Of Lorenz Theory & Love

JHMD: Amor Vincit Omnia

39 JHMD: Amor Vincit Omnia

7 am PDT, 7 weeks later, Vera Manor

Macy found herself rummaging through the selection of dresses Maggie pulled out from the attic boxes. Apparently, Marisol had been a social butterfly way back in the day—who knew?—and had a wide variety of colorful outfits for their repurposing. Maggie had already found her dress, a satin-like maroon-colored outfit, that she was currently glue-gunning Swarovski crystals to at the wee hours of the night; Mel had her eye on an ivory-colored suit jacket, with matching pants, that reminded her of Annie Hall (plus or minus a fedora) and fit like a glove.

Macy fished out a black dress (too somber), a dark blue (too "wallflower"). She realized that she was looking for a dress that was an elegant showstopper but not obnoxiously so; a sophisticated dress that the right audience would appreciate. Rifling through the stacks of outfits, she discovered a dress at the very bottom that was wrapped in a silk garment bag.

Curious, Macy opened it, and out spilled forth an "A-Line Off-the-Shoulder Asymmetrical Tulle Evening Dress With Beading Sequins Bow(s)," according to the label attached. Apparently, Marisol had never worn this dress, and the tags were still attached. Turning one of the labels over, she gasped. There, in Marisol's handwriting were the words: "to my darling Marcella Yesenia, for prom." Macy turned to a nearby mirror, tears forming in her eyes, as she shed her clothes and tried the dress on.

It fit perfectly.

8:45 pm, 8 weeks later, SafeSpace Prom

SafeSpace prom was off to a promising start; tickets had sold out and everyone was dressed to the nines. The DJ was playing a selection of carefully curated, pre-vetted songs that had been deemed appropriate for the audience. Maggie was onstage in her gorgeous maroon sleeveless gown, cropped just above the knee, with sparkling Swarovski crystals adorning the blouse. Jordan, emceeing the event, could not seem to take his eyes off of her.

Mel was in a corner of the bar, looking just as stylish in her white suit jacket number, but she seemed distracted, monitoring her phone and writing off a frenzy of texts.

Harry, at the opposite end of the bar, kept checking his watch, wondering where Macy was. She wouldn't skip out on this, would she? He had planned things very meticulously, to the hour, and quite possibly to the minute.

9 pm, SafeSpace Prom

"Hi Harry." Harry felt a light tap on his shoulder and turned around. It was Macy.

She was dressed in a tulle asymmetrical evening gown with intricate beading and looked absolutely breathtaking. Hot damn. Her hair was styled in a bun on her head, and she simply took his breath away. Shifting her weight on each foot, Macy regarded him shyly, fiddling with her purse pouch. "Do I look ok?" she asked hesitatingly.

Harry kissed her, and whispered in her ear, "You look simply magnificent." Macy beamed. "Dance?" he offered her his hand, and she took it, sweeping ever-so-elegantly onto the concrete floor, now covered by a hazelnut-hued temporary wooden dance surface.

10 pm, SafeSpace Prom

The evening was in full swing, and drinks were flowing aplenty. Maggie and Jordan, now relieved of their committee duties, proceeded to a dark corner of the bar to grab refreshments and catch up; they looked to be getting quite friendly with each other, Macy noticed. Macy thought Jordan was a good fit for Maggie's impetuous personality, with his loyal, solidly dependable personality and excellent work ethic. Mel had disappeared entirely some time ago, but nobody noticed due to the booming music, the crowds of people, and the sheer noise level (Swan dancing on a nearby table might have had something to do with it too).

Macy looked as if she'd had enough, and so had Harry, as he had additional plans for the evening. "How about post-prom in the Azores?" he whispered to her when nobody was looking. Macy acquiesced, and they walked out of the rowdy hall into an upstairs darkened conference room where they orbed out into the tropics.

10 pm PDT/5 am, Madalena, Epicenter Pico No. 23, Azores Islands

Macy and Harry landed in the entryway; the entire space was dark save for a bevy of tealights overhead. She silently counted them—there seemed to be over fifty—or sixty. Maybe even as many as a hundred? Wow, Harry sure decorated well for this post prom, Macy thought to herself. Just then, Harry reached over to a corner table for two wine glasses and a bottle of Muscadet. Pouring into both glasses, he offered Macy one, and she took it, sniffing the unique aroma. Macy took a tiny sip; she could taste the crisp and refreshing melon and grape notes, and a curious hint of plum, if she was not mistaken.

After doing so, Macy slowly examined the bottle, which read "2013 Château du Jaunay Muscadet Sèvre et Maine." She was genuinely intrigued at the lengths Harry went to procure décor and a vintage wine of this sort, all things considered. Muscadet was one of those "special occasion" offbeat, distinctive types of wines she had been meaning to try for awhile but never had the chance—until now. She slowly placed the bottle and the wineglass back on the small table, next to Harry's.

"Is there a reason you're serving seven-year-old Muscadet under fancy tealights in a condo in the Azores?" Macy turned to him, then gasped.

Harry was kneeling before her holding a tiny box that revealed a three-stone emerald cut Moissanite platinum ring. "Marcella Yesenia Vaughn, otherwise known as Macy, we have a legendary love that has lasted decades and surmounted death itself. You inspire me with your saucy wit, and you drive me wild with your beauty and charm. Will you do the honor of becoming my wife?"

Macy could feel tears prickling her eyes. "Yes," she whispered, then louder. "Yes. Yes!" she exclaimed excitedly as he stood up, kissed her, and placed the sparkling ring on her left ring finger. "Harry, it's gorgeous, it truly is," she breathed.

"The ring is platinum, three-stone moissanite," Harry said, "meaning that there were no labor laws violated vis-à-vis diamond mines and such." Macy understood what he meant, and eco-friendliness was something she valued in jewelry besides. "The smaller side stones signify the past and the future, and the larger center stone represents the present. Our present," Harry added. "Of course, one could also argue they symbolize the Power of Three, as you are one of the three Charmed Ones, and your relationship with your two sisters is extraordinarily close." Macy silently agreed, simultaneously laughing and crying, her tears spilling over onto her warm cheekbones. Turning the ring around, she noticed an inscription on its inside: "Amor Vincit Omnia."

"Love conquers all," Macy murmured.

"Yes, my darling. Love conquers all."