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It was safe to say that Ellie completely flubbed the proposal, much to her dismay and Dina’s amusement. Really, it seemed like a great idea at the time, incorporating JJ in the process, but toddlers are unpredictable as hell and what was supposed to be a super adorable, romantic moment turned into chaos when JJ had a meltdown and consequently threw the ring box down the well (Ellie thinks whoever came up with the term “terrible twos” had never met a three-year-old in their life because hoo boy, this child).
So of course Ellie had to climb down the well and get it, because she certainly didn’t spend months and months searching for the perfect ring just to lose it in the final lap, and when Dina went outside to hang the laundry she nearly had a heart attack at the sight of her girlfriend with a rope wrapped around her waist, anchored to the tree behind her as she attempted to scale down it. Needless to say, claiming that she had gotten hot and just needed to cool off was not her best lie, and when Ellie finally climbed out and produced the then-soggy ring, a sheepish smile on her face, Dina’s heart swelled so much she thought it would burst.
One day it’ll be a hilarious story to tell around the dinner table, but that didn’t mean Ellie wasn’t a little grumpy after the fiasco, changing JJ’s nickname from “Potato” to “Lil’ HomeWrecker” for at least a week afterwards. Dina wasn’t thrilled, rolling her eyes every time Ellie said it, but she’d learned long ago to pick her battles with those two goobers if she didn’t want to completely lose her mind. The sight of the delicate pearl ring sitting on her ring finger didn’t hurt, either.
…
Months passed, they never really had a timeline on when they actually wanted to tie the knot, the ring on Dina’s finger enough to satisfy Ellie for the time-being; but the rest of the people around them could not disagree more. They got the most flack for it from Jesse, who found every opportunity he could to get them to agree on a date, whining about wanting to be Ellie’s best man and eat that special cake from Jackson’s bakery that was only ever made for weddings. To Ellie’s absolute shock, Joel wasn’t much better, though at least he knew how to be subtle. It started with just gentle proddings of “what will you wear,” “where will it be,” things like that, but quickly turned into more; like when he showed up at the farmhouse with cake samples stuffed in a tupperware container, or when he made Ellie help him pick out his outfit ( “For fuck’s sake, Joel, you are not wearing denim on denim to my fucking wedding”).
Jesse’s parents were the straw that broke the metaphorical camel’s back, so to speak, when on one of their weekly visits to Jackson his mother, Robin, surprised everybody after dinner by presenting a beautiful white dress with the bodice and quarter length sleeves done in delicate lace, the floor-length gown simple and elegant and so perfect that it brought tears to Dina’s eyes (and maybe Ellie also cried a little bit, or maybe there was just some dust in her eye, but really, who could say?). Robin had confessed that she started working on it back when Dina and Jesse were still dating, but that didn’t matter, because even though she wasn’t marrying her son Dina would always be their family.
Ellie was quickly banished from the house as Dina tried it on, but when she was finally invited back inside her fiancee’s teary eyes and flushed cheeks was all the confirmation she needed to know that it must have been amazing.
Things moved pretty quickly after that, with Ellie, Dina, Robin, and Maria spending the majority of their free time wedding planning. Ellie wanted something lowkey, small and simple, maybe even just her and Dina, while Dina wanted something big and memorable; so they compromised and planned the most elegant wedding Jackson would ever see (and god, Ellie was truly whipped, it was a problem).
Turns out the “most elegant wedding Jackson had ever seen” was still pretty simple, you know, with the apocalypse and all, but the excited smile on Dina’s face was more than enough for Ellie. It was still going to be a relatively small affair, neither woman entirely comfortable with inviting strangers to their upcoming nuptials, and they decided it would be held at the farmhouse. It made the most sense logistically, they had more than enough land and the view was gorgeous; all they needed was a wedding arch, some chairs, and flowers and they would be all set. Luckily with Jesse’s dad as the owner of Jackson’s woodshop the arch wouldn’t be a problem, or at least that’s what he assured them, telling them to consider it a wedding present.
