Two days later Erik woke up at dawn as usual, staring out at the gray sky. He had an idea - a wild and reckless idea, but it wouldn't leave his head since the day he met Nikola. As he waited for Alina to wake up, he bounced between "yes" and "absolutely not" about several dozen times; his mind was so tired from running in circles for two days that he barely had any common sense left to judge if the idea was really good or really bad.
It was up to someone else to test it, now.
"I remember you once said Amelija didn't want you to get married without her", Erik commented, looking at the ceiling as his fingers continued messing up Alina's hair. "It's something of a pity that she's leaving tomorrow, in that regard."
"It is, now that you say it", Alina replied, frowning in confusion. "Where is this going?"
"Nowhere, I'm thinking out loud."
"I see, well, unless you want to wait until she comes to visit again- which might be God knows when- she'll have to accept it."
"Does it bother you? That she will not be here?" he asked carefully.
"A little."
Erik's fingers never stopped their rhythmic movements up and down her back when he whispered, "we could do it today."
Alina sat up with lightning speed, looking at him wide-eyed.
"We don't have to", he managed.
Alina closed her eyes, sighed, then opened them to stare him down again. He felt like a butterfly pinned under a lupe, and frankly he wasn't having it. He cleared his throat. "I don't think I deserve this kind of treatment. You could have just refused."
"You went from let's never get married to let's get married immediately with remarkable speed", she replied, lifting an eyebrow at him.
"I am often like that, I'm told", he sighed, grabbing his covers and starting to turn around. "It's fine; it was a stupid idea. Forget I said anything. It's not something we should do on a whim."
Alina shook her head, frowning. "How would that even work? How would we organize it in a single day?"
"Well, one can get married whenever. You need only go and request that you get married, and sign your name. Well, you need witnesses, but we do have them, we'd just have to ask." Erik sighed. "I asked Jack about it, back when we were getting our citizenship."
"But that's only the paperwork. I meant the whole wedding!" Alina hissed. "It's not something I could do in a day!"
Now it was Erik's turn to sit up in distress. "Pardon me? What kind of wedding were you expecting? I don't want to go to an actual wedding, much less mine. Don't you have dozens of relatives? I was hoping to do it this way - with only a few people - today or not today."
"I- alright, yes, I expected that." Alina leaned her head on her hand, thinking. "Alright, so a legal marriage is easily done. I think a church ceremony would- might- be more problematic. We need to talk about that."
"I- oh", he sighed. "I- that might be a problem, yes. I think I was properly baptized, I'm not sure- but that was my last real encounter with the Catholic church. We'd have to find someone, uh, liberal enough to marry us like this. If that's what you want."
"I- what do you want?"
"I don't care about any church. I'm not going to take any sacraments. If you want to, or have to get married there, I'll do it for you- well, within reason. I'm not about to become a devout Catholic; I don't think I could, even if I wanted to."
"That doesn't matter", Alina trailed off, thoughtful. "I don't care if the Church considers you one of us or not. If we find a priest, great, if not, I'll let it go and think of something. I just wanted to take a moment to thank God on a day like this."
Erik looked at her for a moment, trying to process that last part with dignity. "I'm certain this insane land has someone who would marry us on the spot."
"Probably, yes."
Alina shifted awkwardly.
"This probably sounds stupid and frivolous, but I don't have a wedding dress."
"I don't think that's mandatory?" Erik asked.
Alina kept her wits about her for a full second before her shoulders started shaking and she started giggling. "No, I just want a pretty dress."
"Could you get one today?"
"Not if I have it sewn. If it's already made, and I'm lucky enough, I could buy a dress in one day.Probably not a wedding dress. But a dress. But I'm fairly tall, and unlikely to find something that fits me without any alterations."
"I… understand", Erik said. He didn't- he was fully prepared to get married in whatever he chose to throw on that day; but he didn't want to say anything just in case this was only an excuse for something deeper.
"Listen to me", Alina suddenly grabbed both his hands. "This is insane. I've never wanted to do something so reckless and rash so badly in my entire life."
"I find that hard to believe."
"We're talking about getting married in a single day! It's not something that happens to you twice in your life! Are you certain you haven't put some spell on me?"
