Published: 10 Sep 2026
Chapter 46 – The Wedding
When we woke up the next morning, we went downstairs to have breakfast with our parents.
“Here’s the happy couple,” Ma said as we walked into the living room. “Are you ready to tie the knot?”
“Yes. It’s something we always wanted,” I replied.
“And it will fulfill a dream both of us have had for a long time,’ Devin added.
“I’ll go fix you two some breakfast and it will be ready in a few minutes,” Mom stated.
After we finished the wonderful breakfast she prepared, Devin and I offered to do the dishes, so our moms would be able to start getting ready. They argued with us about doing that, but we insisted, because we knew it would take them longer to get ready, so this would give them a head start. We wanted to be at the church by 11:00, because we felt the first guest would start arriving there by 11:30, since the service was to begin at noon.
As soon as we finished up with the dishes, we went upstairs to shower and change. We had to wait a little longer in my room for Ma and Pa to finish in the bathroom, and when we heard them go back to the guest room, we went to take our shower.
When we were done in the bathroom, we went back to my room to put on our matching suits. We decided to wear our lavender ties and use the lavender pocket squares with our gray pinstriped suits. When we finished getting dressed, we headed down to the living room to wait for the others.
When our dads came downstairs, we discovered that they had agreed to wear their blue suits, which contrasted nicely with our suits. When our moms eventually came downstairs, they were both wearing tea-length dresses, although they weren’t the same style and were slightly different shades of blue. Ma’s dress was an embroidered top and crew neck in ice blue, while Mom wore a jacket in capri blue over a sky blue A-line dress, but they were both very lovely. They also wore the silver chain with the heart locket we’d given them the night before, along with their other jewelry.
We didn’t notice it at first, but our dads were also using the tie clasp that we’d given them at the rehearsal dinner. Now that we were all ready, I asked Dad and Pa a question before we went outside.
“Do both of you have our wedding bands?”
“Yes, I’ve got the ring you’ll be placing on Devin’s finger,” Dad responded.
“And I’ve got the ring Devin will be putting on your finger,” Pa added.
“Good, then we can go.”
When we arrived at the church, Pastor Norman greeted us warmly and shook each of our hands. He was still wearing his pastoral collar and dark shirt, but over it he was wearing a white robe, which we learned was called a white alb. He also had a gold stole around his neck, which had a white cross, and below it there were two olive branches forming a wide V. There was a white dove perched on the upper end of each olive branch with their wings lifted as if ready for flight and their heads were slightly below the end of each arm of the cross. All-in-all, his appearance was very impressive.
“Any pre-nuptial nerves this morning?” he asked Devin and me as he glanced between us.
“Maybe a little, but what I feel most is excited,” I replied.
“It’s the same for me, along with a slight feeling of relief that it’s almost over.”
“Then I’m blessed that you chose me and this church to hold your wedding ceremony.”
He then directed all of us to wait in the room off to one side of the vestibule until the ceremony was set to begin, but before we did that, Lonny, Clint, and Daniel arrived. As we said hello to them, we were surprised to discover that they were all wearing blue suits as well, and they all looked very handsome. Lonny also showed us that he was wearing the tie clasp we’d given him, and then Clint and Daniel eagerly exposed their left wrists so we could see they were wearing their silver bracelets.
“Don’t worry, we know what to do,” Daniel stated.
“Yeah, we’re going do the same thing as a maître d at the restaurant, when he led us to our table.”
“Very well put, and I’m glad you agreed to be our ushers.”
Before long, our guests began to arrive. There was a peep hole in the door that we used to take turns looking out to see who was arriving. By noon, everyone had showed up and were in their seats, and that’s when we heard the first notes of Pachelbel’s Canon in D fill the air.
Just as they’d practiced the night before, Dad left the room first and began walking slowly down the aisle, moving toward the altar. When he got halfway there, Pa began his journey down the aisle, then Lonny, following the same routine, and then Clint and Daniel.
