Chapter Text
I am so grateful for Nick’s friends right now. He’s been in a state for three months but today’s the day and they’re getting him sorted. Isaac worked with him all morning in the ballroom. Tara and Darcy are helping him get primped as I clack down the hallway in these kitten heels to coordinate with Jane and deploy our ushers.
I check in with the officiant, a minister from the Third Unitarian Church. She’s smiling broadly at everyone as they take their seats. She’s younger than me but exuding a calm authority in her simple black robe with the gold stole around her neck and draping down her front. One side is embroidered with a swirling vine of leaves in blue thread and the other has a rainbow heart. She looks perfectly at home on the small stage set up for the ceremony.
I settle into my spot in the front row. Reverend Colleen raises her arms and the entire room gently shifts into a serene waiting. She welcomes us to the event and asks us to turn towards the back for the entrance of our grooms. I smile to myself, knowing how nervous both have been. I hope it’s not been too hard, not seeing each other all day. They work so well when they’re together, calming each other with their new mingled scents and building a relaxation feedback loop.
But the moment is here and the grand double doors are wide open so we can see Tara leading Nick in from the left and Elle leading Charlie in from the right. Both so handsome in their matching dark gray suits with pale blue dress shirts, silver ties and small ivory rosebuds pinned to their lapels. Both with their eyes closed.
The women position them in the center of the doorway, side by side but not quite touching and slightly tilted towards each other so they’ll get the right view in a few seconds. I hold my breath. As their friends step into the room and back out of the doorway, both men shuffle awkwardly in place. It’s adorable. They wanted this, a chance to take each other in before walking down the aisle hand in hand.
I catch Tara and Elle silently counting down in sync and then they murmur something I can’t make out to the grooms. Both men open their eyes with a rush of eagerness and they’re bumping shoulders there as they practically stumble into each other. I see them break out into smiles and whisper what looks like a simple exchange of “hi” and “hi”, faces lit up in recognition and appreciation. The room coos at them quietly.
Charlie grabs Nick’s hand and turns them both towards us. They begin to make their way to the stage, looking around with shy grins and nodding at the friends and family gathered. I get a wink from Nick as they step past me. I can already feel my cheeks hurting from how wide my smile must be.
The minister gets us started with some kind words and then banters with the two young men. I’m laughing and dabbing at my eyes, both at the same time. Thank goodness Charlie recommended his favourite mascara so I won’t look a mess in the photos after this.
We get to the part where they share the vows they wrote and there aren’t enough tissues in the universe for this. I love their love. My baby boy goes first. He looks slightly dazed at the beginning but so, so happy.
“Charlie Spring, you are my very best friend.” They’re facing each other and I can see Nick’s hands wrapped around Charlie’s with his thumbs rubbing the back of the slender wrists. My heart swells, seeing how happy my son is, standing up there with his beloved. I still remember Nick talking about Charlie for the first time, eyes wide and excited, talking a mile a minute.
“I love how strong you are, how clever you are, how kind you are, and of course, how handsome you are.” They smirk at each other and I can’t help but laugh. They truly are such an attractive couple.
“I can always rely on you; be it to drive me to rugby training in a rush when I sleep through my alarm, or to comfort me in times of sorrow. I promise to love you, and to share everything with you, even my waffles.” The crowd titters at that; Nicky sure does love his food, bless his heart. I see Nick take a deep breath. “I promise to stick by your side and hold your hand, no matter what life brings us.” I smile up at them, but I can see that they’re in their own little world right now.
“I promise to support your dreams and respect our differences. Charlie Spring, I promise to love you all the days of my life.”
I am far from the only one dabbing at my eyes.
I watch Charlie turn their hands so their fingers are more tangled together now and then he squares his shoulders. “Nicholas Nelson, I am so excited to marry you. I feel immensely lucky to have had the privilege of getting to know you, and getting to love you over these last few years. It’s unfathomable that across all the years of human history, you and I got to meet in this universe, at this time.”
The crowd sighs an aww, but I find myself nodding at how poignant Charlie’s statement is. Of all the millions of years and of all the billions of pieces of stardust, here these two now stand, looking into each other’s eyes.
They’re both holding back sobs through sheer willpower by now, Charlie’s voice husky with emotion. “As your husband, I will stick up for you, I will cheer you on, and I will do my very best to support you in any way that I can. I promise to love you, to cuddle you, and to take pride in being with you, always. You are my cherished partner, and I look forward to the adventures ahead for us both.”
A ripple of excitement travels outwards from them and I feel it go rushing through me and across the people in the room. Next the officiant manages their exchange of rings and the official acceptance of their commitment. Then they’re crashing together into a passionate kiss and I hear Darcy and Olly whooping behind me. I must be grinning again, ow.
—-
The DJ announces it’s time for first dances and I turn from my natter with Julio to see his son lead mine out into the middle of the open space between the booth and the head table where they ate their dinner and listened to the lovely speeches.
I am surprised to hear what sounds like bongo drums and snaps start a lively tune. No traditional song for this pair! Some alien noises fade out and a voice somehow both ethereal and strong begins singing; it’s so crystal clear.