"I didn't think it would happen to me once, to be fair", he shrugged. "I'm not going to force it. We'll do it when you're ready."
"I am ready right this minute!" Alina looked at him with a slightly manic smile that was at the same time very amusing and uncomfortable to watch. "You suggested it! Are you backing down now?"
"Absolutely not."
"Let's do it!"
"And your dress?" he asked carefully.
"I'll think of something! I'll ask Amelija what we can do, I'll make do with the clothes I have- she did give me those old earrings, mama, it's like you knew- hah!" she laughed. "I will count it as debt. You owe me a beautiful dress and an occasion. For today, I'll think of something and it will be great in the end, I'm sure."
"A dress and an occasion. I'll remember it." he looked around, then back at her, and in the dim light behind the curtains his oddly colored eyes shone at her. "This is really happening, isn't it? You're really agreeing to marry me? Today?"
"I'm quite sure it's all real", Alina leaned in. Her whisper sounded positively conspiratorial.
Erik's grip on her hands tightened. "We're getting married. Today. Forever."
"Forever." Alina whispered back. "But we do have to hurry. The ceremonies can only be held before three in the afternoon. We have to take care of everything until then."
"...oh." Erik's voice faltered. "So we have to find a church with a forgiving-enough priest in… seven hours?"
"And clothes, and inviting people, and several other minor things."
"Wedding rings."
"Rings, damnit!" Alina cursed. "I forgot about that! Could we just buy them on the way there?"
"Don't worry about that", Erik kissed her forehead and turned to get dressed. "I'll take care of it. Go do whatever you need to do."
"Of all the… ideas you've had, this is certainly an… idea", Amelija managed, staring at her sister wide-eyed. Her hand, holding a coffee cup, paused halfway to her mouth.
"It is insane!" Alina exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. Her face, however, was still grinning that excited, slightly-concerning grin. "Nevermind that! We'll make it work!"
"How?"Amelija whined, rubbing her eyes. "How in God's name will you make it work?"
"First", Alina looked at her, the madness in her eyes instantly replaced by cold precision. "I'll go to Jack right now, and you'll go get Nikola. Second, you'll help me get clothes and flowers, and do my hair. Third, I don't care who cooks and gets the wine, but it won't be me, not on my wedding day, so the rest of you will take care of that. Erik will get Yana and Piotr, and we'll all gather here and see if we can find a priest on short notice."
"And rings."
"Ah, I forgot about the rings! Erik will take care of it, it's his problem!"
"As I've said, you don't need to worry about it", he remarked, looking slightly amused. "I'll take care of everything. I'm going to Yana right now; you needn't lift a finger."
"What does that mean?" Piotr asked. Yana showed exactly zero signs of surprise when Erik told her the news; she promised to help and excused herself to first go and find some Sunday clothes for Piotr.
"I don't really know", Erik admitted to him. At least the child wasn't likely to judge him for it. "What I do know is, it means we'll always be together."
"You are always together!"
"That's true", Yana said, coming from her room with some proper clothes for Piotr and herself. "People just like to write it down, you know? As a promise."
"I don't know how to do this", Erik said to Yana's ceiling with his voice somewhere between panicked and elated. He couldn't look at her as he said it. "I don't know where to find a priest. I don't know how these ceremonies work. I've never been to any! Nobody ever explained it to me!"
"I'm explaining it to you now", Yana said calmly, poking his shoulder.
"There is no way in hell I'm going to do this right- "
"It doesn't matter. There's only us there. There is no shame."
"Where?" Erik rubbed his temples. "We don't know where we're getting married!"
"Oh, maybe I have idea", Yana said. "Polina used to work as maid before she started with us, you know?"
"Who?" Erik asked.
"Polina, the Slovak girl. The one who's in love with Amelija."
"The one who's… what?"
"Nevermind, just gossip. She used to work as maid for some old priest. He needed help, he was very old, sick. But he's not sick now, and still he works. She said he's nice. We could go ask him."
"Do you know where he is?" he asked in shock.
"Maybe I can remember", Yana smiled. "He likes sweets. Visited her once. Anyway -"
Alina knocked on Jack's door several times before he bothered to answer. He looked slightly disheveled and frizzy-haired, and for some reason, disappointed to see her there. Alina hadn't talked to Jack since they had that argument, and the few times she asked Erik about him he would only reply that Jack's "had better days".