One night, a few months before their planned wedding date, Ellie came into their room fresh out of the shower to find Dina looking out the window, lit candles balancing on the sill while she stood rigidly in place. JJ was already fast asleep in his own room (Ellie still couldn’t believe he was old enough to have his own room), so they were alone, and Ellie approached cautiously.
“Dina?” she ventured, resting a hand softly on her fiancee’s shoulder. The woman let out a shaky sigh, wiping at her eyes before placing her own hand on top of Ellie’s and squeezing. “You okay? You’re not getting cold feet, are you?” she attempted to joke, though she was pretty sure the worry in her voice gave her away.
“I’m okay,” Dina answered, still holding Ellie’s hand. “Tonight’s just…” she trailed off, a single tear tracking down her face as she gazed into the night sky. “My mom always told me stories about my grandparents’ wedding, years before the world went crazy. The special traditions and stuff. Then, after she died, Talia would tell them to me.” She paused, letting out a sad chuckle. “She was always so afraid I’d forget my roots, where we came from. One time I asked her why she cared so much. Like, why were we lugging around a Torah and celebrating these pointless holidays when we were barely surviving to begin with?
“She just looked at me like, like she couldn’t believe I didn’t understand, and told me that Outbreak Day took so much from us, but it didn’t have to take our faith.” Dina’s breath hitched in her throat and Ellie squeezed her hand, urging her to continue. “She was killed two weeks later.”
Ellie’s heart clenched at the admission as she stepped closer, pulling Dina into her arms and holding her tightly until her breathing evened out, regaining composure. When she pulled away her eyes were red but she wasn’t crying, a nostalgic look on her face.
They spent the next few hours cuddled up in bed, Dina’s head resting on Ellie’s chest as she told her about Jewish wedding traditions, her favorites and the ones she thought sounded ridiculous, how it was a huge celebration for the community where everyone came together, how her mother taught her and Talia the Hebrew songs and blessings given at a wedding. They only stopped talking when Dina ended up falling asleep in the middle of a sentence, her eyelids drooping as her breathing slowed until she was passed out on Ellie’s chest. Ellie would have stared at her all night, breathing in her peaceful beauty, if she hadn’t been so exhausted herself. It didn’t take her long with her fiancee in her arms to slip into a dreamless sleep, and she awoke with a newfound determination that she would do everything in her power to make their wedding as special as it could possibly be.
…
Another couple of months passed and now their wedding was mere weeks away, everything feeling more and more real with each passing day, and Ellie had finally finished planning Dina’s big surprise (which was no small accomplishment). She had no idea how difficult it would be to make her plans a reality; who knew finding a living henna plant would be damn near impossible? It had taken months and more than a dozen favors to get her hands on the supplies she needed for the Henna party, and nearly as long to convince Cat to help, being the resident artist of Jackson; but Dina’s reaction when Ellie uncovered her eyes to reveal the party made the struggle more than worth it.
It wasn’t perfect, Ellie didn’t have a whole lot of knowledge about what was supposed to happen during the ceremony, but it was incredible all the same. The intimacy when Ellie and Dina pressed the henna dye between their palms, just inches from each other’s faces made it feel like they were the only two people left in the world; and while Cat may have gone a little overboard with the intricate henna designs tattooed up their arms (“Come on, it’s not like I’ll ever get to work with henna again, let a girl live!”) , Dina didn’t have a single complaint. On the contrary, she was absolutely thrilled about the whole event, and when they got back to the farmhouse that night Dina spent hours tracing Ellie’s henna patterns with her lips to show her appreciation.
Then, just days before the ceremony and after dropping JJ off at his grandparents’, Ellie presented her fiancee with one final surprise, leading a blindfolded Dina to a secluded area in the woods. “Okay, this is kind of creepy, am I about to be murdered? Is that my surprise?” she joked as Ellie guided her deeper into the forest.
Ellie rolled her eyes, responding sarcastically, “Yeah, that’s definitely my plan. How’d you guess?”
Dina shrugged, a playful smile on her face, “Pure intuition, baby, pure intuition,” to which Ellie snorted, nudging her and almost making her fall. “I knew it! We’re not even there yet and you’re already trying to kill me!”
