The crowd erupted into cheers, and Ava and I clapped loudly. “Aw, Marcus dipped Kallie down into a stage kiss. How cute!” Ava exclaimed.
“Yeah, astage kiss,” I said sarcastically. I knew what he was trying to pull.Just friendsmy ass.
“There you have it!” Alistair announced. “The true story of the prince and princess’s marriage. Though another year ofhardship would pass, it was on their wedding day a year later when they found their true happily ever after.”
Marcus took center stage again, and this time, his voice had turned serious. “Ava, Charlie, we cannot thank you enough for the joy your love has brought into our lives. You guys created a safe place at the Institute for each of us to make friends and find our forever family. Your love is bigger than just the two of you, because it’s influenced us all. It is because of you that all of us are here today.”
“Thank you for all the laughs, all the memories, and most importantly, our friendship,” Kallie added. “Congratulations to the not-so-newlyweds.”
The room burst into applause again. I found my throat tightening up, because after the comedy show they’d just put on, I hadn’t expected them to get so serious. I raised my glass and took a sip of wine, trying to hide my response.
Our friends returned to the head table, and Oberi came over to nudge her nose against my cheek.Your turn, Charlie!
“What are you talking about?” Ava asked. “It’s Charlie’s wedding. He doesn’t need to give a speech.”
“It isn’t a speech,” I told her gently. “I have something else planned.”
I got out of my chair as the servants rolled a grand piano to the center of the ballroom. The room quieted as I sat; everyone was curious what I was going to do.
I softly played a high C note three times, before launching into a C major arpeggio and then adding more complicated melodies in the lower register. It was soft at first, growing in intensity as I played the keys faster. The acoustics in the ballroom were beyond comparison, and my music twinkled like stars against the high ceiling. As I got into the song, I leaned forward, and my face hit a microphone I hadn’t realized had been set up there.
I got an idea. I didn’t even think about it. I just started singing, improvising the lyrics to my melody as I went. I never thought about adding music to this song— lyrics were Ava’s thing, and the piano was mine. But when I was there, lost in the moment, the words just spilled out of me. It was like they existed all along inside of me, and I didn’t know they needed to come out until now.
You were a light among the dark
When I didn’t even know that night had fallen
A beacon to my broken heart
Somehow I heard you calling
When the day broke
You were the sunrise
The cosmos rearranged
The morn’ you called my name
Call it fate; call it destiny
Say the ancestors led you to me
All I know is this is meant to be
Even gods can’t take you from me
I clung to the pigeon’s croon
And somehow made my way to you
We’ve been set free; now we can fly
This world is ours ‘til the day we die
We can tear it down or rise above
Because there’s nothing stronger than our love
