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Romance

It was a pretty shitty day for a wedding, but I didn't care. I personally like this weather. All of this planning and anticipation was finally coming to an end and I could relax. The meetings have been endless. Venue. Vendor. Bartender. Caterer. I ate more food than I'd like to care to admit. My personal trainer was not very psyched about that. Our wedding planner was one of those "all-too-cheery" basic bitch Becky types. But, man, did she get stuff done. What we wanted, we got. She had her terrifying way with people that made her fantastic at her job. Intimidatingly gorgeous with the brain to match. Of course, she is the planner of choice for all gay couples. We had picked this venue because of the obvious nature of our relationship and the fact that many places didn't take too kindly to us; especially in the South. I love the venue, though. So no complaints there. As a gay man, there were more considerations and the pressure to have a wedding as "fabulous" as everyone expected. That is stressful, not to mention the drain on our bank accounts. I think everyone is going to think we're as gay as we are. I don't know. Whatever.

The thunder shook the windows in my spacious suite while I was getting ready. The thunder and lightening were one of my favorite things about Alabama. The air just feels fresh and electric. It feels like new beginnings. I, for one, am totally stoked for my new beginning. I just hope the rain lets up a little bit so we can get some pictures in. Just twenty minutes and I'll be happy. Chris hates getting his hair wet. He's such a queen. One of the qualities I never thought I'd end up finding endearing about him. Storms usually don't last forever, so I was optimistic. With my luck, though, I wouldn't be surprised if this is what we're looking at for the rest of the day.

We did go the traditional route, staying away from each other the night before the wedding. As non-traditional as we are, I kind of didn't mind it. It made the anticipation so much better. It also made me feel like a more "normal" couple, whatever that means. I didn't think the butterflies would be real, but my stomach was doing somersaults. We've lived together for 8 years. You'd think that any spark we had would be gone, but here I am, nervous as fuck. I had a surprised cooked up, for right before we walked down the aisle. I would have thought it was dumb in the past, but what can I say? Chris made me a changed man.

He was so far off from my type that I never thought this day would come. Or that I would be so looking forward to it. He was a very stereotypical homosexual man. Some people may refer to him as a "twink". Perfect blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, dimples that would stop you in your tracks, a slight, slender, lean body. He was also shorter than me by exactly four and a half inches. I usually went for the more masculine type and hated that textbook look for years, but there was always something about Chris. It was a kind of magnetism that I can't describe. I think that quality was what made us something special. The fact that I couldn't put my finger on what made me attracted to him made him all the more attractive to me. It was like a mystery book I was getting to read for the rest of my life

I took the box out of my suitcase. It was small and smooth, like a ring box. I had already done that one though, and it definitely went as well as I hoped this would. The butterflies kept churning. I was so nervous he wouldn't like it. I popped it open to reveal the delicate locket inside. I got it from an antique store. It was an intricate silver heart with the letter C engraved on the back. I like to believe it belonged to a beautiful, elegant blonde woman named Christine. I don't know why that comforted me. I like to give things stories and a past. It makes them more beautiful to me. It didn't have to be shown off, he could wear it under his shirt. The under-the-shirt-chain is a super hot look right now anyways, so I've heard. He'd be proud of me for knowing that. He's always been a lot more up on the times than I have. I just stick to my T-shirts and jeans. No fashionista over here. The locket contained his favorite picture of us, his dumb smiling face made me smirk. We look so happy. I can't wait to be married to this man. We can keep making these memories for the rest of our lives. I snapped it shut, pocketed it, and took a deep breath.

Walking down the hallway, my palms began to sweat. I always hated wearing tuxedos. All of the layers always overheated me. I knew I looked good though. Even if he doesn't like my little gift, it's the thought that counts. He was always the great gift giver, so beating him to the punch on a wedding gift will blow him away. I took one more deep breath and pulled out the room key. We had given each other a copy of our respective room keys, just in case. The lock clicked and my heart dropped. There he was. There SHE was. I slammed the door and ran down the hall. Outside? Is that where I should go? Standing in the rain may be therapeutic. My mother. Is he even as gay as he claims? And, my mother?! Passionately kissing my mother right as we're about to walk down the aisle and become US. How could he. How could she. I fumble around in my breast pocket for my phone. Should I call my dad? How could either of them do this to me. Do I wait for an explanation? Could I ever forgive either of them? Well, time to re-download Grindr.

July 30, 2020 04:45

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1 comment

Claire Tennant
02:59 Aug 06, 2020

Stephanie, I enjoyed this one immensely. It kept me at the edge of my seat though it's not a topic I would deal with personally. Still, your word pictures and descriptions fed my imagination, and the twist at the end was subtle and believable. Poor chap, what a dilemma. Well done

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