The Jewish Wedding Part II
Flint woke up early on Sunday morning, but he made no immediate attempt to get out of bed. Instead he chose to just lie there for the last time as a single man in his bed in the West Village, contemplating the end of his bachelor days. It was a prospect that would have filled many young men in his position with dread, but he was looking forward to it. He had been going out with Izzy for a long time now, and he was more than ready to spend the rest of his life waking up next to her, being in her company and in the fullness of time, starting a family. He could picture himself growing old with her, but at the same time he could picture Beats growing old with them too, and Ethan for that matter. He wondered if he would still be making that annual trip to Dalton in fifty years time, with all of his friends around him, and possibly even to witness the day that Thad, by then the Principal, finally retired. After the death of so many of his friends though, he had come to realise that there was no certainty in the future, at least here on earth. He knew that he did have one in heaven, as long as he kept his nose clean, and avoided the temptation of matricide…
That thought was the one that finally propelled him out of bed; his mother wasn't supposed to be coming round that morning, arrangements having been made for her to meet him at the synagogue, but his father could do only so much to control her, and any self-respecting yellow cab driver in New York knew better than to disobey a domineering Jewish mother when they demanded to be taken immediately to their son's home… He walked out of his room into the hallway heading to the kitchen, but something made him pause outside the door; he could hear someone in there already, engaged by the sound of it in the preparation of food. Then he heard a door open down the hall, and spun round to see Ethan standing in the doorway of his room. That gave him cause for thought; if he was there, then who was in the kitchen? A hungry burglar, or worse, his mother…
Flint decided to risk it, and flung the kitchen door open to reveal Elliott and Beats. "Oh, shoot!" cried the latter. "I was going to bring you breakfast in bed."
"Whilst that was a kind sentiment guys, you do realise that I thought we had a robbery in progress?" said Flint testily.
"I told him to tell you he would be coming," said Elliott, shaking his head. "I knew that you would have forgotten that you had given him an emergency key, and that in any case this was not an emergency…"
"My number one duty as best man is to ensure that the groom has everything that he needs to guarantee that his wedding day runs smoothly, and that in my opinion includes a good breakfast. You, my dear Elliott, make far better blueberry pancakes than me…"
"True. Mine are edible, and not burnt black."
"And burning pancakes create smoke, which triggers smoke alarms, which is an emergency, and thus I was justified in using the key," said Beats with a cheeky grin. Elliott shook his head again, but then kissed him on the cheek anyway.
"Right, so after than explanation which was very much in Brittany's style," remarked Ethan as he eased his way into the room past a silent Flint, "dare I hope that there will be pancakes enough for the other main groomsman?"
"There should be, given that we also have fresh bagels with smoked salmon and cream cheese; croissants and pain au chocolat; the usual cereals and toast, and a box of Flint's favourite cookies, prepared for me by Nick," said Beats.
"That is a very substantial breakfast, but I have to admit that it sounds good," replied Flint, now smiling at his best friend.
"Excellent! So the pancakes are hot, so sit down and eat. Once we've finished breakfast, we can start on the other important business of the day; getting you groomed so that you wow the world on your wedding day," said Beats, before he walked over and guided Flint into a seat.
It turned out that Beats had organised another surprise for Flint's big day; shortly after breakfast was finished there was a knock at the door, and he rushed to answer it. He had arranged for one of the best barbers in Manhattan to come and trim Flint's hair, and give him a proper, old-fashioned shave. It was a little touch of pampering, and totally justified given that the bride would have a hairdresser in attendance. In the end the barber trimmed Beats' and Ethan's hair too, although both declined a shave given that time was getting on. Then Flint was sent to take a bath before he got dressed in his wedding suit. That done, he allowed his two friends to help with the little finishing touches, before Ethan headed off to the synagogue with Elliott, but not before he bid a farewell to his roomie for the final time…
It was just Beats and Flint in the back of the wedding car, which made its way as swiftly as it could through the streets to its destination. As they were about to pull up outside the synagogue, Beats turned to his friend and said, "Well, this is it. If you want to back out now, then we can stay in the car and just disappear for a while. Elliott would totally get it; he would understand that it was part of the best man's duties to help the groom to flee…"
"Touched as I am by the sentiment, I don't want to run. Izzy is everything that I could ever have wished for in a wife; and also, my mother would hunt us both down and probably kill us if I backed out now." Beats shuddered at the thought, which made Flint laugh. With that laughter still ringing, they left the car, and headed inside to await the arrival of the bride.
