hiccup. “Wait, we don’t have rings.” Celia looked around for something that might suffice. Without taking my hands from her, I checked the nightstand. “Here,” Celia said, taking the hair tie from her head. I laughed and took mine out of my ponytail. “OK,” I said. “Celia, repeat after me. Evelyn, take this ring as a symbol of my never-ending love.” “Evelyn, take this ring as a symbol of my never-ending love.” Celia took the hair tie and wrapped it around my ring finger three times. “Say, With this ring, I thee wed.” “With this ring, I thee wed.” “OK. Now I do it. Celia, take this ring as a symbol of my never-ending love. With this ring, I thee wed.” I put my hair tie on her finger. “Oh, I forgot vows. Should we do vows?” “We can,” she said. “If you want to.” “OK,” I said. “You think of what you want to say. I'll think, too.” “T don’t need to think,” she said. “I’m ready. I know.” “OK,” I said, surprised to find that my heart was beating quickly, eager to hear her words. “Go.” “Evelyn, I have been in love with you since 1959. I may not have always shown it, I may have let other things get in the way, but know that I have loved you that long. That I have never stopped. And that I never will.” I closed my eyes briefly, letting her words sink in. And then I gave her mine. “I have been married seven times, and never once has it felt half as right as this. I think that loving you has been the truest thing about me.” She smiled so hard I thought she might cry. But she didn’t. I said, “By the power vested in me by . . . us, I now declare us married.” Celia laughed.