A long lane at night

2.20. LET'S STAY TOGETHER Part 3

I must say I was feeling very diva-ish, marching through my wedding venue, holding a milkshake, a baby, and a shopping bag, but the decoration was so incredible that it stopped me in my tracks.

It was a classic wedding décor through and through, but it fit the hall so perfectly that it looked like it was a scene from a movie, a very ostentatious picture.

The tables were decorated with thin and long dried white branches placed inside clear vases with water dyed black. Everything around me was black or white, but close inspection showed thin and subtle traces of gold against the white and silver against the black. The triple carpet was black with two pairs of intertwining silver lines close to the edges and they led to a large square one with the same details in gold.

'That's the best compliment you could have ever paid,' dad Allan's voice came to me.

'Dad, what do you mean?'

'You took off your sunglasses and you've been spinning round speechless for almost ten minutes,' he said and he was right. The place had taken my breath away. I guess that is the kind of effect you hope to achieve with this kind of thing. 'Was that milkshake? Alice apparently loved it.'

I finally managed to look away from the infinite details around me to look at my daughter, who had cleverly seized my distraction to end my cup for me.

'You sneaky little girl,' I said to her, tickling her belly with my nose.

'Just don't tell Nate,' dad Allan and I said in unison.

'All right,' he said, reaching for her. 'I'll take our princess and get ready. You go find your changing room. It has your name on the door. Do not enter Nate's room, do you hear me?'

'As if you wouldn't have people ready to stop me if I tried.'

'Oh, you know your dad so well! Go get ready.'

A dressing room with my name on it? I was feeling the diva coming right back to me.

It was actually a small corridor with maybe ten small dressing rooms. I noticed there were individual ones for Nate and me, but also one with both our names on it. That one said 'Jack and Nate A. L. Wyatt', so I assumed we were supposed to come to this one after the ceremony was through. Well, it seemed like the right place to put this bag. One quick glance inside showed me that Nate had had the same idea, so I placed my bag next to his and left.

My overcoat was already hanging next to all the other pieces I would wear. I noticed that someone, most likely following my dad's request, had embroidered the lapel with an intricate figure; it showed two people and a child: the family Nate and I were officially starting today. It was a beautiful piece of work and I was dying to send Nate a picture, but I knew I couldn't, so I started to slowly get dressed, thinking of how he would look and feeling more anxious with every second.

I was almost ready, with only the overcoat left to wear when I heard a knock on the door and dad Brian came in.

'The guests have already arrived,' he said. 'We still have a bit more than half an hour.'

I saw his reflection through the mirror.

'You know,' I said to his reflection, 'when I was a bit younger, I would feel awkward when you stared at me like that for too long. I liked it, but sometimes it felt like too much. But now I totally get it.'

'There's nothing else you'd rather do than to spend the whole day looking at your daughter, is there?'

'Exactly. Having her made me appreciate you guys so much more than I already did.'

'I still remember the very first time I laid my eyes on you,' dad Brian said, 'and I knew I was looking into my son's eyes. I was so anxious during those months you were only allowed to visit. So scared someone might come and take you away from me. I always tried to sound cheerful about your next visit every time I dropped you off back at the home, but on the inside, I was shattering, feeling like I was abandoning you to your luck and you were so little. Your dad says that the look on my face the day I signed your adoption puts to shame any other happy memory he has of me.

'And you turned out to be this incredible mix of a talented, independent, diligent, loving, and humble human being who won't spare a thought for himself before he's certain the ones he loves are happy, but who also always goes after his own happiness with all the strength he has.

'I am so proud of the man you've become, Jack. I wish I could make you understand how much I love you, son.'

'You've done a great job at it every single day of my life, dad.'

I stood up and hugged my father. We stayed in that comfortable silent hug for a very long time.

'All right, then,' he said, 'let's not wrinkle this suit too much, I don't want to annoy your dad. By the way, you were right. He took changing positions with me pretty well.'

My dad and I worked together to put my overcoat on and he busied himself adjusting minor details that I knew were just in place. But it felt nice, like an extra layer of care.

Soon enough, dad Allan knocked on the door to say that it was time. In his arms, he was holding the most beautiful and elegant baby girl I have ever seen in my life.

Alice was wearing the littlest pantsuit I had ever seen. It looked like a mix of Nate's and my overcoats. The style was symmetrical, with a white left arm and right leg and a black right arm and left leg. She also had the same family drawing embroidered to her suit, but hers had some crystals added to it.

'You look incredible, son,' dad Allan said and meant to hug me, but held back his arms.

'It's a piece of clothing, dad,' I said. 'Your hug means much more than a coat.'

With tears in his eyes, he hugged me, but lightly.

The small dressing room was getting crowded, so we left. Nate wasn't anywhere in sight. Uncle Henry was probably already positioned with him.

The hall looked even better with all of our guests. We had people from everywhere: my granddad with his wife; some colleagues from Uni; other members of faculty that I couldn't not invite; Taylor and his family were sitting on my side of the guests. To Nate's side, there was some distant family, people I've honestly never seen before. They made quite a crowd, actually, but both sides looked even.

In the front, I could see the judge waiting for us to begin the ceremony. Next to him, on my side, Chad stood as my best man. To Nate's, Will was standing his position.