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Shelby lifted her head slightly to look at her phone, smiling when she saw the time.
“What are you doing?” Toni grumbled next to her.
Shelby laughed softly, kissing Toni’s forehead quickly. “Twelve hours from now, we’ll be married.”
“We’re already married,” Toni reminded her, not opening her eyes or moving her head off her pillow.
“But this time it’ll be legal and our rings won’t be made of grass.” She looked at the resin ring on her finger, protecting the remnants of the grass ring the other girls had made for them on the island.
Toni finally looked at Shelby, propping herself on her elbow. “You know we don’t need a piece of paper and fancy rings to prove anything, right?”
“I know but wouldn’t it be nice to be able to check off the married box on papers without getting arrested for tax fraud?”
Toni laughed softly. “I don’t think that’s really what the tax fraud guys are looking at, but sure, if checking a box will make you happy, check all the boxes you want.”
“But you’re right, you know, you’ve been my wife for two years, in my head and in my heart, where it matters. We deserve the wedding of our dreams though, I’m not gonna take your buttercream cake and plated dinner away from you.”
“Yeah, the cake is basically the whole reason I’m doing this.” She laughed when Shelby rolled her eyes. “What? It’s a good cake.”
“It is,” Shelby agreed. “And if you’re thinking of smashing it in my face after we cut it, we’re gonna have a very boring honeymoon.”
“And we don’t want that,” Toni whispered before kissing Shelby. “You know, we should probably get some sleep.”
Shelby shook her head, sliding her arms around Toni. “I’m not tired.”
“I’m not saying you need it, but I think Fatin might kill me if I don’t let you get your beauty sleep.”
“What Fatin doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” Shelby said softly before kissing Toni again.
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“Wow,” Toni said softly as she walked to the beginning of the aisle, marked with petals of different colored flowers, when she saw Shelby walking towards her in a strapless mermaid gown with white lace over soft pink.
Shelby laughed softly. “Wow yourself,” she whispered, looking at the spaghetti strap beaded jumpsuit she wore. “You’re breathtaking.”
“Stop trying to butter me up. You’re already getting laid tonight,” Toni said with a laugh.
Shelby rolled her eyes. “Thanks for not waiting until we were in front of everyone to say that.”
“Ready?” Toni asked, holding her hand towards Shelby.
“I’ve never been more ready for anything.”
They walked towards the wooden arch decorated with flowers that Rachel stood under, with Martha and Dot on one side and Fatin and Leah on the other, the same way they’d stood for them at their wedding on the island, all wearing matching lilac dresses.
“Here we are again,” Rachel said with a smile as Shelby and Toni stopped in front of her. “If someone had told me the day I met Shelby and Toni that they would be getting married, let alone that I’d be officiating their wedding for the second time, I have no problem saying that I would have called you insane. To say they went through hell together would be an understatement, we all did,” she said, glancing to the other four women standing with them. “But Shelby and Toni somehow found happiness in that hell, with each other. I stood on a beach with them two years ago in the middle of nowhere, all seven of us, just like we are now, I married them then and today I get to do it again, only this time they get a piece of paper,” she said, the wedding guests laughed softly. “Shocking absolutely nobody, they’ve written their own vows. Toni?”
Toni let out a breath. “I was gonna say something about the day we met but I can’t do that now, thanks a lot, Rach,” she said with a laugh, Rachel shrugged a shoulder. “I spent most of my life being told that I wasn’t good enough, I felt like I didn’t deserve what everyone else did. Like I didn’t deserve to be happy or find someone like you. You showed me that I did and you showed me that someone as kind and beautiful and brave as you are, could love me and would want to be with me. I’ve always felt tolerated by a most people and for a while, you did tolerate me.” She laughed softly, shaking her head. “I tolerated you too, barely. Then one day, for no reason I could understand back then, you kissed me and we fell in love. You keep showing me everyday that I deserve to be happy and I’ll keep showing you, if you somehow forget, forever.”
Rachel shook her head. “That’s gonna be hard to follow but, Shelby, go ahead.”
“Great, thanks,” Shelby muttered, wiping a tear from her eye. “I told you two years ago that you would hear the vows I would have said to you then today and luckily I remember what I was gonna say and they still hold true. Saying that I don’t know what I’d do without you is a cliché and also an understatement because I truly cannot imagine my life without you. You’ve given me so much joy and love that sometimes I’m overwhelmed by it. You’ve shown me a life I didn’t know I was capable of having. I love you so much, it’s difficult to put into words so I’m not even gonna try, I’m just gonna say that I love you. I love you today, I loved you yesterday, and I will keep loving you for the rest of this life and whatever comes after.”
“I love you,” Toni said softly, moving to kiss Shelby before Rachel cleared her throat.
“We’re not at that part yet,” she said quickly. “Alright, I guess we’re gonna make this part fast. Fatin, Martha, do you have the rings?” Martha handed Toni a ring as Fatin handed one to Shelby. “Toni, place your ring at the tip of Shelby’s finger.” She turned to Shelby as Toni positioned the ring. “Shelby, do you promise to take this ring as a symbol of Toni’s appreciation and love?”
“I do,” Shelby said, sniffling quickly as Toni slid the ring onto her finger.
“Shelby, your turn,” Rachel told her. “Place your ring at the tip of Toni’s finger.” She cleared her throat before looking at Toni. “And Toni, do you promise to take this ring as a symbol of Shelby’s appreciation and love?”
Toni nodded. “I do,” she said softly as Shelby put the ring onto her finger.
Rachel smiled at them. “Then by the power vested in me, by the state of Minnesota, I pronounce you, finally, officially, married. Both of you kiss the bride.”
Toni wrapped her arms tight around Shelby as she kissed her deeply.
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“Do you know where they are?” Shelby whispered to Toni as they both turned their back to throw their bouquets.
“Fatin’s at your 10 o’clock but be careful, Martha’s sister’s at your 12 and she’ll fight for it,” Toni told her.
Shelby nodded then counted backwards from three before they both threw their bouquets over their shoulder then turned to watch Fatin catch Shelby’s as Toni’s fell into Leah’s hands. Fatin glanced at Shelby, shaking her head before taking a few steps over to Leah and kissing her.