Page 34 of BuK

“YES!”

BuK sags in instant relief, and I feel bad for making him wait. BuK slides the ring on my finger, then jumps up, hugging me tightly as tears flow down my face. He pulls away slightly, wiping the tears away. “Go get cleaned up, and I will meet you at the altar.”

“What?”

“You just said yes, we are getting married.”

“Like right now?”

“Everyone is here, and after everything we have gone through we need, what did you call it … Ohhh, a honeymoon break.”

Before I can say another word, Kira has me by one arm and Lacie has the other. “Come on dear, we need to get you ready and quickly.”

I’m kinda in a daze when Lacie starts to pull on my shirt. “We need this off so we won’t mess up your hair.”

“Lacie, what am I going to wear?”

“Well, my dress, of course! I think we should make it a family tradition … any girl either of us has will have the option to wear it.”

“God, I love you!”

“Love you too, now don’t make me cry.”

Kira is running a curling iron through my hair while Lacie works on my makeup, and all I can do is sit here and smile while looking at the sparkles in this ring that reflect us together.

“It took me two planets and SAGE’s help to find that ring. I think I sent BuK a dozen pictures before he said, ‘That’s the one’. Bless his heart, he was determined to find just the right one to show the world your unification. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man so excited to get married since it’s usually the other way around.”

“Thank you, Kira. This means the world to me, and I know BuK feels the same, but now that you’ve said that who’s going to marry us?”

“James. Tyberius talked to him about it before he left, as he knew he couldn’t always be here.”

“DaR or any of the men would be happy to walk you down the aisle.”

“I know they would, and I appreciate it, but I’ll do this alone, as I can’t imagine anyone but my real dad doing that for me.”

It seems like only minutes later, I’m standing at the mirror, dressed and ready to go, waiting for Lacie to slip on the dress I’dworn for her wedding. We all three walk around the communal tent together. Lacie and Kira are doing their best to keep my dress from getting dirty.

“Briar, give us a minute to get ahead of you, and when you hear the music start, come on it. You look beautiful, honey.” Kira kisses me on the cheek, all smiles as she walks into the tent.

“Don’t fall and do not run.”

“Got it.”

Lacie blows me a kiss, almost running up the aisle while waving to everyone I can see through the crack in the main flap. Standing alone, I take a deep breath, allowing myself a moment to feel sad as I wish my mom and dad could be here with me. Just as the music starts, I feel something warm against my side, and when I look up briefly, I see my dad smiling down at me as my mother’s perfume surrounds me. Two bright streaks cut across the sky, and I know that they are watching over me, always.

With tears in my eyes and a smile on my face, I step through the entrance, my eyes noticing everyone around, until they land on BuK. I don’t remember even walking up the aisle until he grasps my small hands in his larger ones.

“You take my breath away,” BuK whispers before James starts the ceremony.

“Briar Ann Spears, do you take this man to be your wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?”

“I Do!”

The End