Page 12 of Twelve Days of Christmas

The minister, a rather round woman I presume to be Siobhan – who I’ve only spoken to over the phone – is also waiting, smiling, with a book in her hand. Cameron drags me toward her.

And so the ceremony begins.

I couldn’t tell you what Siobhan said. Cameron and I just have another one of those ‘just us’ moments for the entire service. All I can do is stare at him; at the love, the wonder, the complete fucking adoration in his eyes.

I’d told her we wouldn’t say our own vows. It’s not like I could explain how one of us had no fucking clue he was getting married, and how I’d forged his signatures on the application forms. Well, I didn’t…I couldn’t get it to look right. Tobias did it, first go.

It’s not until she asks for rings that I remember what I’m up here for. Rings. Rings. Rings. Patting down my pockets, I pull out the rings Cameron gave to me not even an hour ago.

His face lights up. “The rings!”

I nod and laugh. “I told you they were fucking perfect.”

Then I remember the minister. I look at her, apologetically. “Sorry.” I’m not struck down by lightning for swearing in front of her, so I presume I’m still good with God.

Cameron chuckles. “You planned all this, but no rings?”

I roll my eyes at him. “Every time I tried to mention getting new rings you got all pissy.”

Oh, yeah. The minister. I apologize again. “Sorry.”

I take the rings from the box and hand one to Cameron. He takes my ring finger on my left hand and slides the ring on, and then I do the same to him.

And it just strikes me, right then and there, how beautiful, how significant it is.

He’s wearing my ring.

And the words just tumble out. “That’s so hot.”

Ugh. Again, with the minister. I look at her. “Sorry.”

Someone giggles. Cynthia, I think. I turn to face our little crowd watching us exchange rings, but Cameron grabs me and kisses me. I don’t think we were up to that part yet, but I’m certainly not going to argue.

Then Siobhan mumbles something beside us about ‘this civil union’, and I think it’s a done deal. I laugh into his kiss and pull away from him, only for Siobhan to roll her eyes and smile, telling us, “You may now kiss.”

So he kisses me again.

And when we’re finally pulled apart, we’re pulled into warm embraces and warm congratulations. I’m smiling so fucking hard my face hurts.

The first to hug me is my momma. It’s fierce and squeezy like all ‘momma hugs’ should be. And when she finally lets go of me, Cynthia is finished with Cameron and is waiting for her turn. She’s been working on her deep-breathing to tame the urge to tackle-hug, and right now, she’s about to burst.

I grin at her, and she throws her arms around me. She tells me through her tears how her family is complete now. How Ben has his Ashley, and now Cameron has me. Life is exactly as it should be.

I tell her the only thing better than having one momma, is having two. And then Cameron interrupts, telling me not to make his mother cry.

He kisses the side of my head just as my Momma joins us.

“I tried to get the minister to say ‘married’ or ‘wedding’ or ‘husband’ but she wouldn’t do it,” Momma says with a disdainful nod toward her intended target and loud enough for Siobhan to hear. “I tell ya one thing,” Momma says, “when two people stand before friends and God, exchange rings and say forever, it’s a wedding.”

I give Siobhan an apologetic smile, and she grins at me. I smile at Cynthia and kiss my momma’s cheek. “Momma, it doesn’t matter,” I tell her. “It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks; politicians, governments, or the State. What matters is what I think,” I slide my arm around Cameron’s waist, “what we think.” I look to both our mothers, and tell them, “Cameron might be a ‘domestic partner’ in their eyes, but he’s a husband to me.”

And both mothers start to cry.

Siobhan interrupts, telling us we need to sign some papers to make it official.

When Cameron pulls the pen from his pocket, he looks straight at me. “You thought of everything, didn’t you?”

I smile again. Or still; I haven’t stopped smiling yet.

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