"I'm getting married!" she proclaimed. "And I don't want to do it without you."
"You're getting what?" he rubbed his eyes. "When?"
"Today, if we hurry."
"Today?" Jack hissed. "Today? You woke up and decided to get married on the same day?"
"Not me, Erik did."
"Of course hedid!"
"In any case, Amelija and Nikola are leaving tomorrow. This may be my only chance to have them at my wedding."
A shadow of a painful grimace flashed upon Jack's face for a split second. "Oh."
"I know we haven't been on the best of terms lately, but you have to come. I don't want to do this without you. I'm sorry I haven't said this before - but you are one of my, our, closest friends. And we need you there. I wanted to come myself, and apologize. You've done nothing but help me and lately I've only been complicating your life. Please come to my wedding."
Jack listened to her, uncharacteristically quiet.
"Amelija is still avoiding you, isn't she?" Alina asked carefully.
"That's an answer in itself", Jack shrugged.
"She's terribly stubborn and evasive, but she'll come to her senses. Trust me."
"I don't have a lifetime to wait for her", Jack said, his face becoming unreadable again. "She's leaving, and she hasn't even left me a letter for goodbye - whereas you came personally to apologize. That's an answer in itself. But I won't miss your wedding day to stay home and mope because of her."
Instead of an answer, Jack found himself stumbling when Alina hugged him so tightly she nearly knocked the air out of his lungs.
"Careful, don't make your fiance jealous."
"We are so stupid!" she finally let him go and covered her face with her hands. "We don't deserve you at all! That's so sweet of you!"
"You sound slightly manic. Are you sure I don't need to call a doctor?"
"I just really think you're so nice!"
"Ah, who could ever stay mad at you? You crazy manipulative bitch", Jack laughed at her as he went back inside. "Just leave me alone for a minute so I can find some proper clothes. I'll meet you back at your house."
"Alright", Alina said in her commanding, teaching tone to the room full of people. "So. I've gathered you all here to-"
"Teacher, I have a question", Nikola waved his hand cheerfully, not looking up while rolling his cigarette. They all sat at the small kitchen table, cramped in the small room, except for Erik who stood in the corner with his arms crossed and something between amusement and horror in his eyes. Nikola was in the middle, splitting the space between Amelija and Jack; Yana sat next to Jack and Piotr decidedly took the place on Nikola's lap, having met him two days ago and immediately deciding they were practically brothers now.
"Yes?" Alina asked sweetly.
"What are you going to do with your last name now?" Nikola asked, looking thoroughly amused.
"Stick another one on top of it. Now-"
"I also have a question", Jack raised his hand, eyeing Nikola only slightly.
"Yes, honey, please tell", Alina purred in her best "tired teacher at the end of the day" voice.
"Is it really going to be Alina Boričević Giry from now on?"
"Yes."
"With the hyphen? Or without?"
"With. Boričević-Giry."
"Do you understand how completely unintelligible that will be for everyone who has to read it or write it down?"
"I simply don't think that's my problem", Alina smiled coldly.
Erik cleared his throat behind them. "She doesn't have to change it at all. Does she? Is it mandatory?"
"The "Giry" part is really the least of her problems", Jack turned to him. "Most people change their names to something shorter, or easier to read when they immigrate-"
"And I won't", Alina held up her finger. "I don't care how people butcher my name. I didn't pick any of my names until now, and none of you people get to pick for me now. The Americans can learn to pronounce it as they please. I'm not looking for a stage name, you know. I already have a job. Can we move on?"
"What are you going to wear?" Amelija asked.
"I was hoping you'd help me with that. We'll have to make do with things I have. Or things you have, if you're so generous."
"Ni pod milim Bogom1", Amelija replied, and they once again burst into a quick unintelligible exchange in Croatian before Alina sighed and nodded.
"Alright. You're right; it wouldn't work very well together. Can we at least agree on me keeping the hair pins? They're important to me. And can you do my hair?"
"Huh", Amelija was slightly stumped. "Well, I can probably… make it all work… if you have a nice dress, but it would look better with a veil…"
"I have a veil", Yana's soft voice chimed in.
