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The girls see each other, again and again. Each time, Shelby thinks, it feels like she can breathe a little better. She remembers what her mom would say every time she left the house back in Texas: “Be home by midnight. I like knowing you’re safe in your bed.” It’s that way with the Unsinkable Eight. She likes having them all in the same room, knowing they’re safe.
It doesn’t always work out that way. They room together in pairs and trios, then move away for schools and jobs and significant others. Stretched like putty across the US, (and Paris, briefly, for Fatin.) Their bonds pull and compress, but never break.
Unlike this stupid zipper.
“Ugh.” Shelby huffs out, flopping back onto her bed. “I will never get this dress on!”
Fatin looks up from curling Dot’s hair. “You could ask for help, you know.”
Shelby looks at her with an apologetic grin, and Dot grumbles as Fatin shoves the curling iron into her hands. Fatin pulls Shelby up from the bed, stands her up with beauty-queen posture, and gently coaxes the zipper, inch by excruciating inch, until Shelby is snugly settled in. She remembers a time when she would have been terrified to let another girl touch her, and sends a silent prayer up to whoever that she no longer feels that way.
Fatin wheels her around to look in the mirror. They look together at Shelby, at the lace gently hugging her chest and hips before gliding to the floor.
“You make a beautiful bride,” Fatin murmurs.
“Fuck!”
Shelby almost rips the gown as she whirls around to look at Dot. Even after all these years, she can’t help but assume the worst has happened.
Dot looks at her balefully. “I burned myself.”
***
Toni hears the expletive and laughter from next door and gives Martha, Nora, and Leah a quiet smile. She remembers a time when having this many people around her on her wedding day seemed impossible, if she even allowed herself to imagine a wedding day at all. It's actually a little bit ridiculous when she thinks about it. To have seven whole people. Six of whom love her and Shelby so much that it felt ridiculous to divide them up into Shelby’s bridesmaids and Toni’s bridesmaids. They decided on one big wedding party, getting ready in adjoining hotel rooms.
The only thing that sucks is that Toni can’t go through the door. She’d like nothing more than to force Rachel to get ordained online, get the whole thing over with, and rip Shelby’s wedding dress off right then and there. But Shelby loves the whole thing: a small chapel, a reception, the girls around them. And Toni loves Shelby, so she got on board. The tradition that she can’t see Shelby all day, though? That might kill her.
It doesn’t help that she’s been ready for a while; putting on a suit doesn’t take that long. Toni’s been passing the excruciating hours helping the other girls get ready. She’s probably hindering more than helping, although they tolerate it with knowing smiles.
Leah looks at her with pity. “Want me to go check on her?”
“Fuck, man, I don’t know.” Toni feels her pent-up energy boil over into anger, breathing hard to regain control. Leah just keeps calm, annoyingly. She knows Toni’s mind as well as Toni does. They all do-it’s what Nora refers to as an “island side effect.” Each girl’s thoughts are no longer her own. Trauma and joy alike is shouldered by all eight of them. It makes life terrifying and wonderful.
Toni snaps back to the present, feeling better. She nods at Leah. Of course she wants to check on Shelby. Every minute they are together is another minute Toni gets closer to launching herself off of the hotel balcony. She’s stopped only by Rachel bursting through the door.
“My mission was successful,” she gloats, holding a cellophane bag in her good hand. “I found Takis!”
The adjoining door flings open, revealing Dot holding an ice pack to her neck and her hair half-done.
“I want some!”
***
In the end, they had settled on a small, non-denominational chapel in the mountains. It reflected the complicated relationship Shelby had with her faith. Toni had briefly joked about getting married on a beach, but behind Shelby’s eye roll was genuine fear. So that was ruled out.