“Come on, stupid,” Ellie said affectionately, moving her hand to Dina’s lower back as they approached their destination. “We’re here.”
Dina tore off the blindfold like a child tearing into a wrapped present, her expression going from eager to confused as she looked back and forth between the stock tank filled with water and Ellie. “You got me… a pool?”
“No, no, it’s… it’s a mikveh?” she replied, more of a question than a statement. When Dina’s eyes widened in shock, Ellie rushed to continue, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand. “I know it’s not like, perfect, but it’s filled with rain water and stuff, and I think it’s big enough?” Her voice trailed off as she looked at Dina expectantly, nerves twisting in her stomach when she didn’t respond, just staring at the homemade mikveh.
After a moment of silence Ellie sidled closer to Dina, gently nudging her foot with her own as she prompted, “Can you say something?”
Finally Dina turned to look at her and Ellie startled at her tear-filled eyes. Did she fuck up? Before she got a chance to apologize for whatever she might have done, Dina was throwing her arms around her neck and pulling her into an embrace. “Oh,” was all she could say, caught off guard.
“Ellie,” Dina said into the crook of her neck, “Thank you.” They held each other like that for a while, warmth blooming in Ellie’s chest, before pulling apart.
Dina explained that before they could submerge themselves they needed to get clean, and a short walk to the river and lots of soap later they were finally prepared, stopping in front of the large pool to strip themselves of their clothing. Dina looked uncharacteristically nervous as she stared at the stock tank.
“I don’t… I don’t know the blessings,” she eventually said, eyebrows creased with worry.
“That’s okay,” Ellie replied, raising a hand to cup Dina’s cheek, her thumb tracing calming circles on her skin. “I don’t think that…that God, or whatever, could hold that against you.”
Dina leaned into Ellie’s touch, closing her eyes as she smiled ruefully. “I don’t even know if I believe. It’s all so… confusing.”
“I think that’s okay, too,” Ellie murmured in response. “Babe, we don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”
“I want to,” Dina said with conviction. “I mean, I think it might help me feel closer to my mom and Talia somehow. Like, they seriously would have lost their shit if they saw a mikveh, you have no idea.” She chuckled fondly before nudging Ellie with her hip.
“C’mon, goober. Let’s do this thing.”
…
Ellie didn’t have any idea what she was doing, but that was okay because honestly, neither did Dina. When they got in the water they submerged themselves, and Dina spent some time in prayer while Ellie watched with admiration. She didn’t believe in God or a higher power or any of that bullshit (how could she, when the world looked like this?), but she had to admit that seeing Dina reconnect with her faith was nice. If she was happy, Ellie was happy, and she’d truly go to the ends of the earth and back for her. Before they left Dina said a blessing in shaky Hebrew, it was supposedly one for marriage, and they ended with a chaste kiss.
Eventually they climbed out of the mikveh and toweled off before changing back into their clothes and heading to the farmhouse, holding hands the entire way. It hit Ellie somewhere halfway between the woods and their home, Dina smiling contentedly while their hands were clasped tightly, that holy shit, this was her life. Never in a million years would she have imagined this turn of events. In fact, she would have found the suggestion absolutely ridiculous, laughing in the face of whoever mentioned it; Dina was her best friend, who was dating her other best friend, and most importantly, she was straight. Ellie was certain she didn’t stand a chance.
Then came the night that changed everything, and suddenly Ellie wasn’t so certain anymore.
It still baffled her sometimes that Dina chose Ellie, but she didn’t question it anymore. Somewhere along the way she came to the conclusion that they were made for each other. Not in that weird destiny way like in movies, but in the way that when they slept their bodies fit perfectly together like two pieces of a puzzle, how they knew what the other was thinking before they said it, and a million other things that Ellie couldn’t even begin to count. She didn’t believe in luck, but she certainly believed in Dina. Believed in them.
Ellie was Dina’s and Dina was hers, and she knew with a certainty that it would be that way for the rest of their lives.