Once they were all in their positions, we heard the first chords of Debussy’s Clair de Lune, and that was our cue to do the same as the others. Mom and I stepped into the vestibule and started our slow-walk down the aisle, arm-in-arm. As soon as we were in place, Devin and Ma did the same thing, Once we were all in our places, Pastor Norman told the guests to be seated.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join these two men in holy wedlock, a sacred union in the eyes of God. Let us begin with a brief reading from 1 Corinthians 13, verses four through seven.
“4 Love is patient,
love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil,
but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
May God bless the reading of His Word.
“The institution of marriage is not to be entered lightly, and after talking to both Michael and Devin, I am convinced that their love is deep and pure. So let us bow our heads in prayer.
“Eternal God, we give you thanks for all the ways you fill our lives with love, and especially for the love you have given to Michael and Devin. Bless them in their new life together, that their love for one another may deepen and their trust in you may grow. Give them wisdom in their common life and nurture in them the gift of your grace. Amen.
“Before we continue with the Declaration of Intent, I believe Michael and Devin have each written something they wish to share. Michael, I believe you have agreed to go first.”
I turned and looked directly at Devin’s face before I began. “Devin, we became friends when we met on the first day of kindergarten and our friendship only grew and out shown the friendships we’d made with others throughout elementary school. We were best friends, but before we entered middle school you moved away with your parents. I was devastated and refused to have anything to do with my other friends. I only wanted you.
“Then you reentered my life after we both graduated from high school and we discovered that we were both going to attend Colorado State University in the fall. We even found a way to become roommates, first in a dorm and then we spent the next three years living together off campus. And during that time, I have grown to not only love you more, I never wanted to be separated from you again. I love you with every beat of my heart and want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Since we were both very emotional and choking up at this point, Pastor Norman gave us a few moments to regain our composure before he asked Devin to begin.
Devin looked directly into my eyes as he started to speak. “I don’t know if I can improve on what you have just said, Michael, but I will do my best. I have loved you for as long as I can remember, and as you pointed out, we were inseparable once we started school. But our friendship was never confined to school. We lived next door to each other, were always at each other’s house, and even spent most weekends and holidays together, at one house or the other.
“I always thought of you as my best friend, but after we moved away, I realized that what we had was much more than just friendship. We shared a deep love for each other, and it was a love that only grew stronger while we were apart. That’s why I came to see you as soon as I could, right after I graduated from high school, and I even made sure that we’d attend the same college together. Like you, I never want to be separated from you again. I love you with all my heart and soul and want to be by your side forever.”
“I’m sorry,” Pastor Norman said after a brief delay, “but I’m even choking up due to your eloquent expression of your love for each other. It almost seems unnecessary for the Declaration of intent, but we must proceed with it, just the same.
“Michael, do you take Devin to be your lawfully wedded husband for as long as you both shall live?”
“I most certainly do!”
“And Devin, do you take Michael to be your lawfully wedded husband for as long as you both shall live?”
“I absolutely do!”
“Do all of you witnessing these vows promise to uphold Michael and Devin in their marriage and encourage them in their life together?”
“We will.”
“Then I will now read from the Holy Bible, the book of John, chapter 15, verses nine through twelve. 9 As the Father has loved me,
so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments,
you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
12 My commandment is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
May God bless the reading of His Word.
“Michael, please repeat after me,” and then he divided it into segments so I wouldn’t have to repeat it all from memory. “Devin, you are my beloved, and I promise, before God and these witnesses, to be loving and faithful to you in plenty and in want; in joy and in sorrow; in sickness and in health; as long as we both shall live.”
When I finished, he turned toward Devin. “Devin, it is now your turn to repeat after me. Michael, you are my beloved, and I promise, before God and these witnesses, to be loving and faithful to you in plenty and in want; in joy and in sorrow; in sickness and in health; as long as we both shall live.”
“Who has the wedding rings?”
“We do,” Dad and Pa proclaimed as they held them up.
“Then Michael, you shall go first.” After taking the ring from Dad, I was ready, I repeated what Pastor Norman said. “Devin, I give you this ring as a sign of our unending love and abiding trust.” And then I slipped the ring on the ring finger of his left hand.
