EPILOGUE, PART 2
Brook and I were to wait on opposite sides of the deck, behind curtains of flowers, which would be pulled aside simultaneously when the moment came. There would be no traditional aisle; instead, we would meet in the middle before our guests, their rows undivided—whole.
Soon I stood behind my pink-and-white-flower curtain, waiting for it to reveal Brook to me.
And then it did.
I couldn't see past Brook. My eyes found her and stayed where they belonged.
Linked braids formed her a crown of her own. Brook's was a far tighter gown, but it spread out at the shoulders—a cape-like, regal feature—so that it seemed fuller.
Music played, but I heard only the buzzing of flies. Just as it had been on the day Brook proposed, the sun was high in the sky.
Amid gasps and exclamations, we glided toward each other.
My crown sent spears of light in every direction. It shimmered around us, set off the sparkling of my gown, and seemed to blur everything and everyone else away. Or maybe that was Brook's power alone.
As we halted, face to face, Brook didn't faint the way Nate had predicted, but she did look as breathless as I felt.
A woman's voice rose above the others. "What an effect! Marcela always does well. My son hasn't even got a fiancée yet, but I'll have to hire her in advance." It must've been a relative of Annette's.
Olivia was the very grumpy wedding officiant. Unlucky enough to have a license, she had tried to worm out of her duty by claiming she would have a family obligation on the date we had set.
"Of course we can change the day," I had replied.
She'd looked grumpier than ever at being accommodated.
Now, as Brook and I parroted her when prompted, I was surprised to see Olivia wiping her eye—well, jamming a knuckle into it almost to the point of rupture. For that, she would get a ferocious peck from me later.
Brook appeared overwhelmed at the pearl I presented, but I thought I was hallucinating when she in turn presented me with a pure sea-green ring that sang of my first home.
How on Earth would I ever thank Lefi?
After the final words were said, we kissed, and I was barely aware of the guests cheering. It sounded a bit like rain did when you were inside...or underwater, but close to the surface.
And then...the noises changed. Brook and I finally parted to search for the source.
In a mix of confusion and wonder, our guests were now focused on the four forms ascending to gaze down at us from their watery thrones. Their cascading dresses made use of brilliant crystals, gems, and pearls. Smiling to Brook and me, my sisters nodded their heads in a united bow. Their crowns briefly appeared, flashing.
I glanced at the gaping onlookers and saw that my subject, Sanic, had fainted.
As my sisters descended out of sight—Brook and I waving—I thought everyone would rush to the edge to watch them disappear, but they sat stunned (except for Sanic, who had woken only to faint again).
I blinked away tears as a colorful glow curved up from below, all the way to the other side fo the ship.
It was a rainbow.
The celebrations led late into the night. There was music, dancing, a massive floating cake, and I didn't fall even once. I'd gotten used to being earthbound.
I first thanked my recovered subject for coming. His pregnant partner was beside him—a lovely woman named Imona.
The couple stooped, keeping themselves bent at the waist.
"No need," I said, "just sit and I'll stand and we can say you bowed the whole time."
Obeying, they laughed in relief.
"Shall I confirm that all is well?" I asked, gesturing at Imona's belly.
"Yes, please!" Imona said.
"We'd be honored if our child had your blessing," Sanic added, while Imona dabbed at his eyes.
I touched my hand to the bump and closed my eyes. Wherever you go, may happiness follow. I opened my eyes. "She's strong, and she'll be healthy."
"Oh, she likes you," Imona said, surprised. "She's kicking up a storm."
"Calm, little one," I said.
"She stopped! Can you teach me how to do that?"
I laughed. "I'm afraid not. Please honor me and enjoy yourselves."
Brook, hands in her pockets, was speaking to extended family. Her eyes searched for me and found their mark. I went to my wife.
She closed her eyes as I leaned into her. There was the flash of a photograph being taken, and I knew that would be another favorite.
At the enormous dessert tables, I jabbed a finger at different fruits, naming each one in rapid succession. While nearby guests were bemused, the house staff clapped. I made sure to dance with every single one of them at least twice.
When the night was almost over, I held Nate and Victoria tight.
"See you soon," I assured Roppo, petting his fluff. "Who's the best? You!"
And that was when Nate rolled out his gift: my very own fly machine. "Remember how I said it had a partner, too?" he said. "Well..."
Victoria and Annette worked quickly, attaching my board to Brook's—the two parts lighting up as they became one.
I detached the cape from Brook's shoulders, and as the hoots and whistles rose, she pulled off my skirts to reveal the far more manageable trousers underneath, made of sheer crystalline material.
We flew toward the stars, trailed by cheers and congratulations.
Brook told me the ship wasn't far from our destination.
"How will I know we're close?" I asked.
Explosions of color burst in the sky with pops and bangs. Brook smiled, watching me watch the fireworks.
"By those," she said.
She turned my face to hers, and our lips met as we headed to our future.
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