…
It was the night before the big day and apparently Joel had a surprise for Ellie. He’d been acting weird around her all week until finally she was able to corner him and find out what was going on, to which he just scratched the back of his neck and invited her, Dina, and JJ over for dinner the following night. It was a decent meal, Joel only burnt the spaghetti a little bit, but it still got the JJ seal of approval which, in all honesty, was the only thing that mattered in the first place. After an hour of sitting around the table and chatting, JJ was passed out in Dina’s lap, spaghetti sauce smeared all over his adorable face, so they decided to call it a night. They were about to walk over to Jesse’s parents’ house to say goodnight before heading back to the farm when Joel, looking strangely nervous, stopped Ellie.
“Hang on, I’ve got somethin’ for ya before you leave,” he said, clearing his throat. Ellie glanced over at Dina who just shrugged, a small smile on her face.
“Go on, just meet us at Robin and Michael’s when you’re done, ‘kay?” After exchanging a quick peck on the lips and Ellie softly kissing their son’s forehead, she followed Joel up the stairs, curiosity getting the better of her.
Trailing behind him, they entered his room, his hands shoved deep in his pockets as Ellie rocked back and forth on her heels. “So,” she began, smiling somewhat mischievously, “is it a dinosaur?”
Joel huffed out a laugh and suddenly the weird tension surrounding them seemed to fade. It had been years since Ellie chose to start mending their relationship, but with each passing day things got better, easier. She couldn’t say that they were back to normal, because that would be downplaying it. What they had now was better than anything they’d ever had before. They actually talked and existed in each other’s lives instead of just around each other, each a planet in their own personal orbits that rarely intersected. Joel was slowly learning how to communicate, and getting him to talk about his feelings no longer felt like pulling teeth. It was something Ellie never thought she’d have, and she’d accepted that a long time ago, but now? She was never so happy to have been wrong. She couldn’t imagine her life without the old man.
“‘Fraid not, kiddo,” he said, a small smile on his face. “Sorry to disappoint.”
“Man, way to get a girl’s hopes up.”
He shook his head in that way that parents do when their child is exasperating them, something Ellie had learned after spending the past three years raising JJ, and she grinned at him while he fiddled with the watch on his wrist.
“I know this seems sudden, but I’ve been thinkin’ on it for a long time.” He paused, looking unsure of himself, and Ellie sat on his bed, nodding at him to continue. “Years, really. I was just waitin’ for the right moment, I s’pose.”
Ellie’s eyebrows raised when he unclasped the watch from his wrist, staring at it with a million emotions flashing in his eyes as it sat heavily in his palm. “Joel, what are you doing?”
Joel stepped closer to Ellie, looking more confident as he handed her the old watch, long broken yet his most prized possession, and she blinked in surprise. “Take it. S’yours.”
“No, Joel, I could never. It’s, it’s not…” she looked at him imploringly before continuing in a soft voice, “Sarah gave it to you, I’ve never even seen you without it, I…”
Her voice trailed off as Joel moved to sit next to her, letting out a heavy sigh. “Sarah… for a long time she was what kept me goin’. Things were hard after her mother left, me workin’ long hours ‘nd barely gettin’ by. Then, when she…” he paused, clenching his jaw as he considered his next words. “When she died it felt like I died, too, like the soldier killed us both that night. I spent a long time wishin’ he had.”
Ellie swallowed, her throat feeling thick with emotion as Joel turned his intense gaze to her. “And then I met this scrawny teenager with a sailor’s mouth and a serious attitude problem.”
“Wow, this teenager sounds pretty cool,” Ellie joked, voice though her voice wavered, and Joel cracked a smile.
“She was somethin’ alright.” He paused, taking a breath and letting it out slowly. “Do you remember what I said to you? Back at that farm, after you ran away?”
Ellie chuckled. “Yeah. You were a major dick.”
Joel laughed, a low, rumbling sound in his chest. “Yeah, I guess I deserve that.”
“Don’t worry about it. I forgave you for that like, forever ago.”