Once I had done that, Pastor Norman continued. “Devin, it is now your turn to repeat after me. Michael, I give you this ring as a sign of our unending love and abiding trust.” And then Devin slipped the ring he was holding onto the ring finger of my left hand. I was also wearing the engagement ring he had given me on my middle finger.
“Now, will all of you say the Lord’s Prayer with me. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
“I now declare you married, and what God has joined together, let no one separate. Now go forth into the world in peace. May I please introduce to all of you gathered here today this happy couple for the first time. And since Devin has agreed to change his last name, rather than hyphenate them, which would be quite long, please welcome Michael and Devin MacPherson.”
After our family and friends finished clapping, Pastor Norman offered a final benediction. “Eternal God, please bless Michael and Devin’s marriage and protect everyone as they head to the reception and later to their homes. Amen.”
Devin and I then walked back down the aisle, arm-in-arm, and the rest of the wedding party followed us. First, Mom and Dad started down the aisle after we were halfway to the vestibule, followed by Ma and Pa, then Lonny, Clint, and Daniel. However, this time when we entered the vestibule, we reentered the same room we were in before the ceremony began and the others all did the same. When all of our relatives and guests had gone outside, we returned to stand in front of the altar for the photographer to take multiple photos.
The videographer had been filming the entire ceremony and was filming this as well. The photographer started by taking photos of Devin and me alone, and then with each set of parents. After that, he took photos of us with both sets of parents, and finally with the entire wedding party. Once each of the photos had been taken, Devin and I asked the photographer to take a photo of Devin and me with Pastor Norman and his wife.
“Thank you. I don’t think I and my wife have ever been included in the wedding photos before.”
“Maybe not, but I want to always be able to remember the wonderful couple who were so important to us on our special day, and I’ll make certain to give you a copy.”
“Thank you, and now we have to go to my office so you can sign your marriage license.”
Once Devin and I had affixed our signatures to the wedding license, Pastor Norman signed his name and his wife signed as the witness.
“I shall take this to be recorded on Monday,” Pastor Norman stated. “And Devin, you should be able to get a copy of it the following week, because you’ll need it to change your name.”
“Thank you, Pastor Norman, because I wasn’t sure what I needed to do to change my surname.”
I also handed Pastor Norman another envelope. “This one is our donation to your church.”
“Thank you. That is very generous of you.”
“You and Mrs. Stewart are planning on joining us at the reception, right?”
“Yes, we will join you shortly and spend at least part of the time participating in your celebration.”
Now that the wedding license had been signed, we walked down the aisle to the vestibule again and headed outside to be greeted by our relatives and friends. We were greeted by a barrage of bubbles as we walked out of the church and made our way to the BMW that Lonny had rented to drive here. Devin and I got in the backseat, and Lonny got behind the wheel to drive us to our next destination. Clint and Lonny were riding in the SUV with our parents.
Before heading to the Shamrock Family Restaurant, though, we had one more stop to make first. Lonny drove us to a local park, where we met up with our entire wedding party, the photographer and the videographer. We’d requested this so we could have photos of us in the gazebo, which was near a small stream that had an arch bridge crossing over it. We had photos taken of both of us in the gazebo, another in front of the gazebo, one of us standing near the stream with the arch bridge in the background. Finally, we had one taken of us with the entire wedding party on the arch bridge, and then we drove over to the reception.
When we arrived there, Gramps and Pops were waiting outside to greet us and Gramps also gave us some instructions.
“You two and your wedding party are to wait here so the photographer and videographer have time to get set up, and then my dad will let you know when you can come in. You and Devin will enter first and the DJ will introduce you as you enter and walk to the head table. You will be followed by your parents, then Devin’s parents, and then your ushers, one at a time. I’ll be standing next to the DJ and advising him of each of your names as you enter.”
