ODDS OF LOVE SEASON TWELVE

Episode 35

It took a while and a lot of texting from Winston but that late afternoon heading into early evening in the hospital room of Joe Jacobs there was a small intimate wedding.

Joe was sitting up in his hospital bed with IV tubes and monitors attached to him , wearing the red silk pajamas that he had demanded Winston bring to him.

Winston was sitting beside his fiance, holding his hand lovingly and staring at him like he never wanted to stop looking. He was wearing his best black suit and a blue dress shirt that he had grabbed when he got the pajamas earlier in his rushed trip back to the house which was now a crime scene.

Their only witnesses were Winston's half brother Spencer and Joe's cousin Angel along with Spencer's husband DuBuis and Angel's husband Lyle.

Instead of the hospital chaplain the ceremony was conducted by Reverend Joy Jones who stood at the foot of the bed in her clerical robe and collar.

" Do you, Joseph Jacobs, take this man , Winston Arnett , to be your lawfully wedded husband in the eyes of God Almighty and by the law of the state of Maryland ? Do you take him for better and for worse, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for richer and for poorer , till death do you both part ? "

Joe squeezed Winston's hand and looked at him tenderly. He saw the emotion reflected in Winston's grey eyes and was amazed. He really did love him, Joe mused. They were really doing this. He was really getting married. At the age of forty five he was actually getting married.

" I do ," Joe said firmly.

Joy smiled and continued on softly," And , do you, Winston Arnett , take this man Joseph Jacobs , to be your lawfully wedded husband in the eyes of God Almighty and by the law of the state of Maryland? Do you take him for better and for worse, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for richer and for poorer , till death do you both part ? "

DuBuis mumbled ," You can back out, Arnett."

Spencer poked him in the ribs and he softly grunted.

Winston lifted up his hands and made a simple motion in sign language. I do , he signed.

Joy said ," Winston has said I do. And I say that I , with the authority of the state of Maryland, am proud to announce to everyone present the newly married couple of Joseph Jacobs and Winston Arnett. Gentlemen, you may kiss one another. Just remember at least one of you is recovering from knife wounds, okay? "

Joe laughed and he leaned over to claim his new husband's waiting lips in a sweet and longing kiss.

Everyone in the room began to clap and cheer. Even DuBuis who couldn't help himself from smiling. Poor Winston, he thought to himself.

Then the door to the hospital room opened and in walked U.S. Senator Gregory Jacobs.

Senator Jacobs stopped in the middle of the room and regarded what he saw with great disgust. " What in the hell are you doing now, Joseph? ," he demanded to know. " Sleeping with everything in the DC Metro area is one thing. But marrying a ...... man ! Ridiculous ! "