A/N: Thanks so much to all of you who have read this story when there are so many Paily fics out there that are much, much better. Special thanks to those who have left reviews. The fact that you would devote your precious time to reading and reviewing it really means a lot to me.
I love you all!
True love stories never have endings.
– Richard Bach
Emily stood alone in one of the side rooms in the back of the church, trying to regain her composure. She had promised herself that she wasn't going to cry today, but nothing had prepared her for the sheer emotional weight of this day. The time had finally come. In just a few moments, she would march out into the church to be united in marriage with the only woman whom she had ever truly loved.
They had been together for seven years and had lived together for all but the first two months of that time. Paige officially moved into Emily and Hanna's apartment when she returned to school for the start of her sophomore year. Emily and Hanna graduated at the end of that school year. Emily stayed on for her master's degree while Hanna headed up to New York for an internship in the design industry. Pru, whose on-again-off-again relationship with Sean Ackard we definitively off by the time that class graduated, moved into Hanna's old room in the fall.
When Paige graduated, she and Emily considered moving to the Midwest, closer to Paige's family, for Paige's graduate studies, but, in the end, Paige decided that she really liked Philadelphia and the Northeast, so she found a graduate program and Emily found an internship in Philadelphia. Pru spent a year in Philadelphia before heading to Europe to "find herself." Eventually, she found herself back in Wisconsin, living with her parents while she completed her master's.
It was never really just the two of them, Paige and Emily. Paige felt herself being swallowed up, somewhat, in Rosewood, since she lived closer to Emily's family and high school friends. There were a smattering of friends that Paige and Emily had collected together in college, but it was hard for Paige not to miss having a soulmate like the one whom she had in her lifelong friend, Pru. Still, she loved Philadelphia, and, now that she and Emily were no longer on the same campus, Paige found herself cultivating a couple of close friendships that were just her own, much as Emily was forming friendships with colleagues from her job.
It had long been a foregone conclusion that Paige and Emily were going to get married. The only questions were when, and who would propose. Paige thought that the whole idea was silly. They were two adults who loved each other, and she didn't think that she needed to win Emily's hand or to have Emily win hers. Emily, though, was adamant that they needed an engagement story to tell their children. Paige conceded, and actually found herself getting excited thinking about how Emily was going to try surprise her.
And Emily was determined to surprise her. She even faked Paige out a couple of times, one time suggesting, out of the blue, that they go to Campus Brew; the site of their first date, once taking Paige to the Roxy, a place to which they'd never returned since the night when they saw most of the movie Rudy before a hot and heavy bathroom break; even getting them a weekend at the Bed and Breakfast where they had first consummated their love. All were false alarms.
Early in the summer, Emily got a call from Hanna. She was going to be giving a lecture back on campus on the subject of getting started in the design industry. Since Paige and Emily were still in the area, she wanted them to come along for moral support. They were glad to oblige.
Emily ended up getting stuck at work on the night of the lecture, so she and Paige were running late. By the time they got to the lecture hall, Hanna's presentation was already in progress, and the room was packed. The lights were dimmed so that people could see the images that were being projected on the screen. Emily and Paige didn't see any place to sit and didn't want to make a ruckus, so they were standing by the door until Hanna subtly gestured them toward seats in the front. Emily took a seat in the front row. Paige was forced to sit a couple of rows behind her. Only when she sat there – two seats back and one off to the side of Emily – did she realize that they were in the room where they used to have their Economics of Feminism seminar. Just as this dawned on her, Hanna projected an image of a mural – the mural that she had made for the dull gray walls of Paige's old dorm room. There everything was: Their hands, their silhouettes, their date at the brew. Paige's heart started to beat faster. Emily got up and addressed the group. "Excuse me, Ms. Marin, I hate to interrupt, but that mural and this room, are very special to me." Paige hid her face behind her hands and felt her body flushing as an enormous smile stretched across her face. Emily continued, "But what makes them special is a woman, the love of my life, who's sitting in the third row. Paige McCullers, you are my world. You are my hopes, my dreams, my wish come true." Emily got on one knee and extended a box with a ring in it towards Paige. "Paige, will you marry me and make me the happiest woman in the world?"
