“Got it.”
The next few minutes are a blur, but the second I see Kira and Carla sit down, I step inside the communal tent. My eyes try to take in all the changes that Kira and Carla, along with a few others, have achieved in such a short amount of time. The tables have been pushed to the side and are lined with food, while all the chairs have been lined up in neat rows in the middle. Flowers line the walkway, with the focal point being the massive arch in the center of the room. Tears form in my eyes as I can literally feel the love in the air. This wedding is more than two peoplesimply entwining their lives together. It symbolizes what all of us have endured and overcome and the possibility of what the future holds.
My eyes glance around, and even though I tell myself I’m not looking for him, I know that’s a lie as I instantly spot BuK standing beside MeK. The dark purple vest he’s wearing only accentuates his pale pink skin. Once his eyes meet mine, they never leave, and I can’t help but grin back at him, as his smile and those dimples are contagious. Before I realize it, I find myself on the lower platform just behind where Lacie will be, and then I turn to face the crowd. The music shifts, and a gasp echoes all around when James and Lacie step into the room.
Lacie is a vision, and I do believe it’s a good thing James is holding her back, or she might have run up that aisle to get to MeK. His runes are dancing wildly across his chest, and they’re so bright everyone can see them through the light violet vest he’s wearing. The love in their eyes makes my heart skip a beat because in this moment, neither of them is seeing anyone else. MeK steps off the platform as if he’s going to approach her, and I see BuK reach out and grab his arm, but there’s no stopping him at this point. Lacie and James are about five feet from the stage when MeK grabs her by the hips, lifting her into the air and twirling her around in a circle. I can’t help it … the tears fly. Lacie looks like a fairytale princess being embraced by her one and only love.
Being loved like that, so consumed by another, is more than my weak mind can handle, and I sniff as my emotions get the best of me. Even though MeK messed up at first, he has certainly made it clear to her and everyone else how much he loves her ever since. And there is not a dry eye in the room now. Laughterbehind me has me looking back at Tyberius, who is overseeing the vows.
“MeK, my boy, don’t let her go now, pick her up here before she changes her mind.”
The laugher can be heard across the room as he does just that. When Tyberius points for MeK to put her down, he growls at his grandfather. The moment Lacie is in front of me, I wipe away the tears on my face quickly as I start straightening up her skirt while James pulls out her short train.
Stepping back out of the way, a tissue is handed to me. Slightly distracted, I take it and I’m shocked to see that the large gray hand attached to it is DaR’s right before he takes his seat next to Kira. When everyone else sits down, I nod gratefully to him. But before he can say anything back, Tyberius clears his throat, and the entire place instantly goes silent.
“Who gives this young lady away?”
James and Carla both stand up. “We do. She is the daughter of our hearts and we wish them a lifetime of love and happiness.”
Once again, the tears start and I see BuK look around MeK with a concerned look on his face, as I have never been one to cry.
I smile at him, motioning that I’m alright. The rest of the ceremony is a blur until Tyberius asks for the rings. And like he knew this was his only job, Kiki comes strolling up the aisle with the rings clipped onto his, new sparkling collar.
I hand my bouquet to Kira and step down, along with BuK, retrieving the rings for the next part of the ceremony, but before I can step back up, BuK whispers, “I lost my heart when you walked in.”
Rolling my eyes, I whisper back, “Sweet talker.” Stepping back up beside Lacie, I can’t help but giggle when Kiki comes with me instead of heading back down the aisle as he was supposed to, only to lie on the train of Lacie’s dress. Before I can move the ornery little thing, I hear whispers start and Raven comes walking up from the side where she’s been quietly laying, watching all of this. She grabs Kiki by the scruff of the neck and then proceeds to carry him over to where she had been previously. She releases Kiki, only for the baby Suet to instantly turn to head back toward Lacie. Raven reaches out with a large paw, pulling him back and trapping him within her massive legs. Everyone laughs when Kiki lays his head on one of Raven’s legs with a huff.
There is no way any other wedding celebration will ever be as memorable as this one, and my heart feels full as I watch them exchange their rings. Every time I look away from Lacie, BuK’s eyes are solely focused on me, and I wonder if he is paying attention at all.
When Tyberius says, ‘You may now kiss the bride’, MeK surprises all of us with his gentleness. I don’t know about everyone else, but I was expecting him to grab her, practically devouring her now that she’s his. Instead, the love in his eyes when he gently grasps her face with both hands and lowers his head to hers, has me looking away as I fight back these stupid tears once again.
Everyone cheers when they turn to face the crowd. Lacie’s eyes shine with the tears she’s also been holding back. Kiki slips away from Raven’s grasp only to playfully dart around their feet as they step away from the arch, weaving through the crowd.
I wait until they are a few steps ahead of me before joining BuK in the middle. He reaches over, wiping a stray tear from mycheek. “Why are you leaking? I thought their joining would make you happy?”
“I am happy, these are not sad tears … just emotional ones. Did you enjoy our human ceremony?”
“I did! Even in its simplicity, you could feel the sentiment behind the words, and once again, I got to see this giving of rings.”
We walk arm in arm behind Lacie and MeK, something that took me a few tries to teach him how to do properly. As they make their way to the back of the tent to greet everyone, several others move the tables around for the reception dinner and dance.
BuK never leaves my side even as we are bombarded with hugs, and I swear I hear him hiss when Owen tells me how beautiful I look. Even though I have flat sandals on, I’m glad to finally sit down. BuK is grabbing us both something to drink while I take a moment to look around at all the decorations. He had just set the glass down in front of me when I blurt out, “How in the world did you guys get that arch in here, and where did those flowers come from? I’ve never seen those before; the colors are very unique.”
“I was just as surprised as you are now when KyT asked me to help him weave those branches around the metal archway Ricky and Owen had made for the ceremony because they looked completely dead to me. There was no sign of life on them, just a bunch of long, stretchy limbs making a mess all over the place. Once it was done, it took three of us to put the arch in place because it was so heavy. I remember standing back, frowning as I looked up at it because it was so unappealing. KyT had a smirk on his face when he saw all our reactions. He walked up, put his hand on it, and I swear I watched it come to life. The limbs turned a pale purple-green mix, then like magic, the flowersbegan to form … one by one. I don’t know how long it took, but I didn’t look away until he removed his hand and stepped back. A few of the flowers have fallen off, but only for another to take its place. He said after the ceremony, he wants to take the arch outside and plant it permanently, possibly place some swings around it so that everyone can continue enjoying its beauty.”
“Did you know he could do that?”
“Nope, but it was impressive to watch. I haven’t had the chance to tell you, but the sparkles in your hair are quite attractive, as are the garments you are wearing. You outshone the suns when you appeared in the doorway of the tent.”
“You can thank Victoria for both of them. This set of combs are probably worth more money than my dad made in an entire year back on Earth.”
“Does the worth make the gift mean more?”
“No, I’ve never been that girl. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love nice things, but if I like something, I like it.” BuK nods at me, and like always, my words seem to take him a moment to process. At first, I thought he was a little slow, but as time has gone by, I’ve changed my mind. I realize my words are odd to him, and it takes him a moment to process and think them through. I often forget that we are from two completely different worlds.
Suddenly, music starts playing and I see Owen stand up, heading my way. BuK still seems to be deep in thought, so when Owen approaches the table, I motion for him to sit down. Instead, he holds out his hand, “You wanna dance, Briar?”
Before I can reply, BuK is on his feet, pulling me up gently beside him. “Her dances are taken Owen but thank you for inquiring.”I don’t even have time to respond before we are standing in the middle of the floor with everyone watching.
