August 2027: A Three Way Partnership Part II.
As Barnaby and Matthew started their walk across town, at the venue the majority of the invited guests had arrived. It was an assembly of friends in the main; Clyde's family were present, unfazed by his lifestyle choices now, but only one of Audra's cousins was there, the rest of the family boycotting what they saw as a wicked and unorthodox ceremony. The funny thing was that they had been tolerant of her three-way relationship when it was kept behind closed doors…
Of course, nobody was expecting Barnaby's parents to show up, even if Beats had practised the noise of a safety catch being taken off a gun again. None of the guests knew that the couple were on a cruise ship at that precise moment, so there was a certain nervousness that they might turn up like the proverbial bad pennies. The fear that they might wreak havoc had prompted the discrete security presence at the door. His aunt, Matthew's mother, was present, but his other cousin, Matthew's sister had no intention of coming, having denounced Barnaby as a freak; she had gone so far as to state that she wouldn't be seen dead at the travesty that was taking place that day. All of those that knew that thought it was her loss…
Barnaby's aunt had been embarrassed by her daughter's outburst, and had apologised profusely to him and Hillary, but neither of them felt it was necessary or held any sort of grudge against their female cousin. The lady in question had quickly found herself in the company of Clyde's parents, and they had welcomed her warmly, knowing that she was one of the few real members of family that Barnaby had. The conversation came quite easily for them all, and despite their very different backgrounds, they found that they actually had quite a lot in common with each other; by the end of the day, a new friendship had been formed there as well.
For Nick and Jeff, like so many of their friends, weddings and partnership ceremonies were always a reminder of their own wedding day over a decade ago; the rings that they wore on their fingers were still the most precious things in the world to them, other than their son. As for the boy in question, Wes was taking it all in and enjoying it immensely. He was accompanied in that by Ethel, who was so used to formal weddings back home; this was a much less formal affair, and she was mingling happily, seeing an eclectic mix of people, many of the kind that she would never encounter back in Maidenhead…
A few minutes later she spotted Isabelle Wright arriving, recognising her image from her copies of Vogue. The lady in question came over to speak to Ethan, and a short while later she and Ethel were deep in conversation about the fashions that they could see around the room. The English lady memorised every moment of their chat and was glad that Drew agreed to take a photo of her with Isabelle; she would be the envy of her female friends, able to dine out on her meeting with the editor of what was to many a fashion bible for weeks on her return home. What made it all the more special was the fact that Isabelle had complimented her on her outfit, which was something she had slipped into her case at the last minute just in case formal attire was needed. It was the one designer item that she possessed, a treat to herself just days after her husband had died…
Not far away, seated around a table, the normal formal rows of seating having been abandoned on this occasion, were Beats, Elliott and their children. The married couple were, like Nick and Jeff, recalling their own wedding day, which had managed to be even less formal than this one was, mainly because their guests had only found out about the ceremony they were attending when they arrived at the door. True, they had then enjoyed a vow renewal in Ohio, one that was very much for the benefit of Mrs Harper, but it was that rushed initial event that they smiled at. The rings they wore had not been chosen carefully by each other, but had been selected with great haste by Flint, with Kurt at his shoulder as an invisible assistant. It had been the happiest day of their lives…
The cause of all of that haste had been a boy then, but he was now a young man with a bright future ahead of him. Dante also saw that day as the best in his life and he smiled as he sat alongside his two fathers, with Lachlan at his side. The two of them were inseparable, but they both knew that they might never have met had Beats and Elliott not decided to become foster parents. Everyone that saw them together knew that they were meant for each other, and most of those that knew them well expected to be in the congregation for their wedding ceremony one day in the future.
