Mr. Wyman had been grinning like a zombie ever since.
Ben’s relatives were easier, since Jason had been around them plenty of times. The only trick was making sure they had enough seats. In addition to Ben’s parents and his perpetually sour sister, Ben had grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and more. The Bentley family easily filled up their side of the aisle. Only Tim’s side continued to be a ragtag bunch.
Allison sat there with her husband, perhaps because more space was available. She needed it now—or the baby that Allison cradled in her arms did, since a huge array of gear was required to keep the child happy. Tim’s grandmother sat next to them, making conversation. Jason caught a snippet as he walked past.
“He have beautiful skin. Like cinnamon! I take him back to Mexico with me, yes?”
Next to Nana sat her daughter and son-in-law—Tim’s parents—and behind them a row of empty chairs were reserved for Marcello and his guests, but he was too busy directing an army of topless waiters. And fretting over details Jason never would have considered. Like now, when Marcello was having a small table and chair set up on stage. Jason watched in puzzlement, feeling even more confused when a middle-aged man with graying hair went there and started arranging papers. When Marcello saw Jason coming, he met him halfway.
“Who’s he?” Jason asked, nodding at the man. “And why does the altar now look like a classroom for one?”
“The man is Adrien York,” Marcello said, “and he’s here to make all of this legal.”
“He’s a lawyer?” Jason asked. “But gay marriage isn’t legal in Texas.”
“No, but there are possible concessions. Adrien has been quite clever about this. He offers wedding packages to gay couples. During the ceremony, they sign papers that guarantee they will inherit each other’s estates, have power of attorney in medical emergencies, rights of visitation and that sort of thing. So while we gay Texans still can’t marry legally, Adrien has dug up every useful law to get us as close as possible. He actually came up with the idea when helping Ben and Jace some years back. Normally he doesn’t preside over such matters personally, but he and this family have some history together.”
“Okay,” Jason said. “I thought there would be a priest or something here instead.”
“What does a priest know about marriage?” Marcello asked. “Would you buy a car from a man who had never driven one? Lawyers see marriages begin, and they certainly see them end. In this particular case, our lawyer understands everything in between, because he is a married man himself.”
Marcello pointed to the black sheep side where an Asian man built like a stack of tanks was already weeping emotionally.
“In that case,” Jason said, “he seems qualified. As long as I don’t have to stand up there in front of everyone.”
Marcello’s attention focused elsewhere, eyes narrowing. “Why are those waiters unpacking the caviar from the ice? What are they going to do next, microwave it?”
Marcello stomped off to correct this gravest of errors, Jason turning his attention to the guests again. Greg was trying to get his two teenage sons to settle down and stop fighting, Michelle sitting next to them and ignoring the commotion with practiced patience. She patted an empty chair next to her, signifying she was saving it for him. He smiled in appreciation, but pointed at his watch. Emma had just arrived with her date and would probably sit with them. Of course there was still someone missing who Jason was seriously starting to stress about. Where was—
A flash went off, causing him to blink. Kelly walked over, a camera hanging around his neck. “Wait until you see your face. Stress City.”
“That’s because I thought you were going to be late,” Jason said, breathing a sigh of relief.
“It’s not a wedding without a photographer,” Kelly agreed. “I was late because William needed a ride. He still refuses to drive. The man knows how to fly a helicopter, but he won’t drive a car.”
Jason groaned. “I was supposed to pick him up!”
“Don’t worry about it. He knows you have way too much going on. That’s why we also went to pick up the cake.”
“Oh my god!” Jason cried, spinning around. William, along with a few of the waiters, was carrying the cake to an empty spot reserved for it. “How could I forget that?”
“Weddings are insane,” Kelly said. “When my time comes, I’m eloping. Or hopefully someone sweet like you will take care of the preparations. The lucky couple is going to be so happy you did all this.”
“You think so?”
Kelly glanced at his watch. “We’ll find out any minute. I better get into position.”
Jason thanked him, stomach burbling with nerves. He did one final check, ignoring the fact that Chinchilla was peeing next to their makeshift altar or that William was licking frosting off his finger that could only have come from one place. Then Caesar rushed into the backyard, clapping his hands.
That was the signal. Everyone hurried to take their seats, all but Jason, who went inside to greet them. He was supposed to be house-sitting and taking care of Chinchilla, and he had been, when not stressing about getting everything else ready. He waited by the front door, listening as the voices grew louder. Then he opened it and—
They were wearing tuxedos. Ben was dressed in white, hair freshly cut, face cleanly shaved. Tim looked stunning in black, his hair slicked back. Were those diamond cufflinks?
“Why are you dressed like that?” Jason stammered.
“We could ask the same of you,” Tim said with a grin. “How many people wear a suit while house-sitting?”
“The gray brings out your eyes,” Ben said. “You look very handsome. Will you be walking me down the aisle?”
“You know?” Jason said, not hiding his disappointment.
“You contacted everyone ever,” Tim said. “One of them was bound to snitch.”
“But we were still surprised,” Ben said. “And flattered. So are we allowed to come inside yet, or…”
“Of course,” Jason said, stepping out of their way and leading them through the house. “Who told you?”