When they were set up inside, Pops opened the door for us to enter. As we walked through the door, the DJ made the following announcement: “Will everyone please stand and welcome the happy couple, Michael and Devin MacPherson.”
As everyone applauded, we made our way to the head table and stood behind our seats. The head table was located on one side of the room, with the platform for the DJ and the area designated as the dance floor behind it. In front of us were smaller tables for our guests, and along the back wall we could see the buffet table where the employees were putting the final items in place. I also noticed a smaller table at the end of the banquet table with a fancy looking three-tier cake with two male figures on top with Wedding Bells on either side of them.
My parents entered next to a similar greeting, followed by Ma and Pa, our three ushers, and then Pastor Norm and Mrs. Stewart. With the wedding party assembled at the head table, we all took our seats, and Clint made a comment.
“Nobody’s ever announced my name when I walked into a room before. That was really neat and I felt like a celebrity.”
“That’s because you were an important cog in our special day. You all performed wonderfully and made our wedding perfect!”
Now that everyone was seated and the employees had put the last of the food on the buffet table, the DJ announced that Devin and I would go first, followed by my parents, Devin’s parents, our ushers, and Pastor Norman and Mrs. Stewart. After the wedding party had returned to the head table, one of the employees directed one table at a table at a time to go next.
The buffet line moved quickly and the meal proved to be more than adequate, very tasty, and quite filling. After the last of our guests were served and we’d all eaten, the staff removed the clutter from each of the tables, and then the DJ made his next announcement.
“It’s now time for the newlyweds to please step onto the dance floor, I’ll play a special song for their first dance together as Michael and Devin MacPherson.”
As soon as we were standing in the middle of the dance floor, the DJ played I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston and we began to dance. When the song ended, the DJ made his next announcement.
“If the mothers will please join their sons, I will begin the song for their dance with the grooms. When we were all in position, the DJ played A Song for Mama by Boyz II Men. If you don’t know that song, you should probably look it up online.
When that song ended, the DJ said, “Now I need these couples to switch partners, because the next dance is for the grooms and their new mother-in-law. As soon as we were ready, this time he played I’ll Stand By You by the Pretenders.
As that song ended, the DJ smirked as he made his next comment. “I’m sorry Dads, but there’s no brides her today, so would you like to dance with the grooms?” Dad and Pa each waved off that it wasn’t necessary. “In that case, this song is for the two sets of parents.” And this time the DJ played You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban. Devin and I talked as they were dancing and we agreed that each of the songs the DJ had chosen were perfect for each instance.
When that song ended, the DJ said, “Now it’s time for everyone to get up and dance, and if you have a certain song you’d like me to play, please let me know. I have a wide variety of songs available, from the 1940s to the present.”
This time he played It’s a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong, so Devin and I got up to dance again, as did our parents and many of the other guests. I also noticed that Clint and Daniel had plucked up the courage to join us on the dance floor, which we were happy to see.
There were a couple more slow songs after that, and then he played several faster numbers. During that time, our dads felt they’d danced enough, so Lonny took turns dancing with our moms. Eventually, the DJ made another announcement.
“Ok, I’ve just had another request, but in addition to the song, they’ve also requested that this is for the newlyweds to dance to.”
Devin and I were surprised by this, but we got up and walked out on the dance floor, and this time Someone to Watch Over Me by an unknown singer began to play. We weren’t sure who had requested this and thought it was meant for Devin and I to watch over each other, but when the song ended, my mom explained something to us.
“I don’t know if you noticed it, but the lyrics were slightly different from the original version written and sung by Ella Fitzgerald.” The lyrics we heard went like this.
There’s a somebody I’m longing to seeI hope that he turns out to beSomeone who’ll watch over meI’m a little lamb who’s lost in the woodI know I could always be goodTo one who’ll watch over meAlthough he may not be the guy Some may think of as handsome To my heart, he carries the key Won’t you tell him please to put on some speedFollow my lead, oh, how I needSomeone to watch over meWon’t you tell him please to put on some speedFollow my lead, oh, how I needSomeone to watch over me
When we returned to the head table, we heard Ma saying something to Daniel. “You requested that, didn’t you?” she asked, but Daniel didn’t answer. “Don’t deny it, because I saw you talking to the DJ and then you handed him something. What you did was beautiful, but what made you choose that song?”