"Yes," Paige almost whispered. Then, louder, she repeated, "Yes! YES!" until she was almost shouting. The room was cheering. As Paige ran over to kiss Emily, the lights came up, and, soon, they were surrounded by their parents, Pru, and other close friends. Paige was crying. This set Emily off, as well. "How did you do all this?"
"It wasn't easy! Pru and Hanna took care of getting our families and friends here, so that I wouldn't have to sneak around behind your back. The rest of the people here are students in the art department. Hanna called some of her old profs and got them to reserve the room and get some freshmen to fill the seats."
Paige, Emily, their families and friends ended up going for coffee at Campus Grounds after the proposal. It was there where Paige pulled out a surprise of her own. She stood up and got everyone's attention. "First of all, I'd like to thank my fiancée for getting you all together here tonight. You know, I've been carrying something around for the past couple of months. I almost didn't bring it with me to Hanna's 'lecture,' but I'm glad that I did. Emily Fields, we've shared our home, our joy, our tears, and our lives for these past almost seven years. Well, there's one more thing I'd like to share with you. Back in the lecture hall, you said that I could make you the happiest woman in the world." Emily dropped to a knee and pulled a small, black satchel with a diamond ring from her pocket. "Would you be willing to share that title, and make me the co-happiest woman in the world?"
Emily poked her head out into the hallway to summon Hanna to make some final adjustments to her dress. Emily was pure elegance in the strapless, corseted tulle gown with a train that seemed to flow forever. Her veil was a whisper of lace. Her hair cascaded in waves over her shoulder and danced down her exposed back. Hanna had designed the dress just for her and kept it top secret from Paige. By the same token, she had refused to give Emily any hints about the suit that she had designed for Paige to wear.
Paige had Pru with her in her preparation room on the opposite side of the church. Paige had hoped that Pru's presence would calm her down, but that was impossible, though this was no fault of Pru's. Paige's excitement was just off the charts. As the minutes ticked away, Pru finally just grabbed Paige and hugged her, physically stilling her body until her mind also grew still. The knock on the door came: It was time to begin.
Emily and Paige's attendants had already entered from the rear of the church. Emily and Paige were to enter from opposite sides of the front of the church, seeing each other for the first time at the same time. Emily's father escorted her in his full-dress uniform. Paige's father wore a tux with tails. Emily almost burst out laughing when she saw Paige, not in a suit, but in an elegant, strapless, floor-length, black satin pencil dress that was snug at the body and topped with a bolero jacket. Her hair was pulled to the right side of her head in a loose braid with white rosettes. Emily's almost laughter was because she knew how much Paige hated and avoided wearing dresses, but, once she took in the full sight of her fiancée, laughter was the last thing on her mind. Paige looked stunning. After all their years together, she looked fresh and new.
Paige was similarly bowled over by the sight of Emily. She actually stumbled in her dad's arms in awe. Each father hugged his daughter and shook his counterpart's hand before they were seated. Emily and Paige joined hands and stepped up to the altar, facing the officiant.
Paige and Emily had put a lot of research into the ceremony. They wanted it to stand out and be remembered as something unique, not as a political statement, but as an expression of love between two soulmates. They chose every song, every reading, and every line of their vows with purpose. As they stood hand in hand, they turned to look at each other as the children's choir from the church in Rosewood sang Shania Twain's wedding anthem, "From this Moment On."
Pam Fields and Marlene McCullers shared a reading from the Bible:
Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its ardor unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.
Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot sweep it away.
If one were to give
all the wealth of one's house for love,
it would be utterly scorned.
For the exchange of rings, first Paige, then Emily, recited their vows:
Emily, in the sight of God, and our friends and family gathered here, I take you as my wife. All that I have, I give to you. All that I am, I share with you. Wherever life leads us, I will walk together with you, one in mind, one in spirit, one in purpose, as long as we both shall live.