“My lips are sealed,” Ben said. Then he caught sight of the backyard, all the people waiting there, and the many decorations which had transformed it into a wonderland. And he stopped.
For one split second, Jason thought they wouldn’t go through with it. But then Ben grabbed Tim’s hand, glanced over at him and grinned like an excited child. Tim matched his smile.
Breathing out in relief, Jason rushed to open the door for them. Then he grabbed his guitar that he had waiting there. As Ben and Tim walked down the aisle, Jason strolled a few paces behind, playing Wagner’s Bridal Chorus even though this wedding was between grooms. Ben and Tim might have known they were getting married, but they were both clearly surprised by many of the guests. They kept stopping, wanting to greet people they didn’t see every day. Jason kept them moving with the music, playing them all the way to the front, where Adrien was waiting. Then Jason quickly took his seat. Michelle patted his hand, while behind him, William massaged Jason’s shoulders.
He felt like crying already.
“I assume you know why you’re here,” Adrien said, causing the audience to laugh.
“Something about parking tickets?” Tim replied.
“Oh, it’s much more serious than that,” Adrien said. “We have all gathered here today to make your love legally binding. And to see two handsome men kiss. Before you do, I have some vows prepared for you—”
“Actually,” Ben said, “we came up with our own.”
“Oh!” Adrien said. “That’s great. Please, go ahead.”
Ben and Tim turned to face the crowd, both of them momentarily overwhelmed by everyone there. Ben spoke first.
“I’m not very good at speeches, and Tim was nervous too. We thought about using the traditional vows, but we’re not exactly a traditional couple. So what we decided to do was write each other letters.” Ben pulled a folded piece of paper from his suit jacket
. Tim did the same. “We haven’t read these to each other yet, but we’d like to now.”
“Do you want to go first?” Tim whispered.
Ben nodded, hand trembling. “To my knight in tarnished armor,” he began, causing murmured laughter. “You saved me. I was a lonely teenager, one who never believed he would find love. Even when we met, you were a hopeless fantasy. I took care of you on that couch in your parents’ house, pretending it all belonged to us. I liked imagining that you belonged to me and I belonged to you. I never would have guessed that all these years later, my dream would come true—that I wouldn’t have to pretend anymore. But first you saved me. Not just when I was a teenager who needed hope and love, but as an adult, when my world had come crashing down and I tried to content myself with being alone. Once again I never thought love would be possible for me. But you kept showing up in my life, kept reminding me of how the impossible can happen. Especially when we’re together. Being with you has been blissful, infuriating, beautiful, painful, everything I ever wanted and more. I wouldn’t trade a second of it for the world, because most of all, being with you has been love. I adore you, Tim Wyman, and I couldn’t be more proud to become your husband on this day. I love you.”
The audience applauded, many of them blowing their noses. Then Tim cleared his throat, flashed them a smile, and concentrated on his own letter. “To the one who nearly got away,” he said, voice shaking a little. “When you came into my life, I was bored with myself, bored with the world around me. I would look up at a sky filled with stars and wonder why something beautiful like that couldn’t be down here on earth. Then you came, this strange, proud little guy who was so defiant. What most people would consider a weakness, you made a strength, and I admired you for that. I was almost afraid to touch you, not just because of the obvious reasons, but because you were like one of those stars in the sky. I thought I would get burned, and I guess I did… but first I asked you to teach me how to fly. And you tried. You tugged on me and you pulled, trying to get me off the ground, and maybe for a moment we flew together, but it was only your strength carrying me. When I ruined everything, when you grew tired and flew away, I knew I had missed my chance. But I never forgot you. Over the years I tried to make your memory proud, and even though you weren’t there…” Tim shook his head, folded the letter and put it in his pocket. Then he took Ben’s hands. “When you say that I saved you, all I did was keep showing you what you taught me. Everything wonderful that’s happened, everything good about this life, it’s all because of you. You’re the most amazing man I’ve ever met, Benjamin Bentley, and I’m going to keep you safe, keep you company, and most of all, love you for the rest of our time together. I just hope it lasts even longer than those stars in the sky.”
Now there was some outright crying. Jason was having a hard time keeping it together, but he didn’t want tears in his eyes to prevent him from seeing what was happening. Adrien presented them with the rings, which they placed on each other’s fingers at the same time. Then Tim stepped forward, whispering something in Ben’s ear that caused him to smile, and for a moment they appeared so ageless and perfect. That was when they kissed. Jason decided it was the single most beautiful moment he’d ever witnessed.
Afterwards, Adrien had them sit one at a time and sign papers, Jason glad for the time to recover emotionally. And he liked the idea that each one of those signatures prepared them for the worst, would make any bad situation a little better by ensuring Ben and Tim could be together, no matter what. For the rest of their lives, they would be there for each other.
“Are you happy you met them?” Michelle asked from next to him.
“Yes!” Jason said, holding back another wave of tears. “I’m so glad I moved here.”
Michelle smiled. “Sometimes I wish they had been together when you were younger. If only I could have introduced them to you sooner. I feel like you belong with them. Is that crazy?”
