It was strange to return home to an empty house after a month of incarceration. With the house so silent the walls seemed to echo the stories of the past weeks, and Luke couldn't help but wonder at the times he'd missed out on. If he listened carefully he could almost hear their voices, Nicholas and Noah eating and playing together, laughing, watching television; and then just the past week, dealing with the introduction of a little girl into their lives… He felt a strong pang of loss at that…
But it didn't take him long to shake it off. True, this wasn't exactly how he had pictured his homecoming, but he had a feeling this day was going to turn out to be a trillion times better than he could ever have imagined.
He was home and in a few hours Noah and he would be married. This event that he had dreamed about from the moment he first realised he was in love with the dark haired guy was actually coming true.
Luke had always known that he wanted to share his life with somebody. His large and close-knit family had instilled in him the values of marriage.
Yes, he also knew the dangers. He had watched his parents break up and get back together enough times to know about all those! But he always believed the advantages greatly outweighed any disadvantages.
And he believed in THEM.
His body tingled in apprehension at just the thought of seeing Noah but it positively quivered at the thought of marrying him.
"Welcome home Luke!" Holden announced, "Noah left your outfit on your bed. Let's get cleaned up. I'll use the guest bedroom to change in."
"I don't suppose you plan on giving me a hint about where we're going?" Luke pleaded, dying to know.
"Not a hope!" Holden called over his shoulder as he disappeared into the kitchen.
Luke nodded and whispered to himself, "Thought as much…"
He made his way down the passage to their room, catching his breath on entering. It was clear that Noah had spent some time preparing the room for their first night as a married couple and their first love making session in what felt like a century. Large crystal bowls of floating white flowers and candles, waiting to be lit, were carefully placed around the room; some on the floor, one on the windowsill, another beside the bed and one atop the dresser.
The bed had been carefully made up (with Noah's classic military neatness) in a brand new red comforter set with black, red and white accent cushions and, laid out in preparation for Luke, was his wedding outfit.
It was not a typical wedding suit and not at all what he was expecting to find.
A smile curled up one side of his mouth, "What are you up to Noah?"
Laid neatly on the bed was a casual pair of white linen trousers with a matching white Cuban Guayabera shirt, contrasting starkly with the red bedding on which they lay. Noah had left a red rose atop the outfit with a small tag attached to the stem. He lifted the flower to open the note.
"Beautiful Luke, will you marry me? If the answer is yes, put this on... I'll be waiting…"
Luke sat down heavily on the bed beside the outfit. He placed a hand on the fabric, tracing his fingers along the delicate white embroidered pattern that ran from shoulder to seam, just to reassure himself that it was there… that it was real! He re-read the note and touched a finger on those three little words that had come to mean so much, 'I'll be waiting…"
His father appeared at the doorway, a towel in his hand as he made his way to the guest bathroom. He leaned against the frame watching his son with interest, "Okay?"
Luke nodded quickly, too filled with emotion to speak.
"Well! Stop wasting time young man! Hop to it! You can't keep him waiting forever…"
As his father left the room Luke thought how wrong his father was… He suddenly understood in that moment that Noah would wait for him… Noah had always waited for him... Noah would wait for him forever…
...
His palms were sweaty and his knees were weak with anticipation.
With every passing moment another butterfly fluttered into his stomach to join the thousands already assembled there. He was so nervous he was sure he'd bitten a hole right through his bottom lip. He knew they wouldn't have to wait much longer. Gareth had arrived from the detention centre an hour and a half before to report that Holden and Luke had made it to the house. By now they should both have been dressed and ready to leave. He wondered if Luke was feeling as anxious as he was. He thought most likely not… Luke was so much braver than he…
He felt a small hand take his and looked down into the smiling freckled face of little Mia, gorgeous in her green floral summer dress, a tropical flower behind one ear, the sunlight accenting the diamond red strands in her hair. He was still coming to know the little girl, but there was one thing the past week had convinced him of… the child was born from the sun itself. The way her smile lit up her face would cause even the cruellest of men to crumble at her mercy. Everything about her spoke of sunshine, surf, ice-cream and happiness. And she had an uncanny knack, like right in that moment, of knowing exactly when a person needed a little TLC.
"Noah?" The tentative voice came from Natalie. The past month had been difficult for her too.
"Hey Nat."
"I just wanted to say… I mean…" she looked down at her feet and smoothed her hands nervously down her blue pastel bridesmaid dress.
"Nat?" He waited for her to look up at him. "I don't blame you and neither does Luke. It was just one of those things, okay?"
"But you've had to be apart for so long! I was so stupid! If I hadn't run off that night then none of it would have happened!"
Noah pressed a kiss to her head and held her hand, "Nobody's to blame. It was a terrible accident and it's all over and done with now, okay?"
She looked up at him sadly.
"Smile will you? This is a happy day!"
And she did, before hugging him, "I love you Noah! I already think of you as my big brother but I'm so glad I get to call you that legally now!"
When she stepped back Noah gave her the most reassuring smile he could manage through his nerves and asked, "Can you do me a favour and watch out for Mia today? I'm worried she'll get lost amongst all these people!"
"Of course." She reached out to take Mia's hand, "Come Mia, let's wait over here…"
"Is that them?" he heard Lily ask.
Sure enough, some distance away, he made out two figures just coming into view and as always, his heart knew instantly what his eyes could not yet make out… it was Luke.
...
They had been lucky with the weather. It was a beautiful day, not too hot with a cool and soft breeze blowing off the water. Luke guessed where they were going when, instead of heading for the car, Holden walked off in the direction of the beach.
The outfit suddenly made sense.
