I took my place behind Lawrence..
Nathan took his behind Zachary.
And the priest that was brought to hospital rooms for last rights and quick baptismal's took his place on the left hand side of Leslie's hospital bed.
"We are gathered here today by some unfortunate circumstances. But nonetheless by love."
"What religion are you?" He fixes his gaze on me.
"Catholic.." I whisper. For a weird reason feeling ashamed.
Seth knew I was Catholic and I knew he was an atheist. It was never a problem. And he never made me seem under him or at he was superior to me.
But it doesn't mean my own insecurities don't arise some nights.
"Okay so you see in the name of love it does not see gender, color, religion, and it certainly does not care if the circumstances that have brought you here before your friends, your family, and God. As long as you get here that is all that matters."
Leslie was deteriorating. The tears were escaping her eyes slowly escaping from her eyes.
What was the point. Where did it all go? Do you fall so helplessly with someone and know that one day you will wake and they won't.
When you begin to forget the person they were or what they smelled like.
"Do you Lawrence take take Zachary to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part."
"I do." He said.
And there it was that moment of clarity. What it all led up too. Yes one day they would be gone but those simple words.
Those words led to moments. And those moments meant everything.
The risk came with the love.
And in the end the love was worth it.
I looked to Seth and there it was in simple clarity.
The same moment and feeling as before when I was walking to him.
My future.
I smiled at and he returned the same infectious smile.
"You have declared your consent before the Church. May the Lord in his goodness strengthen your consent and fill you both with his blessings. What God has joined, men must not divide. Amen."
Leslie weakly applauded. But she looked the most ferocious in that moment.
Lawrence and Zachary embraced and kissed with so much emotion it brought tears to my eyes. And I sure as hell am not one to cry. Especially for a wedding. Yet here I am.
It's a comfortable sized room. Seth had somehow convinced the staff to make Leslie and all her followers have more than enough space.
So no one was crowded. We made a giant circle surrounding her. Just spending the time with her.
I noticed Nathan wasn't around and excused myself from the group. Seth grabbed my arm and asked if I was okay.
I nodded mutely and he released me without hesitation.
"Well, well, well..." of course he had made his way to the maternity ward.
