the history of botanicals, Sister Iris,” the unmistakable voice continued acidly, “perhaps you could make yourself useful and do something other than what you do best, which is to decorate, and not merely with your oh-so beguiling presence, for a change!”

Iris swallowed hard and turned around to face the reproving countenance of Mildred, standing over by the dug-out floral plot. The elder’s arms were crossed rigidly over her bony chest as she studied the duo in the manner of a disdainful zelatrix, obviously having witnessed the entire exchange.

“Good day, Mystic Mildred,” the ingénue began haltingly. “It’s a beautiful morning is it not?”

“Yes, it is,” the harridan scorned. “As pretty as those ridiculous flowers and Lord knows what other frivolous bedecking trivialities you’ve been wasting God knows how much time tending to! After all, it’s not as though we have cabins to be cleaned and a surrounding area to be spruced up, which carry far more importance, do we?”

“I – I’m sorry,” the nun hung her head at the jobation. “We got to a late start this morning but I assure you, we will have those lights put up on the surrounding cabin posts, as well as hang up the paper lanterns, by the end of the day today…”

“Hold it!” Larry cut in mid-apology before Iris could needlessly express any more contrition to this wretched battleax! “First, the wedding is still two whole months away and I’m sure at least some of the guests will be aesthetes who’ll find the beautiful outdoor scenery most desirous, so I’d hardly refer to Iris’s green thumb as something trivial! And second, we’ve already done the maintenance and sprucing on over two dozen cabins already! I’d have thought on the whole xenial front, we were nearly done!”

“What is it with you whelps from the city intervening into matters that are none of your concern?” The elder turned up her nose with a contemptuous sniff. “I do believe I suffered similar irksome qualities when dealing with Mr. Phoenix Wright back in the day in his valiant attempts to be Mystic Maya’s yolk-mate.”

Iris’s cheeks reddened at the mention of her former beau’s name.

“You do remember that fallen lawyer, don’t you, Sister Iris?” The old witch taunted. “The same man who is now supposedly your lover, whom you seem to have forgotten while you are doing your polemic little mating dance here with your yoke-devil, AKA the poor man’s Pablo Picasso?”

The artist simply glared at the despicable She-Thing in utter disbelief.

Let me guess… You’re the first person in your family born without a tail, right?

Encouraged by Larry’s presence, and completely rattled by what could have transpired between them if the old woman hadn’t come along at that moment, Iris suddenly found her long-suppressed courage and squared her shoulders.

“Once again Mystic Mildred, these accusations are not only heavily unjust but borderline slanderous at this point. As I’ve made clear in the past, Larry is my friend, nothing more, nothing less. And he’s right about the cabins – surely with the wedding now being in Kurain, we have cleaned and polished up more than enough already?”

“I’m not sure if Sister Bikini properly relayed just how much the wedding guest list has expanded,” the Dragon Lady told her coldly, not seeming at all impressed by the shrine maiden’s unaccustomed vociferousness. “These festivities will no longer be a hole-in-corner affair, but will be the type of celebration a celebrity multibillionaire deserves! I’m going to need each and every single one of those cabins to be tended to, aired out, cleaned up, and be presentable guest accommodations.”

“Are you fisting me?” Larry visibly paled upon hearing this. “But there are about 100 cabins!”

“110, last time I checked,” Mildred cackled. “Better get cracking and hope that the elbow grease required to tidy up gives those spindly arms of yours a decent enough workout, seeing as how, unfortunately, you’re the only muscle we have to appear to rely upon!”

“Why you…” Larry gritted his teeth at the unprecedented insult, but Iris placed a calming hand on his arm and straightened herself up to her full height.

“I’m afraid Larry and I are hesitant to perform a command of this colossal magnitude without first speaking to the bride herself for validation.” She jutted her chin. “These lodges each hold quarters to fit at least a family of four, not even counting the accommodations in the village! Maximizing our cabin occupancy would mean a guest count of over 400! I doubt my cousin even knows that many people!”

