by Cara Malone
“Are you sure we’re talking about Ivy?” Darcy asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes,” Krys said stubbornly. “We are.”
“Wait there,” Darcy said. “I’ll get your door.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Krys objected, but Darcy hopped out and jogged around the front of the truck. Rather than obeying her wishes, Krys got out and was just closing her door when Darcy met her on the sidewalk. She shrugged and said, “I’m a modern woman – I can get my own doors.”
“I know you can,” Darcy said, a little consternated. “That’s not the point.”
She offered Krys her elbow and Krys took it. They walked down the street to the church, where the bells were ringing and a lot of people were already gathering inside. Krys’s stomach began to tingle with excitement, and she wasn’t sure if it had more to do with the feeling of her arm linked in Darcy’s, or the imminent wedding of two of her friends.
“There’s Chloe and Ivy,” Krys said as they scanned the pews. Beside them was Dr. Thomas and a man Krys didn’t recognize, tall and trim in an expensive-looking suit. Krys led Darcy over to sit beside them, waving to Ruby and Max when she spotted them on the opposite side of the aisle.
“Hey,” Chloe said as they sat down. “You two look nice.”
“I bet you didn’t know I owned anything other than scrubs,” Krys joked. She reintroduced Darcy to Chloe and Ivy, then leaned across them to introduce her to Dr. Thomas as well. “This is Lily – she’s Chloe’s supervisor-slash-mentor. And is that your date?”
Lily laughed, looked at the man beside her, and said, “That’s my brother, Jace.”
Before they could all properly introduce themselves, the organist took her seat at the front of the church and began to play the first few bars of the wedding march. The music echoed beautifully through the high ceilings and Krys was pleasantly surprised when Darcy pulled her hand onto her knee.
“I love weddings,” she whispered. “Especially when there are not one but two brides.”
“Are you a hopeless romantic?” Krys teased.
“I just might be,” Darcy said.
Everyone stood and Darcy didn’t let go of Krys’s hand. They all turned to the back of the church, where Megan and Alex both stood in their bridal gowns. Megan was wearing a traditional white ballgown. She had her hand tucked around her father’s arm and he walked her down the aisle first. Her orange-red hair was curled and it fell elegantly around her bare shoulders, and she kept stealing glances back at Alex and grinning at her like she couldn’t wait to join her again at the altar.
Then it was Alex’s turn. She was walking with her mom, wearing a simpler white cocktail dress that fell to her knees and had a soft lace sash around her waist. Krys leaned in to whisper to Darcy, “Her dad passed the year before she met Megan. They left an empty place at the front of the pews in his honor.”
Megan and Alex met at the front of the church and their parents joined their hands, and then the pastor motioned for everyone to sit as the organ music faded out.
“They’re beautiful,” Darcy whispered in Krys’s ear, and the nearness of her voice sent a shiver through Krys.
“We are gathered here today in the presence of family and friends to join Megan Callahan and Alex McHenry in holy matrimony,” the pastor said.
Darcy still had Krys’s hand squeezed tightly in her own and Krys couldn’t remember the last time her heart felt so full. Megan and Alex were staring into each other’s eyes as if there weren’t a hundred people watching them, and Krys was acutely aware of Darcy’s body next to hers, their thighs pressed together in the tight space. Her heart was beating like a drum and it felt so good to be here with Darcy, to feel like she belonged to someone instead of experiencing this beautiful moment alone.
Krys twined her fingers into Darcy’s, feeling equal parts excitement and fear at the way her heart was racing. It couldn’t be a tenth of what Megan and Alex were feeling up on that altar, but it was amazing nonetheless.
The pastor made his opening remarks, then invited people to a podium on the left side of the altar to do the selected readings. Megan’s dad had the first honor, then Chloe spoke. When it was Krys’s turn, she was reluctant to let go of Darcy’s hand and eager to continue that moment.
As she walked past Megan and Alex – both of them beaming with pride for each other – she smiled and said, “You both make beautiful brides. You look so happy and in love.”