They all knew that day would not come until the two of them had graduated from college; however, they did know that when it came, it would be linked closely to Lachlan's faith, a ceremony with at least elements of Judaism in it. Dante had no issue with that, and indeed was quietly considering converting to share his boyfriend's faith. He felt much more at home on his occasional visits to the synagogue with Lachlan than he ever did at his grandmother's church, back when she had been taking care of him…
Barnaby and Matthew made good time on their walk across Manhattan and arrived at the venue at the same time as the taxi that had conveyed Hillary and Roderick. As a good sister, Hillary saw it as her duty to stop and straighten her brother's tie for him, something that a loving mother might have done had one been around. That moment and Barnaby's reaction to it was caught on video on Matthew's cellphone camera for posterity; it was also witnessed by Clyde and Audra, who walked around the corner at just the right moment. There was much hilarity as brother and sister interacted, and then greetings were exchanged properly; they all already knew Clyde's best woman and Audra's attendant, a transwoman. Hillary and Roderick then made their way inside, leaving the three soon-to-be partners to talk, admiring each other's outfits, all smiles…
"Now, this has to stay between the six of us for now, but my sister and Roderick will be making an announcement at the party after the ceremony, namely to tell the world that myself, Clyde and Audra are to be uncles and an aunt shortly…," said Barnaby. Matthew's eyes widened as it suddenly made sense to him why his cousin had not been around until the very last moment that morning. "I think that they have actually known for some time but were anxious not to steal our limelight again by making Hillary's pregnancy known before our big day. Whilst we are on the subject of announcements, I also believe that Matthew might have a little something he needs to say to Madison…"
Barnaby's best man blushed then, before muttering, "Well, yeah, maybe, but only if that is okay with you guys…"
"It is more than okay!" said Clyde with a grin. "On our happy day we want everyone to be just as happy as we are!"
"Well, we can't start on any of that with the three of us standing out here," said Audra. "We are now exactly two minutes late in arriving, so let's get in there and all be fabulously late together…"
With laughter from their attendants, the three participants in the ceremony linked arms, with Barnaby in the centre deliberately, to avoid bowing to the perception that the woman should be between the two men for her protection. They stepped into the venue together to take the vows that would make their long-term thruple a legal one, recognised by law and of course, by the IRS…
The ceremony that would join Audra, Barnaby and Clyde as equal partners was a simple one, conducted by a nominated celebrant from the city council, whose job it was to declare and certify that they were now legally joined together. All of the vows that were taken by two people when they became a couple were still taken by the three of them, but with the twist that each time they were taken they were said to two people, not just one. That did surprise some of those that had gathered to witness the event, who had expected that each of the members of the thruple would say the vows twice; Barnaby would later explain that doing it the way they did it meant that they were pledging to both partners equally and at the same time, seeing them as a pair, not as two separate people. That was the whole essence of the ceremony, to ensure that all of those involved were seen as equal in the eyes of the law…
As well as those official vows, they also had the opportunity to speak from the heart with personal vows of their own. When it came to his turn, that was exactly what Barnaby proceeded to do… "When I met you in Times Square on my first New Year's Eve in this wonderful city, it was at the end of a year which had been filled with shocks and revelations. It was a year in which I had finally decided it was time to live my life as I wished to and be free of all the conventions that had been drummed into me by my parents. I had decided to be myself instead of trying to keep mom and dad happy all of the time; after all, they were no longer part of my life in any case. The news that I had an older brother, Seth, had come as a shock; the fact he had passed away a tragedy. The way my parents had treated him was beyond belief, and I no longer needed them around. I came to New York for a fresh start, drawn by the fact that my cousins and aunt lived here, and by the opportunities that the city offered. I did not know just what was going to come along though, and well, that meeting changed the whole course of my life for the better. I feel nothing but love for the pair of you, and I cannot imagine my life now without the two of you in it. I love you both equally and with all of my heart, and I know that you feel the same about me. Our partnership of equals is already alive and thriving, today only making sure it becomes a permanence in the world. I intend to stay in this relationship for the rest of my life, and I know that you both feel the same way…"
When the moment came and the celebrant declared they were now legally joined together, there was no instruction to kiss; instead, the three of them clasped each other's hands and hugged. There would also be no automatic change of name for one partner, but those closest to the thruple knew that a change of name was being discussed. They had decided against any form of hyphenation, or the adoption of one of their existing surnames; they would choose a new one and all adopt it…
Only one person outside of the thruple had any idea what name was most highly rated by them, but Skylar, who had come to the ceremony alone as Julia was unable to get out of work, was still in two minds as to what he thought of the suggestion that Barnaby had made that they could use Kennedy as their surname. He had told Skylar in confidence, citing that using it would be a tribute to Seth; he also knew that the angel in question might well approve. However, the name had no significance whatsoever to Audra and Clyde, and that made him a little uneasy. Still, it wasn't his decision to make when it came down to it…
With the ceremonial part of the day now over, it was time to enjoy themselves. There was a buffet and a dance floor, as at the majority of weddings, but there would be no formal first dance, nor was there a large traditional wedding cake to cut. There would still be speeches, three of them, given by each of their attendants in turn. The last person to make a speech would be Matthew, a last-minute instruction by Barnaby; it meant that the moment he had finished his speech he could say what he wanted to say on a personal level to Madison. That would also be a green light for Hillary to tell everyone her news, although a part of her brother wondered if Roderick might not say it instead. All in all, it was going to be a big day for the three members of Seth's extended family…
Of all the guests that were assembled that day, it was Mason that would be the most affected by two quite unexpected announcements. He had seen the big grin on Roderick's face as soon as he arrived and had at first put that down to happiness for his brother-in-law. However, that smile stayed there for much longer than he might reasonably have expected it to, and he began to wonder if there was something more behind it.
