Work Text:
Nicole stood in front of the old desk, looking down at it for a moment as the rising sun glowed through the slits of the blinds. She’d been up most of the night, laying in bed beside her sleeping wife and the cat curled up near her feet. Once it was finally close enough to morning, she crept out of bed with a soft kiss to Waverly’s forehead and went downstairs into the spare room turned office-slash-storage.
Hearing the sounds of life starting upstairs, Nicole took a breath and opened the desk drawer. She grabbed the small lock box from inside with her left hand, her right one not having enough grip strength to do much for lifting the sturdy metal container. She made stride in recovering from the injury all those years ago, but the body had its limits and hers had been reached well before getting back to one hundred percent strength.
She set the box on the desktop and put in the lock code before opening the lid. It contained all their important documents and some items of sentimental value. Ignoring them all, she grabbed the small box tucked back in the corner. Holding it in her right hand, she cracked it open with her left, a sigh leaving her chest as she looked at the contents before closing it once more, sliding it into her robe pocket, and leaving the room.
As she was heading upstairs, she was nearly run over by Ellie’s friends who had stayed over with her daughter. Carly, Ellie’s oldest friend, and Andrea ran down the stairs, arms full of bags and a rolling suitcase.
Nicole had to press herself against the wall to stay out of the way of the stampede.
“Morning girls!” she said as they barreled by and out the door to load the cars.
“Hi Mrs. Haught!”
“Morning!”
She smiled and shook her head at them before heading upstairs. Sliding her hand into her pocket, she wrapped her fingers around the box and approached the open door of Ellie’s room.
She stood in the doorway for a moment, watching her daughter run around the room. Her heart swelled as she reconciled the little girl who had filled that very room with giggles and begged for bedtime stories with the woman in front of her.
Nicole swallowed the emotion threatening to lodge up in her throat and knocked on the open door. Ellie turned towards her while twisting her long auburn curls into a clip on top of her head.
“Hi, Bug,” Nicole said, feeling her voice whisper out.
Ellie grinned, tilting her head as she looked at her mother.
“That’s one I haven’t heard in a while,” she said, smiling an almost exact replica of Shae’s smile, “You feeling sentimental, Mama?”
Nicole shrugged and stepped into the room, “Can you blame me? My baby girl is getting married. It’s my job to get emotional and embarrassing, isn’t it?”
Ellie chuckled putting her phone down and crossing the room to wrap her mother in an embrace.
“Oh Mama,” she said as she hugged her, “Be careful, there’s a whole day of emotional embarrassment ahead of us. You don’t want to use it all now.”
Nicole laughed, wrapping her arms around her and giving her a squeeze, turning to inhale the scent of her hair.
“Mama,” Ellie laughed before stepping back, “Come on, I’m not disappearing or anything. I’ll still be around.”
“You’re right,” Nicole sniffed, “Sorry, I just, I’m so happy for you honey. I keep thinking about the little girl who carried a stuffed rabbit everywhere and needed help crossing off days on the calendar.”
Ellie smiled, “Well, if it makes you feel better the rabbit is safe and sound in the apartment and I still cross days off the calendar. I’m pretty much the same, just, you know, a little taller, a little wiser and plus I can drink now.”
The last part got a laugh out of Nicole, and she ducked her head to sniffle as she whispered, “Yeah.”
Sliding a hand into her pocket again, she cleared her throat and looked at her daughter once more.
“Listen, there’s something- “
Ellie’s phone rang from its spot on the mattress, interrupting Nicole’s words. Her daughter glanced towards it and then bit her lip as she looked to her mother.
“It’s David.”
“Go ahead,” Nicole loosened her hold on the box in her pocket and gave her a nod, “We’ll talk later.”
“Thanks, Mama,” Ellie planted a kiss on her cheek and then grabbed the phone, “Hi baby.”
Nicole started out of the room, pausing in the door once to watch her with a small smile. After a moment, she heard Waverly call for her and headed down the hall towards the master bedroom.
