Persephone’s Curse

by Sandra Bats

  Elin and I wanted to have our wedding in the auditorium but not on the stage. Instead we’d be standing at the end of the aisle. Everybody already sat in the room, except for the few guys who volunteered for sentry duty. Cam, Jane and I came to stand at the end of the aisle. Jane grinned widely.

  “You ready?” she asked, while her eyes scanned the back of the hall.

  Kathy reappeared and took a seat. Maddy walked in, too. As Elin’s maid of honor, she stood opposite of Cam, leaving room for Elin to stand beside me. Then the door opened again.

  “Here she comes,” Camden murmured and gave me a pat on the shoulder.

  I turned to look and was breathless. Her dress — green for hope and luck — was stunning and yet so simple it didn’t take away from the essence that was Elin. Her eyes met mine and she smiled shyly. Everything around us, everything but her, fell away. I was no longer nervous. Yes, my heart raced like crazy, but that was because she was so gorgeous. I couldn’t contain the immature grin that forced its way onto my face. I wasn’t just happy. A marrow-deep sense of serenity settled within me. This was the best thing that had ever happened to me.

  Elin reached the front of the aisle. I took her hand in mine and leaned close to tell her she looked amazing. Grinning, she let me know I didn’t clean up too bad myself. Jane cleared her throat and we turned to face her. I was a bit reluctant to look away from my wife-to-be, and kept sneaking glances at her while Jane spoke.

  “We’re here because Elin and Jayden decided to share their lives with each other. They’ve asked us to celebrate this step with them and to witness their connection. Love is a beautiful thing and somehow, amidst the crazy lives we lead, they managed to find each other. They did something seemingly impossible. They looked past all the faults and mistakes that divided them and became friends. They fell in love. They fell head over heels for each other. At times it was annoying and disgusting to watch.”

  Jane paused and waited for the laughter and chuckles to die down. Elin was smirking as well when I looked over at her.

  “They may be young and may not have known each other for a long time, but they belong together. Most importantly, they fought for each other when times were tough. I think we should envy them. We should envy them for having met early enough to spend most of their lives together. We should envy them because committing to each other like this is true love.

  “Getting married means facing life together. To endure together, to share the load even when things get difficult. But it also means sharing the good, the fun and exciting times. I hope both of you will always have more of the good to share, but that you’ll know how to stick together through the bad if you must. Now, enough of my words. You two have prepared words for each other, so please, share them.”

  Elin smoothed her hands down her dress. The tips of her fingers shook, as did her voice.

  “Jayden, I never thought of love as something that was in the stars for me. I didn’t believe it for a second, especially not when you kept insisting that I should fall for you.”

  She gave me a soft smile before she continued talking.

  “You had enough faith in love for both of us. You never gave up on me, you never stopped believing in us. You taught me to trust not only in you, but in myself and you’ve become my best friend when I thought I could never rely on anyone else ever again. You’re my confidant and I love you so much I can’t imagine living a day without you.”

  She was sniffling a little and her eyes were wet. I reached out and tipped her face up just enough to kiss her. She smiled against my lips and I ignored everyone else. That was until Jane tapped my arm.

  “I haven’t said anything about kissing her yet.”

  “Do I look like I care?” I asked, pulling back from Elin.

  Jane rolled her eyes at me and I heard snickers from around the room. Yet, what stood out the most was Elin’s bright smile. The tender way she squeezed my hand. I took a deep breath to speak but hesitated. I’d spent days preparing my words but I’d almost forgotten them. I cleared my throat.

  “Elin, I might not be the smartest guy in the world. I like to pretend I’m always in control of everything, but I’m not.”

  I winked at her.

  “There are so many things I don’t control or understand, but there are a few that I know from the bottom of my heart. Sweetheart, I know that I love you with all that I am, and I’ll love you until the day I die. I know that the memories of moments before meeting you will always seem dull compared to those that came after. Life won’t always be easy. There’ll be times when giving up might seem the most feasible option. When fighting for us might not seem like the right thing to do anymore. I promise you that even if that day might come, I won’t back down. I won’t stop fighting for what we have. I won’t regret the decision I’m making here today for a second, because no matter how much I might mess up in the future, this is the single best decision I’ve ever made.”

  My voice shook a bit more than I’d expected. Elin had tears running down her cheeks. Unable to stop myself, I stole yet another kiss. When I pulled back I faced Jane with a smug smile on my lips.

  “Can’t you keep your hands off each other at least until I have you married?” Jane’s grin gave her away, though. “Elin, please repeat after me, using your full name.”

  Elin took a deep breath then spoke the words Jane prompted her to.

  “I, Elin Grace Danes, take you, Jayden Phineas Quinn,” — Jane had to prompt her on my middle name, it had never come up all these months — “to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; until death do us part.”

  Cam leaned past me and handed one of the rings over to Elin. Her hands shook as she spoke after Jane again.

  “Do you take this ring as a token of my everlasting love for you?”

  “I do,” I responded, trying my best to keep my voice steady and my hands from shaking as Elin effortlessly slid the ring on my finger.

  Jane turned towards me and I was supposed to talk after her.

