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Toast

We all got back to the house before Riley and Farkle, because they had to make their entrance. The speakers announced: Introducing the bride and groom, Mr and Mrs Farkle Matthews!

We all laughed, because Riley did end up keeping her last name.

After they got there, cocktail hour started. Josh, of course, was serving drinks again, and we even got to watch Farkle's Mom make the mistake of getting a Del Fuego. I wasn't going to make that mistake twice, so I got a Delphin, which was gin, vanilla, caramel, and mandarin oranges. It was sweet, but the alcohol still burned my throat.

After the cocktail hour, it was dinner time. We went out into the backyard, which was now adorned with flowers and ribbons and tables of food.

They were mostly small foods. There were small cups of french fries and small slices of watermelon on sticks. Then, there were the mac-and-cheese bites, and the chicken bites. Even though the dessert was going to be the wedding cake, they still had a three-tier donut tray and a chocolate fountain, including a heaping tray of fruit. For drinks, they had champagne and strawberry lemonade, in glass milk bottles with striped straws.

The food was so. good.

Then, it was time for the toasts.

I, unfortunately, was going first. I took a deep breath and stood up.

"I've known Farkle since we were little, and I've known Riley even longer. I was lucky enough to climb into her bedroom window, it was the best decision I've ever made. Until recently, I didn't know a lot about love. I knew it required two people to like each other, so much that they made a whole new word for it. But it also meant understanding the other person. Knowing when to make them feel better after a bad day, and knowing when to step back and give them space. It also means knowing that Riley loves gummy bears. Only the red ones, though. And she bites their heads off first so they feel the least amount of pain," there was laughter, "What I'm trying to say is, they both knew what they were signing up for. Farkle signed up to be with my amazing, happy, naive, eccentric, goofy, best friend. And Riley signed up to be with my genius, awkward, nonathletic, nerdy sort-of big brother. And that's what we're here to celebrate. So, here's to Riley and Farkle, to the genius and the smiler, to knowing what you signed up for," I raised my glass, and so did everyone else. I exhaled and sat back down.

After that, the toasts seemed to fly by. Next, Lucas gave a toast. Then Riley's Mom, and my Mom. Then Zay and Farkle's Dad.

And, sitting there, all I could really do was sit there and marvel at the whole picture. The big picture. Farkle and Riley were together, hopefully forever. They really did know what they were signing up for. I had Lucas, and we would hopefully be celebrating pretty soon, too. And tonight just seemed so perfect.

Here's to knowing what you signed up for.

Here's to tonight.