Jason shook his head. “They’re the closest thing I’ve had to family since my mom died.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Michelle said. “I hope you’ll forgive me for telling Ben and Tim about today.”
Jason’s jaw dropped. “You told them? Why?”
Michelle’s eyes sparkled. “Because it was the perfect opportunity.”
“For what?” Jason asked.
Before he could get his answer, the voices around them died down as someone up front addressed them.
“I guess we were in a letter-writing mood,” Tim said, another piece of paper in hand. “Do you want to read this one?”
Ben nodded and took it from him. “To our future son,” he said. “There was a time when we felt like we had it all, when we thought we couldn’t be happier. Then you came into our lives. We saw ourselves in you, and we realized that while we didn’t need anything, we still had a lot to give. But we were wrong, because the more we got to know you, the more we realized that we did need you. Even being in love can be lonely, and you’ve brought so much light into our home.” Ben raised his eyes to seek out Jason. “And even though you’ve started your own life, we feel stronger just knowing you’re out there. We look forward to your every visit, and hearing about the adventures that you’ll go through.”
Ben glanced over at Tim, who continued for him. “When two people know they want to spend the rest of their lives together, marriage is only a formality. The wedding simply makes it official. Likewise, you already feel like family to us, Jason, but ceremonies are important, and we want the world to know—”
Ben stepped forward. “In my heart, you’re already my son. Why don’t you get up here and make it official!”
“Well?” Michelle said, addressing Jason. “Are you going to accept, or are you going to do something crazy like set the wedding cake on fire?”
Jason glanced over at her and laughed. Then he turned his attention back toward the front, where Ben and Tim were looking more than a little nervous. As if he would ever reject them! Jason stood, and as he walked to the front, everyone clapped. Adrien held out an arm, directing Jason to the chair. He took a seat and practically went cross-eyed at the legal document in front of him.
Adrien bent over to explain. “This simply states that you are not in a diminished capacity, and that you want to legally recognize Benjamin Bentley and Timothy Wyman as your guardians, in which case, you’ll be issued a new birth certificate with their names on it. You will also be entitled to all the benefits of a biological child, as well as answerable for any responsibilities as required by law. Unless you have any concerns—and I assure you that you have nothing to worry about with these two—then please sign here.”
Adrien backed away. At the bottom of the document were three names below empty spaces. Tim’s name was on the left, and he appeared next to Jason on that side and grabbed the pen. “This doesn’t mean you can borrow my car,” he said before signing. Then he ruffled Jason’s hair.
From Jason’s other side, Ben took the pen from Tim. “We know we’re putting you on the spot,” he said. “You don’t have to do this now. You can think about it, if you need to.”
Jason shook his head. Michelle was right. This was the perfect time. When people got married, they became family. That’s what this occasion was all about. Making family. Cementing bonds of love, be they romantic or otherwise. Jason snatched the pen from Ben and signed.
“Now it’s up to you,” he said, offering the pen back.
Ben smiled down at him, took the pen, and signed his name with a flourish.
“Wait!” Jason said. “This doesn’t mean we’re all going to be Wymans, does it?”
“It’s a perfectly good name!” Tim said defensively.
“Yeah, but not nearly as cool as Bentley.”
“There’s been enough paperwork for one day,” Ben said. “For now, we’ll all keep our names. Come, let’s tell everyone the good news.”
Jason stood, Ben taking hold of one hand, Tim taking the other. They led him to the front where everyone coul
d see him, then raised his arms up like a boxer who’d just won the championship fight.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Tim said. “May I present to you, our son, Jason Grant!”
Tim’s grandmother leapt from her seat. “My beautiful great-grandbaby!” she cried out before rushing the stage to hug him.
That was the cue for everyone else to stand and step forward. Jason was surrounded by happy faces, shook a multitude of hands, and kept hearing the word ‘congratulations.’ It meant the most coming from Michelle, and he said it right back to her.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“You said you’d find me a family one day. I didn’t make it easy for you, but you did it. Best caseworker ever!”
Michelle laughed and opened her arms to take him in.
* * * * *
By the time the moon had risen high into the sky, most of the guests had gone home, or at least back to their hotels. A few still remained. Marcello was slow dancing with Tim’s grandmother, each keeping a hand free so they could hold and occasionally guzzle a glass of champagne. They seemed to be engaged in the friendliest of drinking contests, a shirtless waiter dutifully standing a few paces away, a tray full of drinks held ready. Allison was posing for Kelly as he took photos of a mother holding her sleeping baby. If Kelly was trying to capture innocence, he was out of luck. Allison was no Virgin Mary with child. Instead she smiled like a diva, as if having a baby was the most fashionable thing possible. No innocence, no nauseating tenderness, just the unabashed pride of a mother.
Seated at a table near the buffet, Ben was feeding Tim bites of wedding cake, but he wasn’t allowing him time to chew and swallow. The more Tim’s cheeks bulged outward with cake, the louder Ben laughed. Farther away, Emma strolled along the edge of the fence, holding hands with her date and looking dashing in a black tuxedo.
In the middle of it all was the stage, surrounded by flowers and lit by chains of tiny white lights. Jason sat on the step and observed his surroundings. After a few minutes of this, he sighed.