He had also caught sight of Seth during the ceremony, and he too had been full of smiles. In the immediate aftermath of the ceremony, Mason had seized on a moment where Seth was in a quiet corner to go up and speak to him unobserved and asked if the joy on his face was down to the ceremony that he had just witnessed. The angel had laughed and replied, "Oh that has a lot to do with it, but there are a couple of things yet to come that have me smiling all the more!" That cryptic answer was all that Mason got, as suddenly there were too many people around them, and when they moved away, Seth had vanished as well, as only an angel could…
The speeches began then, and all of the attendants made an impression on those listening, also managing to raise a laugh and a smile at the same time. Matthew came last and gave a speech that he later on had to admit had been written with considerable input from his mother and Hillary too, as they knew some of the background details he did not. The fact that as he made his speech, he was grinning like the proverbial Cheshire Cat made Mason all the more suspicious that there was something going on. He ended as the other two attendants had done with the proposing of a toast to the three members of the thruple, and they all drank to them once again…
The toast made, conversation would have started up again had Matthew not raised his hand to request silence. "Now, what I am about to say I so only with express permission from Barnaby, Clyde and Audra; it is a little announcement for myself. As some of you will already know, at the start of this year I met a lady that finally made me realise what romantic love feels like. On that first occasion we only had two days to enjoy each other's company; a moment created by the double weddings of mutual friends. At the end of that time, we both knew that what we felt was something bigger than a fling. I won't bore you all with the details of what happened next, but our brief encounter grew to the extent that the lady in question moved to New York in late spring and it is clear to both of us that we are meant to be together…" With that he stepped over to where Madison was sitting, and sank down onto one knee…
Mason could only sit there and watch, his mouth wide open, as Matthew proposed to his sister, and as she then, without a moment of hesitation, accepted. There was applause then, and a few cheers, whilst one of the former Warblers in the room stated that such things seemed to occur at every wedding or partnership ceremony that they ever attended…
"I really do think that you should close your mouth now, darling," came Jane's voice, finally breaking into Mason's consciousness. "Now, your sister is a grown woman, so Matthew does not have to ask for your permission to marry her; even if he did have to seek permission, it would be from your father, and I would not have put it past him to have done just that before today happened."
Mason knew that his wife was right, but surely it would still have been a courtesy for Matthew to have informed him what he was proposing to do that day. Jane shook her head at the expression on his face and spoke again. "Let us be honest for a moment; this moment had been coming for quite some time. Those two are just as much soulmates as Nick and Jeff, and dare I say, you and me. I think that it is well past the moment when we should have gone over to them and offered our heartfelt congratulations, don't you? When we do, please try not to ask if your sister is pregnant, or threaten to kill him if he ever hurts her, because that is such a cliché…"
"I would never even consider doing such a thing!" exclaimed Mason, although at that moment he could see that she doubted him – and probably with good reason given his reaction so far. He shook his head at himself, and said, "You are right, we do need to get over there and welcome Matthew to the family…"
"We do, and I suspect that question and that threat might already have been spoken by your dad anyways…"
Mason laughed, and then got up from his seat; he and his wife made their way over to the newly engaged couple. As Jane surveyed the ring that Matthew had just given Madison, the former turned to the man that would soon be his brother-in-law and said, "I'm sorry, I should have told you what I was intending to do; your dad did suggest as much when I asked him for his permission…"
"Well, it would have been nice, but completely unnecessary at the same time," Mason replied, ignoring the fact that Jane was shaking her head at him. "I am genuinely pleased for you both, because you are by the far the best boyfriend that my sister has ever had…"
Jane looked at Mason in horror, and Madison covered her face with her hands at that terrible faux pas; before anyone could speak, however, they heard a tapping on the microphone, and all attention turned back to the rostrum. They all smiled to see Hillary standing there; they suspected that she was now about to say her own words about her brother's new status…
"Ladies, gentlemen and those that are still undecided," she began, which made a few people raise an eyebrow at the clumsy, if well intentioned, way she had attempted to be inclusive. "I also have been given special permission to make a personal announcement today, which comes as a great relief to me, and of even more of a relief to my husband, who has been wanting to shout this news from the rooftops ever since he found out. I will keep it short and simple; we are expecting a baby, and both of us are overjoyed at the news…" There was more applause and cheering, and this time Jane was every bit as astonished and open-mouthed as Mason.