On entering, Flint took in the scene. The temple was already filling up, his Warbler friends all seated behind his family, all of them wearing their yarmulkes correctly, and he smiled at the thought that Thad had probably lined them all up for an inspection before he had allowed them to enter the synagogue. No doubt their shoes would all be shining and their ties perfectly tied and straight too. It would be their old Dalton ties that they would be wearing, naturally, just as he was; the debate over the subject had raged online for hours. He glanced over to the other side where Izzy's family sat, with the bulk of the New Directions and one of his fellow Warblers. Trent after all had to sit with his husband, and he had to sit next to his brother, who was married to the sister of the bride…
There was also one exception amongst the New Directions, who was sitting next to David and looking a million dollars; the presence of a bona fide music star was a talking point already. Flint then noticed that Julian, Isabelle and Peter had come; they were unsure if they would be able to attend, as Peter still had days when he was wary of strangers; but as he sat next to Mercedes he appeared to be in his element, chatting away to her quietly, and unconcerned about the yarmulke on his own head. The presence of a Vogue editor at her son's wedding would also please his mother no end, ranking higher in her opinion than the several Broadway stars that were present already…
Behind him the door opened again, and he turned round to see who it was; he was left standing open mouthed for a moment from what he saw. He had invited the Carmichaels of course - every Warbler wedding of his generation so far had seen them present - but he could not recall sending an invitation to Bette Midler. He was suddenly aware of Sebastian standing at his side. "My apologies for not warning you. Dave had to go and play at the last moment, and sends his apologies; I therefore decided to recruit an alternative plus one, and Auntie Bette was free… I hope that it won't be an issue?" As Sebastian hurried to greet his guest properly, Flint suddenly heard a squeal of excitement from the front of the congregation; he did not need to turn round to know that the noise had come from his mother…
He knew that the time had come for him to head down to the front, and after a pause he followed the new arrivals. It was only then that he saw that his mother had bought a hat, and that every eye in the place was upon it. Izzy's mom was wearing a hat too; it was small, plain and unobtrusive. His own mother's hat was huge, over decorated, and in no way, shape or form co-ordinated with the rest of her ensemble. He winced as he heard a snort from Beats at his side, knowing all too well what it meant; his friend was trying to suppress a laugh. Turning back he saw that Thad was glaring at his band of Warblers, all of whom were trying not to look at it…
He fixed a smile on his face, then headed to his spot to greet his parents warmly, before he told a blatant lie… "You look wonderful mom! That hat is… eye-catching and unique…"
He then aimed a discrete kick at his best man as he heard him mumble "You can say that again…"
Fortunately his mother was too busy straightening his tie and adjusting his buttonhole to have heard any of what Beats had said, but his father had, and he rolled his eyes in simple agreement. Any more discussion was avoided by the arrival of Rabbi Hirsch, who informed him that the bridal car had just arrived, and he should take his place at the front to await his bride. He turned back to his mother, who had a handkerchief out and looked as if she had been about to spit on it to use it to wipe a mark off his face. He shuddered a little, but then it was put away, and instead she pulled him in for a kiss on the cheek. That turned out to be quite awkward due to the brim of her hat, and afterwards he had to turn to Beats and ask him to tidy his hair. This done, they made their way to the designated spot. Flint stood there, his best friend at his side, and as the music began which indicated that Izzy had walked in, he closed his eyes, facing the front. When he opened them again it was to see Beats in his line of vision, smiling broadly and giving him a thumbs up. Moments later, he saw why his friend had acted that way. Somehow Izzy now looked even more beautiful than usual…
The ceremony itself seemed to take no time, and Rabbi Hirsch beamed as she announced that Flint and Isadora were now husband and wife… Flint knew what that meant he had to do, and so he kissed her as was the rule in these situations. As he did so, he heard Beats hum a note… Suddenly the temple rang to the sound of familiar voices raised in song, but not a song he had ever heard them sing before. He almost began to cry as he realised that his bird brothers, those most loyal of friends, had learnt the Hava Nagila for him, and though he had heard it often before, it had never sounded more right than it did now in perfectly pitched al cappella. He turned round to face his friends, and saw the smiles on every face in the congregation, particularly the one on his mom's face. Then it was over, and he had to resist the urge to applaud…
The remainder of the ceremony was a blur. The only thing that mattered to him now was his new wife; having one made him feel awfully grown up all of a sudden. With all of the formalities out of the way, it was time to submit to his mother's need for a few hundred photographs of the newlyweds with the certificate and the families. Beats happily moved aside to allow this to happen, and tried not to laugh again as they all tried to fit around that hat…
He found that Elliott had come to stand at his side, and turning to him, he whispered, "Whilst I am over the moon for Flint, seeing all of this marriage malarkey makes me so glad that we have no intention of following in their footsteps."