Toni sat at the front of the church and eyed their guests. Martha’s whole family was there, looking as excited as if it was their daughter getting married. There was a smattering of friends from college and assorted jobs. Shelby’s mom and siblings sat quietly in the back. No sign of Mr. Goodkind, thank God. Or whoever. Toni was glad he knew better than to show his face around her. But the people Toni wanted to see the most were at the back of the church right now, probably smoothing Shelby’s dress and nerves. Toni wasn’t nervous at all. She’d been ready for this ever since they had talked on the beach, right before the shark attack. It was a little silly how quickly she was ready to commit her whole life to someone she had just met. But what do you know? Toni had been right.
Shelby would never admit it, but she had been picturing marrying Toni since she laid eyes on her on the plane. It terrified her at first. Looking at a girl and being unable to control the images that flashed through her mind (smooth thighs, white taffeta, soft moans, growing old together,) was s-c-a-r-y scary. Now, though. Now she knew what she wanted, and what she wanted was Toni. She nods to the six pairs of earnest eyes around her. Fatin picks up her cello and walks to the front of the church.
Toni stands up a little too quickly.
Fatin begins to play, slow and sweet.
Martha makes her way down the aisle and takes her place at Toni’s side.
Then Rachel.
Then Nora.
Then Leah.
“Are you ready?” Dot offers her arm.
Shelby smiles and takes it. Takes a step towards Toni, and another. She can’t help it, giggling a little as she spies Toni surreptitiously wiping away a tear.
By the end of the ceremony, all eight of them are crying shamelessly, of course. But Shelby’s heart has never felt lighter.
***
They make their rounds thanking guests for coming, and Shelby’s hand never leaves Toni’s. Toni is beyond grateful at the universe for making Gretchen Klein just the right amount of crazy. If she’s honest with herself, she thinks of the plane crash kind of like an accidental pregnancy. She would have aborted that shit if she could, but now that it happened? Now that these wild and wonderful women are in her life? She wouldn’t change it for all the Takis in the world.
Martha appears at their side. “Hey, the DJ wanted to know if you guys are ready for the first dance?”
Toni looks at Shelby, who grins right back at her. “Hell yeah.”
They glide out to the dance floor, and Toni carefully places her hands on Shelby’s waist. She feels her wife’s hands settle on her shoulders, and relaxes into the familiar warmth.
Holy shit. Her wife.
Shelby laughs a little at the awestruck expression on Toni’s face. The music starts, and with their people around them, they sway.
I see you watch her from across the room
Dancing her home in your mind
Well, it takes more than whiskey to make that flower bloom
By the third drink you'll find out she's mine
***
They giggled and ate and danced for hours. It’s well after midnight when the Unsinkable Eight deliver their girls to the bridal suite. Toni and Shelby press kisses onto their friends’ cheeks and whisper thanks into their ears. Martha is the last to go. She holds both her best friends, looking back and forth with glassy eyes.
“I,” she starts, then falters.
She never gets a chance to finish before Shelby wraps her in a hug. She gives Martha and Toni a squeeze, then whips around her blonde hair and disappears into the room.
Toni wastes no time. “What if I fuck it all up, Marty? What if I’m not good enough for her? Dating is one thing, but marriage? Shit, that’s real.”
“Oh, Toni,” Martha says. “When will you learn? You are more than good enough for Shelby. You’re perfect for her. And you know what’s real? The island. That crap experience is worth more than all the relationship counseling in the world.”
Toni is never quite sure what she did to deserve the women in her life. When she hugs Marty, she doesn’t let go for a long, long time.
***
The next morning, Shelby bounces on the side of the bed. It’s familiar by now, waiting for Toni to get up. By the time she does, Shelby is so antsy she practically shoves the box into her wife’s face.
“What the fuck is that?”
Shelby bites her lip. “I don’t know, but it’s from the girls. We must have missed it last night.”
“Damn straight we did,” Toni laughs gruffly, pulling the duvet around her bare chest. “Open it, babe!”
Shelby tears through the silver wrapping with nimble fingers. She isn’t quite sure what to expect as she opens the box.
Toni sees it first, letting out a strangled sound.
Lychees.