Old Doves

I looked at my spouse with a wrinkled grin. Almost 70 years together. Together, we had four children and seven grandchildren. I got up from my chair and grabbed my photo album of us. There was one photo from us when we just started dating. We sat in my father's diner and snapped a photo of us, sharing a milkshake. I remember we were seventeen when they said yes. I took them to get a burger with me.

"Thank you, dad." I thanked. My dad nodded and handed me the photo, walking away to help a customer. My date looked at me.

"You promise we'll be together, darling?" They asked me, their hair flowing in the wind caused by the fans.

"To my last breath and beyond. I love you so much, honey." I drove my 1950 Hudson Hornet to my father's diner. We shared some shakes, then went to the only passion pit in town. I held them in my arms and looked at them with the brightest smile. I stared at them.

"Take a picture, dreamboat, it'll last longer." They smiled, poking my nose. We ended the night with backseat bingo.

Each picture of us being teens, brought so many memories. From fights to cuddling. Bonding over movies and dancing. Growing old and getting married. Everything flooded to me.

"Jamie Westbrooke, you changed my entire life when I first met you. You are like the moon. Beautiful, mysterious, and shines through the dark. You make me the happiest, even when I get emotional." I admitted. "Will you do me the honor to ask you to marry me?" 

I could see the happy tears in their eyes. They looked at me and nodded, jumping into my arms. I can say with a hundred percent in my body that I don't ever regret asking them.

"I still don't regret marrying you, Jamie." I kissed their head and flipped the page. It was our wedding photo in the late 50s, I graduated and went on to the college of my choice. They did the same, fighting the discrimination that went with the career they chose. We would take boxing classes since a buddy of mine owned a boxing club not too far from Jamie's workplace. I looked at the photo of us next to my buddies.

"Darrell, I'm scared to accidentally fuck this up. I love Jamie too much, but what if they change their mind? What if their ex crashes it? What if there's a mob who wouldn't allow it?" I was panicking. Darrell grabbed my shoulders. Richard stood behind him.

"Listen up, Romeo. Jamie is a cool cat, who wouldn't give you the royal shaft and leave you. Those old assholes won't touch you if I take their canes and strollers away. They can't move without it." Darrell chuckled, grabbing his signature comb and combing his hair. Richard looked at me and nodded with him. "I bet your spouse-to-be gonna look bitching, don't you think?" He looks out the window. 

"Yeah, I bet they look beautiful. I hope they like what I am wearing."

"Come on, dude, we know you can do it. we may not look like it, but Rick and I know you two are perfect together." Darrell admitted, fixing his bowtie in the mirror. He looks back at and points at the clock. "Time to wait for Jamie at the altar. I bet they're waiting for your ass." 

'You can do it, Romeo. We got your back. Even if those assholes don't like them, we got the entire gang waiting.' Richard signed.

I smiled and laughed. "Yeah, yeah, you're right." I looked in the mirror and looked amazing. I leave the room with my crew and make it on the altar. My mother was crying tears of joy along with the photo of my deceased dad. I took over the restaurant and with my mom's help, we got to run the restaurant better than ever. 

My thoughts were snapped out when the pianist played the iconic music. Jamie was there, wearing what they chose. Their dark hair looked so soft, their blue eyes shined with excitement and joy. Their make-up was flawless, just like them. They walked down with a gentle smile and a bouquet. I almost teared up at the sight of them.

"Wow..." I said, not realizing I said that out loud. Darrell looked at me and wiggled his eyebrows. I squinted at him. Jamie stood before me, with their sister and best friend behind them. The priest started to say the normal words, no one objected to our marriage.

"I do."

"I do."

I showed Jamie our wedding photos. Their sister knocked.

"Come in!" I called out to her beyond the door. She opened up and she came in with our son, Aiden, and my grandchild, Alex. I texted Aiden about getting that second book. 

"Hey, Dad, I brought the book. How are they?"

"Better than yesterday, Aiden." I was handed the big book. Pictures of us after getting married, adopting our son, joining the antiwar movement, joining the summer of love, lgbt+ liberation, fuck, even joining with our African Americans with their civil rights, so much has changed since the 50s, but for the greater good. I remembered we got into the disco scene and heavy metal.

"You sure you want to go, baby? We can go back home" Jamie asked me, getting their outfit ready. I nodded, fixing my suit. We went into the Friday Fever, a disco bar across our complex. 

"Your sister is good with watching Aiden. Come on, let's boogie, baby." I pulled them onto the dance floor and started grooving. "Remember the nights in San Francisco in the 60s? Ally, James, Richard, you, and I would smoke and wave our peace flags?"

"I remember those days, darling. I miss those days. Young and surrounded by love in this country of hate." They admitted. "I'm still shocked that those bozos in the big chairs haven't realized they are too old to run this country."

"Agree, dollface." I spun them and we danced through the night. We came back home and Rachell gave us a note from our neighbors. Luckily, Aiden was already dead asleep. We read it and were fucking disgusted by the contents. 

"That's it, I'm getting Darrell." I stood up, Jamie calmed me down, promising to never look at those homophobic, racist, old fucks.

"Come on, honey. They're gonna die in a year old or two. Maybe because their son keeps poisoning them." Jamie admitted.

"Wait, he is?" Rachell asked.

"Yeah. He admitted he is bisexual to us, and his homophobic parents kept hounding him for not having a wife. It is not my business and I hate those two. If we keep silent, we get something in return." I mentioned. 

"I see. I won't mention anything either. The wife keeps harassing me for wearing hot pants and letting my hair loose. Honestly, it's not the 30s anymore, old hag." She commented, looking at her nails.

"Tell me about it." Jamie sighed, annoyed.

His sister and I chuckled. Jamie was always super fashionable back then. Wearing the trends and never holding back despite their gender and beliefs. After the old fucks died, we got sweet cooking supplies. I flip page after page in the scrapbook, telling Alex about life there. We laughed and looked at Jamie. Aiden and Alex said goodbye, crying sweet goodbyes. Their sister, Rachell, hugged them with such a tight grip. When they left, it was my turn to cry. I kissed their lips. "Thank you for being by my side, Jamie. I hope to see you in another life."

I heard on the monitor flatline. It was the end. The end of a marriage that lasted 70 years. Seventy happy years with the person I love.