Array
(
[text] =>
Night had fallen and twinkling stars adorned the vast expanse of the night sky as if coming out especially to witness love story written by the heavens. Fairy lights cast a soft ethereal glow on the rooftop garden as the last guests found their seats.
From the behind the curtain, peeked to take a quick look and was taken aback to see the sheer number of people who had attended. Not only could he recognize some of his former classmates and teachers but almost everyone else who had played some part in his and Jayden’s life were there.
He drew his head back and turned to Cissy. ‘How did you manage to get everyone here on such short notice?’
‘It was surprisingly easy, actually. Two high profile members of the Noble 52 getting married right under the government’s nose in defiance of such public opposition and the ancient laws and customs, was apparently too juicy to miss. People were actually calling me to beg for invitations.’
Samuel frowned. ‘There are no reporters here, are there?’
Cissy huffed. ‘Of course, not. What do you take me for? As your best lady, I know better than to turn your wedding into a political statement.’
‘Maid of honour,’ Samuel corrected.
‘Same thing.’
A coordinator stuck her head in. ‘Excuse me, miss.’
‘Hold on.’ She continued talking to Samuel. ‘Unfortunately, however, we couldn’t find a priest like you wanted. The Catholics are staunchly against same-sex unions, and the Anglicans while more tolerant, are too afraid of the government. But we did manage to get the next best thing.’
‘Which is?’
‘Miss, you need to come over quickly.’
‘What is it?’ Cissy asked in annoyance as she finally turned to face the assistant whose face was filled with panic.
‘The police are here.’
Now it was Samuel’s turn to look panicked. ‘What?’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll sort this out. I’m going to get you married tonight even if I have to place this hospital under siege to do it.’
Following her assistant out, they made their way quickly down to the hospital reception room where a large crowd had already gathered to watch the events unfold.
In the centre of the room was a group of heavily armed officers in riot gear and their commander was speaking impatiently with the receptionist.
‘We know there’s an unauthorized wedding happening here. Now tell us where it’s going on or direct me to whoever is in charge before we storm this place to the ground.’
The receptionist for her part was refusing to be bullied. ‘Look here, this a hospital. You can’t just march in and make demands. People’s lives are at stake!’
‘I don’t have time to argue with you. Either provide me with the answers I seek, or my officers will shut this facility down.’
‘I am the one in charge of the wedding,’ Cissy spoke out, rushing up to face the commander. ‘Is there a problem?’
‘We have warrants for your arrest and the arrest of everyone attending the wedding.’
Cissy’s temper immediately rose at the indignation and her eyes flashed dangerously. ‘Arrest? Do you have any idea the who the kind of people you are making that threat against are? You dare threaten members of the 52, you foul little-‘
‘I’ll take it from here,’ Victoria’s cool voice interrupted as she came up to stand beside her. ‘Colonel,’ she greeted smoothly.
The colonel and his men immediately snapped into attention. ‘Ma’am. Forgive us, we had no idea you were-‘
‘Now you know. Withdraw your men and leave.’
The colonel hesitated. ‘I’m sorry ma’am, we have our orders you see…’
‘And who gave you those orders?’
‘Your husband, ma’am. Through the Commissioner of Police.’
‘I see.’ Victoria took out her phone and dialed a number. After a few short moments, the person on the other end picked up. ‘Hello, Commissioner. I’m with a few of your officers at the moment and I understand that you gave them orders from my husband. I am now countermanding those orders.’
There was a pregnant pause.
‘You seem to be unsure whose orders to follow. Allow me to dispel your doubts. We’ve known each other for a long time, commissioner and at the end of the day the only question you need to concern yourself with is whose wrath you fear more. My husband is my concern, leave me to control him. Now, order your men to withdraw.’
She placed the phone back in her purse and a few moments later the colonel’s radio buzzed.
‘Commissioner? I understand, sir.’ He turned the radio off and bowed his head apologetically. ‘Apologies, ma’am. We’ll withdraw immediately.’
He gestured to his men, and they briskly moved into a salute before making their way out of the building. A few minutes later, sirens could be heard fading into the distance.
‘Come, we have a wedding to get to,’ Victoria said, already on her way to the elevators.
~
A sweet melody filled the air as the quartet plucked their strings and began to play a soft tune, weaving a tapestry of emotion and anticipation over the seated guests. All at once, the assemblage rose to their feet as a pair of black and white bunnies hopped down the aisle, tracing a trail of snowy white petals in their wake.
