She felt warm. She felt happy. It was sublime and calming, a balm that sunk in deep and soothed a million little anxieties and insecurities she kept pushed down and knotted up to the best of her ability, every day. That lasted about three seconds before everything in her bubbled up as a kind of giddy joy, and she surged up against Jamie to throw her arms around his neck and hang on him, smiling into a somewhat more exuberant kiss.

There was a swell of applause and laughter and people were saying nice things. Someone whistled. It was totally white noise for Layla, appreciated but merely consequential compared to Jamie's arms around her back and his mouth against hers, and the promise he'd just made. She broke the kiss grinning and hugged him more tightly, chin on his shoulder.

"I'm gonna screw your brains out when we get home," she said into his ear under the blanket of congratulatory sound, before pulling back and smiling prettily at their friends and acquaintances.