“Such insolence! Need I remind you, Sister Iris, that it was me who ran this village almost single-handedly after your mother got herself incarcerated for her overly ambitious, Lady Macbeth-style efforts?” The Dragon Lady sneered. “Ergo, I’ve had the contact information for almost every single patron whom we’ve done channeling for over the years, along with access to Mystic Maya’s client list!”

I’m trying to see things from your point of view but I can’t seem to get my head that far up my ass! Larry’s eyes shot daggers at the crotchety old crone.

“You’ve got some serious nerve, lady!” He snapped. “Unsanctioned rifling through Maya’s contacts is one hell of a privacy breach!”

“Oh please!” Mildred scoffed. “Since I’m the one entrusted with running Kurain whenever Mystic Maya is away on her business travels, I had completely authorized access to the address books! Ergo, I’ve taken the liberty of suggesting a few additional patrons as invitees to Longines. The future benedict is certainly a man of many countless social circles himself, hence the vast additional accommodation requirements.”

Beside him, the round-eyed Iris was still gaping at the Elder, who just smiled smugly in response.

“So you see, there is no need for you to burden the bride with your sudden recalcitrance, for it is on the groom’s authority that I am making this command! Is that understood?”

“B – but – ” Iris’s mind reeled at the notion that she and Larry would have to be working from dusk till dawn from this day forward to meet this latest unforeseen expectation! The only way she could console herself was knowing that the additional revenue from the cabin rentals would be quite prosperous to Eagle Mountain and the village, assuming neither of them broke their back nor had their overworked muscles completely seized between now and then!

“But what? Did I stutter?” Mildred’s beady eyes raked over the shrine maiden contemptuously. “I’m a busy woman and I have neither the time nor the crayons to explain this to someone dumber than snake mittens! I’ve no inkling on how to further simplify things for your better comprehension, Sister Iris. Mystic Ami help you, am I to take it that you are not only as beneficial as an ashtray on a motorcycle when it comes to spirit channeling, but you’re now incapable of even comprehending, never mind  following direct orders?”

I’d slap you, but shit stains! Larry’s anger had now reached the boiling point. Also, I suppose you pass for something that counts as a woman, plus you’re as old as balls, so the violence might be frowned upon! I guess I’ll need to use my words instead…

“Objection! You best watch your mouth!” He snapped, glaring at the old woman as Iris visibly recoiled from the insult. “Where do you get off talking to her like that? Who do you think you are, anyway?”

“I’m the woman who is the official wedding planner for the Master of Kurain and longtime village elder, so I suggest quelling that vociferous nature of yours, Mr. Butz!” Mildred pointed an ossified finger at the incensed artist. “As long as you’re residing in Mystic Maya’s land, I suggest you get that rear in gear and shut your trap! Sister Iris knows that she was in the wrong to disobey the higher command, hence why she is at least intelligent enough to no longer be putting up an argument. She’s good for knowing her place if good for nothing else!”

Iris sniffled and blinked back tears, while the normally good-natured Larry felt his blood pressure rapidly rising.

“Why you miserable old –” He made a move to lunge himself at the she-devil, but Iris clamped a firm hand down on his arm and shook her head, then mutely walked towards the jumble of lights over by the corner shed, attempting to unravel them.

Smirking triumphantly, Mildred folded her arms over her chest and maintained her rigid stance next to the mucky dugout, watching as the fuming Larry silently stomped over to the watery mud hole to retrieve his saw and plywood from the ground.

“The youth of today need to learn some respect!” The Dragon Lady decreed. “It’s not as if the ornamental shrine maiden can be a puckerfist about any other achievement in her life besides her beauty, which isn’t even her own attainment since she was born with that comely visage! Hence, all she can do is exploit those feminine wiles to flaunt herself and shamelessly simper whenever there’s a man around!”

Iris’s head jerked up in shock at this latest verbal assault, the tangled fairy-light wires falling limply from her hands as tears filled her beautiful eyes, yet she didn’t emit a peep in response to the cruel barbs.

“Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, Sister Iris,” Mildred cooed, with such mock sweetness the shrine maiden felt as though she were going to be ill. “What accomplishments do you have to be thrasonical about, hmmm? Exactly what have you done in your life to be proud of, other than being the least talented member in a family of world-renowned psychics, and bearing a prison record, from when you temporarily joined your mother behind bars?”

A growl sounded in the artist’s throat. Larry Butz had had enough! Nobody, but nobody, was going to insult the woman he loved and get away with it for another minute!

Without thinking, he made a big show of “losing his grip” on the plywood in his hands, as though staggering under the weight of it. The artist made a quick dash to prevent it from falling onto the muddy pond, catching the long wooden plank with both hands and then holding it at a horizontal angle before tucking it under one arm, and placing the other one atop it for stability.

“Dang it! I seemed to have misplaced my saw!” In a scene reminiscent of a Three Stooges skit, Larry bent over to retrieve the “newly discovered” cutting tool lying on the wet grass by the muddy flower bed. “Oh, wait – there it is!”

As he reached down to grab the saw, the back of the protruding plywood swung from behind him – and smacked into the unsuspecting Dragon Lady.

“Ahhhh!” The petrified woman yelped, her arms flailing about her like windmills as she attempted to regain her balance, but to no avail. Her wooden thong sandal slid on the wet mucky ground beneath her feet, and she fell backward with a resounding splash into the wading pool of manure and mud behind her! Filthy water droplets splattered onto her face and hair as she landed right on her backside, spluttering with rage as the gritty muck soaked her entire kimono-clad body to the skin.

“Oh, my stars and garters!” Iris’s eyes widened as she clapped a hand over her mouth at the sight of her antagonist, wildly flailing about in the foul-smelling plot of murky water, appearing as though she desperately wanted to laugh but knowing she really shouldn’t! “Mystic Mildred, are you alright?!”

“You bumbling, boneheaded baboon!” The crone screeched at an earsplitting decibel, sparks flying out of her eyes as she glared hatefully at Larry, who was feigning innocence. “Look what you’ve done!”

“Oops! I’m awfully sorry about that, Mystic Mildred!” Larry did his best to appear apologetic. “I guess these weak, spindly arms of mine just couldn’t handle that heavy old board!”

“Get me out of this filth immediately!” The old woman demanded, clenching her bony hands into fists as she pounded at the muck beneath her. “The stench is killing me!”

Not fast enough, unfortunately…

“Oh, did you need a hand?” He offered gallantly, reaching out to the fallen woman, who vainly attempted to grab his extended fingers to pull herself up, but the artist kept “losing his grip” on her slimy, muddy arm, so that she kept half-rising, and then repeatedly falling back into the foul mixture over and over again!

“Pee-ew!” He plugged his nose with one hand and waved the other about dramatically. “In this case, something smells – and it’s not The Butz! Yowza! That stuff stinks to the high heavens! Reeks of a…  fetid … latrine, methinks!”

Iris had to bite down on her lip to keep from erupting into uncontrollable laughter. Never before had she loved her clownish knight in paint-speckled armor more than she did at that very moment!

“Mystic Mildred, let me help you!” The shrine maiden said quickly, finally composing herself, then dropping the wires and rushing over to the two, but Larry held up a hand to halt her.

“Stay away, Iris!” He warned, trying to keep a straight face. “You’re wearing the same flimsy sandals as the fallen one, and we can’t have you both falling in! If you let yourself get dirty, it would take quite a while to get all that foul manure odor off of you, and it would be such a waste of valuable time, seeing as how you and I have just been told we have nearly 100 cabins to clean out in the next eight weeks!” He flashed a jaunty wink at the shrine maiden, who didn’t seem too regretful about having to withdraw her offer of assistance as she stepped away. “We’ll get right on that as soon as I help out this – ah –damsel in distress!”

Larry smiled benignly at the beyond infuriated Mildew, who practically had steam coming out of her ears!

“Since my puny arms just aren’t strong enough to heave you out, Mystic Mildred, I’m going to give you the end of the plywood to grab onto while I pull you out!” He instructed, passing her the shard-filled wooden plank. “Careful – watch out for splinters!”