It was probably Darcy’s fault for getting inside her head, but Krys was misty-eyed by the time she reached the podium. She turned to face the audience and immediately found Darcy in the crowd. She sat up tall and her dark eyes were locked on Krys, a slight smile turning up the corners of her lips.
Her reading was printed on the podium in front of her, but Krys didn’t need it. As she recited, she looked at Megan and Alex, and then at Darcy, alternating between them.
“Megan and Alex asked me to read an excerpt from The Art of Marriage by Wilferd Arlan Peterson,” she said, her voice amplified and echoing through the tall ceiling. “In the art of marriage, the little things are the big things. It is never being too old to hold hands. It is remembering to say I love you at least once each day...”
As she finished the poem, Krys saw Ivy take Chloe’s hand and kiss her fingers. She saw Megan’s parents beaming proudly at their daughter. She saw the pregnant couple she’d met at the rehearsal dinner – Ruby and Max – looking just about as misty-eyed as Darcy had made her.
“It is not only marrying the right partner. It is being the right partner,” Krys concluded. She made her way back up the aisle and Darcy’s eyes never left her, so Krys put a little extra sway in her hips as she walked.
Alex’s mom approached the podium next. As Krys slid into the pew, Darcy put her arm around Krys’s shoulder and said, “That was beautiful. You did a great job.”
Krys allowed herself to settle into Darcy’s side and when Alex’s mom finished her reading, the pastor took his place at the altar again. He asked Megan and Alex to join hands again as he prepared to marry them. They exchanged their vows, sliding matching gold bands onto each other’s fingers. Megan had tears streaking down her cheeks by the end of her vows, and Alex looked like she couldn’t have stopped smiling if she were offered a million dollars to frown.
“May these two women find happiness in their matrimony. May they live faithfully and remain compassionate to each other,” the pastor said. “May their years be rich and their days be long. Megan and Alex, by the power vested in me by God and the state of Illinois, I now pronounce you wife and wife. You may seal your marriage with a kiss.”
Megan pulled Alex dramatically forward, scooping her into a deep embrace. The entire church erupted in cheers for the newlyweds and Krys and Darcy stood with everyone else. Darcy slid her arm around Krys’s waist and it felt just right to snuggle up against her while they clapped for Megan and Alex.
12
Darcy
The reception took place in a hotel ballroom just a few blocks from the church. While Megan and Alex were taking their wedding photographs, Darcy and Krys went outside and meandered toward the hotel on foot.
“The ceremony was beautiful,” she said. “I’d love to have one just like it someday.”
“A big church wedding?” Krys asked. “You are a romantic.”
“I don’t know,” Darcy said, pondering the subject. “I guess I’d change a few details – maybe something outdoors, with a good view and lots of flowers. But I love how passionate Megan and Alex are about each other – I haven’t even met them yet and I could tell how in love they are from across the room. I want that.”
“I do, too,” Krys said, surprising Darcy. “If I ever find the time for all of it.”
“When you love someone, you make time,” Darcy said. She had her hand linked in Krys’s and she was swinging it between them as they walked. Most of the other guests had opted to walk the three blocks to the hotel because it was such a nice afternoon, but it stil
l managed to feel like she and Krys were the only two people on the sidewalk.
“I’m glad you asked me to come today,” Darcy said. “Even if your friends did twist your arm.”
“They didn’t twist that hard,” Krys admitted, keeping her eyes on the pavement. “How’s your leg holding up? We’re still about a block away.”
“It’s doing just fine,” Darcy said. In truth, it was beginning to hurt just a little bit – she’d lost track of how beneficial the cane was to take some of the pressure off her bad leg. But she wasn’t about to go back to the truck and fetch it now.
When they got to the hotel, they found the ballroom decorated in Megan and Alex’s wedding colors – blush pink and rich navy that gave the room a soft, romantic vibe. There were about a dozen round tables covered in white linens, a dance floor at the front of the room and a bar at the back.
“Should we get a drink?” Darcy asked.
