Sunrise, Sunset
Silver Chipmunk
silverbirch2001
Starsky and Hutch knew that Molly and Kiko Ramos were the closest they'd ever have to children of their own, and they treated them accordingly.
Kiko, a little older than Molly, went to college first, and got a nearly complete scholarship to do "something with computers" that no one else understood, no matter how he tried to explain. It was no problem for his mother, with a little help from Hutch, to pay for what the scholarship didn't cover.
Molly started college the year after Kiko, and needed more help than Kiko had, but Starsky was able and willing to cover everything that Mrs. Ramos couldn't. She majored in Women's Studies, and it was really no surprise to anyone when she came out as gay in the middle of her sophomore year. Mrs. Ramos was slightly dismayed, but accepting. After all, she had the example of Starsky and Hutch, who were out by then, in front of her.
Kiko got married fairly young, not long after he graduated, and soon they had their first child, Clara, who was doted on by everyone in the family.
Molly, on the other hand, didn't settle down too fast. She found a job as the manager of a woman's bookstore, and embarked on a long series of short but intense relationships.
That went on for some years. Then she found Becky Kaplan, "the one".
Becky was a lawyer with the public defender's office, and a little older than Molly. They met at the bookstore, and after a short passionate time of dating, eventually the couple moved in together.
One night late in 1990, after they had lived together for awhile, they invited Starsky and Hutch, and Mrs. Ramos, and Kiko and his wife Sharon, with Clara, over to dinner at their apartment.
"So what's the purpose of this get-together?" Starsky asked, after they had finished dessert. "Not that we're not happy to be here, but I got the feelin' you have somethin' special in mind."
Molly and Becky looked at each other. Then Molly said "You're right, Starsky. We have something important to say." She smiled, and took Becky's hand. "We're getting married, and we wanted to tell you all together. Becky already told her family, yesterday, and we'll have a big family dinner at a restaurant to celebrate the engagement soon."
Everyone gave their congratulations, but then Hutch pointed out, "It can't be a legal marriage though."
Becky nodded solemnly. "Of course we know. But some day there will be a way for us to get married, and until then we want to show everyone how we feel. In the eyes of God and society, if not the law."
"Especially the eyes of God," Molly said, "Becky wants a religious wedding, and we already asked Rabbi Rosenberg about it, and she said she'll do it."
"That's fantastic!" Starsky said enthusiastically. Mrs. Ramos looked dubious.
"And you and Mom will walk me down the aisle?" Molly asked.
"Of course I will!" Starsky said. To Hutch he explained "At a Jewish wedding both of the couple are walked down by both parents."
"I remember that from Nick's wedding," Hutch said dryly.
"Just making sure."
Mrs. Ramos smiled and said she would be thrilled to walk Molly down the aisle, though her voice quavered a bit as she said it.
"And Clara can be a flower girl if she wants to be. She'd be so cute!" Becky put in.
"Oh, that would be lovely!" Sharon said, "How about it, Honey, you want to be a flower girl for your Aunt Molly?"
"Yes please!" Clara said happily. "My friend Tessa was a flower girl at her cousin's wedding and it sounded like so much fun!"
"And Hutch and Kiko can hold up two of the poles of the chuppah." Becky went on. "My friends Emily and Diana are going to hold the other two."
Molly brought out a bottle of champagne then, and opened it, and they all had a glass to toast the brides. Even Clara was given a tiny bit.
Later that night, Starsky found time to have a few private words with Molly.
"So Moll, this is the big one, huh?"
"Oh yes. I'm so happy, Starsky."
"And you're OK with Becky having a Jewish ceremony, and not a Gentile one?"
"I know Mom probably won't be so very happy, but she'll come around. It's not like we could have a Catholic ceremony, no priest would ever do one for two women, and at least this way it's religious."
"I didn't think that mattered to you," Starsky said, a little surprised.
"Oh it doesn't, but it does, very much, to Becky, and I'm sure Mom would rather I have any religious wedding than none."
"Ever think about converting?" Starsky asked, only half seriously.
He was surprised therefore when Molly said "Actually, I have thought about it. I've even talked to Rabbi Rosenberg about it, but I figure, one thing at a time. We'll get the wedding through first."
"Well Mazel Tov then, Schweetheart. I'll be honored to walk you down the aisle. I can't picture you in a white bridal gown though," he added. Molly never wore dresses if she could avoid it, and the last time Starsky had seen her in anything even close to one was her commencement gown when she graduated college.
