Jim's hands sweated so badly he was afraid to keep wiping them on his pants.
"It's okay to be nervous," Barbara said as she took Jim's arm outside Blinky's house. She wore her good white blouse and a white floor-length skirt with white heels. No glasses. Walter's wedding band hugged a finger on her right hand so she wouldn't lose it. She'd let her hair down, for once, and Nari had braided tiny flowers into it. A white lily perched above one diamond studded ear. "Not many kids give their mom away at her wedding—and have to be their stepdad's best man on top of it."
"I don't know why I'm such a wreck," Jim said. "You should be the nervous one."
Barbara's smile could have lit the whole of Trollmarket. "I've never been surer of anything in my life, kiddo—well, other than being glad I had you." She kissed him on the cheek.
"I already gave you away once, you know. The day Claire, Blinky, Nomura, and me left Arcadia Oaks to get the trolls to the Heartstone in New Jersey. Mr. Strick—Walter was standing beside you. You took my hand and didn't want to let go. That was the first time I realized how much Walter loved you, and that you'd be safe with him. He and I exchanged a silent understanding. I let go of your hand, and he took it."
Barbara hugged him. "I can't say how much it means to have you both with me. I've almost lost you more than once, and then I did lose Walt. But you both came back to me."
"And I'm not leaving again," Jim said.
"Don't make promises you can't keep." Barbara brushed a stray piece of lint from Jim's suit sleeve—one of Walter's, resized courtesy of Douxie. "You're still the Trollhunter. I'm not naïve enough to think this is the end of your adventures—or mine and Walt's." She hid a smirk, but with fifteen years gone, instead of looking sly, she looked like a kid who'd just gotten away with something.
"Okay, what're you hiding?" Jim said.
Barbara patted his arm. "Can't let your mom keep a secret for once?"
"I guess. But I'm making that my wedding present."
"Fair enough."
Douxie slipped out Blinky's front door and shut it silently. He'd changed from his usual black hoodie, black pants, and high tops into something reminiscent of his medieval attire, from his days with Merlin in Camelot. "Ready?"
"Never been readier," said Barbara.
Douxie activated his bracelet and selected a spell. With the flick of a finger, intricate, golden patterns of leaves, vines, and flowers flowed across Barbara's blouse and skirt. If Jim hadn't known better, he'd have sworn the accents were alive. "Everyone's waiting."
Barbara traced one golden line down her sleeve. "This is beautiful," she whispered. "Thank you."
Douxie bowed at the waist. "It's my pleasure." He opened Blinky's door.
Ahead of Jim and Barbara walked Claire, as Barbara's Maid of Honor, and ahead of Claire walked Nari. A trail of wildflower-dotted grass spread before her all the way to the front, where Blinky and Walter waited. The furniture had been moved elsewhere to make room.
Jim would have paid Mary to snap a few pictures of the look on Walter's face. Thankfully, Krel and Eli were recording everything.
Friends and family stood in ordered rows. Most wore everyday clothes due to having little else at the moment. The only ones dressed formally were Jim and Claire, Walter and Barbara, and Aja and Krel.
From another room wafted the smell of Stuart's cooking.
Jim's stomach growled, and his mom hid a smirk as she started down the aisle, eyes never straying from Walter.
Thanks to Nari, all around the room grew flowers of all kinds in shades of blue and purple. It was like walking through an indoor garden.
From the floor sprouted chairs made of vines, and when Jim and Barbara reached the front of the room, everyone sat.
Blinky fussed over a thin stack of papers before making exasperated sounds and tossing the papers aside. "Since neither bride nor groom expressed preference for either a human ceremony or a troll one, I made this a bit of both. Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"
"She gives herself," said Barbara.
"With the blessing of her son," Jim completed the response and stood with Walter.
From behind his back, Blinky withdrew a glowing amber crystal. "This is perhaps the last remaining fragment of what the Heartstone used to be. But this particular piece holds special meaning for the both of you."
Jim recalled the incident perfectly.
Blinky continued. "Once, Vendel used it to separate you when a bonding spell went wrong. But tonight, in accordance with Troll tradition, it will testify to your unity." Blinky held the Heartstone piece between Barbara and Walter. "Will each of you place one hand on the crystal?" When they'd done as asked, Blinky gave a short recitation in Trollish before translating. "Tonight, we bind as one two beings. To meld stone with stone requires forces of greater magnitude than many can withstand. These two have undergone tests that would have broken others. Instead, they stand before us, committed to their union."
Blinky muttered another Trollish phrase over the Heartstone piece, and it glowed, making Barbara's and Walter's hands appear to be an extension of the stone instead of independent entities. "In accordance with human tradition, we will hear the exchange of vows."
Barbara began. "You aren't the same man I met three years ago. Good thing too, because we wouldn't be standing here if you were."
The guests chuckled.
"I never thought I'd be glad to see this piece of Heartstone again, but I am. I'll never forget that night you consented to break the binding spell. You could have let me die. But you didn't. I pretended not to hear as you took my pain—pretended not to care that someone else had chosen to suffer for my sake. We've had our ups and downs. We've parted and been reunited, but I never want our ways to part again."
Silence settled, so full of history Jim wanted to pull memories from the charged air.
In the front row, Toby sat between Darcie and Nana. Like many others, he watched with rapt attention. Beside Nana sat Varvatos, in human form, to better fit in his chair.
Across the aisle, Claire's parents dabbed wet eyes, as did Coach Lawrence, one row back. His new leg looked much like the old one, only solid blue-gray and much sturdier.
Six of Steve and Aja's seven kids seemed content to watch the ceremony, and Daja and Waja bounced in Steve's arms with excitement as they pointed to the moving designs on Barbara's dress. Eli Jr. seemed more interested in finding the food, and Coach Lawrence had to keep him from bolting for the other room at least four times.
NotEnrique sat beside Nomura, who held a softly purring Gabriel. He tried to hide it, but NotEnrique was crying just as much as Claire's parents.
"I never deserved to meet you," Walter said, "never deserved a second chance, nor a third. But here I stand, having received the world. Never could I have dreamed this. I fell in love with you during a war, and though that war ended, I never stopped loving you. I never will."
With two hands, Blinky held the crystal aloft, and with the other two he covered Barbara's and Walter's hands. Another brief Trollish recitation followed with a translation. "As the Heartstone gives life to all under its protection, so it now offers the first blessing upon this union." He continued with the traditional vows Jim had heard many times. "Do you, Barbara Elizabeth Lake, take this man to be your husband? Do you promise to be faithful to him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and to honor him all the days of your life?"
Barbara almost cut off Blinky's last words she replied so quickly. "I do."
"And do you, Walter Gareth Strickler, take this woman to be your wife? Do you promise to be faithful to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and to honor her all the days of your life?"
"Now and forever, yes."
"Then we will commence with another human tradition, the exchanging of rings." Blinky withdrew the Heartstone piece.
This time, Walter was first to act. He slipped Barbara's wedding band from his little finger and put it in its place before snugging her engagement ring atop it.
Barbara slipped on Walter's ring.
"I pronounce this union forged. If you must engage in the barbaric human practice of kissing, please be quick about."
When the two shared their first kiss as husband and wife, Blinky covered all six eyes, making Jim and the rest of the human and Akiridion guests laugh, and all gathered raised a room-rattling cheer.
Barbara took Walter's arm and held out a hand to Jim. "No woman could ask for two more amazing men."
Jim accepted Walter's silent nod of respect and returned it.
Stuart popped out of an adjoining room. "Who's hungry?"