“Sure,” Krys said, so they went to the bar and Darcy ordered a couple glasses of white wine to tide them over until the meal began. Lily and her brother were the first faces that Darcy noticed and Krys waved them over.
“I didn’t know you were friends with Megan and Alex,” she said as they ordered drinks. “How did that happen?”
“It didn’t, really,” Lily said with a laugh. “But you know Chloe – she wants everyone to be friends, and if we’re being honest, I think she’s going to try to set me up with someone tonight. She can’t stand that I’m single.”
Krys laughed and rolled her eyes. “That sounds familiar. She’s a prolific matchmaker.”
“Did she set you two up?” Lily asked, looking to Darcy.
“No,” Darcy said, “but if I understand correctly, she is at least partially to thank for my invitation tonight, too.”
“We’ll have to find an extra special way of thanking her for that,” Lily said with a laugh as she spotted Ivy and Chloe coming through the door and waved them over. All six of them found a table and sat down together to await the blushing brides.
Darcy and Krys were at the bottom of their wine glasses by the time Megan and Alex arrived and everyone stood to applaud them. They danced their way across the room to the wedding party’s table, and then Megan cupped her hands around her mouth to shout, “Let the party begin!”
The meal was served buffet-style and the food was provided by the mother of one of the brides’ best friend, Ruby. It was an impressive spread and Darcy found her attentions torn between the meal, Krys, and the other people sharing their table. Krys’s friends were sweet girls and they seemed to be taking a genuine interest in her budding relationship with Darcy. It was a little strange to be under the microscope so completely, but Darcy welcomed it if it meant getting closer to Krys.
They all ate and tapped their butter knives against the glasses obnoxiously frequently to make Alex and Megan kiss, and Darcy had a good time getting to know Krys’s friends. Chloe made good on her attempt to hook poor Lily up, whose cheeks turned pink as she shook her head at every girl Chloe pointed out to her.
“What about Alex’s friend from EMT school, Sarah?” she asked, pointing to a cute, curvy girl a couple tables away.
“She’s a baby,” Lily said. “I must be at least fifteen years older than her.”
“Okay,” Chloe said, not backing down from the challenge, “what about the brunette at the bar? She looks like she could be queer – if you’re interested, I’ll go chat her up and find out.”
“Chloe, stop,” Lily begged, although she was laughing as she said it. “I’m perfectly happy being the lame almost-forty-year-old who brings her brother to weddings.”
“Hey, I didn’t come to a pity party - I’m just here for the free booze,” her brother said. “Anyone want another?”
They all took him up on the offer and the poor guy wandered over to the bar with a full drink order in his head. Then Megan and Alex came around to their table, hugging everyone and thanking them for coming.
When it was Darcy’s turn, she gave them each an awkward hug and explained, “I’m Krys’s plus one. Thank you for having me – the ceremony was absolutely beautiful.”
“Thank you,” Megan said. She’d cleaned up well after bawling her way through most of the ceremony and she glanced at Krys as she said, “We’re really happy to have you, Darcy. Krys has told us a lot about you.”
“She has?”
“Well, no,” Megan admitted. “But what little we’ve been able to squeeze out of her has all been good.”
The brides didn’t stay at their table too long – they had to make the rounds to see the rest of their guests – and Darcy settled back in her chair as they left, putting her arm around Krys again. “So, you’ve been talking about me, huh?”
“You heard her – only what they were able to torture out of me,” Krys said with a grin.
Jace came back with a whole tray full of drinks, looking as if he’d been wrangled into serving as one of the wait staff. He passed out everyone’s drink order, then returned the tray to the bar. Chloe and Ivy talked for a little while about how they were settling into their apartment, and when the conversation shifted to their respective internships in pediatrics and surgery, Darcy caught Krys checking her pager.
“Are you on call?” she asked.
Krys looked guilty as she slipped the pager back into her small purse. “No, I’m sorry. It’s a bad habit – I start to feel antsy wondering what I’m missing at the hospital.”
“You’re missing me right now,” Darcy said. “Do you want to dance?”