Elliott nodded, and replied, "Definitely. I mean if we did happen to change our minds some day, we would go for something much more simple…"
Beats looked at him, then swiftly responded, "Yeah. Just a few friends at City Hall, if we ever do change our minds…"
With the ceremony after, Thad could afford to relax a little. The Warblers had all behaved themselves impeccably, and none of them had laughed at Mrs Wilson's hat too much, awful as it was. They had all exhibited quiet dignity and respect, and their singing had been a big hit with the congregation. That last quick run through in the hall behind the temple, with Puck present as a judge had paid off; he was able to stop them and tell them that they were pronouncing one of the words wrong. Now all he had to do was marshal them all together for the walk to the reception venue fifteen blocks to the north. It wasn't all that far, and given the traffic in Manhattan, even on a Sunday, it would be much quicker. He just had to ensure that on the walk up to 27th Street no-one got distracted or wandered off. They might all be adults now; even the youngest of them all, Colin, was 21 now, but when they got together in a group it was as if they communally regressed…
During the service, he had left a space at the end of the row next to him for Wes to sit in, and he had loved the fact that his boyfriend had been able to sit at his side during the ceremony; he was still jealous though of the fact that Flint could marry the love of his life and he couldn't, not in this lifetime at least. As that thought had crossed his mind, he had felt Wes place a comforting hand on his arm, and he knew that he was thinking the same thing… Wes remained at his side now as he lead the crocodile of people northwards, followed by the New Directions alumni; Artie and Kitty were not amongst them, as it was just more practical for them to take a cab. Mrs Wilson had managed to find space for Bette to join her in one of the wedding cars, although Sebastian had been left to walk with the other Warblers, with Flint's cousin Leo at his side; he after all was the 'space' that Mrs Wilson had found in the car. Leo did not mind that one bit; as he said to them all, it was Ms Midler that would now be getting grilled by Flint's mom, not him…
As Thad had surmised, walking meant that they all arrived at the Prince George Ballroom before anyone else, and were the first people to be shown to the room where they would celebrate that day's nuptials. Nick and Jeff noted on entering the room that it would have suited the theme of their wedding day to a tee, but it had not been available at the time. What had once been a semi-derelict building had been lovingly restored and was now a work of art, looking just as it had to have done when it was opened in the city's gilded age.
The other guests began to arrive slowly; when Bette walked in, looking pale, Sebastian handed her a drink, which she downed in one. "That bad?" he asked with concern.
"Next time I will walk. I nearly jumped out to walk twice as it was, and we were not stationary in the traffic the second time," she admitted.
"I apologise on Flint's behalf for his mom," said Sebastian.
"Not a problem, although if she is like that all of the time, it is a congressional medal for valour that young man deserves, not a part share in a Tony," Bette replied. She stopped as Mrs Wilson walked past, and they both smiled at her, still trying hard to ignore that hat… Then Sebastian guided Bette across the room to introduce her to two starstruck young men, knowing that it would tickle her no end when he told her what Callum and Alan had done to support themselves through college…
The eventual arrival of the happy couple meant that they could all take their places at a table to enjoy the meal, which was a mixture of traditional fare and modern cuisine designed to keep everyone happy. There was plenty of it too, which impressed them all. Both Luke and Duncan, and Colin and Edward were heard to discreetly ask about the cost of a wedding reception in the venue, although neither young couple was ready to marry just yet. The meal over, it was time for the moment that Beats had been dreading; his speech. He stood up, called for order, and then he began…
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I first met the groom on an August day nearly a decade ago when I was assigned to the same dorm room as him at Dalton Academy. Thankfully we hit it off, and we have been pretty much inseparable ever since. Izzy is of course fully aware of this fact, and that is also why the card of thanks to her parents is from their two new son-in-laws…" He got a laugh at that, which made him feel better, and so he carried on with more confidence. "Not everyone has always seen me as a good influence on Flint, and I have to admit that he has been through a few unconventional experiences thanks to me, but through one of them he did make an impression on the lovely Isadora; so in a way, all that we are celebrating today is thanks to me… I'll take your thanks personally later on. Anyway, no-one really wants to hear me speak, nor do you want to know half of the embarrassing things that Flint has done - though if anyone does, see me afterwards for details. Just now, we have celebrating to get on with. So I would like you all to join with me in raising a toast to the newlyweds, Izzy and Flint!"