Daniel blushed as he answered. “I heard it on a television commercial for the World Wildlife Fund and I thought it was perfect.”
“Why did you think that?”
“It’s because Michael and Devin were always watching over me and Clint while we were on vacation. Clint also told me that Michael did the same thing on a previous vacation and when you went to a New Year’s Eve celebration together.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet!”
“But who sang that song,” I followed, “because I didn’t recognize the voice?”
“It was a friend of mine from the Gay-Straight Alliance. After I told him about what I wanted to do, I asked if he’d ever heard that song before. He said he’d heard the commercial on TV and offered to help. After he did some research, he found a copy of an orchestral version of the song, along with others by various vocalists. He also found the lyrics for the original song, but didn’t think they were right for what I wanted.
“One of the vocal versions he found was by Frank Sinatra and the lyrics he sang were different from the original. My friend said he kind of combined the lyrics from the two versions, but he still didn’t think were quite right, so he made some of his own minor changes. Then he offered to make a recording for me using the orchestral version and he’d sing the lyrics. I thought it turned out great and was glad he’d done this for me.”
“He has a lovely voice,” Ma added, “and the lyrics were perfect for what you wanted.”
“Yes, he has an awesome voice and was always chosen to sing a solo in every concert at school since he was in fourth grade. He’s a really great guy.”
“It was a very nice of him to do that for you,’ Mom added. “It was also a beautiful gesture on your part to do that for Michael and Devin’s wedding,”
“Yeah, thanks bro, that was really special,” Devin followed.
“And thank your friend for us too. He has a marvelous singing voice and we appreciate that he did that for you.”
“I’ll tell him that you both loved it.”
Devin and I now made our way around to the various tables to chat with each of our guests. We stopped at the table with Gramps, Faith, Pops, and Hope first.
“Congratulations,” they all said when we got there.
“Thank you, and thank you for coming,” Devin replied. “I hope you’re having an enjoyable time.”
“We’re having a terrific time,” Pops replied.
“Yes, and we had a great meal,” Hope added.
“And the music is wonderful,” Faith continued. “I haven’t danced this much since the New Year’s Eve party we all attended,”
“And I loved the song your usher had the DJ play,” Gramps stated.
“I’m glad you’re all enjoying yourself,” I said before we moved on to the next table.
“Before you leave, I just want to make one more comment,” Pops announced. “You’re going to find out about this soon enough when you read the Wedding card we placed in the box, but I want to explain a few things first. I have a friend who owns a car dealership, and the four of us, along with Devin’s mom and dad, have all chipped in to buy you two a new Honda CR-V hybrid SUV. All you’ll have to do is go to his dealership, present the receipt inside the envelope from us, and choose the color that you want.”
“But that would cost you guys too much money,” I responded
“Don’t worry, because my friend gave me a great deal on it. We decided on getting it for you because we were worried that Devin’s SUV was getting old and had a great many miles on it. We were afraid it was going to break down on you while you were job hunting and you might miss a chance for a good job, or it might cause you to get in an accident.”
“Thank you, all of you,” Devin said, “but Mac is correct. You all spent too much money on it, and Mom and Dad are helping to pay for the wedding and reception.”
“The four of us have agreed to chip in on that as well,” Gramps responded, “so we’re paying a third of everything and your parents are each paying a third as well.”
“Wow, thank you,” I responded. “That was not only very kind of you, but very generous as well.”
“We wanted to do all we could for our two wonderful grandsons.”
“And I just wanted to explain it to you before you opened our card.”
After we left their table, we went to speak with Grandma and Grandpa MacPherson next. “Thank you for coming all this way from Florida to attend our wedding,” I began.
“We wouldn’t have missed it for anything,” Grandpa replied. “It was a very nice service and this is a wonderful reception.”