  “I, Jayden Phineas Quinn —” there were a few snickers and giggles around the room. A grin tugged at Elin’s lips as well. I was never going to live that down. “— take you, Elin Grace Danes, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; until death do us part.”

  By the time Cam handed me the ring my hands were trembling. I knew it was just words, but this was Elin. This was as real as it was going to get. I held on tightly to the wedding band so I wouldn’t drop it.

  “Do you take this ring as a token of my everlasting love for you?”

  “I do,” Elin said, her words barely audible through her voice breaking.

  I carefully pushed the ring onto her finger. Struggled a little at first. Afterwards, I didn’t let go of her hand. Couldn’t have, even if I’d wanted to.

  “With all of us present to witness, I now declare you husband and wife,” Jane finally said. “You may now kiss the bride.”

  She didn’t need to tell me twice. I tugged Elin closer with my hands on her hips. I held her as near as possible when I finally kissed my wife. It sounded awesome in my head to call her that. Made me feel giddy inside and I lifted her off her feet a little. Her arms were around my neck and we got a little carried away. Cam had to clear his throat so I’d set her back down. I didn’t want to, but I had to let go of her because people wanted to congratulate us. Maddy snatched her away for a hug and then came to stand in front of me.

  “Welcome to the family,” she said.

  It was just that, combined with an awkward handshake. I thought it was about as much of a peace offering as I was ever going to get from her. Elin smiled when I threw her a confused look after her sister had stalked off.

  Jane gave me a hug and I leaned in to growl in her ear.

  “You’re gonna pay for that middle name
thing.”

  “Aww, you don’t like your middle name? I think it’s fun. I knew I was going to use it against you someday, right from the moment I saw it on your medical file.”

  “You’re evil to the core,” I said, shaking my head.

  Jane pretended she was very tough, but I knew for a fact that she loved weddings. With Abby gone, she was the closest thing to a sister I had. I’d never be able to hold a grudge against her. I was glad that somewhere between everything that had happened, we’d been able to return to being friends.

  Cam gave me a pat on the back.

  “So, congratulations!”

  I laughed. “Come on, just get it over with.”

  “I don’t know what you mean.” Cam grinned. “Ah fine, I do. I mean seriously, Phineas? How’d you wind up with that name? I’d never have told anybody about that, either.”

  ◆◆◆

  Kathy had outdone herself with dinner. The guys had shot two deer and she was incredibly excited about the feast she’d prepared for hours.

  “Ok, so this is a sage rosemary roast, and here we have bean potato quiche. Pea sprouts salad and bread,” she pointed out as she filled our plates.

  She was quite literally jumping with joy. At our table Josh elaborated on how good Kathy’s food was. It prompted Elin to smirk and then speak up.

  “Well, you know, you should go over there and tell her how much you love her food. She really likes it when people praise her cooking. Besides, she might get lonely sitting there, handing out the plates.”

  Josh surprisingly didn’t need much convincing. I brushed my fingers over Elin’s neck and then down her spine. I rested my hand against the small of her back and leaned in to whisper to her.

  “You little matchmaker. You know this is our wedding, not some scheme for you to set up Kathy and Josh, right?”

  “I’m not setting them up. I’m just giving them a gentle push in the right direction. And it would be such a cute story if they got together at our wedding, wouldn’t it?”

  I kissed her neck. “You’re quite the romantic, Mrs. Quinn.”

  She giggled. Her chair touched mine and I brushed my lips over hers. Still, it felt as if she wasn’t close enough. I pulled her into my lap as we lost ourselves in another ravenous kiss. Her hands framed my face when she pulled back and people whistled and told us to get a room.

  “This is my wedding day! What’s the point if I can’t make out with my wife? At least today!” I yelled in response. Calling her my wife made Elin’s face light up in the most adorable way.

  After dinner we pushed the tables aside and dimmed the lights. The cafeteria was transformed into a dance hall. I pulled Elin close as we stood a little off to the side. My arms were wrapped around her from behind, her back against my chest. Her heels made her too tall for me to rest my chin on her head, so I planted it on her shoulder. She turned in the circle of my arms and tilted her head back to kiss me. She grinned.

  “I really like these heels. I can finally kiss you without having to wait for you to bend down.”

  We kissed once more as someone started playing a violin.

  “Will you dance with me?” I asked courteously, but had already pulled her towards the middle of the room.

  I chuckled when Elin glanced around with a shocked look. Everybody was watching us. I flattened my hand against the small of her back and pulled her closer. We slowly moved in circles and I laughed.

  “Don’t worry about them.”

  “I can’t dance,” she hissed.

  “I think you’re mistaken, cause you’re already dancing. The secret is to just let me lead. You’ll be fine.”

  The song sped up and more people joined us. A few songs later, all the tension had fallen off her shoulders. I dared to mock her.

  “I could always get up there and sing your song.”

  “Don’t you dare! It’s embarrassing,” Elin objected.

  “Excuse me? I know you didn’t listen very well last time, but it’s not embarrassing. It’s about how brave you are.”

  “I didn’t mean the song. I mean me being the center of attention,” she clarified.