After several comically failed endeavors of using the wooden piece to rescue the old woman from the muddy pool, Larry was at last successful in being able to pull the old woman out.

“You pea-brained, waste of space, useless cretin!” She waved a mud-speckled fist at the artist. “I’ll have your worthless hide for this!”

He shrugged internally at the name-calling.

Hell, I’ve been called worse things by better people.

“No need to be so nasty! I said I was sorry!” He mournfully shook his head. “You’d think all these months of arduous labor would have given me some muscle, huh?”

“Harry Butz, I want your good-for-nothing backside out of here by nightfall!” The elder shouted, her face puce with fury. “Pack your bags this instant!”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Mystic Mildred,” Iris interjected sweetly, batting her eyelashes in an exaggerated simpering manner. “With all due respect, this is Mystic Maya’s land, as you indicated. Therefore, it would have to be my cousin who orders Larry’s ejection from her property.”

“And I don’t think she’d be doing that either,” Larry added, barely suppressing a grin. “Seeing as how I’m the bride’s official sketch artist for the wedding and all…”

“I’ll get you for this, you no-good scoundrel!” There was a hilarious clopping sound of Mildew’s mucky feet stomping away from the amused pair. “You will rue the day you messed with Mildred Latrine!”

“Good luck washing the smell of your last name off!” Larry called after her merrily, the laughter bubbling up in his throat. “I do believe Iris and I used a combination of both sheep and cow manure…”

The minute the elder was gone, the artist doubled over, clasping his sides and cracking up so hard that tears fell down his cheeks. Iris eventually joined in, and the two laughed until both their stomachs were hurting, and needed to clutch each other for support.

“Oh, Lawrence!” Iris giggled, wiping her eyes. “I know you did that on purpose for me! You’re my hero! I wish I’d been able to do something like that! I can’t explain the effect that horrible woman has on me – but she’s just so nasty, I seem to lose my voice whenever it’s most needed! Ultimately, I’m just too much of a coward to handle a bully like her!”

“You’re not a coward,” Larry assured her gently. “You’re simply too goodhearted and kind to know how to deal with the belly-crawling likes of her! And you simply worry to great excess – and well in advance – about the possible consequences of anything you do, unlike me!”

He shrugged helplessly.

“We’re polar opposites that way, Iris, I just saw her being so horrid to you and I just reacted without thinking! I need someone like you around me to balance things out and keep me level!”

“Goodhearted and kind, you say…” Iris mumbled, looking dejected. “These are hardly any traits to be proud of or brag about, just like Mildred. She knows exactly how to get to me. I don’t need to be reminded, regularly, about how useless I am, especially when compared to the spiritually gifted family tree I come from.”

“Now listen here, Iris Hawthorne!” Larry took her by the shoulders and looked her square in the eye. “Never let a miserable old hag like her get to you! She is going to die alone and it will be an event rejoiced by everybody in the state of California! She’s simply spewing crap because that’s all she is – and smells like – literally
and figuratively!”

“True.” The nun cracked a slight smile at that one. “She’s right about me, though.”

“No, she isn’t! She’s just a hateful old hag!” He insisted. “Listen to me – we’re all deemed unattractive, insincere, arrogant, worthless, a failure, or unpleasant by someone. But does it really matter? Weren’t you the one who reminded me that we can’t please everyone all the time?”

“Well, yes but –”

“So, follow my lead!” Seeing lingering doubt in her eyes, he gently lifted her downcast face in his hands. “Do your thing, earn your living, handle your responsibilities, look after yourself and your family, and don’t concern yourself with someone else’s opinion! Understand?”

“OK,” she whispered, clutching his hands, which were still cradling her face, and smiling tentatively.

“Thatta girl!” He praised, smiling encouragingly.

Iris clenched her jaw resolutely.

“To prove I’m indeed capable of doing simple requirements, I am going to go put up those decorations …right now!”

With that, she returned to the lights.