As around the room glasses were raised, Beats breathed a sigh of relief that the speech was over; Flint meanwhile was just happy to be married and so very, very in love…
As the reception continued, everyone was glad that everything had gone without a hitch, and more importantly, that no-one had said anything to upset the mother of the groom, which given the way that she often acted was nothing short of a miracle. Of course, the fact that she was oblivious to much of what was going on behind the scenes was a great help in achieving that. She had greeted Callum and Alan happily as old friends of Flint's from Dalton; if she had known that they were the second set of Preppy Boys, she could either have collapsed in horror, or thrown them out into the street. She had chatted happily to Nick and Jeff, but had she known that they were expecting their child any day now, she might have had quite a bit to say on the subject, and most of it would have been negative. Had she known that the grand ballroom that she was now presiding over - and everyone had agreed to allow her to do that - had been in use as a homeless shelter for women and children in the 1980s, then she would have reached for the hand sanitiser, and doubtless would have left all of the delicious food on offer untouched as if it was tainted by the buildings past.
Of course, the fact that Sebastian had brought a bona fide big name Broadway star to the event made her happy, and had she had her way, she would have been included in every single photo taken that day. The first dance, which could also have been another flashpoint, passed off without complaint after Flint and Izzy decided to just go with tradition; they danced to a tune that was part of the whole heritage of these events, using steps that their great-grandparents might have done. That first dance was however their sole concession to the needs of Mrs Wilson, and after that they moved to a selection of their favourite contemporary music, some of it performed live by the Warblers, or the New Directions. Mercedes sang of course, and when Bette also agreed to sing for them, Mrs Wilson had almost exploded with delight, and demanded her husband filmed the moment on her phone as she stood in the shot. Then she would get one of the young people to forward the proof to every member of the Ladies Circle back in Kansas…
As the night went on and the dancing continued, two young men found themselves sat together in a quiet corner, watching as Thad danced with Flint's mother. "He is either very brave, or extremely reckless to agree to that," Beats mused, which made Ethan smile. Beats was now on his own, as Elliott had headed to the Spotlight, to allow Dani to make an appearance to congratulate the happy couple. "I certainly wouldn't be waltzing with her, not even for Flint," he continued. "Look, she is bending his ear off even as I speak, no doubt asking him if he has someone special, and whether he would like her help to find a nice girl or boy…"
"Why on earth would she do that?" asked Ethan confused.
"Well, given how well rehearsed he was for the service, and how he knew it all back to front, Flint told me she now thinks he is Jewish, and as a result, she now feels she should contact the good women of the synagogues in the vicinity of Dalton so that she can find him someone to share his life with…"
Ethan let out a loud guffaw at that notion before he could stop himself, which earned him a reproachful look from Thad as he danced past. "I take it then that she is unaware of his commitment to Wes? He has my sympathy, but I am sure Thad will find a way out… Changing the subject, Flint and Izzy look very happy…"
Beats smiled wistfully and said, "Yeah, they do, but it is going to feel strange tonight going home and knowing that he isn't in the apartment downstairs, or just along a hallway. Look, I want you to know that you are welcome to come up and pay us a visit anytime when you are feeling alone. I mean it is going to be hard for me to adapt, but I guess it will be harder for you…"
Ethan smiled, then replied, "Actually, it might not be quite as bad as I thought it could be, thanks to you, ironically. Flint's cousin Leo is now set on applying for one of the engineering apprenticeships at the MTA, and if he gets one, which he seems to think is more or less a certainty, given what he has heard of the calibre of the applicants so far from you, then he will need a place to stay, and Flint did hint that in the short term he could move in with me. It makes sense, as he knows the West Village and the neighbours from his visit, and it is better than the other option, which would be that he lived with the newlyweds…"
"Anything would be preferable to living with two newlyweds - no offence intended…"
"None taken; I can imagine that they will be at it like bunnies… So, I won't be on my own in the apartment for long by the looks of it, but honestly, I'm no longer dreading the solitude. I will have to get used to living on my own one day, and so why not now?"