Across the room, Nick quietly congratulated himself on being right about one of the expectant people; a quick glance across the room to the table that Marley and Ryder were sitting at saw him witness the briefest of moments of silent recognition on their faces that they were also in that position. He guessed that they were as it would mean that Marley would have to leave the role of Maria – a novice nun couldn't realistically be pregnant after all – and that departure would have to be officially announced first. He smiled all the more at seeing that his suspicions there appeared to be confirmed, and wondered how long it would be before that departure was announced and they could go public amongst their friends and family with the good news…
Mason would be amongst the first people to extend their congratulations to Roderick, who looked so happy, especially because he no longer had to keep his good news a secret from everyone. "I actually told my parents before we came here this morning, so that they would be the first to know. My mom is going to be one of those grandmothers to be that run around telling complete strangers her news; she is also the kind that is deeply concerned about the fact that her daughter-in-law is actually doing anything other than sitting down and taking it easy from now on. She was not too impressed by how long we have actually known and not told her, but in the circumstances, there was nothing else I could do. I am still quite surprised that Barnaby actually let us announce it here today, but I think deep down he is pretty excited about the prospect of being an uncle as well…"
"I trust that you will also be liaising with the hospital to see that Hillary has the best midwife available?" Mason asked, and Roderick could only laugh at that.
"Obviously she doesn't know yet either, but I suspect that once the news gets out, Nurse Crane will not permit anyone else to take care of my wife and our child," he replied, and then he looked thoughtful. "Do you know, I had maybe better give her a call right now and ask her, as she will not want to find out something like this from anyone else…" Mason nodded, then allowed his best friend to hurry off and make his call in peace.
"He is going to be just as much a doting father as you are," said Jane, now that she had her husband's attention again. "It's funny, but hearing that Hillary is expecting actually has me feeling quite broody myself. Maybe it is time that you and I thought about giving our child a sibling to play with…"
Mason's eyes widened just a little and then he nodded, happy that this would actually be a very good time for them to do just that. His forthcoming role in The Mousetrap would be less tiring and hectic than the one that he was playing now, there being no singing or dancing involved; and then there was the fact that he had a guarantee of a year's work. If they managed to time things right, then he would even be able to take a break after he had finished that year and be a father in a more meaningful way than he had been first time round. In fact, he could even let Jane get back to work sooner and be a stay-at-home dad…
The celebrations for the partnership ceremony were not to be a late finishing one; the parents in the room knew that the new school year would start early the following morning, and most of the children present were actually quite keen to get back to the classroom, for a variety of reasons. It was not a mass exodus by any means, but gradually the room was left to the three newlyweds, their attendants and closest friends and family. Barnaby had to admit that it had been quite a day for his extended family and when he found himself momentarily alone with Matthew and Hillary, he said as much…
"It was, and everyone was so pleased for us all," Matthew replied. "Mom is overjoyed by it all, although predictably my sister is less keen on my choice of bride. Still, I don't exactly approve of her current boyfriend, so there is a certain equality in that respect…"
"Siblings often do not approve of each other's choice of partner," mused Hillary. "I guess that Barnaby and I are unusual in the fact that we do; in fact, we agree on most things. Neither of us has any issue with the people that the other has chosen to spend the rest of their life with."
"I also know who would have been the most excited of all by the events of the day, at least according to Skylar," said Barnaby, and the other two smiled warmly. "I imagine that he is sitting somewhere up above, watching it all, and nodding with approval at every single moment."
