Page 51 of Sliding into Love
"That's... really thoughtful." I take the champagne, trying not to focus on how the simple gesture makes me feel absurdly happy. "The ceremony starts soon."
"Perfect timing then." They take in the laptop setup and chuckle. "How does this work exactly?"
"Video call. There will be a few other friends watching. Other people who couldn't make it to the actual location. Claudia and Becka are in Vermont, apparently. Found a justice of the peace willing to officiate on short notice and they couldn’t resist a winter wedding."
Royce settles onto a chair beside me—not too close, but close enough that I can smell the scent that is forever etched in my mind asthem. "Tell me about the happy couple. You mentioned Claudia helped you at your parents' party, but I don't know the full story."
I busy myself with opening the champagne, grateful for a task to do with my hands. "Claudia's family and mine run in the same circles. Old money, high expectations, the works."
"How did you meet at the party?"
"We were both being hounded by our respective parents to mingle, to meet potential partners. You know how these things are." I pour champagne into both glasses, handing one to Royce. "We agreed to pretend to be interested in each other so our parents would back off."
Royce's lips quirk into a smile. "And it worked?"
"Brilliantly. We spent the whole night together, acting just interested enough to keep our families satisfied but not so interested that they'd pick a wedding date. I have no doubtthey discussed plans for the future though." I take a sip of champagne, remembering. "She told me about Becka, her girlfriend—well, almost wife now. How they'd been together for years, but her family refused to recognize or understand their relationship."
"That must have been hard for her."
"It was. Still is, I think. But she's choosing herself now. Choosing love over expectations." I glance at Royce, finding them already looking at me with an expression I can't quite read. "It's brave."
"It is," they agree softly.
The laptop chimes, indicating someone's joining the call. I set my glass down and click to accept, and suddenly the screen fills with faces. Claudia and Becka are in the center, beaming, with a handful of other people in smaller windows around them.
"Kenneth!" Claudia's voice comes through the speakers, bright and excited. "You made it! And is that your person?"
I feel my face heat. "This is Royce. Royce, Claudia and Becka."
"Lovely to meet you both," Royce says smoothly, like they didn't just hear Claudia call them my person. "Congratulations."
"Thank you!" Becka chimes in. She's tall and blonde, with kind eyes and a smile that matches Claudia's wattage. I can also spot the muscles my friend mentioned. Holy biceps! "We're so glad you could both join us. The justice of the peace should be here soon."
The next few minutes are a flurry of introductions and other friends popping into their camera frames, everyone chatting and laughing. It's intimate in a way I wasn't expecting.
Then the justice of the peace, an older woman with white hair and a warm smile, arrives and the ceremony begins.
It's simple. No elaborate decorations, no orchestrated music, just Claudia and Becka standing in what looks like a cozyVermont cabin, holding hands and looking at each other like they're the only two people in the world.
"Marriage," the justice of the peace begins, "is not just a legal contract. It's a promise. A choice to stand beside someone, to build a life together, to face whatever comes with courage and love."
I feel Royce shift beside me, their shoulder brushing mine. I don't move away.
Claudia goes first with her vows, and I watch as tears stream down her face while she speaks. "Becka, for so long I lived my life according to other people's expectations. I was who they wanted me to be, loved who they thought I should love. But you—" Her voice breaks slightly. "You made me realize that the only person whose approval I needed was my own. You taught me that love isn't about fitting into someone else's mold. It's about finding someone who loves you exactly as you are."
Beside me, I hear Royce draw in a quiet breath.
Becka's vows are equally beautiful, talking about patience and understanding and choosing each other every single day, even when it's hard. Especially when it's hard.
When they exchange simple gold bands that catch the light, I find myself blinking back unexpected emotion. This is what it looks like when someone chooses love over fear. When they decide that being true to themselves matters more than living up to someone else's expectations.
It's a trait I respect and envy in equal measure.
"By the power vested in me by the state of Vermont," the justice of the peace says, her smile wide, "I now pronounce you married. You may kiss."
The kiss is tender and joyful, and everyone on the call erupts in cheers and applause. I clap along, feeling genuinely happy for them.
"To the happy couple!" someone shouts through the screen, raising a glass.
