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T ess

Saturday: Wedding day!

T he day flew by in a frenzy of friends and family and excitement. Before I knew it, we were on our way to the church in a limo Carlos had provided. I would have protested the expense, but he said it was a wedding gift. And I really didn’t want to mess up my beautiful dress climbing into Uncle Mike’s old truck.

I hadn’t eaten much all day, only nibbled, but my stomach was full of butterflies when we lined up in the vestibule while old Mrs. Quindlen began to play her quirky version of a wedding processional song. It sounded vaguely like a cross between a hymn and a Billy Joel song.

“Catchy,” Molly said, wincing.

I hadn’t wanted to ask my talented musician friend to play at the wedding or reception because I wanted her next to me all the way. I impulsively hugged her, and then I hugged Eleanor, Aunt Ruby, Lorraine, and Shelley. My magical sister wiggled her fingers, and blush pink rose petals danced through the air down the aisle in a lovely—and orderly —delight for the senses. The aroma was gorgeous, and the flowers matched the long-stemmed pink roses in my bouquet.

My flower “girls” started down the aisle to general merriment and applause. Nobody in Dead End had done it this way before, but we may have started a new trend. Then Shelley and Molly set forth, walking hand in hand, and Uncle Mike turned to me.

“You’re so beautiful, Tess.” His voice was husky. “It has been the greatest joy of our life to raise you and love you and watch you grow into this amazing person. We are so proud of you.”

“Don’t make me cry,” I threatened, because Molly had spent an hour on my makeup. But then I hugged him and kissed his cheek. “You are my family, and I’m so lucky to have you. Thank you for giving me such a wonderful life.”

“There, there,” he said, brushing at his eyes. “Let’s not get emotional.”

He held out his arm. I took it, and we started down the aisle to a tune that sounded roughly like Rock Around the Clock, but I forgot the music and the flowers and the Fae and everything else when I saw Jack waiting for me, so unbelievably handsome in his tuxedo.

When he saw me, his eyes filled with wonder and so much love that I suddenly wanted to dance down the aisle to him. But I kept a sedate pace, smiling at all our guests, who stood and applauded as we walked past them. When we reached Jack, Uncle Mike bent and kissed my cheek.

Then he turned to Jack. “Take care of our treasure, young man.”

“Always,” Jack promised.

“And I’ll take care of Jack,” I said.

Pastor Nash conducted the ceremony beautifully, and the vows Jack and I spoke made me tear up all over again.

“You are the joy and the luck and the love I never hoped to find in this life, Tess. I will love and cherish you always.”

“Jack. I never believed I’d find my happily ever after, because of my gift. And then you walked into my life, and my world has never been the same. I love you, and I always will.”

“You may kiss your bride, Jack,” the pastor said with a huge smile.

And so he did.

“May I present the happy couple! What God and Dead End joined together, let no one even try to tear asunder,” Pastor Nash said, a hint of steel in his voice.

When Mrs. Q played us out with a jazzy version of Silent Night, I got a case of the giggles and could barely keep it together.

“Maybe she needs Alaric to fix her eyes so she can read the music,” Jack whispered.

“I don’t think she actually knows how to read music. But it would have hurt her feelings to be left out.”

“Gotta love Dead End,” he said, squeezing my hand.

When I looked out over the crowd, I was shocked and delighted to see that my grandmother and her boyfriend had made it, after all. They’d been set to speak today at an important meeting of the International Banshees Organization that had been planned for more than a year. I’d told them I understood.

But having them here? It was the icing on a big, wonderful cake of happiness.

And then it got even better. Jack’s Grandpa Jed stood up from the back row, and my father was right there next to him.

“I can’t believe they’re here,” I said, afraid I was going to burst into tears.

“I made sure of it, sweetheart,” Jack told me.

“Today is the best day ever!”

“And every day for the rest of our lives will be just as good,” he vowed. But then we didn’t talk again for a while, because we had so many people to greet and talk to and laugh with and love.

The crowd flowed out into the town square, which was transformed with flowers everywhere. Tables and chairs filled the space, decorated with sparkling crystal and candles and beautiful linens.

“Oh, wow! Aunt Ruby, you and Eleanor and Lorraine did such a beautiful job! Thank you so much!”

A string quartet was even tuning up in the gazebo, which had been restored.

I whirled around and hugged my aunt. “I love you so much. Thank you for making my childhood so happy.”

She started crying and patted my back. “Oh, honey. It was our privilege.”

The evening continued from there, getting better and better and better. Jack and I greeted all our guests. The specially hired servers brought out mounds of food, and the champagne flowed like water.

Every single thing about our special night was absolutely spectacular in every way.

Until the Fae queen appeared and announced the final Trial.

Right there in the middle of my wedding reception.