Dani tightened the clasp on her second earring and took a deep breath as she looked up at herself in the mirror, smiling. She brushed one last strand of blonde hair out of her face before gathering her belongings from the quaint vanity and quickly making her way out through the bedroom door and into the hall. She was almost late.
It had been nine years since she and Jamie had gifted each other with promise rings and promised to each be the other’s person for as long as they both shall live. Nine blissful years of sipping on morning coffee together in the sunroom, and walking to farmers markets hand in hand, and even arguing over the proper way to make a pot of tea since Dani insisted that heating up the water in the microwave was more efficient. Nine years of basking in the comfort and serenity that came with being in love with your forever person. Of course whenever they wore the rings they knew but today was the day they would finally march to the courthouse and make it official.
A large wedding felt arbitrary after all the pair had been through and all the time they had already spent together. Above that, it just didn’t make sense to host a big and formal ceremony when their social circle was essentially limited to the two of them- although, Owen did send his best wishes when he heard the news and promised them a dinner reservation in the near future. He was adamant that there was no better way to kick off life as newlyweds than with a good meal.
When Dani finally made it to the front door of their home, Jamie was already there waiting with a grin on her face. Dani laid eyes on her dressed and ready and she stumbled, almost tripping down the stairs at the sight of not only Jamie, but Jamie in a jumpsuit.
Because of the circumstances, Dani and Jamie had decided to make a day out of their city hall trip. Even without an audience, they could still dress up and take advantage of the event.
“You look perfect.” Dani choked out, closing the distance between her and Jamie to get a closer look at her.
“You don’t look too bad yourself, Poppins.”, Jamie replied without missing a beat.
She linked their hands and looked up into Dani’s sparkling blue eyes, admiring how perfectly they complemented her white lace sundress. Then, Jamie looked down at herself in her own bright one-piece and matching white heels. It was far from a ballgown, but perfect for the occasion.
They stood there like that for a minute, taking each other in and wondering what either of them could have done to get this lucky.
Jamie finally placed a quick kiss to Dani’s forehead and looked up.
“Right then, we don’t want to be late to our own wedding now, do we?”
The courthouse in question was only a few blocks away from the flower shop and the weather was gorgeous for an unseasonably warm September Wednesday. It was as if the universe was begging them to take their time and walk there, so walking was what they did.
Hand in hand, Dani and Jamie filled the time with jokes about the brightly colored houses that lined the streets and comments about the leaves on the trees that were just beginning to show the first flickers of oranges and yellows. The two women were practically dancing in the streets and although the sight may seem peculiar to passersby, anyone who was a regular at The Leafling knew that this type of behavior was to be expected from the couple. Bly had given them a newfound desire- no, a need- to live life to the fullest and not let a second go to waste. Romanticizing the little things in life was the only way to live after a year of such tragic uncertainty.
At the end of their walk was their destination: city hall. The room where the rest of their lives would officially begin for the second time. The room where they would sign a paper affirming in the eyes of the law that they were made for nothing else than to spend eternity together until their last heartbeats.
“You know, I remember the first time I saw you.” Jamie said as she and Dani were waiting in line to meet with a notary.
Dani scoffed, playfully.
“You barely said two words to me the first time you saw me.”
“Fair enough, Poppins.” she admitted, “But to be fair, you try stringing a sentence together when you find out the new au pair you’re sharing a workspace with also happens to be the most breathtaking woman you have ever laid eyes on.”
“I think after meeting the gardener I had some idea.”
It was easy to fall back into their comfortable pattern of light discussion, and the reminiscent banter continued all the way through the paperwork process and into the officiant’s office.
“And you’re sure you want to go through with this?” Dani asked. For the most part she was joking and of course Jamie knew she was joking but part of Dani also needed to hear the words one more time. She could hear these words for the rest of her life and never get tired of them.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. It’s you, it’s me-”
“It’s us.” Dani finished as all the love in the room flooded over her in one big wave all at once.
When the officiant asked if they would like to exchange vows, Jamie and Dani simply exchanged a glance and a smile, shaking their heads. They knew they’d already said anything they needed to and they had the rest of their lives together to say the rest. For now, the feeling of connection that bloomed when their eyes met spoke louder than any words could.
The final moments of the ceremony played out in slow motion. Although a silly certificate had nothing on the years they had already spent together, it still mattered. It mattered because now there was proof that they were in love and the past two decades weren’t just some magnificently crafted daydream.
“You may now kiss your bride”, said the officiant, but before he was even halfway through the sentence, Jamie had grabbed her wife by the waist and pulled her in for a kiss they had been waiting to have since their days at the manor.
They walked out of the courthouse in a loving daze, relieved that they had finally taken the biggest step of their lives together.
“I love you.” said Dani, her face morphing into a tender expression of seriousness that Jamie knew all too well.
“I sure would hope so because you’re legally stuck with me now.”
Dani smiled and looked down to the ground, altering the pace of her footsteps so they were perfectly in sync with Jamie’s.
“But just for the record,” Jamie continued, “I will always love you too.”
Dani giggled and looked up at the sky. The sun was just beginning to set and the street was illuminated with its pink and purple hues.
“Should we get ice cream to celebrate?”
“I have a better idea.”
After all these years, Dani knew better than to question Jamie, so she let the gardener lead her around the cobblestone streets and through a clearing in the woods, right to the community garden that had been slowly growing ever since the two of them moved to the states together.
“You’re right, this is much better than ice cream.” Dani observed, taking note of how the flowers and other plants looked under the dissipating sunlight.
Jamie took her hand and whisked her into a slow waltz-like dance. They had moments like this every day, but this one in particular felt magical compared to all the rest.
Minutes turned to hours and the newlywed couple spent their first of many nights as wives swaying together in the moonlight until the lines blurred between where their bodies ended and where the other’s began. Drunk on love and each other, and glowing as bright as the moonflowers had all those years ago.
“I’d do it all again. I’d relive all of the screaming and fear and ghost stories and death if I had to because right now proves that it’s all worth it.” Jamie whispered.
“And I’d go through it all even if we didn’t get our happy ending because getting to have you in my life, if only for a second or a day, would make anything and everything worth it.”