“I was walking through icy streams
That took my breath away
Moving slowly through westward water
Over glacial plains”
Charlie has his hands on the back of his groom’s neck and is mouthing the words up into Nick’s face as he sways and shuffles them in a circle. My son is tenderly holding the narrow hips and I cover my mouth, overwhelmed by memories of my little boy as I catch glimpses of his brown eyes so wide and full of stars.
“And I walked off you
And I walked off an old me
Oh me oh my, I thought it was a dream
So it seemed”
Suddenly there are whimsical sounds like a child playing a toy piano and the voice, a different voice maybe, is very breathy. I can barely make out the lyrics now as I observe Charlie deepen their sway and lean his forehead against Nick’s where they nuzzle together, seemingly oblivious to everyone’s gaze on them.
“And now, breathe deep
I'm inhaling
You and I, there's air in between
Leave me be
I'm exhaling
You and I, there's air in between”
Drums kick in and the singer is crooning so melodically that I find my own hips start to rock left and right.
“You and I, there's air in between”
Packet of tissues long used up, now I dab at my eyes with one of the cloth napkins I still have from my table where I got to rave about the event with my sister and her family over my plate of chops and mash earlier. On the other side of the crowd standing in a loose ring around the happy couple, I see Stéphane with a champagne flute in his hand; he catches my eye and raises it in my direction. I nod slightly; all the acknowledgement I can handle today. I try to interpret his simple gesture as gratitude on his part for how I raised our children.
There’s a change in the music; the song stays the same but a strong bassline drops in, and the drum rhythm changes from earthy bongos to crisp drum machine. There are synths too and it feels more urgent and upbeat as Nick and Charlie invite their guests onto the dancefloor.
“Cut my hair so I could rock back and forth
Without thinking of you
Learned to talk and say
Whatever I wanted to”
I let my eyes drift around the faces of the people watching the newlyweds as they continue to demonstrate just how laser-focused their devotion already is. I find David and his wife behind a few of the cousins to one side, each holding a sleepy-looking toddler. I start to slide backwards and around to them so I can say goodnight before they disappear to their hotel room upstairs.
“And I walked off you
And I walked off an old me
Oh me oh my
I thought it was a dream
So it seemed”
I murmur with them under the song as it picks up towards the chorus. They’re both betas like me and I’m pretty sure they’re stopping at two kids like I did. I run one hand down each tiny back and kiss the chubby necks, eager to enjoy that pristine smell universal to a well-tended child.
“And now, breathe deep
I'm inhaling
You and I, there's air in between
Leave me be
I'm exhaling
You and I, there's air in between
You and I, there's air in between
You and I, there's air in between”
As this song wraps up, the tired parents wave their farewell over my shoulder and I feel a tap there as I turn to see my two grown sons smile easily at each other. It fills my heart to see them like this, mature and mutually respectful even if they’re not especially close.
Nick opens his arms to me and Charlie is pulling Jane in from the side. I blow kisses as David leads his family out and I let my golden boy wrap our arms around each other.
“Have you had a good day, mum?”
“It’s been exhausting, sweetheart - having every other person stop me to tell me how wonderful you are.”
“Oh mum!” he complains at my sappiness.
“Let me enjoy it, I’m so proud of you, Nicky. And I’m so happy for you and Charlie. Have you had a good day?”
“It’s been kind of perfect.”
He looks at me with shining eyes and leans in close. “Thank you,” he says, sounding a little tearful, and I know he doesn’t mean just for today, but for everything.
He twirls me around and we dance to the slower song. I don’t feel like I’ve lost him today, but I know this is a new phase of his life. That he’s opened the circle of people he will allow to care for him a little wider. Nick has always been great at keeping in touch with me and making time for us, but I expect that I’ll fade into his background for a little while as he adjusts to his new life with Charlie. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to harboring hope that a litter could bring me back to the foreground - I’ve loved getting to support David and his family, fingers crossed I get to do that again if it’s what Nick and Charlie want.
The music changes again and I smile at Jane as we swap partners; Nick dwarfs her diminutive frame, but Charlie and I are a pretty good match. He isn’t as tactile as Nick but I risk a hug and a kiss on the cheek before we hold hands to dance.
“Oh Charlie, dear! Congratulations! What a wonderful day.”
“Thank you, Sarah. But you know Nick took care of everything.”
“And I know that you take care of him.” Charlie gives me a shy smile. “You look so handsome Charlie, and so happy.”
“I am happy, he’s a pretty good one you know, your youngest.”
“So I’ve been told,” I chuckle, “I’m so glad you found each other.”
—
The music gets louder and the dancing becomes wilder as the evening wears on, and I sit at one of the tables to rest my aching feet. Jane takes a seat next to me and we sit quietly and watch our sons enjoy their moment. I know she and Charlie - both Alphas with a history of butting heads - haven’t always seen eye to eye about his choices in life, particularly about his work, but I hope that seeing how loved and respected he is will go some way towards fostering better acceptance of the path he’s chosen. She certainly looks content at the moment.
“They’ve done alright, haven’t they?” she remarks as we watch them dance together in the middle of a group of their friends.
I try to take them in with fresh eyes. Both jackets and ties shed, both collars loosened. They’ve been hand in hand, twisting and shimmying, at times. Earlier, I saw them next to each other but twirling a friend, two in Nick’s case. Now their arms are wrapped around each other and their hips move in a confident alignment. I glance back at her and smile. “They really have.”