Everyone turned to her, suddenly remembering she was there.
"You have a wedding veil to spare?" Alina broke the silence. "Just lying around?"
"No, it was from my own wedding. I saved it. You can have it today, but then you give it back", she pointed her finger at Alina. "Don't mess it up with wine."
"Of course, I'll keep it like a treasure, which it is."
"Today. You'll keep it like a treasure today. After that you give it back." her finger moved to Erik now. "You two already have my violin. Can't have my veil too. I'll give you proper wedding gifts later."
"Thank you, Yana", they replied in unison.
"Alright, so… Yana says she knows of a priest, conveniently… One or two of you will get us all food and wine, I don't care who it is. Jack? Nikola? I think you two can manage. Amelija stays with me to do my hair. Erik, will you - oh, right. I think that's about all."
"Do you two have wedding rings?" Nikola offered.
"I keep forgetting about stupid rings!" Alina threw her hands up. "We do need them, dammit! We'll have to buy them on the way there, one way or another!"
"Wait", Erik lifted his finger, then turned around. He reached for the bookshelf, removed a few books, then pressed an invisible point in the shelf. In what seemed like a solid slab of wood, a little lid popped up, revealing a tiny drawer. He reached into it, pulled out a very very small blue velvet box, then turned around to face Alina who had watched the whole scene in silent astonishment.
After a moment of self-conscious hesitation, he walked up to her before he opened the box and offered it to her- in there stood two thin, simple golden rings. They had no gemstones and no ornaments, but as Alina looked at them she could barely make out an inscription on the underside of each ring.
"Y- you had these the whole time?" she stuttered, looking at him in bewilderment. "How long have they been here?"
"Been here? Whatever are you talking about? It's just a magic shelf that materializes whatever you really need at a specific moment", he said awkwardly, aware that they weren't alone.
"I think I really need a drink", Alina said, visibly distressed as she rubbed her forehead.
"We have other shelves for that, darling", he remarked. "Don't overuse the magic one."
Alina still looked at him with that expression of unsure if I want to kiss you or kill you she often had around him.
"You don't like them?" he hurried. "I'll get different ones- I thought, you usually prefer simple jewelry, and I really didn't know, but I'll get new ones, whatever you like-"
"They are beautiful", she raised her hands in a gesture of peace. "I love them, you were absolutely right. I was simply… shocked by your, well, level of preparedness."
"Alright then", he said slowly.
"Can I see the inscription?"
"Could we do that, uh, later perhaps? We're not alone."
"Ah", Alina turned back to where Amelija and Nikola were standing, trying their best not to burst into laughter. "In that case I suppose we can... go?"
"I think we all need a drink first", Nikola said as his mouth twitched, threatening to break into a smile. "I'm losing my mind just spectating this, and I can only imagine how it feels in the epicenter."
"I can help with that", Jack remarked, taking out a small bottle of whiskey from his pocket and pouring it into several glasses. "I don't have proper wedding gifts either, because you two are absolutely impossible to plan for - but anyway, I brought something to toast with." He didn't look at Amelija even once as he poured. When she reached out her hand for a glass, he set it down on the table before her.
From then on, it was fairly simple. Nikola and Jack went to get things, Erik quickly changed into some better clothes in his room, and went outside to wait until Alina was ready.
Amelija, barking orders at Alina to put this on and do that and stand still while she helped her dress, didn't hear the gentle rapping on Alina's window; it was only when Alina reached for it that she slapped her hand away and went to open it herself.
"Yes?" she said annoyedly, not even checking who it was. "Can you even give her a minute to get properly dressed, or are you in such a rush?"
"I was under the impression this was a voluntary affair", Erik said, standing next to the window with his back to the wall and looking straight in front of him.
"It's- alright, fine. Sorry. Didn't mean to offend you on your wedding day. What do you want? We're in a hurry."
"I want you to give these to her", Erik said, still looking ahead as he held out a little bouquet of white wildflowers.
"Can't you give them to her later? Her hands are full, what is she going to do with them now?" Amelija hissed. She almost added do you really think wildflowers are the appropriate bouquet for a wedding, but she bit it back. Any attempt she had made to teach them about social conventions thus far only made them temporarily insecure; and besides, her mother was not here, there was no point in impersonating her.
