Chad laughs, but I decide to really go all-fucking-in. Chad told me he loves me, and I love him. We don’t have any reason to hide things from our best friends anymore, so I tell him the truth. “You’re too late. We’re already married.”
Chad freezes, eyes wide in disbelief yet again. I wink at him, and he’s once again speechless. Three times in one morning has to be a record.
“Sorry… you’re what?” Liam asks in complete disbelief.
I shrug before repeating, “We’re already married.”
Chad nods as a huge smile takes over his face. I think we broke Blake, though. He’s whipping his head back and forth between Chad and me, stuttering, “Wha? Married? You? When? What?”
“In Vegas…” Chad admits slowly, now that his brain is caught back up. He’s probably starting to worry about Blake’s reaction.
“Vegas? When were you in Vegas? Besides… Wait, at our bachelor party?” Blake yells, clearly not expecting his answer. Honestly, I’m still shocked Chad never told him.
“Surprise?” Chad says scrunching his nose and offering a small shrug.
Blake finally seems to remember how to function because he wraps himself around Chad in a huge hug. “Oh my God! Chad! I need to know everything, but I’m so happy for you guys.”
“So am I,” Liam agrees much more subtly, knocking his shoulder into mine.
“Thanks, man.”
“We married best friends!” Blake shouts to Chad as they spin in a circle hugging each other.
“We’re bi best friends who married best friends!” Chad tags on, and they’re both laughing as Liam and I watch this insane display of our husbands experiencing immense joy for where their lives ended up.
“I knew something was up in Vegas,” Liam mutters to me. “I’ve never seen you let yourself get dragged around by anyone like that before.”
“What can I say? There’s no one else like Chad.”
And there isn’t. Chad is special, and he’s mine, and by some miracle, he wants me too.
I want everyone to know that.
This morning might not have gone as I expected it to, but it turned into the perfect start to a perfect day where I get to show off my husband to everyone who comes to the festival, which turns out to be a lot of people.
So many familiar faces and new ones who visit from who knows where, even if not everyone could make it. Jace and Kieran are apparently on some extended three-month delayedhoneymoon in Europe, and Ash is off filming for season two ofLove Without Labels,so he isn’t here either.
The day is a huge success, and my brother’s band is by far the best one. I’m not biased at all.
I introduce Chad to my parents, and my mother immediately falls in love with him, which doesn’t surprise me at all. My dad likes him too, he’s just a little less obvious because he doesn’t cry and give a big speech about how he was so worried I’d never be happy.
We even introduce Chad’s parents to mine.
Somehow, in one day, I ended up as the center of some clicheone big happy familymoment.
I used to scoff at the idea of ever having family beyond my brothers and parents, but seeing our moms talk about how happy they are that we have each other, and seeing my dad brag about Drew’s band to Chad’s dad, who enthusiastically agrees about how talented he is, it all makes me realize how lucky I am to be a part of it all, that Chad never gave up on me, on us.
Even looking around and seeing all the people who have come out because of my best friend and his husband, it all makes it so obvious to me now how sad the perspective I used to have about being better off alone really was.
Chad has shown me how much better life is with more love in it.
I’m really glad I have the rest of my life to try to thank him for it.
EPILOGUE
Chad
A few weeks later