  “You’re the center of my attention on a daily basis, sweetheart. As I see it, you’re faring quite well.” I stopped dancing and pulled her with me. “Come on, I wanna show you something.”

  We passed by Kathy and Josh, who were dancing together, and then left the room.

  “Where are we going? We can’t just disappear from our own wedding celebration,” Elin asked.

  I led her up the stairs to the second floor. “Nobody will even notice we’re gone.”

  I stopped for a short kiss then walked towards the end of the hallway. I’d prepared a ladder there, leading up through the skylight and onto the roof.

  “You might wanna take your fancy shoes off. I don’t want you slipping on the ladder,” I suggested.

  Reluctantly Elin bent to slip out of the dainty sandals.

  “What are we doing?”

  “Just have a little confidence, sweetheart.” I motioned for her to climb up the ladder.

  I reached for the rung next to her leg and brushed my hand over her skin in the course of it. She stopped a second. Just long enough for me to climb up until my arms rested on either side of her hips. The ladder swayed a bit and Elin sucked her breath in.

  “Have I mentioned I’m not too comfortable with heights?” she asked as she climbed through the skylight, making room for me to join her.

  “I’ve got you,” I responded, holding my hand out for her. “Just don’t look down. Look at me. You’re not going to fall.”

  Her eyes rested on mine. “That is not very comforting coming from the guy who got impaled dropping off this roof.”

  She had a point. I laughed.

  “That was while it was raining. It’s perfectly dry, warm weather now. Come on, I won’t let you fall.”

  She held my hand and carefully followed me. I pulled her down to sit between my legs. She relaxed a little when I wrapped my arms around her, even leaned her back against my chest.

  “Look up,” I whispered.

  I could see her eyes brighten with euphoria when she saw the full moon and the stars. I’d actually only planned to whisk her away for a moment of privacy, but the sky had cleared up. It was a rare night, clearer than most. I kissed her shoulder. Elin stared at the sky in wonder and we sat in silence for a few minutes. Her fingers brushed along my wedding band. It already felt like it belonged on my finger.

  “So, I’ve been meaning to ask,” Elin broke the silence. “How come I’d never heard your middle name before?”

  I laughed freely. “Oh man, I’ve been waiting for you to bring that up. Though admittedly, I didn’t know yours either.” I kissed her temple. “It was my father’s name. Despite him leaving her as soon as he found out she was pregnant, my mother loved him and told my aunt that she wanted it to be my middle name. That’s all there is to it. What’s the story behind Grace?”

  “My grandmother’s name. Mom’s mom,” she answered. After a long silence, she whispered very quietly: “What do you think the future will bring?”

  “I don’t know,” I admitted. “Whatever comes, I’m glad we’ll face it together. That’s good enough for me.”

  “Me, too,” Elin sighed cheerfully, then turned her head to kiss me.

  “Are you happy?” I asked against her mouth.

  “Couldn’t be happier.”

  We didn’t speak after that, just enjoyed the calm of the night. When the air cooled and goose bumps crawled up Elin’s arms, she suggested heading back inside. We kissed once more, standing on the roof. I held her close so she wouldn’t worry about falling. She gave the cutest smile when she pulled back. I kissed the tip of her nose before turning towards the skylight. She grabbed my hand and asked me to not let go.

  “Not ever,” I responded, tugging her close to my side. “Especially not tonight.”

  We climbed back down and strolled towards the cafeteria holding han
ds. When she rounded the corner, Elin stopped abruptly and motioned towards the stairs. I squinted in the dim light and then saw what had stopped her. I could make out the shape of two people kissing. Elin pulled me towards the second set of stairs, leading down into the atrium.

  “Was that Kathy and Josh?” I asked.

  “Yes. See? It worked!”

  I rolled my eyes at her.

  She laughed when I called her a crazy matchmaker as we walked into the cafeteria. I made true on my promise and didn’t let go of her for the rest of the night. We danced and laughed and for the first time in weeks I felt completely carefree.

  Forty-Three

  Elin

  We waltzed back to our room a few hours later, still giddy and elated. I sneaked glances at my husband. The word still made me giggle with happiness.

  Before he opened the door to our room he asked me to close my eyes again and I did — though not without interrogating him about what he’d planned. I waited a moment, somehow feeling a little stupid standing in the hallway all alone with my eyes closed. Just as I thought about peeking a little, I heard the door open again and suddenly felt like I was falling. I squealed in shock, but then realized Jayden had swept me up in his arms.

  “All right, open your eyes.”

  When I blinked to take in my surroundings Jayden carried me over the threshold to our room. He set me down gently and locked the door. I took in the golden candlelight vividly dancing across the walls. In that light, Jayden’s hair looked golden; a stark contrast to his dark clothes. I loved how he had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. I wondered why it was that such small details could be so sexy.

  “So, handsome, what else do you have planned for tonight?” I whispered, trying — and likely failing — to sound sultry and seductive.

  “Just hanging out with my beautiful wife.”

  His smile was sheepish, and his voice just raspy enough that I noticed the effect I had on him. He lifted his hand to cradle my cheek and brushed his thumb over my lip, gently pulling it from between my teeth.