“And something your grandfather forgot to say is that we wouldn’t have missed the wedding of our first grandchild,” Grandma added. “And Devin’s been like family as well. I’m just sorry that your other grandparents couldn’t be here.”
“Me too, but Mom says they’re not doing very well. We’re going to have the videographer make another copy of the video for them, so they get to see the wedding ceremony and reception since they couldn’t be here.”
“Could you get a copy of the video for us too?” Grandma asked. “We’re even willing to pay for it, because it will be a lovely keepsake to have.”
“Sure, I’ll make sure to tell the videographer that we’ll need one more copy of the DVD he produces.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. And Aunt Linda, Uncle Ted, Ben, and Katy, I want to thank you for coming as well.” They were all sitting together at a table for six.
“It was too important for us not to come,” Aunt Linda said. “And you both looked very handsome,”
“Yes, you’ve always been very special to us,” Uncle Ted stated, “and Katy and Ben wanted to come as well.”
“Yeah, we did,” Katy concurred. “I think it’s neat that two guys can get married. We just don’t hear about them very often where we live in Florida.”
“And I’m sorry that we never got together for another vacation together,” Ben followed. “It just seemed that Katy and I always had something going on and we couldn’t find a time to do it.”
“Did you get accepted to the college you were telling us about when we were at Disney World?” Davin asked.
“Yes, and I’ll be a sophomore in the fall.”
“Wow, that’s right. You were going to be a senior in high school after the vacation, and now you’re going to enter your second year of college,” I responded.
“Yep, and Mom and Dad are still having trouble getting used to it.”
“What your GPA for the first year?” Devin followed.
“It was 3.4, but Mom and Dad say I can do better.”
“First year is always rough, because it’s a big jump from high school to college,”
“You boys graduated this year, so how did you do?” Aunt Linda asked.
“We both graduated Magna Cum Laude, but neither of us was valedictorian or salutatorian.”
“You still did very well for yourselves. Congratulations and it sounds like you should be able to get a pretty good job.”
“We certainly hope so,” I replied. “And I hope we can plan a joint vacation next year or the year after, although our window might be much tighter, because I don’t know how much vacation time we’ll get at our new jobs.”
“We’ll do our best to make it happen and we’ll keep in touch with your parents to learn how things are working out for you boys.”
We said we’d keep in touch too, and then moved on to the table with the Fitzpatricks. “We want to thank all of you for coming today,” I began.
“It’s all your dad has talked about at work and I promised we’d be here,” Liam responded.
“And now I’m worried about when these two might be doing the same thing soon,” Brenda continued. “They both have serious girlfriends.”
“If they’re smart they’ll wait until they’ve got a good job and are fairly established first,” Devin countered. “We were planning to do that, but since it looked like we might get jobs in Texas or California, we thought it would be easier on our families and friends if we did this first.”
“That was very thoughtful of you.”
“Nah, because we’ve always knew that we’d be getting married,” I countered. “It was just a matter of when, so this wasn’t a big deal.”
“Then we’ve got to have a cookout and a pool party at our house again,” Rory stated.
“Yeah, maybe even a couple of them, because we haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Are you going to bring your girlfriends so we can meet them?” Devin asked.
“Maybe, but it might be better if it was just our families?” Rory countered.
“And we want to catch up on how you’ve been doing,” Jaxon added, Devin and I knew that was a code word meaning that they wanted to have sex with us, even though they both had girlfriends.
From there we moved on to a table with Preston Armstrong and Jason Fawcett, Andy Mullaly, and Hunter Aguero, our friends from the football games.
“We’re glad to see you all decided to sit together,” I said.
“These friends of yours asked us to join them,” Preston answered, “and let me introduce you to my date, Gloria Swartout. She’s a professor in the sociology department at CSU.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Devin and I both stated. “And I’m surprised you all fit around this table,” I added,
“It was a bit of a squeeze, but your three friends didn’t want my date and I to sit at a table alone.”
