hand I dropped and nodding over to Millie standing off to the side.
“You want the short and sweet version, correct?” Millie asks as she steps up next to us, wearing a floor-length sparkly dress that looks like it came straight from Vanna White’s closet, with her brown mink coat draped over her shoulders, clasping her hands together down in front of her as she looks back and forth between us.
“As short as humanly possible,” Tess says, and I nod right along with her as the heat from the roaring fire next to us keeps us warm out in the cold.
“You didn’t write your own vows? Oh my God, you didn’t even look at those binders did you?”
“No sparkly flowers, no sparkly tiara, no sparkly veil and train…. It’s like I’m watching an Amish wedding.”
“My arthritis is killing me. You people are taking too long. I’m gonna go sit over there, so just tell me when I need to clap.”
It’s Tess’s turn to drop one of my hands this time as she quickly leans over and repeatedly smacks the volume button on the keyboard of the laptop until all of our “guests” are on mute.
“Ahhh, much better.” She smiles up at me before glancing at Millie as she re-grabs my hand. “Okay, continue.”
“If I could speak for one moment…” I cut off Millie when she opens her mouth to start the ceremony. “I have a little something prepared.”
“You son of a bitch,” Tess whispers, while I see Birdie jumping up and down in excitement on the screen of the laptop.
Giving Tess’s hands a squeeze, I take a step forward until we’re toe-to-toe in the snow, leaning down and resting my forehead against her beanie-covered one.
“I know you’re still freaking out and scared about the baby, even though you’re acting like you’re totally calm, because you hate feeling weak,” I begin softly. Tess scoffs and rolls her eyes at me through her long, gorgeous lashes with our foreheads pressed together, but stays otherwise quiet and lets me continue. “I know you only got on board with this whole marriage thing because you know it’s what I want, and you just want to make me happy, and God I love you so fucking much for that. Do you have any idea?”
I hear Tess sniffle, and I let go of one of her hands to reach up between us and cup her cheek, pulling my head back to swipe away at her tears with my thumb.
“I promise you, I will make it worth it, my little firestarter. I’ll make it less scary, and I’ll make it more fun, and I will be there every step of the way, never forgetting for one minute who you are, or who Tiny Tim is, or just how much you both mean to me, or how much I love you. I promise I will always come back, Tess.”
Now it’s Tess’s turn to reach up and press her palm against the side of my face so she can swipe away my own tears.
“I can’t believe you’re making me cry at my own wedding, you dickhole.” Tess shakes her head at me, brushing the last of my tears away with the tips of her fingers before pressing her hand against the one I’m still cupping her cheek with. “You’re worth throwing all my plans away for. I never wanted a husband, because I never found a man strong enough to handle having me as a wife. I am going to be a goddamn nightmare, oh my God. You have no idea.” Tess laughs, making me laugh just as hard right along with her.
“You’re going to be perfect.”
Tess growls a little, and I quickly amend my statement.
“You’re going to be perfect for me.”
“Right on.” Tess smiles, making my heart dance a little Christmas jig inside my chest.
“All right then, are you ready?” Millie asks. Tess and I nod as we go back to holding both of our hands down between us, smiling like a couple of fools at each other. “Here we go. Short and sweet. Bodhi, do you want to marry Tess?”
“Fuck yes!” I quickly shout, making Jason and Allie chuckle from a few feet away.
“And Tess, do you want to marry Bodhi?” Millie asks Tess, smiling up at me and looking so fucking beautiful with her skin glowing from the snapping and popping bonfire next to us that I want to pinch myself just to make sure this is really happening.
“Fuck yes,” Tess whispers her reply, and I have