Marriage begins the way a cake does
With two sets of hands
Reaching for the same bowl
Bringing what they have
Hoping it’s enough
You measure out patience
You pour in honesty
You crack open old fears
And whisk them smooth
So they don’t ruin the batter later
Some days you forget an ingredient
Some days you spill too much of one
But marriage is forgiving
You can always stir again
Start again
Sweeten again
Heat comes next
The kind that tests you
The kind that rises slowly
The kind that asks
Whether you’ll stay close
Or pull away
But if you hold steady
If you trust the process
Something begins to lift
And when it finally sets
When the two of you open the oven
And see what you’ve made
Not perfect
But yours
You understand the truth
Marriage isn’t the cake
It’s the choosing
The mixing
The tending
The rising
The everyday act
Of making sweetness
On purpose