“And it was a lovely wedding ceremony and a wonderful reception,” Gloria said. “I’m glad Preston asked me to join him today.”
“And Jason, Andy, and Hunter’s manners must have improved since we graduated,” I teased.
“Hey, we always tried to be thoughtful, but sometimes we just got sidetracked,” Jason responded.
“Michael and I are glad that the three of you were able to attend and that you were actually able to get dates.”
“Whoa, that’s low blow number two, but we’ll forgive you, since it’s your wedding day.”
“You know we’re only joking and we’re very glad to see you again. Now will you please introduce us to your dates.”
“This is Debbie Stevens,” Jason announced.
“And this is my date, Britannie DiNunzio,” Andy followed.
“And this is my date, Kayla Apker,” Hunter followed.
“It’s our pleasure to meet all three of you young ladies,” Devin responded.
“And we just have one question for you,” I added. “How did you ever agree to go out with these three losers in the first place?” And then Devin and I laughed.
“He looked so pitiful that I was unable to say ‘no’,” Kayla answered.
“And I couldn’t resist when he flashed me his puppy dog eyes,” Debbie added.
“I thought maybe he’d get an inspiration from being here at your wedding,” Britannie concluded, and then she giggled.
“It’s definitely a pleasure to have you join us and we hope you’ve all had a good time and these three goofball have asked you to dance a few times,” Devin stated.
“And that they were able to do it without hurting anyone,” I added.
“Yes, it’s been a lot of fun,” they all agreed. “And none of them drew blood with their flailing,” Kayla said.
At this point, Mom came over to inform Devin and me that it was time for us to cut the cake, so we moved in that direction. A moment later, the DJ told the others what was going to happen next, so they could gather around to watch.
“You can cut the cake and I’ll just place my hand on yours,” Devin said as we were waiting for everyone else to join us.
“Sure, that’s fine,” I concurred.
While we were waiting for everyone to gather around us, I spotted something that I hadn’t noticed before. There was another table nearby with presents on it and a separate white box with a slot in the lid and someone had written cards in lovely cursive on the front. I assumed it was my mom who’d done that, but I couldn’t linger on it for very long. We had a cake to cut so everyone could have a piece.
Mom quickly informed us that we only had to cut a small slice from the bottom tier to feed to each other and then she and Ma would take care of the rest. I thanked them for offering to do that for us and we made the first cut and removed the first piece.
Before they took over, Mom told me to cut it in half, and then I placed one piece in Devin’s mouth, and then he placed the other half in mine. We refused to smear it on each other’s faces, even though Jason, Andy, and Hunter were trying to egg us on. I guess it was payback for all the jokes we made about them.
As Mom and Ma were cutting the cake and passing it out, Devin and I went back to the head table. When we arrived there, Clint and Daniel approached us with a full slice. As we were eating it, Clint and Daniel returned to the head table as well.
“We’d like to dance with you, if you would be willing,” Daniel said before he sat down.
I quickly glanced at Devin and he nodded, so I responded. “Of course we’ll dance with you two. Just let me ask the DJ to play a couple of slow songs first. After I returned, the four of us walked onto the dance floor together and waited for the first song to begin.
“Daniel, would you mind if I danced with Michael first?” Clint asked.
“No, because we’re going to get a chance to dance with each of them.”
When the music finally started, we began dancing with our new partner. “You’ve improved,” I told Clint about halfway through the number.
“Yeah, I’ve been practicing with Daniel. He’s a really good dancer, like you.”
“You’re pretty good now yourself.”
“It’s because you taught me, and Devin’s mom and yours worked with me too. And Daniel’s been helping me get even better since we started dating.”
“I’m definitely enjoying this dance,” I admitted, and when the song ended I added, “thank you very much for asking me to dance.”
Before the next song started, we exchanged partners and got ready to dance with him. About a quarter of the way through the song, I spoke to Daniel. “Clint was right. You are a very good dancer.”
He blushed. “My mom taught me how to dance when I was younger and then I got a lot of practice dancing with the guys and girls at the Gay-Straight Alliance dances.”