"True," responded Beats, "but the offer still stands."
"And vice versa; after all, what is the point in being someone's friend if you aren't going to be there to look out for them?"
The reception carried on into the early hours, with the bride and groom at the centre of the celebrations. They would still be taking a trip to Venice in the early fall; Izzy had agreed with Flint after seeing the photos that Nick and Jeff had sent back that it was the only place they could possibly think of going. She had however suggested that they should visit a few other places in Europe whilst they were there; as a result, Berlin, Paris and London had been added to their itinerary. If they happened to bump into Drew whilst they were in the latter, Flint knew it would be wonderful, but he was sensible enough to realise that the chances of bumping into an Oxford based man in the capital city was small, particularly in the limited time frame. Eventually though the happy couple decided that it was time to call it a night, and once that announcement had been made, that other great tradition of weddings was on the cards; the throwing of the bridal bouquet. To the surprise of most people there, Tina did not rush to join the throng; when she was asked why, she stated that she was quite happy to wait until Mike was ready, and in any case, she did not want to be next…
"So, when did the body snatchers get her?" Santana asked in a voice that carried just a little too much when she was told…
There was still a quite considerable group of people that did gather for the moment and in the spirit of equality for all, a fair spattering of young men joined the throng, which made Mrs Wilson's head turn just a little… The flowers were thrown, but with a little too much of an upward arc, and thus they sailed right over the top of the waiting crowd, to land with a thump in Cooper's lap. Amid much laughter, he blushed, looking very flustered, then handed them over to Grace, who just laughed and shook her head. "Well, CJ, it looks as if the fates have decided that we should come clean, and I'm sure that if we do, it will be a relief to Nick, Jeff and the boys too…"
Cooper nodded, then said, "Yeah, anyway, so we wanted as quiet an affair as possible, but Grace and I will be getting married at City Hall at the end of July, and you are all invited to join us there for the ceremony…"
As the congratulations rang out around the room, both Jeff and Mason did look as if the weight of the world had been lifted off their shoulders. Meanwhile Sam sat quietly, trying to look as if it was news to him too; he had of course accepted the job of best man weeks ago, but he had been told not to tell Rachel; now he had to look surprised, or she would never forgive him for not telling her…
With the date of another wedding in their diaries, the party spilt up, people making their way home with a smile in their hearts for the newlyweds; they were heading to a grand hotel for the wedding night, before heading to their new home together on the Upper East Side the following day. This would be the first time that they had shared a bed with each other, having taken the old-fashioned approach to wait for marriage first. Tonight therefore would be one of discovery, and one they had both looked forward to for some time, with hope and a little trepidation…
Ethan made his way home to the West Village in a cab with Beats, Nick and Jeff. The latter two were their usual chatty selves, but the other two sat in contemplation. It was all now very real, and although they had both known it was coming and had accepted the facts, it was hard. Flint had been such a very big part of both of their lives, and now…
"He will still be around you know, on a weekly basis at the very least," observed Nick out of nowhere. "He loves you both so much as friends, and he will still need you in his life; after all, he will eventually need babysitters, and who fits the bill better than the two of you?"
As Jeff snorted, Beats and Ethan looked at each other, then burst out laughing. What Nick had just said had a ring of truth about it, and of course, there were another pair not a million miles away who might one day soon be calling on their services.
It was still strange though for Ethan when he stepped into the hallway of his apartment knowing that it was just his place now… He walked into the kitchen, and he spotted it almost at once; a card and a framed photo propped up by the coffee machine. As he looked at the photo of himself sitting between Izzy and Flint, he opened the card and read a message in Flint's neat script. 'Always my brother; never alone. Call anytime you need, and we'll be there. Thanks for everything, Flint.' Like David before him in a room in L.A., Flint felt the heaviness in his heart lift a little. It was good to know he still had friends…