As they lit a unity candle, Pru came to the podium and sang an old standard from the 1930s, "Just the Way You Look Tonight."
Some day, when I'm awfully low
When the world is cold
I will feel a glow just thinking of you
And the way you look tonight
Yes, you're lovely with your smile so warm
And your cheeks so soft
There is nothing for me but to love you
And the way you look tonight
With each word your tenderness grows
Tearing my fear apart
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose
It touches my foolish heart
Lovely, never ever change
Keep that breathless charm
Won't you please arrange it?
'Cause I love you just the way you look tonight
Just the way you look tonight
Finally, the minister pronounced them married, and finally, Paige lifted Emily's veil and they shared their first kiss as a married couple. It meant as much to Paige as all of the other kisses that she and Emily had shared rolled together, from that first, spontaneous kiss outside Emily's car to the yearning, soulful kiss that they had exchanged as they parted that morning, before they went their separate ways to get prepared for the day.
Paige and Emily had promised themselves that they would be in the moment throughout their wedding day – not looking ahead or looking back, but savoring each moment as it occurred – and Paige was fully savoring the moment of their kiss. It was as if the kiss was happening in slow motion; it was as if time stood still; it was a kiss for all eternity. Only when the applause that had begun when the kiss did started devolving into hoots and whistles did she and Emily realize that they had been locking lips for an uncomfortably long amount of time. Uncomfortable for their guests, that is. They would have been content to grow old in that kiss.
After the recessional, the newlyweds and their families and attendants headed to the art museum for pictures. The couple and their dads did a Rocky Run up the steps, the fathers raising their hands in triumph over their daughters who were locked in a kiss. The photographer snapped image after image with all of the combinations of family and friends until, finally, having gotten everything that she needed, she released the group to join the rest of the guests at the reception.
There was a boisterous cheer when, after the flower girl, the ring bearer, and all of the bridesmaids and bridesmen were introduced, Emily and Paige were announced for the first time as wives. There was some confusion: Were they Paige and Emily Fields? McCullers? Fields-McCullers? The announcement was just "Paige and Emily," and they were content to leave the group guessing.
"So, are you taking my name or am I taking yours?" Emily asked.
"Please." Paige replied. "We're getting married. I'm not adopting you."
"But people are used to couples having the same name."
"So? Who cares about people? Nothing about our relationship is what people are used to. I love you, Emily. I love Emily Fields. I don't want you to have to change because you're becoming my wife. Do you want me to change?"
"I don't want you to change. I'm just saying, we could change our names. And, let's face it, we will change when we get married. We're already changing because of our relationship."
"Well, if you want me to take your name, I'll consider it. I want to do it because it's what you want, though, not because it's what you think people will expect of us."
"We could both change. It would show that we're both starting something new. It would show that we're together. We could be McCullers-Fields or Fields-McCullers."
"No way. I'd hate for our children to have to put that on the SAT forms."
"Well, what are they going to put on the SAT forms, Paige? Are they going to have my name or yours?"
Paige took a moment to contemplate this. "Oh, shit. I never thought about that."
One evening, after a long day of wedding planning, Paige and Emily were having drinks with Hanna. They had exhausted themselves looking through color patterns, checking out venues, and sampling menus.
As the conversation hit a lull, Emily asked Paige, "Shall we tell Hanna about our latest problem?"
"Tell me!" Hanna chimed in, "I'm here to solve your problems!"
Her clients filled her in on their name dilemma. She let them run through all of the considerations and ramifications before she weighed in. "Well, this is an easy one!"
They both looked at her, in shocked anticipation.
She pulled her big wedding notebook out of her bag, turning it back to the cover page as she spoke. "You guys should just use the name that I've been using for you all this time," she said, pointing out the label on the front of the book: McFields Wedding.
Paige and Emily looked at each other and laughed. "I'm game if you are, Emily!"
"I'm game – Paige McFields!"
Somewhere during dinner, Paige realized that her face was starting to hurt from all of the day's smiling. Her lips were also feeling a little chapped from all of the times when people clinked their glasses to get her and Emily to kiss. They made the rounds from table to table, thanking all of their guests; Paige introducing Emily to some of the Wisconsin crowd whom Emily hadn't met, and Emily introducing her to family members who had come from out of state.
