Page 109 of Gamma

She looks at Sasha. “First, before I get to my vows, I just wanted to say something to you, Sasha. I wanted to say thank you. The things you taught me kept me alive and helped me keep others alive. Without all those crazy summer afternoons at the range, kicking Cal’s ass at room clearing, I wouldn’t be here.” I wink at Cal, who just laughs good-naturedly.

Sasha puts his hands around mine, joined with Apollo’s. “You were one of the best I ever trained, you know. Is my pleasure to do this thing for you.” He points at me. “But now, please, vow to him.”

“Apollo…our love is anything but usual or ordinary. You stole…well, me, first of all. And then you stole my heart.” She sniffles. “And now that you’ve stolen my heart, I’m just so grateful that you did. I’d go with Tomás a thousand times onto that boat, blindfolded and terrified, if it led to you. I don’t need to vow to you, though. I already proved my love. I went into hell after you, and I’d do it again. I love you. I’ll always love you. I’ll spend our life together loving you as best I can, and then some.”

Sasha sighs. “This is good. So. You love her, she loves you.” A glance at Kyrie and Valentine. “Mama, Papa, you agree to this wedding?Da? Good. So, together then. Corinna and Apollo, do you each take the other as your own, forever, no matter what may happen, and listen, I know some shit may happen, so you gotta have someone to love you, even when that shit happens, right? Right. So, Corinna and Apollo, Apollo and Corinna, you take each other as wife and husband, husband and wife, until the stars burn out and there is no more forever?”

“I do,” we both say together, in unison.

“Da, of course you do.” He smiles broadly. “I pronounce you married, now and always. Kiss her now, you fool.”

I kiss her.

We join hands, and Sasha holds our hands in his. “So, it is done. They are married. So now I give to you Mr. and Mrs. Apollo and Corinna—”

I interrupt him. “Hold on.” I turn to Rin, withdrawing the application from my pocket. Unfold it, show it to her.

She covers her hand with her mouth. “Apollo, you—really?”

“I already talked to your dad about it.”

There’s murmuring—the crowd can’t see the paper and doesn’t know what’s going on.

She lets go of my hands and closes in, holding my face. “It’s what you want?”

“More than anything.” I gesture first at her parents and brother, and then at the gathered crowd. “This is my family.”

I whisper something to Sasha, and he nods. “Is beautiful. Very touching. Smart man.” He gestures to us again. “So, a change of…not plans, but names. I give to you Corinna and Apollo Roth.” He points at me. “He’s changing his name, you see. He’s Apollo Roth, now.”

The cheers are deafening.

But none louder than the cheering in my heart, and my soul.

I may have been born into a shitty, evil family, and raised in chaos and loneliness and darkness, but I found the light. I found the peace.

I found a family, and they welcomed me in.

THE END