Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
The rest of the yard was beautiful too, rain and all. Dozens of flameless candles in a rainbow of colors lined a path to the arch, which was swathed in swirls of rainbow tulle. The strands of battery-operated twinkle lights we’d woven into the airy fabric made the whole thing look ethereal and dreamlike.
Lucky said, “Everyone did a great job,” and I nodded. I was really proud of what all of us had accomplished to not just salvage our friends’ wedding day, but to make it so special.
We backtracked and knocked on JoJo’s door, and her friend called, “Come in, unless you’re Yolanda. That girl needs to be patient and not ruin the surprise!”
When I told them it was us, JoJo shouted, “Get in here, fam!”
The moment I opened the door and saw JoJo standing in front of her full-length mirror, I started to tear up and whispered, “Oh, JoJo, you’re just absolutely beautiful.” Her hair was in loose curls, and she wore a garland of tiny, dark red roses like a headband, with its long, red ribbons streaming down her back. Her lipstick, nail polish, and pumps were the same shade of red, and her white dress was perfection. The style made me think of the 1950s with its fitted, short-sleeved bodice that flared out to a full, mid-calf length skirt. My favorite part was the hundreds of tiny, sparkling, clear glass beads. They covered the bodice and looked like they were spilling down onto the skirt, with a heavier concentration at the top that gradually thinned out to a light sprinkling toward the hem.
I gave her a half-hug with the baby on my hip, and she laughed and said, “I swear to god, Logan, don’t you make me cry! My makeup’s waterproof, but I don’t want puffy, red eyes on my wedding day.”
“Nope, no tears allowed,” I said, as I smiled at her. “You really are a vision, though.”
“Thanks, love. So tell me, how’s my Yolanda holding up?”
“She misses you and wants to marry you like, ten minutes ago.”
“Same. We’re close though, right? I heard some of our guests arriving.”
I confirmed that a lot of people were here, and her friend told her, “It’s starting in just a matter of minutes, sweetie.” Muriel was a tall Black woman who also happened to be trans. She was trying on a wide-brimmed hat over her long braids, and she turned to JoJo and asked, “How about this one? It seems like a better idea than holding an umbrella during the ceremony.” JoJo told her it was perfect.
I asked, “Do either of you need anything?” When they both told me they were all set, I said, “Okay, we’ll see you out there.” I kissed JoJo’s cheek, and she gave me a radiant smile.
We picked up a large, red umbrella on our way out the back door, which the baby thought was pretty fascinating. Then the three of us huddled together under it near the back of the crowd—just in case Owen started fussing during the ceremony and we had to make a quick retreat. When we turned on the flashlight and it lit up our umbrella, we became part of the magic.
I leaned against Lucky as he said, “You know, the last wedding I went to was my cousin Enrique’s, which cost an absolute fortune. This wedding is nicer by far.”
“I believe it. Also, why would anyone spend tons of money on a wedding?”
He shrugged. “A lot of people use it as an excuse to flaunt their success.”
“That’s just weird to me. When I get married, I want it to be just like this—simple, beautiful, and all about love.”
Lucky grinned and said, “Noted,” which made me grin, too.
Over the next few minutes, all the guests filtered outside—except for Yolanda’s high maintenance mom, aunt, and cousins, who decided to watch from the upstairs windows to protect their blowouts.
The sky was dark gray and a steady drizzle was coming down, but this still felt like a fairytale. Owen was watching everything with wide eyes and a fascinated expression, and Lucky felt warm and solid at my side. I liked it when he slid his hand around my waist and held me securely.
A hush fell over the crowd. A few moments later, five members of the Greater Bay Area Lesbian Chorus filtered out the back door and made their way down the aisle. They were dressed in dark red choir robes and singing a gorgeous a cappella version of Mary Lambert’s “She Keeps Me Warm,” which was so perfect.
The singers gathered to the left of the arch and finished that song before launching into Etta James’ “At Last.” Yolanda stepped out the back door and started laughing when some of her friends whistled and cat-called. She strolled down the aisle in her sparkly sneakers, seeming totally oblivious to the rain, and high-fived Muriel before taking her place beside her.