"Kara, just breathe. You're going to be fine."
Smoothing down her skirt, Kara took a cleansing breath and tried to calm herself. Her sister's hands rested on her shoulders, a steadying force that served to ground her in this moment of tumultuous emotions. Placing her hands on top of her sister's, Kara closed her eyes.
"Better?"
Nodding, Kara replied, "Yeah. Sorry I'm such a…blah"
"Kar, you're always kind of a blah. Why would today be any different?"
Blue eyes opening in a flash and mouth agape, Kara gasped. "Rude!"
That was met with a laugh. "Okay, probably, but it's also true."
Kara laughed in return, gently squeezing her sister's hands as she lay her head to one side and managed a sort of hug in the gesture. The meaning was definitely communicated.
"Hey, you aren't having second thoughts, are you?"
"What? Of course, not. Alex, I'm totally committed to this. I'm just...nervous I guess. My stomach is all topsy-turvy. Maybe I'm just hungry. Can I have a pizza?"
Pulling her hands free of her sister's, Alex walked behind Kara and adjusted the cape, making sure everything lay perfectly. "No, you cannot have a pizza. You need to get out there. J'onn will be here for you any moment. You don't have time."
"Alex, I can eat a whole pizza in less than two minutes. If I'm in a hurry, I bet I can do it in less than one."
"Kara, they still have to cook it."
"Oh...how about some potato chips?"
"Ugh." Stepping in front of her sister again, Alex replied, "Kara you don't have time to eat. You're just about to—" There was a knock on the door. Smiling, Alex said, "That would be J'onn."
Alex tried to step away, but Kara grabbed her wrist. "Alex, you'll be there the whole time?"
"Hey, I'll be write in front of you. I promise. I won't leave your side. Lucy is going to be there too, you know."
"Yeah, I know."
"Did you see Clark in his suit? He looks pretty spiff."
"I look better."
Alex smiled. "Yeah, you do. You look amazing. You got this."
"People are going to be watching me. A lot of people are going to be watching me. What if I fall on my face? What if I freeze up? This isn't like some fight I've had before, some enemy I've defeated. My entire future depends on this. What if I…?" Kara looked down at her hands. "Alex, I'm not making a mistake, am I?"
"Kara, that's not for me to answer. I know what I think, but what do you think? Put aside what the rest of the world says." Alex gently patted Kara just above the heart and said, "Use this. Do what you do better than anyone, Supergirl, and feel, believe, know in your heart-of hearts what's right. So, what's it going to be?"
A smile slowly spread across Kara's face. "You're right."
"You feel it, don't you?"
"Yeah. I've felt it for...I don't know how long." Grabbing Alex, Kara hugged her close. "Thank you, Alex. You're the best big sister this world could have given me."
"Oooof! Gentle, Kar." Alex laughed as she was released. "I'm so proud of you."
There was another knock on the door.
"Hold your horses!"
"What was that, Agent Danvers!?"
"I mean, on our way, Sir!" Smiling, Alex took her sister's hand. "Come on. Follow me."
Kara nodded, following Alex to the door. "Alex, when you—?"
"Yes, I wanted to throw up, Kara. I was terrified too."
Eyes wide, Kara stared at her sister. "You were?"
"Don't tell Maggie." Alex opened the door and J'onn stood there waiting.
J'onn's gaze skimmed across both women assessing them, gathering data, then it settled on Kara and his face changed. A gentleness that very few ever saw settled on his visage, and a smile set in. He stepped close, hands on her shoulders first, and then he drew her in for a hug. It was brief, and then he stepped back and laid a gentle kiss on her cheek.
J'onn's voice cracked just slightly when he spoke, a change of tone so slight it wasn't audible to humans but a Kryptonian heard it as he said, "You look so beautiful today, Kara. A father couldn't be prouder."
"Thank you." Kara's emotions played out in her voice more obviously.
"Kara, don't cry. You'll ruin your makeup." Alex said a tissue in hand as she dabbed under her sister's eyes. "Plus if you cry I'll cry, and then people will see me cry. What if J'onn cries?"
"I can't cry."
"That's not true," Alex countered. "If people see you smile that will be frightening enough. Come on, people. Let's at least try to make it through this with our dignity intact."
"No promises," Kara said as she stepped out behind her sister, taking J'onn's arm.
Lucy caught Alex's gaze, a question in her eye even before she asked, "She good?"
"Well, she's Kara," Alex replied as she walked a few steps closer to the diminutive major. "We had on minor panic attack, as expected, but she's ready. What about—?"
"Please." Lucy scoffed and held up her phone, screen facing Alex who squinted in an attempt to read the text from a distance. "You are now two minutes and thirty seconds behind schedule, thus says Maggie."
"And thirty seconds?" Alex asked, eyebrows high.
"She's translating for OCD with legs. Let's get this show on the road. See you at the open bar when this is all over?"
Alex smiled. "I'll race you."
Smiling but looking at her phone, Lucy sent two texts. Seconds later, music started.
Clutching to J'onn's arm, Kara tensed but instantly relaxed when J'onn's hand reached over and covered hers, smoothing away the tension with love and reassurance.