"I'm not going to wear one," Molly said decisively. "I'm going to wear a tux. But not a men's black tux, I'm a dyke, not a guy. I think maybe a pink one, that would look nice with Becky in a white gown. Or lavender, how about that?" She thought for a moment. "Yeah, lavender. Leapin' Lavender Lesbians, as we used to say in college."
"I think you'll look beautiful in anything you wear," Starsky said gallantly.
"I don't want to look beautiful, I want to look handsome," Molly contradicted. "Becky can look beautiful."
"Well, you'll look handsome as hell," Starsky said. "Whatever you wear."
They rejoined the rest of the party then, and moved on to discussing things like a timeline for the wedding. "We don't want to wait too long," Becky said. As soon as we can get a venue set up, we'll start making plans. We want an outdoor ceremony, and then an inside reception."
"We were thinking about that big park, the one near where we used to live. They have a garden that can be rented for occasions, and the restaurant right there for the reception. So as soon as we can get an opening," Molly said.
"You mean the park where my tree is?" Starsky asked, smiling reminiscently.
"Yeah, that one. We're calling them tomorrow."
"That'll be beautiful," said Sharon. "Good luck getting a date."
"OK, keep us posted on everything," Kiko said. "I think we have to take Clara home, now, it's past her bedtime."
The party broke up then, and Starsky and Hutch returned to their cozy home.
That night in bed, they had a conversation.
"So Molly and Becky are getting married," Hutch said as he undressed and lay down, rather stiffly because his back was bothering him.
"I think it's mostly Becky's idea," Starsky said. "I think it means a lot to her, and Molly wants to make her happy."
"Well, that's a good thing. They make a good couple."
"Almost as good as Me and Thee, dontcha' think?"
"Nothing compares to Me and Thee," Hutch said firmly. "Now come over here where I can reach you!"
Starsky did, and things went on from there in a very pleasurable manner.
Over the next few days and weeks, things moved rapidly in the wedding planning.
The couple were delighted to find there was an opening in the park's schedule only seven months away, on a Tuesday in June, just a bit after Shavuot, when things would look beautiful in the garden, so they put down their deposit, and started working with that date.
They had a big engagement party at a nice restaurant for both their respective families and some friends who were in the wedding party.
They ordered invitations, and went for fittings on their clothing. Starsky and Hutch both had good suits already, but Kiko had to get a new one, and Sharon and Mrs. Ramos went out dress shopping together for themselves and for Clara.
As the time drew closer, things seemed to speed up. A jeweler for the wedding rings. A Jewish rental agency for the chuppah, for chairs, for all the accouterments. Meetings with the restaurant to pick out the reception menu. Meetings with the rabbi to discuss the ketubah, and an artist and calligrapher to create it.A baker for a cake. A florist. A photographer.
Starsky and Hutch were mostly out of the flurry, but sometimes Molly came to visit and tell them what was going on, and to get some time to relax. "It's exhausting," she said, "but it's fun too."
"There'll be time to relax when it's all over." Hutch said. "You are having a honeymoon, aren't you?"
"Oh yes." Molly said, "We're going to Florida, to Disney World for a week!"
"We should do that some day," Starsky said to Hutch. "That sounds great! I'd love to go to Disney World!"
Hutch smiled indulgently. "Maybe some time," he said. "But not for a whole week. That's too much Mouse."
"Aw, you're no fun," Starsky grumbled.
Then at last it was time for the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner. It was the night before the wedding. There had been a batchelorette party the week before, a night out at a local lesbian bar, which of course Starsky and Hutch hadn't been invited to, and both the brides had had showers at their respective workplaces, but this was the first time since the engagement party that everyone had gotten together.
They had picked a favorite site, and everyone in both families and their closest friends were invited. The guys got dressed for the evening and drove out to the restaurant.
It wasn't at the same venue that the reception was happening of course, but a very nice place none the less. They were greeted by Becky's parents and Mrs. Ramos, and took their seats at the table with the brides.
It was an Italian restaurant, which pleased Starsky. He ordered the lasagna. Hutch had the veal, which he loved.
After the meal, when dessert and coffee were being served, Molly stood up and called for attention. "OK everyone," she said. "Tomorrow is the big day. I hope you're all ready for it, and as excited as Becky and I are." There was applause. "We're so happy all of you can be here tonight. I wanted to just say thank you to everyone for being so supportive, especially to Rabbi Rosenberg for being willing to do her first same-sex wedding."
The rabbi, a short stocky woman with gray hair, waved from her seat. There was more applause.