"I know what she might want to do with them, and I think she'll know what I'm suggesting she should do with them - just give them to her, can you?"
Amelija took the flowers from him. "Alright."
"You're very kind to help us", he mumbled as he stared into the distance with his arms crossed. The amber cufflinks holding the wrists of his pure white shirt gleamed a little, even as he tried to push his black jacket down to hide them from her.
Amelija shook her head and closed the window, giving the flowers to Alina.
"Ah, I see. We'll braid them into my hair."
Amelija blinked. "With the veil, and the hair pins, do you really think you need wildflowers in your hair?"
"So? We'll do a simpler hairstyle. We just need a few of them - it's all white and silver anyway. Aren't wedding clothes supposed to be ornate?"
"They might wilt."
"It's really important to me, Amelija."
Alina's wedding attire was quite simple in the end - the lightest dress she had was the beige linen one with embroidered poppies and they were quite lucky that the weather was warm enough for it; Amelija threw a shrug over Alina's shoulders for modesty's sake. Aside from the hairpins, the veil and the flowers, she had her mother's earrings and a pair of new shoes she'd bought and hadn't had a chance to wear yet. Amelija regretted that they wouldn't be able to do more - her own dresses simply wouldn't fit Alina, and it was far too late to think of anything extravagant. Alina, on the other hand, looked so happy when she stepped out for everyone to see her that Amelija had to admit there was something special about her that day. Nothing they dressed her in was particularly classy or special, but combined with the pure joy radiating from Alina like sunshine, it all turned into something entirely breathtaking.
Erik, his expression between elated and panicked, gently whispered something in Alina's ear.
"Of course you can comment", she smiled. "Are we still on about this?"
"In that case, I'd just like to say I think you look beautiful."
After that, they all agreed they should stop wasting time and go. They each had another small glass of whiskey (except for Piotr), agreeing that it would probably be better if they didn't mention that part to anybody, let alone the priest.
The part of Brooklyn that Yana was leading them to was neither pretty nor affluent. It was a poor working class neighborhood - clean, but cramped and grey with tall buildings that housed many people of all possible backgrounds in cramped little apartments; the little church stood out as one of the prettier buildings in the vicinity. Alina had visited the Vatican with her parents as a child - she remembered it now, the off-putting intimidation she felt at its shining and glorious riches. The small and dusty little church she saw for the first time on her wedding day, in contrast, felt like she was coming home to somebody who loved her.
"I like it", she decided. Nobody was surprised. She felt Erik's hand tighten around hers.
"I don't get many people like you asking me to marry them", the priest pointed out when they explained what they wanted. His office was small and cramped, and the priest himself was an old, cranky-looking man. He was surprisingly small with his hunched back and still clad in his loose, daily attire. His skin and eyes were dark brown, but his tightly-curly hair had turned completely white, and his ancient face wrinkled with confusion as they entered. "There are more upstanding churches, and prettier ones too. Do you have any particular reason why you're in such a hurry?"
"Well, Father, if I may", the woman spoke. "We've loved each other for a while now, and we'd really hate to wait much longer. My sister and cousin are leaving for Europe tomorrow, and I'd really love for them to be present."
"As far as reasons go, this is one of the least stressful ones", the priest rubbed his eyes. He thought about it for a minute, while the couple waited. The man was starting to shift uncomfortably, obviously nervous. He still hadn't spoken much, or looked the priest in his eyes directly.
"I technically can marry you", the priest, Gilbert, said slowly. "Despite your lack of sacraments. I've done it before; I will do it occasionally if I conclude the couple's intentions are pure, and they're both doing it of their own will."
The man who looked at him (but never into his eyes) carefully the whole time, barely gave him any sign that he heard him, much less a reaction; even though he was the one benefitting from this. He nodded after a moment, then glanced at the woman, who beamed a smile of relief. "Thank you, Father!" she exclaimed. Her sincere joy and gratitude was hard for Gilbert to stay cold to.
