And speaking of Stu, my best man knocks gently on the doorframe behind me. I’m sure Blake is doing the same thing over at Noah’s cottage.
“You ready, Stevie?”
I turn to face him, finding a matching grin on his face, dimple deep in his cheek.
“To tie myself to Noah for the rest of my life? You fucking bet I’m ready.”
Blake laughs and holds out his arm.
“Let’s go, then. Your dad’s waiting to give you away.”
I slip my arm easily into his, and we head out to where the ceremony is set up. There are rows of wooden chairs forming an aisle that leads to a simple, elegant backdrop that’s draped in white gauze and covered in flowers. Standing in front of the circular wedding arch is Elliot, our officiant. He’ll do a costume change before emceeing our reception as Helen Wheels. We’ve gotten a lot closer over the past year and a half, often performing at the same shows. He even had me come with when he went to adopt his first pet. When he sees me looking, he sends me a wink. I return the gesture, then swing my gaze to my dad.
“Hey, Stevie. You look great,” he greets me, and Stu lets me go so he can tug me into a slightly awkward hug.
“Thanks, Dad.” I hug him back, already feeling my nose prickle at the affection. Fuck, I’m not going to make it through without crying. I pull back and loop my arm through my dad’s. “Let’s do this.”
We turn and watch as the procession starts. First, Noah with his parents to either side of him. If my gaze is glued to his ass the whole time, no one could blame me. It’s immaculate in his pale sage-green suit pants, filling them out to perfection.
Next are Blake and Stu, arm in arm and wearing matching cream suits. They’re absolutely adorable, and I swear more than one person lets out an “aww” when Stu brushes a piece of Blake’s hair out of his face before they part for their respective sides.
Unwilling to be outdone, our flower girls take to the aisle next. Lilly, Isabella, and Amy all dance their way down the aisle,twirling each other around and scattering pink and cream flower petals along the way. If more end up on various guests than on the actual aisle, that’s none of my business. Although I do note Isabella’s massive grin when she dumps a handful on Henry as she floats by. Henry, of course, revels in the attention, grabbing some and blowing them back at Isabella with a kiss.
There’s only the ring bearer to wait for now. I bend down to Stacy and adjust her collar, a lacy white bow to match the boutonnieres Noah and I are wearing. Pressing a kiss to her head, I let her go.
“Go ahead, girly, go to Daddy Noah.” She takes off at a fast walk, heading right to her destination. Noah crouches down to give her pets when she gets there, then points her to her bed off the side. She trots off just like we rehearsed.
And now, it’s time. The music changes and swells, and without me even registering it, my feet are moving. I grip my dad’s forearm tightly, and he clasps his other hand over mine in support. At the end of the aisle, Noah waits, his eyes locked on mine, never faltering.
When we arrive, my dad gives me another hug and then turns to give one to Noah. Once my dad has gone to his spot next to Stu’s dad, Noah holds his hand out to me, and I easily take it.
We step into our spot together, front and center before all of our closest friends and family. And then the ceremony truly begins. Elliot greets everyone and talks a bit about Noah and me. About our love and our story and our future together. Things pass in a blur, and then it’s time for our vows. We turn toward each other, hands entwined as Noah starts us off.
“My Princess,” he begins.
Oh fuck, I think. There’s a gentle nudge at my elbow, and I wordlessly reach for the handkerchief I know Stu will be holding there. I hired Jamie to do my makeup – which included a guest appearance by Andrew when it came time for my eyeliner, of allthings – so I know everything will hold up against my tears, but still. I dab my eyes and nod for Noah to continue.
“When I first met you, I knew you were special. I remember stepping into Spill the Beans” – there’s a quiet cheer, probably from Carlos, followed by a few chuckles – “and thinking that you were the most gorgeous man I had ever seen. And you are. But it’s not just your beautiful hair, or your stunning eyes, or those freckles that I love so much. What truly makes you gorgeous is the man that I got to know inside. The man who cares deeply for his friends and loves his dog like family. Who accepted my friends and family without hesitation. The man who is smart and sweet and a little bit nerdy. Who shines bright in all that he does.
“And so –” Noah signals to where Stacy is waiting like a perfect angel, and she comes to stand between us. He reaches down to untie a ring from her collar. “– with this ring, I promise that I will never take your light for granted. I promise that you will always come first.” I ignore the snigger I hear behind me and the face Blake makes behind my almost husband, too entranced in the vows he’s making to worry about them picking up on the not-so-subtle innuendo. “And I promise to never stop loving you.”
With that, Noah slips the band on my ring finger, raising my hand to place a kiss over the smooth metal.
“Fuck, I love you,” I breathe out, making Stu laugh a little louder, but he can laugh all he wants. I just wish I could flip him off without everyone seeing. I send a mental middle finger to him. Maybe that twinsie psychic bond everyone thinks we have will kick in and transmit my message. I take a deep, steadying breath and speak louder so everyone can hear.
“Noah, you are the love of my life. You are my biggest supporter and my favorite person to cuddle with.” I send a mental apology to Stu on the off chance that mental connection is still open, knowing he’d probably agree anyways that cuddlesare ten times better when they have the potential to end with orgasms. “When you first walked into Spill the Beans, you made me forget why I was there in the first place. I had been looking for a dog walker to help me take care of Stacy, and instead, I found my future. Even on that first day, something about us felt inevitable. From your tattoos to your hoodies, from your sense of humor to your patience, you are everything I never knew I needed in a partner.” I slip off the second ring from Stacy’s collar and give a slightly sniffly laugh when she licks my fingers.
“With this ring, I vow to always share my whole self with you. I vow to be there for you all of our days.” I slide the ring onto Noah’s finger, loving the way it looks against his tattoos. “And I vow to never stop loving you.”
Somewhere to the side, we’re announced as husband and husband, and there’s cheering, but my entire being is fixated on the man in front of me. I’m lost in his whiskey gaze and his beaming smile. And then, I’m engrossed in his kiss.
A kiss to seal our promises.
A kiss to start our lives together.
The End
