Of course, an even greater accomplishment is the man beside me. Convincing Pink to be my fiance is, without a doubt, my proudest achievement.
Two victories in quick succession. I have every right to feel smug. Now, all that remains is to find Laurie. And given my recent streak of success, I can feel it in my bones. Laurie will be home soon. I am on a roll. Nothing can stop me now.
It won’t be easy. My mother is no feeble foe. But I will bring Laurie back safe and sound. Then, finally, my life will be complete. Heaven on Earth. Everything I have ever dreamed of, all within my grasp.
A commotion snaps me back to the present. Sammy, in a spectacular act of clumsiness, has managed to knock over the massive bowl of potato salad. The bowl rolls precariously, but miraculously, its thick contents hold firm. A collective breath is held, then released in a chorus of laughter.
Pink squeezes my hand, his chuckle rumbling low. I turn to him, heart swelling at the sparkle in his brown eyes. The sad, despondent man I first met, exists only in the past. Pink is healing. He has found a new lease on life. And I will be damned if I ever let that light dim again.
The meal settles into a comfortable lull, the clinking of cutlery slowing as stomachs fill. Then, in the quiet, Lello’s voice rings out like a bright bell.
“Our next celebration will be Pink and Monty’s wedding!”
Every head in the room snaps toward us. A hush falls over the table, thick with expectation.
Pink’s face flushes, a lovely shade of rose blooming across his cheeks. His eyes widen, flicking to mine, mirroring my own surprise. We had spoken of announcing our news, of course, but he had wanted to keep the focus on today’s homecoming. He hadn’t breathed a word.
Jade is the first to break the silence. “Wait… really?”
Pink’s blush deepens.
The room collectively gasps.
Then, Lello, self-satisfied beyond measure, stands tall, hands on his hips. “See! Told you!” he boasts, tossing his head like a victorious stallion.
The explosion of movement and sound is instantaneous. A thousand congratulations burst forth, filling the room withrenewed energy. I grin, pull Pink close, and kiss him amidst the cheers.
Our wedding is going to be truly magical.
Chapter thirty-one
Pink
The dawn light of a spring morning streams through my bedroom window, and with it, the day I spent the first eighteen years of my life preparing for. My wedding. The day I thought Ritchie and the harem had taken away from me forever. The day that I never imagined would be anything to do with love.
I grin and stretch. I’m getting married. To Monty. It feels like a dream.
Beside me, Lello stirs. I understand his insistence that Monty and I not sleep together the night before our wedding, it is a mundane human custom and Lello has been enthusiastically researching all of those. But the logic behind why Lello needed to stay is beyond me. Not that I mind. A sleep over before the big day was fun.
Lello blasts me with a full-wattage smile and bounds out of bed. He grabs my wrist and pulls me out too, dragging me towards the bathroom before I have even found my balance. Apparently, there are all sorts of things that need to be done to my hair.
Jade and Red let themselves into my room, and just like every time I see them, I still feel a surge of joy. They are here. They are home. Everything is exactly as it should be.
Red brandishes his makeup bag at me, and I let out a good natured groan. Today is already wonderful, and it has barely begun.
A few hours later and I’m rattling with nerves. My friends have made me look beautiful and I’m about to marry a man I love. So I have no idea where these nerves are coming from.
I run an anxious hand over the thin white linen of my outfit. I’m still astonished at what an amazing job Gray has done with it. He sewed it himself. Using a traditional human white wedding dress as inspiration, but making it masculine, with an exotic flair of one of the many ancient civilizations he lived in. It’s perfect. Just like the setting.
The garden is a riot of color, a vibrant symphony of fresh blossoms and lush greenery. Sunlight filters through the canopy of trees, casting dappled patterns on the soft grass. Our garden. Home. The very garden I used to traipse across to see Monty.
Though, the garden never used to look this fancy! The centerpiece of the setting is the white gazebo, draped with trailing ivy and delicate white roses. It stands like a beacon of sanctuary, offering shade for Ned, and an ethereal beauty to frame this moment.
I take a deep breath, standing at the edge of the scene. The guests murmur amongst themselves, an energy of excitement crackling in the air. I can see them all, Lello practically vibrating with excitement, his flower basket gripped tightly in one hand while he fusses over Lottie, the true flower girl. Noah, solemn and determined, clutches the ring bearer’s pillow with an air of great responsibility. Oscar, the page, fidgets beside them, looking between the guests and me as if waiting for permission to break into a run.
Jade stands in the gazebo, on the small, white podium. He is dressed in crisp, dark formalwear that contrasts beautifully with the lush garden around us. I’m so thrilled that he agreed to register as an officiant. Being joined in matrimony by my best friend, makes today even more special.
He catches my gaze and smirks, raising an eyebrow as if to say, “Ready for this?” I exhale through a quiet chuckle, the moment feeling surreal yet deeply grounding.