"I'd like to talk to you both first, and get to know you", he continued, telling himself not to get swayed by pretty girls with flowers in their hair and stars in their eyes; plenty of them wound up horribly after they got what they wanted. "We'll have a little chat, and I'll take your confessions. After that, if all is well, I can marry you. Is this alright with you both?"
The couple looked at each other, still holding hands. The man bowed his head in question at the woman, who shrugged and smiled apologetically. "It's alright", she said. "Darling?"
"Yes", the man turned to Gilbert, and nodded at him, his gaze still carefully dancing just a little to the left from Gilbert's eyes. "It's alright."
Gilbert barely heard the man on the other side as he stepped into the confession booth. He closed the door behind him and remained standing in the center.
"You can sit", Gilbert offered helpfully.
The man remained stubbornly standing. "I don't know how all of this works. I've never done it before."
"You won't find out how it works today, either. This is highly irregular." Gilbert replied. "I must insist on talking to you both before you are forever tied before God. Anything else would be irresponsible of me. Surely you understand."
"What are you hoping to find, talking to me?" the man said quietly from the other side. His voice was near a whisper now. "I am already tied to her forever."
"I see."
"God or no god - I've never been his favourite; and I've made peace with that. There were times I thought I was handcrafted by the Devil himself - those who saw me certainly thought so, too."
"I see. And now?"
"I don't know anymore. Perhaps there is still hope for me. I'd like to think I'm different now."
"One person may not be enough to bring you salvation", Gilbert prodded. He knew it would provoke him, and he was right.
"Salvation?" the man hissed quietly. "I'm not asking for it. I've done well enough so far with no salvation, no faith and no hope whatsoever. It was precisely a handful of people who saved me, quite literally."
"What did you come looking for here?" Gilbert said, unfazed by the man's standoffishness.
"Nothing. I've lost hope that your holy people would see me as a worthy human being. I am only asking to be legally married to the one person who does. I was told it can be achieved, with the right priest and the right amount of money."
"You need to sit down and mind your place, young man", the priest replied coldly. "I am not in the business of bribery, as you can see by the state of my church. The only way for you to get what you want is to stop your posturing and your standoffish attitude and talk to me for five minutes, so I can reasonably conclude you're in any way capable of taking care, for the rest of your life, of a woman who loves you."
The man's shadow moved as he sat down without a sound. The floorboards barely scraped as he moved; he could have very well been a ghost, or a whisper.
"I don't pretend to know God's plan, or why He works in certain ways", Gilbert continued. "I've seen suffering, and I've spoken to outcasts in my life. I know a forsaken man when I see one."
There was no reply from the other side.
"I don't consider myself worthy of judging who is made in God's image and who is not. Only you can decide what you do with yourself. I am only here to judge whether you'll ruin that pretty creature waiting for you out there."
"I have nothing to offer to convince you", the man replied. "Except things she might not want me to tell you."
"Why not? Are they her personal affairs? I do expect you both to be honest with me. I am obligated to take it to my grave."
"No, they're- our personal affairs. We've been together for a while now."
"That's not nearly as scandalous to hear when you're in my position as you'd think, young man."
"Perhaps." Erik paused. "We've been together for a while now, and I've held her like a single drop of water on the palm of my hand. I've done everything I can to make her happy. I've rebuilt myself, from the ground up, to be worthy of her. I've given her all of myself, and I've given her the choice of leaving me every step of the way. I don't know what else I can tell you."
"That's enough. It's more than most people. Don't lose it along the way."
"I'm sure she'll remind me quite noticeably if I do."
"What happened to you, son?" Gilbert interrupted. "What made you think you were so unforgivable?"
"Do I really have to go through this on my wedding day?" the man demanded, and his voice heightened in pitch a bit, obviously distressed. "Haven't you had enough? Do I have to re-live actual torture? Is it like this for everyone?"
"No", Gilbert concluded, his voice softening. "I was hoping to offer consolation, not torture. But I think we're done here. At least for now- there's nothing stopping you from returning, if you ever feel the need to."
The man stood up.
"Hold on", Gilbert said. "Just a moment more. Do you have anything you wish to confess?"
The man stopped. "In terms of?"
"Sins, young man."
"I've done many bad things. I was on a path to become everything I hated."
"And do you feel remorse?"
"I do."
"Have you made amends?"