After dinner, they cut the cake, and surprised everyone by feeding each other like two civilized women, rather than smashing cake into each other's face. Pru and Hanna made toasts, and Pam and Marlene made short speeches, welcoming the other's family as they joined together.
Paige and Emily shared their first dance as brides to the song, "At Last," by Etta James. Midway through, Nick and Wayne cut in. Paige thought that the day couldn't be more perfect, though, of course, the best was yet to come.
In the back of the limousine, the newlyweds were behaving like two horny teenagers on prom night. They had the privacy screen up between themselves and the driver, and they couldn't take their hands (or any other body parts) off of each other. The day had just been too beautiful, too filled with constant reminders of how much they loved each other and of just what this day meant for them. They were behaving as they were not out of lust but out of an overflow of emotion. The limo took them to the hotel in Old City where they had the bridal suite reserved for the night before their flight the next morning. The hotel's valet had the good sense to knock on the darkened window before opening the door; apparently, he'd had experience with newlyweds in limousines. Paige and Emily took a moment to collect themselves before they opened up the door to face the outside world.
Once they got to their room, things slowed down considerably. Once inside, the overload of emotions that Paige was experiencing manifest itself through tears, and she found herself weeping in her wife's arms as they sat on the bed, still in their gowns. Emily nudged Paige's head and gave her a gentle kiss of reassurance, not intending for it to ignite the flame that it did. Paige deepened the kiss, drawing Emily in by her hair. Emily's hands roamed up and down Paige's back. Without a word, without breaking the kiss, they stood up at the same time and began unzipping one another and helping each other out of their gowns. Finally released from this outermost layer, Paige took Emily's hands and stared deeply into her eyes. "You are, without a doubt, the most beautiful bride in the history of creation." Emily held Paige's gaze and responded with two words that were almost whispered: "You are." Their lips met once again as their hands explored every inch of each other slowly, appreciatively. That night, their love made everything new. Everything was happening for the first time. With their final layer of clothing finally resting on the carpet, Emily led her wife to the bed, pulled back the covers, and turned out the light.
The newlyweds were up early the next morning to catch the shuttle to the airport for their flight to Miami, the port of departure for their Caribbean cruise. The ship was a world unto itself, with dining, dancing, swimming, entertainment, and time relaxing in the sun. Paige wished that they could remain in that bubble forever. Not that they didn't enjoy the island-hopping as well. Neither of them had done much traveling – it was Paige's first trip out of the country – and they made the most of the new experiences.
Looking back, Paige and Emily were content with where life had taken them. Within a year of marriage, they began the process of adopting the twins, Gaby and Derek, after having read about them in the Philadelphia Inquirer's weekly feature on children in need of families. Paige got her wish to be surrounded by children, as, in time, they added three girls and a boy of their own. Knowing how hit-and-miss the insemination process could be, they both went into it together, letting the fates decide who would be the first mother. The fates chose Paige, who was the birth mother of Alexis. As Paige's body recovered, Emily took another round, ultimately giving birth to Paul, twenty-three months younger than his older sister. As the four children grew older, Emily and Paige again put motherhood into the hands of fate, with the unforeseen result that they both became pregnant within a month of each other. When it was all said and done, Sara and Christina were born 10 weeks apart.
Paige put her Master's in Social Work degree to work as a counselor in a privately run K-8 school in Philadelphia. Once they started their family, Emily left her accounting firm to work freelance, giving her the flexibility to work from home. In her spare time, she contributed articles to parenting and family blogs.
Pam Fields was delighted to have a full table and a full house every Thanksgiving and Christmas. As the children grew, she and Wayne set the children to helping in the kitchen and around the house with military precision.