“I know,” he said, voice low. “I’m just tryin’ to say that, well, you aren’t Sarah. But that don’t make you any less of my…” His voice cracked and he took a moment to clear his throat before continuing. “I know I ain’t your biological parent, but I love you like you were my own, and I jus’ know Sarah would’ve loved you too.”
That sat in silence as Ellie tried to process everything Joel just said, her heart pounding loudly in her chest as she tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. Joel had never told her he loved her before.
“I know I’ve put you through hell with some of my choices, but Ellie, I don’t regret a single one of ‘em. I couldn’t lose another daughter.” That admission was the final crack in her composure, and suddenly Ellie was wrapping her arms around Joel and hugging him, crying into his shoulder. She felt small, a little weak, but with Joel’s steady arms around her she realized that maybe, just maybe, that was okay. Maybe, for once, she didn’t need to be strong.
When Ellie finally arrived at Jesse’s parents’ house, red eyes and Joel’s signature watch around her wrist, Dina didn’t say anything. She just smiled.
…
When she awoke the next morning, the first thing Ellie noticed was the empty spot on the mattress where Dina should be. She groaned at the cold sheets before climbing out of bed, rubbing her eyes lazily and glancing out the window. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect: a cool, spring morning without a cloud in the sky, not cold enough to need a jacket but not hot enough to be uncomfortable, and Ellie grinned. Maybe there was such a thing as luck, because part of her had fully expected to wake up to a dreary day at best and a raging storm at worst. Dina always responded by rolling her eyes with a “would it hurt you to be optimistic, El?” (To which she would reply with a petulant “YES” because, really, she was too stubborn for her own good.)
After a yawn so loud it could probably be heard all the way in Jackson Ellie ventured out, peeking her head into JJ’s room only to find him missing, too, before climbing down the stairs. “Babe?” she called, wandering into the kitchen as she looked around.
“Yes, honey?” came a squeaky high-pitched voice trying too hard to sound feminine, and Ellie groaned when she turned around to find Jesse leaning against the doorframe, snickering and looking pleased with himself.
“Ha ha, you’re hilarious. Where’s Dina and the spud?”
“They are getting ready in a top secret, undisclosed location,” he answered, folding his arms over his chest.
Ellie blinked. “So they’re at your parents’?”
“I--maybe--no!” he stumbled over his words and Ellie chuckled, leaning against the kitchen counter.
“Dude, you suck at lying. Why were you trying to keep it a secret, anyway?”
He raised his hands in mock protest. “Hey, don’t look at me, I’m just following Dina’s orders. Apparently the bride and groom aren’t supposed to see each other until they’re walking down the aisle or some shit, I dunno.”
Ellie walked over and flicked his forehead. “We’re both brides, dumbass.”
He rubbed the spot she flicked, looking wounded. “Jesus, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”
“Or maybe I just don’t want to deal with your straight person shit today. You know, the day of my gay wedding.” Now it was Jesse’s turn to roll his eyes, walking over and grabbing a dish wrapped in tin foil to hand to Ellie.
“Dina made this for you. Why she wants to put up with you for the rest of her life instead of me I will never understand.” While his words seemed harsh, his eyes were light and the goofy grin on his face reassured Ellie that he was still joking.
“You’re the baby daddy. She has to put up with both of us.” Ellie collapsed on the couch, unwrapping the plate of still-warm scrambled eggs and bacon with a grin.
Jesse snorted. “Just eat, Joel and Maria are gonna be here any minute with your suit.”
Ellie paused, fork raised half-way to her mouth as Jesse’s words sunk in--it was finally happening.
…
Ellie stood in front of the full-length mirror, nervously adjusting her suit and fiddling with the topmost buttons of her undershirt, trying to decide what looked better. The guests had officially arrived and were all mingling outside, but Dina, JJ, and Robin, Jesse’s mother, were still nowhere to be found, and Ellie was trying to keep her cool.
Keyword: Trying.
At least she had Jesse to keep her somewhat sane, though she was wondering if even that was a good idea at the moment. Sure, he was her best man, but fuck could he be annoying. She’d almost rather be with Joel, but he was off somewhere with Maria making sure everything was running smoothly.