They both removed their shoes as they reached the sand and left them amongst the piles of other pairs they assumed must belong to the wedding guests. The small beach cal-de-sac at the end of the road was positively packed with cars parked haphazardly wherever there was space.
The sight that greeted them as the sparkling ocean came into view, caused Luke to inhale such a deep breath of air, he thought he might pass out from it. At the bottom of the dune, right at the spot where they often sat together night after night, talking, kissing, hugging, holding hands; was a throng of friends and family, standing on two sides to form a makeshift isle between them. Thoughtful as always, Noah had made sure there were a few fold-up chairs placed in the front and under the shade for those guests who required them, but the majority of people stood barefoot on the sand.
His eager eyes swept over the shuffling crowd and quickly found the tall figure standing, in an outfit very similar to his own, with a man Luke assumed must be the minister. They stood sheltered from the sun beneath a small white gazebo like structure, decorated on each corner with bright and colourful tropical flowers. Even from that distance Luke could tell how nervous Noah was. He had this way of standing with his hands clenched in front of him and he would shift from one foot to the other. He could already feel the magnetism they shared urging his feet forwards and closer towards him.
Luke smelt the lamb on a spit before he saw it, but way off behind the wedding party a number of men and women were busily preparing for the wedding reception. A temporary wooden dance floor had been set up upon the sand and a number of round dinner tables dotted the space, each covered in a white tablecloth, offset with a sea blue runner.
An endlessly long table ran along the beach filled with all kinds of food to go along with the lamb; so that they could all enjoy a barbeque like atmosphere after the ceremony.
It took a moment before he realised that a photographer was already taking pictures of him and his father arriving at the wedding, and he could see a few other people with cameras dotted around the scene. It didn't look as if Noah had forgotten a thing!
As his eyes returned to Noah he saw the man bend down to two tiny figures by his side and point upwards. The instant the boys caught sight of Luke they sped off in his direction as fast as they could, racing each other up the dune and kicking sand up in their wake. They looked adorable in tiny versions of the same out outfit Luke and Noah wore, except their trousers were beige rather than white.
The children flew up the dune, their arms already wide and expectant, "LUUUUKKKKKEEEE!"
"Hey!" Luke laughed and bent to catch Ethan who, being older, reached him first. Luke swirled him around and then dropped him just in time to catch Nicholas as he arrived for his turn. "Look how handsome you guys are!"
"Noah's been waiting for you!" Nicholas chastised, his arms wrapped firmly around Luke's neck.
"Yes." Luke agreed softly, allowing his eyes to once more fall on Noah in the distance, "Noah's always been waiting for me, hasn't he?"
Holden smiled, reading the double meaning in Luke's words.
"Yes! And us too! And Grandma! And Mia also! EVERYBODY!"
"Well, let's not keep him waiting any longer!"
With Nicholas on one hip and Ethan between them, clasping their hands, Luke and Holden made their way down the dune towards the waiting guests.
Towards Noah.
...
The rest of the family had drifted off to bed, leaving Luke and Noah alone in the kitchen. Luke thanked God for the support of his family. Without them they'd never have been able to pull it all off. He knew how much they would need their help in the future too.
Noah was contemplating the marriage certificate in his hand.
"Pretty official looking…" Luke tried to joke, although he didn't find anything about the whole business to be funny. He knew he wouldn't be doing Noah any favours by acting like a spoilt brat about it all. He had promised to support him. Noah marrying Ameera was a joint decision they had made together, and that was how they would bare the consequence… together…
"Signed, sealed and delivered by the state of Illinois…" Noah replied, also trying to sound light hearted but instead sounding like a trapped puppy, "No turning back now…"
Luke moved to stand closer.
"This might be silly but, I still hope that one day we'll have one of those with our names on it." That day now seemed even further away than it ever had before.
"You and me both."
Luke smile as a spark of hope flickered, "You promise?"
"I do!" and their laugh together was full and real as they fell into each other's arms.
Where they both felt they belonged.
...
Holden held back as he and Luke finally reached the waiting guests. They watched as Ethan ran up through the isle of people to find Lily standing near the front.
"Why are you stopping?" Luke asked his father.
Holden smiled softly for a moment and then nodded before continuing to walk his son up between the two rows of onlookers, one hand between Luke's shoulder blades and stopping once they reached the end, "I guess this is it!"
"I guess so." Luke was already beaming from ear to ear, his eyes having been glued to Noah's the whole walk up the isle, but he smiled even more when he briefly glanced away to see the look on his father's face, "Thanks Dad."
Holden cupped his cheeks and drew his head forward to kiss his forehead, "I love you son."
"I love you too Dad."
As his father took Nicholas from him and stepped to the side next to Lily, Luke moved forward to quickly kiss her once on both cheeks, "Love you too Mom."
She proceeded to burst into a puddle of tears that rendered her speechless and she indicated with her hand that he should continue.
She didn't have to tell him twice, he turned and noticed for the first time that Maddie was standing to Noah's left and waiting for Luke on the right was his brother, Aaron. His mind flashed to the first thing he wrote in his notebook.
Bestman: Aaron
"Hey brother." Aaron smiled, and Luke admired how handsome he looked, his dark hair scrapped back, wearing a Guayabera with a brown embroidered pattern.
"I have a question for you…." Luke began.
"Yeah? What's that?"
"Will you be my Bestman big brother?" Luke laughed.
"Don't you know it?" Aaron smiled and they shared a quick hug.
"Thanks for coming." Luke whispered.
"Wouldn't have missed it for anything!"
He kissed a tearful Maddie hello and then turned, finally able to focus his full attention on Noah.
"Hi." He sighed as he stepped to Noah's right side before the minister.
Noah's smile was as broad as his own as he answered, "Hello."
...
Please review... thanks...