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I tug at the uncomfortable bowtie around my neck. I’m not a fan of the tux, maybe it's the wolf coming out. Still, it's what Gabriella wants.
People and ghouls of all types begin filling up the folding chairs we set up around the carpeted staircase. We left the front door open as an aisle. The warm June night is studded with stars. It took quite a lot of negotiation to get Dylan to agree to open the home up with absolute proof I wouldn’t change. I actually had to show on a lunar calendar that we picked the night of the new moon. Zero chance of the other guy appearing!
When I could assure him that I wasn’t going to let the other guy on the furniture he agreed to our set date. Our guests stayed respectful. They mingled in the overgrown front yard. The sitting rooms and dining hall were closed off per our agreement. Which was fine, our ‘reception’ as Gabriella calls it, is waiting for us over at the park. She just really wanted an impressive backdrop for our vows.
Fred waves at me from the doorway. I excuse myself from some polite conversation. I am not really sure who the random dwarf knows here, but I am not going to begrudge someone a plus one.
Weddings, especially formal weddings are unusual in Curiosity. Most couples opt for the tomb ceremony and a party over at Chris’s bar. So when Gabriella wanted a mixed celebration, the town was intrigued about how we would pull it off.
Looking around the soft-lit foyer and the antique brass light fixtures, I feel like we melded traditions rather well. Mayor Wendell kindly covered his vipers with a makeshift turban. Gabriella asked him to keep the squirmy rascals under wraps for at least the ceremony. Seeing how he is the closest to an officiant in town we don’t want Gabriella’s family fainting before we even get to the rings.
I finally get over to Fred. He waits for me by the open door. My buddy looks awkward in his tux, but he seems to be having more fun with it than I am. “How are you not suffocating in these penguin suits?” I demand, only half seriously.
Fred smiles, the good-natured lopsided grin I know all too well. “Heck, I’m James Bond for the night man. I’m gonna live it up!” he insists. I laugh. Some of my nerves flutter away. “You ready to do this?” he asks.
I nod. “Yeah, I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.”
“Good because I don't know who would be madder if you got cold feet. Gabriella or Veronica.”
I know exactly what he means, Veronica appointed herself ‘Curiousity’s Culture Consultant,’ as soon as Gabriella mentioned our desire to mash things up. She involved herself in everything from the ordering of the non-anatomically correct heart-shaped cookies, to the massive hunt for dozens of Venus fly traps for table decor.
The cookies are part of Gabriella’s vision for the dessert table. The Venus Fly Traps were a compromise for puttingfreshroses on our wedding cake.So weird.
Fred watches members of Gabriella’s family finish their entrance. “I would never think to wear yellow to a wedding,” he mumbles to me.
“It’s a culture difference, buddy. By the way, do you have Gabriella’s ring?” I reply.
Fred nods and pulls his detached hand from inside his suit jacket. Gabriella’s dainty gold band is wedged on his pinky finger. I nod, happy to see at least it is somewhere safe. “Just do me a favor, make sure you put your hand back on before we exchange vows. I doubt many of these humans have seen a guy pull his hand out of a pocket without an arm attached,” I add.
“Don’t scare the bride’s family, got it.” Fred salutes me with his intact hand.
I go back to greeting our guests. I see wolves and other paranormals I haven’t seen in years. I try to alternate between friends and Gabriella’s family equally. Eventually, I greet my future in-laws. “Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Perez. You look so lovely tonight, Alma.”
Why she chose periwinkle I don’t know, but she obviously put a lot of effort into her appearance today. I shake Horacio’s hand. My future-in-law nods as he takes his seat near a sister or auntie of some sort. She mutters something about our decision to place spider webs along the staircase.
“This feels more like a funeral home.”
Horacio tells the older woman to keep her opinions to herself. I like my new family. I think we’ll build something really special together.
The big clock in the hallway chimes nine p.m. Another one of our compromises. Apparently, humans don’t consider midnight an appropriate time for a wedding. A choir of banshee children files onto the staircase. They sing a beautiful melody. I look at our guests. Many of my side of the aisle are singing along. Gabriella’s family is a mix of confusion and fascination. Your first banshee encounter is an emotional experience.
Soon the Mayor and I are standing at the bottom of the stairs. The choir changes from a pretty song to a song Gabriella calls ‘the Wedding March.’ I don’t think it is as melodic, but our human guests seem excited to hear it.
Gabriella fills the door with the beauty and mystery of a visiting specter. I begin to cry as the swirl of white begins its descent down the aisle. A few gasps pepper the crowd when guests realize Gabriella agreed to wear an apparition cloak. One of the few obscure details that made Veronica’s overbearing presence worth it this whole time.
Apparition cloaks are common formal wear for a ghost. But, they are hard to come by. Most ghosts guard such beautiful garments jealously. The fact Veronica managed to track one down is impressive.
Gabriella looks like she is wrapped in smoke and morning fog. Her white dress is yards and yards of fabric and lace. The bell shape swooshes with each step. Her hair is wound up in curls with a band of pearls across the top. The cloak dulls the gloss of her hair, but she looks ethereal.
The cloak trails behind her as I reach for her hand. Billy adjusts the train behind her, but I doubt the humans notice the invisible hands. We stand with the mayor on the staircase. The choir takes a seat on the stairs. They could fly off or disappear at any moment, but Gabriella insisted they stay visible the whole service.
“We are gathered here today, to join these two souls in holy matrimony. The road of eternity is long and complicated. However, these two have managed to find each other. Here in Curiosity, we have our own way of living. A way that says live and let live. Gabriel came to us as an outsider but within the last year or so she has found a place in our community. She is a cherished member of our town. We are grateful to share the wonder of our home with her and her extended family.
Now on to business, do you Chester Ronald Wilson take this—woman to be your lawfully married wife?” the mayor asks.
“I doooo-ow-ow-ooh!” The howl startles the humans and sends a few chuckles through the paranormal crowd. I immediately find Dylan in the crowd. “I swear he’s not coming out,” I insist.
“He better not,” Dylan grumbles.