“Dude, you look fine, chill out,” he commented from the back of the room, lounging on the sofa and flipping through a super old magazine (seriously, how had that not fallen apart?), which was sort of a funny sight with him all dressed to the nines.
Ellie huffed, eventually deciding to leave the top buttons undone before turning around and facing Jesse, tempted to run her fingers through her hair out of anxiety but stopping when she realized it had already been fixed up by Maria. Her auburn hair was pulled back in a low bun at the nape of her neck, not entirely unlike how she wore it the night of her and Dina’s first kiss, but this time it was much neater. Ellie tugged at her collar, feeling uncomfortable.
“You’re telling me you’re not even a little worried that my future wife and the mother of your child got cold feet and ran off with our kid?” she asked grumpily as she moved to look out the window for the thousandth time that afternoon.
Jesse sighed, tossing the magazine on the coffee table and getting up to join Ellie, his voice more serious this time. “Ellie, they’re probably just running a little late. You know how hard it is to get JJ dressed.” That made her smirk, the mental image of Dina in a wedding dress wrestling a squirming JJ into a tiny tuxedo somehow relieving a little tension in her shoulders. Jesse nudged her, a small smile on his face. “That girl is head over heels for you. She’ll be here.”
…
Turns out Jesse was right, the sight of one of the few cars in Jackson rumbling down the long driveway making butterflies burst in her stomach, but before they pulled up Joel appeared, pulling her away from the window and shutting the blinds.
“Hey!” Ellie protested, trying to reach around him, but his firm yet gentle grip on her shoulder kept her in place. “Joel, what the fuck!”
Joel chuckled. “Are you ever gonna learn to be patient, or are you a lost cause at this point?”
“Shut up,” she mumbled, glaring at him.
“Now, now, don’t get your panties in a twist just ‘cos I’m right.”
“If you ever say the word ‘panties’ in front of me again I will kill you. With your own gun.”
“There’s my girl.”
…
What felt like hours but was really probably minutes passed painfully slowly, Ellie growing more and more nervous with each passing second. Everyone was outside in their positions, guests all assembled in the mismatched assortment of chairs, and Dina, who would walk down the aisle after Ellie, was somewhere in the house. Now they were just waiting on their cue.
“If someone doesn’t start playing that fucking piano in five seconds…” Ellie grumbled, wiping her sweating palms on her pants, and Joel placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder; but before he could say whatever sage words of wisdom he had up his sleeve the sound of the piano playing the opening lines of a song cut him off.
Suddenly Ellie’s feet were frozen to the spot, eyes going wide with the sudden panic that surged through her, and she grasped the sleeve of Joel’s suit. “Joel…”
“Hey, you’re okay, you can do this.” When she still didn’t move, now looking noticeably paler, Joel fully faced her, moving his free hand until both were on Ellie’s shoulders. “Look at me, Ellie.”
Ellie did as she was asked, heart beating wildly in her chest, and when she met Joel’s gaze she was surprised to see them glowing with pride. “I am so proud of you. Now get a move on, kiddo, your missus is waitin’.”
…
After Joel walked her down the aisle, tears shining in the old man’s eyes, the door to the farmhouse opened once more, this time revealing Dina, escorted by Jesse’s father, and it was like someone stole the breath from Ellie’s lungs.
From the first moment she’d laid eyes on her, Ellie had known that Dina was the most beautiful girl she’d ever seen; but seeing her now, hair pinned to the side and falling over her right shoulder in waves, dress hugging her body perfectly, and the beaming smile lighting up her entire face… she was radiant. Celestial. Ellie blinked, eyes wet, and she watched with adoration as Dina glided her way down the aisle.
It took ages for Dina to reach her, but when she did Ellie realized that while she was breathtaking from a distance, seeing her up close, taking her warm hands in her own, made that seem like nothing. No one was marrying them, both women thought it was unnecessary, but Jesse had the job of calling everybody to attention and asking for silence as they prepared to say their vows.
Dina started, her face beaming with joy. “Ellie,” she began, pausing to take a calming breath. “I knew there was something special about you from the moment I caught you stuffing jerky in your pockets like it was going out of style.” The small crowd laughed and Ellie’s cheeks reddened, biting back a laugh of her own as Dina continued.