"Second Christmas" in Wisconsin became a tradition on the McCullers side of the family, with Paige's parents covering the travel costs as their Christmas gift. Nick McCullers, never one to do anything halfway, added an extension to the house so that there would always be plenty of room for his grandchildren to stay when they visited. When Sara and Christina turned eight, Nick insisted that all the grandkids come out to Wisconsin for two weeks every summer, and, for those two weeks, Paige and Emily got a taste of life as empty nesters.
It was during one of those empty-nest summer weeks that Paige grew philosophical. Emily was reclining on the couch, reading, and Paige was sitting at her desk, putting together schedules for the next week of her school's summer camp. Looking at a framed picture on her desk of her and Emily with all of the kids, she thought about how well everything had turned out. She heard Emily's voice over her shoulder, "Would you change anything?" Paige chuckled. Emily always seemed to know where her mind was going, even when her lips were silent. Paige got up and walked over to the couch, pushing Emily's legs aside so that she could join her there. She thought over the question for a few moments before she answered. "No. I don't think that I'd change a thing. I regret some of the decisions, and all of the fights. I know that I've made mistakes with the kids. But, right now, I'm just really… content. And everything – all of the missteps and 'should've dones' were part of what brought me here. So, no, I wouldn't change anything, because I'm happy with the way that things turned out." Emily was beaming as she pulled her wife in for a kiss. "What about you?" Paige asked her, "What would you change?"
"Absolutely nothing. I've got the world's best, most beautiful, most loving wife, I've got the most wonderful kids. Why would I want to change that?"
"I remember the first time I saw you," she continued. Paige cringed. She well remembered how awkward she was her freshman year. She was sure that Emily was going to try to pass it off as endearing, but she wasn't looking forward to the resurrection of the Paige whom she had spent so long trying to bury.
"Really?" she asked, her face scrunched up in dread.
"I'll never forget it. Hanna and I were talking while we waited for that sociology seminar to begin. You came into the room looking a little bit lost, not sure that you were in the right place." All those years later, Paige hid her face in her hands, still embarrassed at who she used to be. "The moment that I saw you, my heart stopped. I couldn't believe that there could actually be someone so beautiful in real life."
Paige smacked Emily's arm. "Don't BS me!"
"I'm totally serious. I had to play it cool, though, because Hanna was on the prowl. She was determined to get me back into circulation after Maya. I knew that there was no chance that you were gay – I mean, come on: How often does a beautiful, available, gay woman just waltz into your life? – so I didn't want Hanna to pick up on the way that I was looking at you and do something to embarrass me – and you."
Paige kissed her. "Well, she ended up embarrassing us, anyway."
"Yeah," Emily laughed. "That day we saw you at Campus Grounds, even before we saw you there, she told that she noticed the way that you used to look at me in class…"
Paige started blushing. "I used to come early so that I could get a seat where I could stare at you without you seeing me." Emily cupped Paige's cheek and gave her a kiss. "At first, I thought that you and Hanna were together. Well, until I saw her artwork."
"Did I ever tell you about her plan to draw a picture of you and me making out, to find out whether or not you were into that?"
"Oh my God!" Paige was a bright, cherry red. "You guys knew that I was staring at you?"
"Hanna did. I didn't. Believe me, if I had known, I would've made a move a lot earlier."
Paige kissed her. "I'm glad the way that it worked out."
"Yeah, I am, too."
"It forced me to be brave. Well, what was brave for me at the time, that is. At the time, it was a big step for me to say yes to meeting you for coffee and to send you my number."
"I was so glad to get that message. I thought that you hated me…"
"Oh, God! I know! I was such a dork – I couldn't even reply when we were chatting!" Paige buried her face in her wife's shoulder.
"Hey." Emily grabbed her head and looked intently into her eyes. "You were worth waiting for. That Paige is the Paige I love. This Paige is the Paige I love." Emily kissed her. "And I wouldn't change a damn thing."
The night closed in around them, and, eventually, they hauled themselves off to bed. Night turned into day. Seasons changed. Years came and went. Their children grew and set out to live their lives. And the roots of their love plumbed deeper and deeper as its branches spread upward to the skies.
And they lived hapPaily ever after.
(Sorry - I couldn't resist!) :)