"And all my love always to my Mom, and my brother Kiko, for taking me in and making me part of their family when I had nowhere else to go."
"You're the best sister I could have ever had, Molly," Kiko called. More applause.
"And I wanted to give my thanks and love to my dear friends, David Starsky and Ken Hutchinson, better known as Starsky and Hutch, for being my father figures, and for being my example of a happy, loving queer couple. That meant so much to me when I was coming out, and to know I had someone who would give me unconditional support." Hutch blushed, but Starsky waved enthusiastically. There was even louder applause.
"We love you, Moll!" Starsky called out.
Then Becky got up and gave a short speech too, thanking her parents and family, and some others, at last concluding with "And now it's time to go home and everyone rest up for tomorrow. We love you all!"
There was cheering, and then they did a quick run through of the wedding procession, and then the party broke up.
The next day dawned clear and sunny. Starsky and Hutch got up early. Hutch insisted that they have a good nutritional breakfast before they got ready for the wedding, and while Starsky refused the health shake Hutch always had, he was more than willing to have eggs and sausage, and a bowl of cereal as well. "There's a long time through the ceremony and the things we have to do first, before we get to the food. I'm sure Molly doesn't want anyone passing out from hunger," Hutch said. Starsky just shook his head in amusement at the thought, but he ate willingly.
They drove to the park, and found the rest of the wedding party already there. The event garden was next to the restaurant, and there were private rooms for the participants to get together before hand.
They met in a small room. Becky was gorgeous in her white silk bridal gown, and Molly was stunning in her lavender tuxedo.
There they had the ketubah signing. The ketubah was a beautiful document, calligraphied and illuminated. Rather than a traditional wording, Molly and Becky had written their own. "The ketubah is the marriage contract. It sets out the rights of the bride and the responsibilities of the groom," Starsky explained to Hutch.
"I remember that from Nick's wedding," Hutch muttered.
"Of course, with two brides and no groom the words have to be different," Starsky continued, unabashed.
"Obviously," Hutch said dryly.
Another nontraditional thing they had done with the ketubah was leave space for more people to sign it. Molly and Becky signed, as well as Kiko and Sharon, Mrs. Ramos, Starsky and Hutch, Becky's parents and sister Rachel, and the rabbi. "We wanted our families all to be part of it," Becky explained.
They also had a non-traditional bedeken, the veiling of the bride, as Starsky explained to Hutch.
"I remember that from Nick's wedding, too," Hutch sighed impatiently.
Just makin' sure," Starsky said.
At first they had thought to skip the bedeken, since there were two brides, and one wasn't wearing a dress, but they liked the symbolism of it. So they revamped it. Molly veiled Becky with her bridal veil, and Becky placed a kippah on Molly's head, in lavender to match her tux.
And then they proceeded to the rest of the wedding.
Hutch and Kiko went to the garden to where the chuppah waited to be held up with Becky's two friends who were holding the other two poles. It was a beautiful silk canopy, with a garland of flowers.
The music was provided by a friend of Becky's, from her synagogue, who played violin. He did the song "Sunrise, Sunset" from the musical Fiddler on the Roof, and played it during the whole processional.
The processional started with Rabbi Rosenberg, in her robes and tallit. Then Becky's grandparents came down and took their seats on the right side. There were no grandparents for Molly, Starsky's mother hadn't been able to make the trip, and Mrs. Ramos's parents were both dead.
Then Molly's party came down the aisle. First two of her fellow workers at the book store, then followed by the owner, who was Molly's close friend, as "best woman". Then Starsky and Mrs. Ramos escorted by Starsky on the right and Mrs. Ramos on the left.
Hutch, standing holding the pole of the chuppah, had eyes only for Starsky, even though Molly was handsome and glowing in her lavender tuxedo. But Starsky was magnificent in his suit, and his eyes were suspiciously bright, as he proudly escorted his one time "little girl lost", now a grown, independent woman, to the chuppah. Hutch felt his heart swell with love, both for his partner, husband in all but name, and Molly, close and dear as a daughter.
They took their place under the chuppah, and the music swelled as Becky's party started down, first her two cousins as bridesmaids, then her sister as maid of honor, and then Clara, the flower girl, in a lavender dress to match Molly's tux, with a basket of flowers.
Then finally Becky came in, with her parents escorting her, shimmering in her bridal finery. They took their places under the chuppah.
The two brides formally circled each other seven times, and Hutch could see Starsky itching to explain the symbolism of it, which again, he actually remembered from Nick's wedding, when the bride simply circled the groom.