“Well, you’ve gotten very good and Clint has gotten a lot better since he’s been dancing with you.”
“Thank you.”
“No, thank you for wanting to dance with us.”
It seemed as if everyone was dancing now, and after the song ended, the DJ asked a question. “What are we going to do now, because there’s no garter or bouquet to toss.”
There was a brief delay before Gloria got bold and shouted something out. “Have them toss their trousers instead.”
After hearing a few gasps and some giggles, I noticed that Preston was staring at his date with eyes that were nearly bulging out of their sockets. When she saw him, she burst out laughing, and then everyone else followed suit.
“Even though this is a gay wedding,” the DJ responded, “I guess it would still put on a good show for all of you ladies, with the exception of their mothers.” And his comment caused another round of laughter.
A little while later I had to use the restroom, and I was surprised when Preston came in there as well. Since he wasn’t using a urinal or toilet, I thought he might have followed me so he could apologize for Gloria’s comment earlier, but what he said troubled me instead.
“Back at that Greek Council Halloween contest when you and Devin participated as cheerleaders made me question if you both might be shifters. And then after chatting with your two younger ushers, the tales they told me about your vacation have made me question it again. After hearing how you and Devin saved them while whitewater rafting, and one said you lifted him with one arm like he weighed nothing. He also said another time you kept him from losing his paddle while still holding onto your own, and that you used his paddle to lift his body and put him back in the raft. Hearing those stories made start to wonder about that again.”
“He’s really exaggerating about what happened, although I might have gotten a little boost from an adrenaline surge.”
Preston hesitated momentarily, and I was nearly panicking when he continued.
“But then the other usher told me about the vacation he took with your family the year before.”
“Come on, you know how kids blow things up to make them sound better to their friends, and then they even begin to believe those exaggerated stories.”
“Possibly, but if you and Devin are shifters, I’d be delighted to learn more about your ability and how you came by it. This is a purely academic pursuit and I’d like to use the details with my students, but I’d never divulge your names or expose you in any way. Please trust me if my hunch is true, because it would help to add a little more authenticity to my lectures without mentioning any sources or stating exactly when this information was gathered. I can make it sound as if the information was disclosed decades or even centuries ago, but having the details would make it more believable for my students.”
I merely looked at him and spoke. “I already explained to you about the Halloween contest, and anything we did on our vacations were aided by an adrenaline rush and some tall tales, nothing else. I thought you would have realized that without me telling you this.”
“I knew it was always an option, but the facts as I saw them were telling me something different. I believe I’ve mentioned to you that I believe there are such things as shifters, and if I’m wrong about you and Devin, I apologize. However, if I’m right, I would hope that you’d trust me enough to share your stories.”
After saying that he left the men’s room, but I was nearly catatonic and couldn’t move. In fact, I was gone so long that Devin came to find me, and when he saw me he asked what was wrong. I could barely speak, but told him I’d fill him in at home. He made me splash cold water on my face, and then we went out to join everyone else.
A short time later, some of our guests started coming up to us to say goodbye. They would also wish us well, and eventually only our wedding party remained.
“I’ll see if the kitchen has a large cake box that we can put the rest of the cake in,” mom stated. “I’ll put the top tier in the freezer so you can have it on your first anniversary.”
“Why would you do that?” I asked.
“It’s tradition,” Ma answered, “and I’ll see if I can help her.”
“And we’ll carry your gifts out to the SUV,” Dad and Pa jointly offered.
“And we can help too,” Lonny, Clint, and Daniel offered.
“But let Michael or Devin carry the box with the slot for the wedding cards,” Dad advised them.
Everyone was busy doing those things, but I was only going through the motions. I was still deeply concerned about what Preston had said to me, so Devin carried the box marked ‘Cards’.
Once the SUV was loaded up, Lonny, Clint, and Daniel all gave us a hug, congratulated us once again, and said goodbye. After they left, we all got in the SUV and headed back to the house, and I knew I’d have to tell Devin about what Preston had said once we got up to my room.
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