“Can you?” Krys asked, looking at Darcy’s thigh partially tucked beneath the tablecloth.
“I can do whatever I want, babe,” Darcy said, not missing the opportunity to poke a little fun at Krys for the nickname she’d given her earlier. She stood and held out her hand for Krys, then walked her onto the dance floor where a few other couples were slow dancing to the relaxed, classical music that had been playing throughout dinner.
Krys put her wrists on Darcy’s shoulders and Darcy slid her hands onto Krys’s hips. The fabric of her dress was thin and silky, and she could feel the heat of her body through it. She pulled Krys a little closer as they began to slowly turn together.
“Are you having a good time?”
“Absolutely,” Krys said. “Are you?”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” Darcy said.
They turned in slow circles for a minute and Darcy let everything in the world fade away – even the dull ache building in her thigh. She had a couple of Tylenol in her pocket just in case, and the pain wasn’t quite that bad yet, but if Krys turned out to be a dance floor kind of girl, she would take them.
None of it mattered, though, because this moment was worth it.
“What do you think of my friends?” Krys asked.
“I like them,” Darcy said. “And I can see why you do, too.”
“They’re alright,” Krys said, laughing and adding, “You can borrow them anytime you like.”
“They wouldn’t be of any interest to me without you as part of the package,” Darcy said. She slid her arms tighter around Krys’s waist and the space between their bodies narrowed. She could practically feel Krys’s heartbeat, and she could definitely feel the heat of Krys’s breath on her neck. It made the butterflies in her stomach go wild and she impulsively drew her into a kiss.
When the song ended, the DJ cut in and announced that it was time for the cake cutting. Krys and Darcy went back to their seats and Darcy enjoyed watching her blush as her friends all gave her knowing looks – we saw that kiss.
They watched Megan and Alex cut into a beautiful, three-tier wedding cake. As Alex shot Megan a stern glare and Megan smashed a little piece of cake into her lips anyway, Darcy leaned forward in her chair to whisper to Krys. Her lips grazed Krys’s ear as she said, “Do you want to go outside and get a little air with me?”
“Sure,” Krys said. They waited until Megan and Alex passed off the cake server to Ruby’s mom,
then quietly slipped out of the ballroom.
It was dark outside and the air was beginning to cool off. A few stars were visible in the sky and the moment they were alone, Darcy grabbed Krys around the waist and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“I’m having a great time with you,” she said. “And I don’t just mean at the wedding.”
“I am, too,” Krys said, twisting around in Darcy’s arms to face her.
“How drunk are you?” Darcy asked.
“Not terribly,” Krys said. “What about you?”
“Pleasantly tipsy,” Darcy said. “But how about we switch to water when we go back inside?”
“Why?” Krys asked with a frown. “I thought you were having a good time.”
“I am," Darcy said, planting a soft kiss on Krys’s lips. "I just want to make sure that when I give you a goodnight kiss at the end of the evening, I can make it one to remember.”
13
Krys
It was past ten o’clock by the time Megan and Alex left the reception to go upstairs to their honeymoon suite in the hotel, and it was about that time that the excitement of the day started to catch up to Krys. She let out a yawn and checked the time on her phone.
Darcy saw it and asked with a frown, “Do you want me to take you home?”
Krys looked around the ballroom. A lot of people had already begun to trickle out, leaving right behind the brides. Chloe and Ivy were standing on the opposite side of the room, chatting with the cute, very pregnant couple that had driven from Ohio to be here and who looked just about as exhausted as Krys felt. Lily and her brother had left when the dancing began and Krys wondered if any of that had to do with Chloe’s insistence on playing matchmaker.
“I guess we ought to call it a night,” she said reluctantly. “I’ve got an early shift tomorrow - I have to be at the hospital in seven hours.”
Darcy stood and held out her arm. Krys took her elbow and they waved goodbye to the people they knew, then headed outside. There was a cool, welcome breeze that perked Krys up a bit as they walked toward Darcy’s truck.