By the time Dina finished her vows Ellie’s cheeks were stained with tears, her heart feeling so happy and light that it may as well have been soaring, and fuck, she didn’t think she could top that. She glanced around nervously, feeling the weight of the crowd’s eyes on her, and Dina squeezed her hands, using her thumb to rub comforting circles on Ellie’s skin, and she felt the anxiety dissipate. Just like that, she and Dina were the only two people in the universe, everything and everybody else fading into the background.
“I’ve never been good with words,” Ellie said quietly. “But I’m pretty good with a guitar.” At her que, Jesse reached around to grab Ellie’s acoustic from its hiding place, passing it to her with a wink. Sliding the guitar strap over her shoulder, she looked back at Dina, feeling her insides warm at the look of adoration that met her gaze.
Taking a steadying breath, Ellie shot a quick smile at Dina before she began. “When the night falls down, I wait for you and you come around…” Her confidence grew the longer she played the acoustic rendition of Belinda Carlisle’s Heaven Is a Place on Earth, until she finally finished, the final notes hanging in the quiet spring air.
“Oh, Ellie,” Dina said, voice thick with emotion, and Ellie handed the guitar back to Jesse and turned to take Dina’s hands in her own.
“You’re more than just my girlfriend, or wife, you’re… you’re my best friend. I still can’t believe I get to spend the rest of my life with you and JJ.” Jesse took that moment to clear his throat from behind them and Ellie rolled her eyes, prompting laughter from the crowd. “Okay, okay, and Jesse,” she amended, shooting him a glare before turning her attention back to Dina. “You and JJ are the best things that have ever happened to me, and I know this world is scary and unpredictable, but I promise that I will love you until my last breath.”
Dina’s eyes shone with tears and Ellie cleared her throat, nerves fluttering in her stomach again as she continued. “I’m probably gonna butcher this,” she muttered, more to herself than anyone else. “I did a lot of research about the things you told me, the Jewish traditions and blessings, and I… I found one that I really liked.”
Ellie took a deep breath before reciting the lines she’d been practicing for months. “Ani l'dodi v’dodi li. It means, uh, that--”
“I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine,” Dina finished for her, voice almost reverent as the tears in her eyes spilled over. Ellie reached over to wipe away Dina’s tears, the pad of her thumb just barely touching her skin, and Dina held her hand there, placing a tender kiss on her palm before gesturing to Jesse to hand her the rings.
They were simple, gold bands made out of melted jewelry that had been scavenged over the years, but Ellie had one more surprise up her sleeve. Inscribed on the inside of the rings were the vows ‘ani l’dodi v’dodi li’ in delicate cursive, and Dina’s hand flew to her mouth when she saw it, swallowing a sob.
Slowly and with purpose Dina took Ellie’s left hand in her own, gently sliding the ring on her ring finger. “My mom taught me the wedding vows she and my dad said to each other. ‘V’erastich li l’olam. V’erastich li b’tzedek uv’mishpat, uv’chesed uv’rachamim. V’erastich li b’emunah, v’yada’at et Adonai.’ I betroth you to me forever; I betroth you to me in steadfast love and compassion; I betroth you to me in faithfulness.”
Hot tears of her own slid down Ellie’s cheeks as she copied the gesture, trying several times to repeat the vows in Hebrew before giving up and repeating them in english, face flushed. They stood in silence for a moment, holding each other’s hands, when Dina leaned in conspirically, smirking. “I may now kiss the bride,” she all but whispered before pressing their lips together in a long kiss. As she leaned in the crowd erupted with applause and cheers, and both Ellie and Dina were laughing as they rested their foreheads together, oblivious to the celebrations going on around them. They were a million miles away, and Ellie’s whole universe centered on the beautiful woman standing in front of her, the love in her heart infinite.
“I love you,” Dina whispered, pressing her lips to Ellie’s cheek.
“Yeah,” Ellie replied, feeling warm all over as she grinned stupidly. “I love you, too.”