To Hutch, the rest of the ceremony seemed to go faster. The violinist stopped, and the two brides exchanged rings. They read from the ketubah, in English and Hebrew, and some of the members of the wedding party read the seven blessings. There was a blessing over a cup of wine which the brides shared, and finally Molly and Becky together stamped on a glass wrapped in a napkin.
Everyone shouted "Mazel Tov!" as it broke, and cheered.
Then there was the recessional. The violinist played something that sounded triumphant and traditional. Hutch didn't recognize it from Nick's wedding, but that he was sure Starsky could tell him about if given the opportunity.
The two brides left first, arm in arm, followed by Becky's parents, then Starsky and Mrs. Ramos, Becky's grandparents, Clara, and all the attendants. Finally Rabbi Rosenberg went down the aisle, and Hutch and Kiko and the other two chuppah holders felt free to put down the poles and join the audience and violinist, who were filing out and into the restaurant for the reception.
The two brides spent some time in seclusion before joining the crowd. Starsky, who had rejoined Hutch as soon as he could, explained that was traditional, and Hutch forebear for once from pointing out that he remembered it from Nick's wedding.
Hutch found the reception passed in a blur. There was food, and drinks, and dancing the hora, and more food, and more dancing, and more drinking, and speeches. Starsky got up when it was time, and gave his speech.
"I love Molly, or as we used to call her, Pete, like she was my own," he said. "But I had lots of help raising her. My partner Hutch was the one who brought Molly into our lives, and I thank him for that, as well as being the best help in my part of raising Molly I could have had. And Estella Ramos for taking her in an' bringing her up to be the wonderful person she's turned out to be. And now she's found someone to spend her life with, and I thank Becky for being Molly's partner and wife."
There was applause, and more speeches, and more dancing, and much more food, and finally the reception was over. Molly and Becky stood thanking everyone as they left. Starsky and Hutch stayed until the very end, and helped with the closing up and packing away of everything that needed to be packed, but eventually it was over.
They left then. It was dark, and a sweet, warm night. Somehow, without really planning to, they ended up at the tree that Starsky still considered "his", the one that Hutch had had planted in his honor, so many years ago. It had grown to a substantial size now, and Starsky leaned against it as they talked.
"That was the year we met Molly," Starsky reminisced.
"That's right," Hutch agreed. "I still feel bad that you were hurt by it then."
"I told you, Hutch, before. I figured out that it was something you would have liked yourself. A big leafy green thing that couldn't fit in the house."
Hutch sighed and said "I have to admit, I did get some enjoyment out of seeing you annoyed by it. It seemed so much fun back then to annoy you."
"But now it's one of my favorite things that you ever gave me," Starsky went on.
"I love you, you know that," Hutch said softly.
"I know. And I love you too," Starsky said. They kissed, softly and deeply. Then Hutch pushed away, and straightened out his pants. "Not here, in public."
Starsky nodded agreement. "So what do you think, how did the wedding go?" he asked, to change the subject.
"It was beautiful. Too bad in the eyes of the law it doesn't mean anything."
"I keep telling you, Hutch. Some day we'll have the right to get married, and when we do, I'm going to marry you."
"And if we ever do, I'll be the first to say 'yes'," Hutch said. "But in the meantime. Would you want to do like Molly and Becky, and have a public ceremony?"
"Are you proposing to me, Hutch?" Starsky asked.
"I think I am. Would you want a Jewish ceremony, like this?"
"I don't know, I think I'd want something for you, too. But to get married under a chuppah, yeah, I'd like that. And to break the glass, you know it's symbolic of the destruction of the temple. And just for good luck."
"Yeah. Like everything else, I remember from Nick's wedding." Hutch said. "But you haven't answered yet. David Michael Starsky, will you marry me?"
"Damn straight I will," Starsky said, and punctuated it with another kiss.
"There'll be a lot to plan," Hutch warned. "You remember how exhausted Molly was."
"I think we can do it. And afterward, we can have a honeymoon at Disney World, like the girls. A week in Florida to relax."
"OK, OK, you want a week in Florida, we'll do that. But not all week at Disney. I told you, that's too much Mouse."
"Aw, you're no fun, Hutch. Come on, let's go home and start planning."
And so they did.
Authors Note:
My thanks go to MASHfanficchick for sensitivity reading and giving advice on a Jewish lesbian wedding, when I am neither Jewish nor a lesbian. Any errors are strictly mine.