"Actually, I think that he would have been here in the room with us all day, rather than watching from a distance," replied Matthew. "Madison makes a very good case for the existence of angels and if she is correct, then he will definitely have been in the room beside us, invisible to all but a select few for the entire day. I have to admit that I like that idea. I have never been someone with a strong religious faith, mainly because of what happened with my dad, but Maddy does make a convincing argument for the existence of winged beings amongst us at all times…"
His two cousins nodded, not quite sure if they agreed with him, religion not forming a big part of their lives anymore either. Still, their cousin had unwittingly revealed his pet name for his wife-to-be, and they could only surmise that she might call him Matty in return…
"I think that a toast might be in order," Barnaby announced, and the other two raised their glasses in anticipation. "To us, and to Seth, wherever he might be!" As they drank to him, the angel standing behind them couldn't help but smile…
Most of the parents in the West Village had left at the same time, anxious either to get back to release their babysitters or to ensure that the two children that would be returning to their lessons the following day would be well rested for the first day back. As they sat next to each other on the subway downtown, Evie turned to Ethel and said, "I wish that you didn't have to go back home tomorrow; it has been so nice to have had you here…"
"It has been very nice to be here and see you and your dad so happy; you both obviously like your new life in New York, and I can see why. You now have two father figures, both of whom love you very much, and an extended family of friends that care a great deal about you as well…"
"That is true," said Evie, then with the honesty that children have, she went on, "When we lived in London, most of the neighbours there were complete snobs, who looked down their noses at me and my American dad, and turned a blind eye to the things that the wicked witch did to my daddy. Miss Frobisher was always very nice though, and so were most of the boys and girls at my kindergarten. I made some good friends there and I miss them at times… Maybe when we come to visit you in London next year we could go and see Miss Frobisher one day; maybe even see some of the boys and girls from my year too if they are still around…"
"I think that we could arrange that," said Drew, who had been listening to every word, and was slightly mortified that his daughter recalled what he called the neighbours when he thought he was alone.
"It has been quite an experience for me to be here as well," said Ethel. "I have enjoyed seeing all of you, and this wonderful city that I dreamt of for so long. I hope that one day you might invite me back…"
"You will be welcome to come back at any time; our door will always be open, and maybe next time you can see some more of this side of the Atlantic. You are family to us, and don't ever forget it." Ethan's words made Drew smile, and had tears forming in Ethel's eyes…
Dante and Lachlan left alongside Beats, Elliot and the two younger children; they had made arrangements to meet up with a couple of old friends from their high school at a café they had all frequented at that time. It was only a short distance from the West Village naturally, so they had said that they would pay them a visit back at home once they had left their friends; Elliott would be more than happy to make a little extra for supper that night to feed the two guests. They parted at the subway station on 14th Street, the two college students promising to see them again in about two hours. As they strolled home, Beats linked arms with Elliott, who had not stopped smiling all day…
"That all went well; we now have our first thruple amongst our friends and a baby and another wedding to look forward to," remarked Beats.
"Yeah, and the fact that my brother will be home next month, and he sent me a message during the ceremony to confirm that is now a definite, has made me so happy. They have completed all of the work that they had to do on site in Japan, and they can carry on with their next innovation for the company here in New York," Elliott replied.
Beats nodded, knowing that the return of Josh from Japan was a source of great pleasure to his husband. It was only possible because the firm that he and his husband had sold their first great invention to had been prepared to fund the construction of a new research facility for them at an innovation park in Brooklyn. He would also be glad to see them home; his only regret was that it reduced the odds of him having another trip to Japan, the country he had dreamed of since he was a boy. The few days he had spent there the previous year had been some of the best of his entire life, allowing him to realise so many of his childhood dreams.
There would be time to go again he supposed, as long as his eyes continued to work as well as the current medical regime allowed them to. The current drops he was putting in his eyes twice a day seemed to have slowed down the pace of the deterioration of his sight from the glaucoma; his last visit to the optician had ended with him not needing a new prescription for the first time since he had been diagnosed…
When they arrived back home, both Olivia and Ty were sent to check that they school bags were ready for the following morning, so that there would be no last-minute hold-ups due to some essential item being missing. As they did so, Elliott went to make a start on the supper, so Beats headed to his desk to go through what he called his own homework on his laptop. The plans for the next phase of the Third Avenue Subway needed one final check before they were put into action…