“There you are,” Waverly said happily, greeting her with a quick kiss on the lips as she crossed the room en route to getting ready, “I just talked to Wynonna, breakfast is picked up and she’ll meet us there. You want to get dressed now or are you planning to change there with me and the girls-Are you ok?”
She stopped her ramble of information when she noticed her wife’s face.
“Yeah,” Nicole answered, “Big day.”
“Oh honey, I know,” Waverly said, reaching up to wrap her arms around Nicole’s neck and hug her tightly, “Trust me, if I weren’t in planner mode, I’d be a mess right now.”
Nicole chuckled, pressing a kiss to her temple and rubbed her shoulder, “I’ll dress here. Who knows what last-minute errand might need to be run while everyone is getting ready.”
They shared another quick kiss and Waverly went about making sure everything was in order for them all to head over to the hotel.
Nicole changed into her suit, making sure to transfer the small box to the dress pants as soon as they were on. As she was fumbling with essentially one and a half hands to get her tie into the correct knot, Waverly reappeared and took the ends in her hands.
“Let me,” she offered, setting about tying it for her.
Nicole looked at her as she did it, watching the concentration on her face. She took in all the details of her concentrating face. Light wrinkles here and there, touches of grey hair sprouting randomly along her roots and spreading outward. Tales of time that had passed and the life lived together.
“You’re so beautiful,” Nicole found herself whispering, as the knot was set.
Waverly chuckled, “Please, I know what I look like right now.”
“Hey,” Nicole said, brushing her thumb against her cheek, “You’re as beautiful as the day I met you.”
Waverly smiled up at her, reaching up to run a hand through her hair. She wore it shorter these days, the red color getting lighter with each passing day.
“I love you so much, Nicole Haught,” she told her, “I’m so grateful for every minute of our life together,” she laid her hands on Nicole’s cheeks and smiled with tears forming in her eyes, “Thank you for loving me, and letting me love you. And thank you for our beautiful girl.”
Nicole leaned down and they shared a deep kiss until a knock on the door.
“Hey, we – oh, man!”
They parted and saw Ellie standing in the doorway.
“I made peace a long time ago that you guys are probably the horniest parents to ever parent,” Ellie said teasingly, “But we really need to head out now.”
“All right, all right,” Waverly laughed as they moved to follow her out the door. As they passed through the entrance, she continued, “You spend too much time with your Aunt, you know that?”
X
At the hotel, Nicole paced back and forth in front of the room the bridal party was dressing in. Checking her watch and praying that all the expected business of preparation would ebb enough to get her a moment with Ellie before the ceremony started.
She’d taken time to visit with the groom earlier to check on how he was feeling and if there was anything she needed to do on that end to ensure the day went off without issue. She had met David many times since he and Ellie had started dating. He was a good kid. Worked hard, had a sense of humor, and most importantly he loved her daughter. Really, she couldn’t ask for a better son-in-law.
She took a breath and stepped inside the room, eyes falling over the collective chaos of clothes, shoes, make-up and hair products.
“Hi girls,” she greeted, “You all look great. A picture of beauty.”
Nicole then stepped over to Waverly, resting her hand on her hip and leaning down for a quick, “Mm especially you.”
She looked to the party and cleared her throat.
“So, the coordinator says we have about ten minutes before we need to line up to start walking,” she announced, “Would you guys mind giving me a minute with the lady of the hour?”
Everyone agreed and the bridesmaids stepped out into the hall. Wavelry lingered for a moment, giving Nicole’s hand a squeeze before leaving mother and daughter alone.
Nicole walked over to Ellie, who was running her hands over her dress, fretting over herself in front of the full-length mirror.
“You look amazing, honey,” Nicole managed to speak.
“Do I?” she asked, nerves frying her words, “God, I sorta feel like a little kid playing dress up.”
Nicole took her hand, “You look perfect.”
Ellie turned towards her, revealing the moisture building in her eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
Ellie shook her head and fanned her face to try to save her make up.
