Say You Love Me (Double Love Trilogy Conclusion)

Epilogue: In The Crystalline Knowledge Of You

Penn Castle
Dorset, United Kingdom
Valentine's Day ❤️
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
(Evening)

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"How lucky can one guy be...I kissed her and she kissed me...Like the fella once said, 'Ain't that a kick in the head?'...The room was completely black...I hugged her and she hugged back...like the sailor said - quote - 'Ain't that a hole in the boat?'...My head keeps spinnin'...I go to sleep, I keep grinnin'...If this is just the beginnin'...my life is gonna be beeeeeeeeeeeautiful..."

The ballerina skirt of Stevie's white satin bridal suit whirled around along with the long, cascading golden waves of her hair as Lindsey twirled her around with his outstretched arm on the dance floor to the Dean Martin classic "Ain't That A Kick In The Head". Her head was tossed backwards as she erupted into giggles, Lindsey imitating Dean Martin's singing voice as best as he could as he sang her the song, their fingers entwined as he held her outward to watch her twirl, his heart doing jumping jacks as he watched her spinning back towards him because it was still sinking in...This beautiful girl twirling in front of me is my WIFE!

He had not been able to stop smiling since Mick had married them three hours ago, and he didn't think he would ever be able to stop.

The snow had really begun to come down sometime around five o'clock, and it was turning into a bona fide blizzard outside by the time dinner was served at six. Lindsey and Karen had shared a laugh over mushroom caps and cocktail franks at the buffet awhile ago, remembering Stevie's "Bridezilla" moment back home about the snow, and they both agreed they were grateful as hell that the snow had begun to fall after the ceremony, so that everyone they loved had already flown into England and made the drive to Dorset, so they could all be there for the wedding. It looked as though some guests would be able to make it out of the Penn Castle grounds later that night when the reception was over and some would not, and Stevie had told him about half an hour ago that she'd overheard people making plans to stay over and share rooms, turning the double wedding of Buckingham/Nicks and McVie/McVie into a slumber party of sorts. Stevie was giddy at the thought, and Lindsey had watched her eyes light up when she'd told him the plan, his love for her at moments like these - moments when he saw the Stevie he knew who loved nothing more than to host people and make them feel welcome and cared for - come out. Once again, he'd thought, and she's my wife. The Dean Martin song being played through the DJ's sound system said it all...

"I've sunshine enough to spread...It's just like the fella said...Tell me quick, ain't love like a kick in the head?..."

"Twirl for me, baby girl," he said as he rocked her in his arms to the song, watching her eyes sparkle along with the dazzling platinum crescent moon necklace that sat delicately atop the slight cleavage exposed by her white satin jacket and the even-more-dazzling diamonds that shone in the light from her left ring finger, proving to the world at last that Stevie Nicks had become Stephanie Buckingham and that she was his and he was hers. Stevie did just as he asked, spinning along the dance floor as people who were also dancing got out of the way, watching two people in love on Valentine's Day look with love into each other's eyes before one of them held out his arms to welcome the other back for the rest of the song with a passionate kiss as soon as she landed against him.

"My head keeps spinnin'...I go to sleep, I keep grinnin'...If this is just the beginnin'...my life is gonna be beeeeeeeeeeautiful...She's telling me we'll be wed...She's picked out a king-sized bed...I couldn't feel any better or I'd be sick...Tell me quick...ain't love a kick?...Tell me quick, ain't love a kick in the heeeeeeeeeeead..."

Stevie and Lindsey were so engrossed in each other and in their kiss at the end of the song that they were oblivious to the onlookers on the dance floor until everyone began to clap for them. People whistled and cheered, and Stevie, seventy-four years old but still shy about displays of affection - public or otherwise - giggled as she timidly hid her face in her husband's jacket for the duration of the cheering.