Some believe that May is the most beautiful month of the year, with all the greenery back in bloom, the snow gone for sure, and the trees growing back their cascades of leaves that hang over the ground and create a nice, cool shade.
Whichever month is the most beautiful is most certainly a topic for debate, but Bear Hugger and his fiance Cy Camore certainly believed it was May, which is why they chose the 16th within that month for their wedding day.
Everyone gathered in a beautiful little clearing in the woods, with a patch of sky just visible through the trees, blazing sunbeams down onto them. Every boxer in the league was there; even Pierce came along to witness the ceremony. Was it a WVBA tradition to invite every league member and their significant others to your wedding? It wasn't written down anywhere, but the group was so tight-knit, it would seem odd not to.
A little squirrel hopped onto the tall stump that they were using as a pedestal, and began to chatter the greetings. In most weddings, squirrels aren't there, period, let alone marrying the couple, but the woods Bear Hugger and Cy lived in were not exactly ordinary to begin with. And because the word hasn't been used in this passage yet, here it is: beautiful.
"I'm glad you asked," said Cy to the squirrel. No one in the audience knew what the squirrel had asked him, but they suspected he was asking him to say his vows. Cy turned to Bear Hugger. "So here we are; our wedding day. The day where I tell ya that I vow to stand by your side through the thick of it, to care for our animal friends together as a team, and to care more now than I ever have before." He put on a joking smile. "I mean, I could tell you that any day, but now is definitely the most appropriate time."
The guests all chuckled. Cy looked at Bear Hugger, waiting for him to continue. Bear Hugger looked into his soon-to-be-husband's eyes. "Certainly took us a while to get here, eh Cy? Well, now that we are here, I have to say my vows. I promise to you that I will care for you and any family we have now and in the future no matter how rough things get, stand by you against the strongest of fires and storms, and be the beacon of soundness and security for everyone."
Wow. That was really (dare I say again) beautiful. The squirrel chipped at the two, asking for their "I do's', and when they had been given, signaled for them to share their first kiss as a married couple. The guests all clapped excitedly but politely, and Flying Feather and Great Tiger whistled for them.
After an hour-long break to freshen up and collect their children, the guests all arrived for the party. Two bears had come together to operate the DJ station, and were directing the first dance, a waltz. None of the guests had ever heard a waltz song with a banjo in the background before, but hey, it worked. Once it was complete, Bear Hugger and Cy turned to the other guests. "What are ya lookin' at, hosers, come join the party!"
At that request, Flying Feather pulled Lucy in for a tango, and Von Kaiser coaxed a shy Joe to follow. Great Tiger corralled Piston Hondo, Katrina, and little Emma together to dance with them. Soda Popinski elbowed Bald Bull, but Bald Bull just looked at him funny until Soda Pop figured maybe he should just go dance with Ivana instead.
When the night fell, the guests helped clear up the mess and went on their way so Bear Hugger and Cy could begin their honeymoon staycation. "Dad, are you gonna do this with Vikky?" Katrina asked on the way out, rubbing her eyes.
Joe picked Katrina up to carry her back to the car. "Un jour, ma belle. Un jour." (One day, darling. One day.)