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly, “I think it’s just finally hitting me that this is really happening.”
Nicole smiled, pulling out her handkerchief and handing it to her daughter.
“Well, it’s not too late to run away if you change your mind,” she teased to lighten the mood, “You’re only 23. There’s still a chance you’re gay.”
A surprised laugh busted from Ellie as she dabbed the cloth to the corner of her eyes.
“I hate to break it to you, Mama, but that ship sailed away a long time ago.”
Nicole gave a dramatic sigh before continuing to joke, “I guess I’m still just coming to terms with it. You know, one day everything is normal and the next day your kid tells you they’re straight and it rocks your whole world.”
Ellie gave her a small shove, “And you’re such a great ally.”
Nicole chuckled and cleared her throat again.
“Listen, I…I didn’t mean to do this so last minute, but” she cleared her throat again, “I want you to have this.”
She retrieved the box from her pocket and held it out for her to take. She watched Ellie take it with curiosity before opening it.
“Oh, Mama, it’s beautiful.”
“It was your mother’s,” she said, some tightness in her voice.
Ellie’s eyes shot up to hers in surprise, new tears already building.
“I know how much you wish she were here today. And while I believe, a thousand percent, that she is with us; I thought you should have a piece of her. She…” Nicole took a breath, “She loved you so much, and she would be so proud of the woman you are.”
“Mama,” she whispered shakily, dabbing her eyes again as she bit her lip to contain the emotion, “I…”
Nicole pressed her lips together and immediately pulled her in for a hug, careful not to hold too tight and wrinkle her dress.
“I know, baby,” she said to her before kissing her cheek, “I love you so much.”
“I love you too, Mama,” her words shuddered out, before pulling back to look at her, “Do you think…I don’t want Mom to think it means I don’t- “
“Hey,” Nicole said, knowing she was now talking about Waverly, who had been gifted the Mom label many years ago. Cupping a hand lightly around the back of her head, wary of messing up her hair, “Your mom knows how much you love her, and she loves you more than you could ever know. She is your mom, by all counts. No matter what, but she knows and respects everything about your mother’s memory. So please don’t worry about that.”
“Thank you,” she said, taking it out of the box and holding it to Nicole, “Will you put it on my necklace for me?”
“Of course,” Nicole agreed, stepping behind Ellie and unclasping the delicate gold chain to slip the ring onto it. Once she latched the necklace back together, she circled back in front of Ellie.
Ellie laid a hand against where it came to rest against her sternum, “How’s it look?”
“Perfect,” she said with a nostalgic smile, “You know this is the second time I’ve put that ring on a beautiful woman in a wedding dress.”
A knock came at the door before Waverly popped her head in, “It’s time.”
Nicole nodded, “We’re coming.”
Turning back to her daughter, ran her hands down her arms.
“Are you ready?”
Ellie nodded with a smile, feeling steadier and more confident now. Nicole smiled back at her.
“Let’s get you down that aisle,” she said before running a feather-light finger down the bridge of her nose, “Little Elliephant.”
X
The wedding ceremony of Eleanor Jane Haught and David Michael Donovan went by without a single hiccup. Everything was perfect and beautiful. Nicole kept an arm around Waverly as they both cried quiet tears.
During the reception, they watched the newlyweds dancing. The exact picture of happiness and love and hope for the future. It was all they could ever want for Ellie. Waverly set a hand on Nicole’s thigh to get her attention, feeling it instantly get covered with Nicole’s hand as their rings clinked together lightly.
“We did good, didn’t we?” Waverly asked, leaning her chin on her palm.
Nicole smiled back before leaning forward to touch their foreheads together, “We did great.”
The song changed and more couples took the floor.
Nicole kissed the tip of Waverly’s nose before scooting her chair back and standing up. She took off her suit jacket and draped it over the back of the chair before holding her good hand out to Waverly.
“Dance with me?”
Waverly smiled and set her hand in Nicole’s.
“Always.”
X
X
X