"I tried. I'm trying to. I'll do what I can."
"You are forgiven", Gilbert said. "Go, be at peace." He stood up, thankful it was over, and left the booth. The man hurried after him, then Gilbert felt a single finger tap him on the shoulder from behind.
Gilbert turned to see the man standing awkwardly stiff behind him.
"Thank you", Erik said, looking into Gilbert's eyes for the first time.
The young lady dropped on the wooden bench with unladylike casualness, letting out a long sigh. Young ladies were usually giddy and bashful on their wedding; the casual and warm tone this woman used with Gilbert was slightly uncharacteristic.
"It's been a while since I've done this", she admitted. "Forgive me, Father, for I-"
"Yes, I know how it goes", Gilbert rubbed his eyes. "Listen to me. Do you know what you're doing?"
"Getting married, hopefully? Father." the woman's voice wavered suspiciously.
"And you know this man well?" Gilbert frowned.
"I do."
"You're aware that marriage is forever?"
"I am."
"Nobody is pressuring you into this? You're doing this of your own free will?"
"Yes, of course I am!" the woman raised her voice slightly.
"Quiet, please."
"I apologize, Father. I'm not naive. I know my fiance well, and I know what I'm getting myself into. Why the suspicion? What did he say to you?" he could slightly make out her form leaning closer to the paravan between them.
"It's more what he didn't say than what he said. A difficult man to get close to, that one."
"Oh, difficult indeed", the young woman puffed, throwing herself back. "I'm aware of that. Exhausting man to say the least. Hilariously unpredictable; he drives me insane."
"I see. Not a typical thing for a bride to say on her wedding day."
"Perhaps brides could use a little bit of reality, only a small amount of it, to ease the transition?" The woman's voice now had a hint of laughter.
"Could be." Gilbert wasn't sure if this was a very good sign, or a very bad one, so he let the silence spread out around them.
"Perhaps", she continued, "perhaps I could say I also like that, a little bit? Obviously, there's a lot of things to love about my future husband, but the things less loveable… perhaps I love them, too? The moody silence and difficult conversations? Perhaps it doesn't matter what obstacles we have around us or within us, as long as we're both crossing them together?"
"That is a good way of thinking, I would agree."
"May I also confess some things?" she said carefully.
"Of course, that's why you're here."
"I must admit that I am full of hubris. I didn't realize how much, until a while ago. I was convinced that the whole world rested on my shoulders. I always did everything myself. I always had someone to save. I always knew best." she paused. "I don't know if I actually think of myself as more clever, competent, capable than others - or if I'm afraid nobody will help me even if I ask. But it's changed since I met him. I've been able to breathe for the first time. Isn't that lovely?"
"And now somebody else is taking care of you?"
"I wouldn't say - I mean, in my daily life, not much has changed. On the inside, I know that if I ask, somebody will help me. I have opened my heart to the possibility of being able to count on others."
"I wish you the best of luck with that", Gilbert said. There was no sarcasm in his voice. He finished the confession and let the young woman out, where the man was waiting for her looking like he'd been in the desert for forty years.
"I'll marry you", Gilbert sighed. "Let's go." he turned around and went to get his things as he saw the young couple grin at each other in excitement.
"I'm afraid my organist isn't here now", he remarked. "In case you wanted music."
"No need. We'll do that part at home", the man remarked absentmindedly.
Gilbert decided not to ask what he meant. He read through the mass and the vows automatically, without hearing himself as he was doing it - he'd done it many, many times, and the words and the steps were all routine now. His attention was fixed on the young couple: smiling, slightly shocked, looking like they couldn't believe what was happening; and the wedding party: two men and two women, one of them holding a small boy. They were all standing quietly; the short brown-haired woman - bride's sister - wiped a few tears with her handkerchief when she thought nobody was looking. The olive-skinned man hugged her.
He got to the part where they were supposed to talk, and as he finished and looked expectantly at the young masked man, he somehow managed to pull himself together enough to speak. He looked Gilbert directly in his eyes with a pleading look Gilbert had never seen nor would never see again in his life.
