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After the ceremony, we took family pictures, and although he protested, I pulled Jude in with us. “For my collection,” I said.
“You sure? I’m going to be in Nina’s wedding pictures until the end of time,” he said.
“Are you going anywhere?” I asked.
He held my eyes with his, arm wrapping around my waist. “Nope. Never.”
The photographer even took pictures of just Jude and me. Jude leaned down, whispering in my ear, “That dress is really fucking hideous. What did you ever do to Nina?”
I laughed, wide-mouthed and red-cheeked, while the photographer snapped our pictures.
We wandered off together, finding a drink and a shady spot in the garden while Nina and Lydia took pictures on their own.
“You feeling better?” he asked.
“Yes. Still a twinge of weirdness, but not barf-y.”
“Ah. Glad you’re not barf-y.” He ran his knuckles along my cheek. “It was a beautiful ceremony. I’m happy I got to witness it.”
I leaned into his hand, closing my eyes. “Me too.”
His hands smoothed down my shoulders, then up again to cup my neck. He dipped his head to catch my eye, but he already had it. Seemed I was always looking at him.
“I was looking at rings back then,” he said.
My heart stuttered. I hadn’t been expecting that.
“It wouldn’t have been right then,” I replied.
“Is it right now?”
I hesitated, and his thumbs brushed my jaw. “We’ve only been back together a few weeks.”
“Not what I asked, Stripes.”
Sucking up my courage, I told him what he wanted to hear, and more importantly, what I wanted to say. “It’s right.”
“Glad you think so. I’m not going to steal Nina’s thunder. But when we get home, I’m going to be slipping a ring on your finger. We’ll talk about a timeline for our wedding, but I don’t think I can wait too long to tie you up in a knot.”
“I don’t think that’s how the saying goes.” I grinned while my stomach did some crazy dips and rolls, like we’d just crested a massive hill, and for a second, gravity didn’t touch us.
“I know, but that’s how we roll. Little bit off script, but it works for us.”
The wedding day turned to wedding night. Lights strung from the trees in the garden, transforming it into a party space. Guests flowed inside and out, ordering cocktails in the gallery, then dancing amongst the roses outside.
Jude and I stayed close, stitched together by the conversation we’d had and decisions we’d made. I wanted to find a dark corner to seal our promises with more than kisses, but I was still on maid of honor duty, not to mention, I’d probably send my father to an early grave if I disappeared at my cousin’s wedding.
So, we held hands. Made eyes at each other. Whispered words like “fiancé” and “betrothed.” And danced. We danced fast and slow. Swung nieces and nephews in dizzying circles. Swayed together to all the love songs. Smiled under the New York stars.
After dinner, the toasts began. I’d been working on mine all my life, waiting for this moment to tell everyone how much I loved my Nina.
Jude sat beside me as I stood with my notes in hand, eyes on Nina and Lydia.
I cleared my throat and began. “To those who don’t know me yet, I’m Tali, Nina’s cousin-slash-soul-sister. We’ve been friends since we were babies, and grew up listening to music in my bedroom, dreaming about the day we’d get to go to our first concert. We shared absolutely everything, even went to college together and met our first loves at the same time.”
For a second, my eyes burned and tears threatened, but Jude’s warm hand on the back of my leg steadied me. “My Nina and I also suffered our first heartbreaks together. We let the break beat us for a while, but Nina recovered first. She got on with life,livedher life, figured out who she was and what she wanted. When she met Lydia, neither of us were sure. That first heartbreak….” I shook my head, “it shaped both of us.”
Jude squeezed my leg, encouraging me to keep going. To get to the good part.