"You ready?" He asked.
Kara nodded, watching as Alex disappeared around the corner ahead of her. She turned to J'onn.
"Don't worry. I've done this before." He winked. "I know the way."
The runner was blue and Kara kept her head up but her eyes down watching Alex's feet in front of her on the blue path. The song was a reminder of home, something she had worked out for months with the composer to get right, something not heard on this planet before, and something that made this day perfect and tragic at the same time. Up ahead she saw when the two colors met, red and blue joining together perfectly and as she closed on that mark she saw her.
The body of Lena's dress was simple but elegant. It was a sheer gauze with lace that ran along the sleeves, which ended in stiff cuffs with white pearls, and the torso accenting her full bust. The lace continued down the top of the skirt. It was simple yet elegant and very much her. She wore her hair down, just two pieces pulled back in the front and braided to hang along the back. Her earrings were barely visible and the only other piece of jewelry she wore was her engagement ring, a diamond with an emerald on each side, a match for Kara's with a diamond with a sapphire on each side.
As they reached the altar area, J'onn kissed Kara's cheek and Winn kissed Lena's, stepping away so the women could stand next to each other. Lena looked at Kara, quirking an eyebrow.
"What?" Kara whispered, jaw tight as she tried to keep her voice low.
Lena replied, "Your dress." Unable to keep the smile off her face she added, "It has a cape."
Kara sighed and returned the smile. "It's tradition."
Her dress was simple. It was white with straight lines almost giving the image of a robe though it was definitely cut to the form of a woman's dress and showed her figure. The cape, however, was long and fell from her shoulders to the floor. It billowed when she walked, catching the air, and it was beautifully embroidered. As plain as the dress was, the cape made up for it.
Her smile growing, Kara's eyes moved from side to side and then she peeled back the edge of the cape where it lay on her shoulder to show Lena the House of El symbol embroidered, white on white, there.
Smiling back, Lena peeled back the cuff on her dress sleeve and the symbol was evident there also.
"Ahem."
Both women startled, turning and looked up to where Clark stood smiling down at them his head shaking slightly as they pulled out of their intimacy and returned to the moment at hand.
Looking out at the assembled crowd he said, "Friends, we have been invited here today to share with Kara and Lena a very important step in their journey. Today marks the passage where their paths unite. From this day on they will not just be two people. From this day on they will be a family unit. We have the rare privilege of witnessing this bond being forged. However, we know this isn't something that just happened today. They have grown together over the years, in good times and bad, triumph and adversity, victory and tragedy, but they are here today because hope and courage are stronger than doubt and fear. We are all here today because love is stronger than hate. Kara and Lena are stronger. Today, into this holy estate under the light, these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."
To Kara and Lena's sides there was motion. Both women looked to see what was happening. Both Alex and Lucy had stirred, reaching behind their backs in a way that failed to be casual. To Lena's side, Maggie took on a similar pose. Even Lois Lane, with whom Lena had struck up an odd friendship over the past two years that everyone but Kara dubbed unsettling, had taken a step forward to glare over the crowd. Several ushers had slid their hands behind their coats. J'onn and M'gann both concentrated, and Winn scanned through screens on his phone, nodding as he touched his earpiece.
Leaning into Kara slightly, Lena asked, "Darling, is everyone armed?"
Kara tilted her head slightly to the side. "Probably. I don't know if that means we have the best friends or the worst."
"They do know we hired security, don't they?"
"Alex dubbed them adequate."
"They ex-Special Ops and Navy Seals."
"Adequate," Kara repeated.
Lena nodded. "Well, now I understand why they needed so many extra fittings and adjustments to their dresses."
Clark motioned toward them, and Kara and Lena joined hands.
He spoke again, his voice reaching all in the hall. "In the...country where Kara was born, it's tradition that the couple recite a vow together at this point. Kara? Lena?"
Smiling and nodding at each other they said, "I am, you are, we are, stronger together."
This is a quote from 'The Guardian'
On Thursday the House of Representatives passed a cross-party bill after an unprecedented national postal survey gave unstoppable momentum to legislate the historic social reform.
Australia, which changed the law in 2004 to say that marriage is only between a man and a woman, now becomes the 25th country to recognize same-sex marriage.
The speaker of the House of Representatives, Tony Smith, declared the vote carried, since fewer than five MPs opposed it, triggering a standing ovation from the parliamentarians and public gallery.
Some broke into a rendition of the chorus of one of the country's many unofficial anthems: "I am, you are, we are Australian."
We've said we're not equal until we're all equal, and it's true. I know when part 3 of DOMA was repealed, I cried at my desk. A gesture as simple as, "Your country recognizes that you aren't a second-class citizen" is a life changing moment. Today lives have changed again as we're one step closer to equality. Thank you, Australia.
I've been following this issue very closely and communicating with a good friend over there. She and her wife were married in another country years back, so their marriage will be recognized in Australia this year. They won't have to wait until January of 2018 when so many other Australians will first have the chance to be married in their country. Congratulations to every LGBTQ+ reader here from Australia, and all of us who strive for equality for all of humanity. We have to stand together or we'll fall apart.