"Yes", the man whispered, then cleared his throat. "I do." he pulled out a golden wedding band, and his hands shook so much that he dropped it; Gilbert had seen that scene many times before and often rolled his eyes at it. It was fashionable - an omen of good luck - for the groom to "accidentally" drop the rings in many social circles. This man, however, bewildered and scatterbrained, definitely wasn't capable of doing anything on purpose. He managed to put the ring on the woman's hand.
"I do", she said without missing a beat when it was her turn. She took out the other ring, and the man reluctantly took the glove off his right hand - pale, scarred hand - so that she could put the ring on it. Gilbert didn't have the heart to correct his mistake.
They signed their names in such absolute silence that Gilbert could hear the scratching of the quill against paper and the masked man's own frantic breathing.
"You may now-" he didn't manage to finish; they looked at each other, the woman let out one hysterical laugh and they hugged, tightly, forgetting to pay any attention to anyone else in the room. They didn't kiss, and the woman still had her veil, but Gilbert let them be.
This is not something you see every day, he thought. He caught himself wishing he'd meet them again one day.
"You are now married before God and your witnesses", he told them, and they reluctantly pulled away from each other, wiping a few stray tears. "Go home and celebrate. And-" he pointed his finger, and they finally turned to him.
"Take care of each other", he finally said. "You have my blessing."
He walked them out, too slowly for his taste, stopping every once in a while for everyone in the wedding party to hug the bride and say unintelligible words in some foreign language. The groom was still silent; nobody but the pale blonde woman hugged him, but Gilbert could see people patting his back gently in the corner of his eye.
"Amelija, do these Americans eat lunch?" Nikola said on their way back. He had a (correct) feeling nobody knew where they were going, and were all following the bride and groom (who were practically sleepwalking and in no way fit to lead anyone anywhere).
"Barely", she said. "They like dinner more."
"We ought to celebrate. Are we going to have lunch now? Together?" Nikola asked loudly.
"I'm sorry, I don't eat", Erik turned to him, still looking like he wasn't entirely present in his body.
Nikola stared at him speechless, then turned to Amelija to see if he would get any context for what had to be a joke.
"I don't know what to tell you, I've never seen him eat", she shrugged.
Nikola looked at the newlyweds, awkward and scatterbrained, with a sort of distant, frantic spark in their eyes. Neither of them had spoken since they left the chapel.
"Right", he said. "I think we should leave the newly-wedded couple alone for a few hours to get, uh, back to Earth. You two go on home, if you will- or wherever you want- and the rest of us will join you around sunset. It's noon now, so you have six hours to gather yourselves while Amelija and I pack up. But after that, I'm coming for food and drinks, and you better act normal and have a proper celebration before we leave. Understood?" he asked Alina strictly. "This is our last night here. I do not intend to sleep until our ship leaves at dawn."
"Yes", she smiled an angelic smile back at him. Nikola would not have endured another moment around them.
Having walked the rest of the way in dreamy silence, as they were almost near their doorstep, Alina stopped and giggled. Erik took out the keys, unlocked the front door, and opened it. He was already stepping inside when he noticed Alina still behind him, smiling.
"You have to carry me over the doorstep", Alina pointed out, unmoving.
"Haven't we done that before?" he smiled.
"So? It's bad luck if I trip over the doorstep on my wedding day. You have to carry me, just in case."
Erik smiled and nodded, carefully lifting her up in his arms and carrying her over. Once inside, he gently lowered her down, locked the door, checked that all the windows had curtains on them, and returned to silently stand before her. Even though they felt like hours had passed, it was still a warm, bright, sunny day outside. Inside, Erik's form was cast in the dim half-light as Alina faced him. His lips were faintly smiling, his eyes fixed on her.
He reached out and carefully untangled her veil out of her hair without removing the flowers, kissing her forehead, her eyelids, and her lips. Alina felt the tips of his fingers lightly fluttering down her neck to rest on her shoulders.
She reached out with her hands, and he bowed his head to her; she found the strings of his mask on the back of his head, slowly untied it and let it drop on the floor. With one hand gently laid on each side of his face, she whispered, "We're safe, and I love you."
"I love you, too", he whispered back, closing his eyes. "Forever."
1 It's an archaic phrase my great-grandmother used hilariously often with me, meaning literally "not even under God's grace", and figuratively "absolutely fucking not".