Grinning happily that he’d put her back into a better mindset, Larry went about sawing the wood he would need for the direction signs, and the rest of the morning flew right by. At around 4:00, he couldn’t help but marvel at what an incredible job Iris had done decorating the surrounding cabin outdoor area.

She’d strung fairy string lights along the rungs of the pergolas, and icicle lights dangled on the sides, which added a magical touch. The shrine maiden was currently attempting to lean over to hang up one last colorful Chinese paper lantern on the wire above her head, while standing on the top rung of the precarious wooden ladder, which she’d insisted on climbing, despite his protests. He watched nervously from below as he held the ladder steady as he could while she stubbornly attempted to place the lantern at a spot that was slightly out of her reach.

I must truly love this woman! He thought to himself, shaking his head. I’m standing right beneath her while she’s in a long dress, and I haven’t once tried to peek up her skirt!

He was so wrapped up in marveling how his entire persona had done a complete turnabout because of this angel that he initially failed to see the oncoming catastrophe above him.

Instead of climbing back down and having the artist adjust the ladder and then re-climb it to be closer to her intended targeted area, the resolute nun was instead opting to balance herself on her one bad ankle and make a last-ditch effort to just stretch over one last time while the creaky ladder teetered precariously.

“Iris, stop! Don’t do that!” Larry cried in alarm as he saw her hobbling dangerously from the unfamiliar weight distribution onto her still-not-fully healed ankle. “Just come back down and I’ll move this closer…”

“Eek!”

His warning was too late. Unable to hold herself up on the injured ankle, there was a horrifying scream and a moment when Larry’s heart jumped high in his throat as he released his grip on the bottom of the ladder and raced forward, arms outstretched, just in time to catch the terrified, shrieking shrine maiden as she fell off the 10-foot ladder … And landed, fireman style, right into Larry Butz’s misleadingly strong, readily waiting, not at all puny, arms.

He grunted slightly from the unexpected force of the plummeting object which was Iris Hawthorne, but then started laughing out of sheer relief now that he’d caught her safely, and decided to savor the moment of holding the woman he loved, just for a few more moments.

“My goodness!” Iris gasped breathlessly, raising a trembling hand to his cheek. “I can’t believe how clumsy I am! What was I thinking?! Oh, Lawrence – thank you so much! But… are you alright? Did I hurt you?”

He shook his head silently, his tender gaze transfixed on hers, and she felt her face heat up and her stomach slowly did a flip at the look in his eyes. He made no move whatsoever to put her down but pulled her even closer.

It felt so good; it couldn’t have been wrong.

Iris also made no move to be set down. Cradled in the arms of the man she loved, she genuinely believed, with every fiber of her being, that as long as they were together, everything else would fall into place … in every sense of the word.

The rhythmic resonance of our heartbeats envelops me entirely. Thoughts of him dominate my mind, consumed by a profound desire for this moment, an overwhelming sense of gratitude for its realization, and an intense yearning to cling to it tightly. This, precisely this, is what I longed for – him, this life, and the person I have become. The prospect of reverting to my old life holds no allure; happiness and contentment reside here. In his embrace, I find safety and fulfillment. I am right where I want to be. He’s all the man I need.

“You can’t blame gravity for falling in love!” She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head in his shoulder and howling uproariously, both from partial relief and the sheer exhilaration of the moment, loving the way he threw his head back and laughed at her witticism. “That’s a quote from Albert Einstein, by the way.”

“Way to go, Milady Brainiac!” He smilingly touched his forehead to hers so she could see the flecks of gold sparkling in his beautiful eyes. “So… this seems to be the only way I can get women to fall for me, huh?”

“Very funny, you silly boy! Just know that I’m no longer afraid of falling, knowing I have you to catch me!” Unable to help herself, she impulsively kissed him on the cheek, all the while her heart singing the words she would have moved heaven and earth to say aloud at that moment.

Gravity isn’t responsible for loving you, Larry Butz, because I think I fell for you many, many lifetimes ago…

Whitney Houston – All The Man I Need