Right behind them were the groomsmen, Paul and Noel at the head, followed by Cam and Leo. The sweet notes followed the procession as Peter, Samuel’s best man and Mimi, Jayden’s erstwhile fiancée and now maid of honour, joined the solemn trek down the aisle. Bringing up the rear, was none other than Cissy, the one who made all this possible.
They each took their positions at the head of the altar and a silence descended on the assembly. The silence was short-lived, however, and the quartet picked up the tune again but this time it was a richer and more tender sound that flowed through the strings.
Samuel’s heart was beating rapidly in his chest as he began his slow procession towards the altar, supported on both sides by his parents.
The violins led with a tender sweetness, their strings vibrating with emotion. The viola added depth and richness to the harmonies, while the cello provided a steady foundation, its resonant tones grounding the music in a solemn elegance.
Each note danced gracefully and Samuel’s father, as if sensing his son’s nervousness, slightly tightened his grip in reassurance as they made their way down the aisle.
Soon they had also taken their place at the altar and the only one missing from the scene was Jayden. They didn’t have to long to wait and for in the next second, the tune changed once more, and Victoria appeared at the foot of the aisle with her son’s hand in her arm.
As soon as Samuel set eyes on Jayden all the nerves and tension immediately disappeared and only thought in his mind was how absolutely breathtaking his boyfriend and soon to be future husband looked.
Jayden only had eyes for Samuel as he walked down the aisle and the only thing he could think about was how this beautiful person was going to be his husband.
He soon arrived at the foot of the altar and for a moment, it seemed as if they were the only people in the world as they stared at each other.
Samuel’s eyes crinkled slightly, and they seemed to be saying, “We’re really doing this then.”
Jayden’s lips quirked upwards in response. “I guess we are.”
A loud cough sounded from somewhere in the audience, effectively breaking the spell. Victoria removed her son’s hand from her arm and gently placed it in Samuel’s.
‘He’s your responsibility now. I know he can be stubborn but take care of him for me.’
‘I will,’ Samuel whispered, still looking into Jayden’s eyes. ‘You no longer have to worry.’
‘I know.’ You’ve already done a far better job than I could have ever done.
Victoria’s eyes shone with pride and unshed tears, and she reached down to place a tender kiss on Jayden’s head before taking her place in the audience.
She had barely taken her seat when Cam’s mother leaned over to whisper, ‘I thought she was dead.’
Victoria followed her eyes to the place where her mother-in-law was bent over in another coughing fit and an undignified snort escaped her lips.
‘I’m never that lucky.’
The music died down and Francesca Fontaine cleared her throat before beginning to speak. ‘We all know why we are gathered here today so I’ll go straight to the point. Love in all its forms is never a bad thing, and in a time such as this where there is so much pain and suffering in the world it is good to be reminded that love can always be found in a place where one least expects it.’
A tiny smirk appeared on both Samuel and Jayden’s lips.
‘Night has fallen, the stars are out, and this story is almost ended. As we move on to the next tale, let us witness these final chapters with a bright heart and a happy smile, for blessed are those who love and more blessed are those who know what it is to be loved equally in return.’
Francesca looked down at the now young men standing before her and she suddenly felt a rush of pride but there was a tinge of sadness hidden within.
‘Yes, it is a blessing indeed.’
She smiled and the sadness disappeared. ‘I shall leave it there. The couple have written their own vows.’
‘We have?’
Samuel glanced at Jayden who looked just as confused as he was.
Francesca simply smiled at them. ‘Speak from the heart.’
Samuel still looked unsure but Jayden took a deep breath and nodded. ‘I guess I’ll go first then.’ He stared into Samuel’s eyes. ‘I never really believed the saying that it is always darkest before the dawn but then you came into my life when it was at its darkest and like the dazzling sun you are, you brought light back into my world. You taught me how to smile again, how to laugh, how to love. You once told me that no matter what we will always be under the same sky but that’s not enough for me. This life is not long enough for me to fall in love with you over and over again. I will love you in this life and the next and the next. For as long as my soul exists, I will always find my way back to you, so I won’t say till death do us part because not even death can keep us apart. This is just the beginning of our eternity.’
Samuel wiped the tears from his eyes as he let out a watery chuckle. ‘And you say I am the romantic one.’ He took a deep breath and took Jayden hands. ‘Eternity seems like such a long time and yet not long enough. You say I brought light back into your world and while that may be true, I don’t think you realize how much you did the same for me. I always tried to be the sun in everyone’s life but for the first time I met someone who shone that light back to me in so many different and wonderful ways. Lunam meam. Eternity, you say? Very well, here is my hand, take it and together let’s dance our way into eternity.’
Francesca nodded, a proud smile on her face. ‘Very well put. Do you, Samuel Asamoah, take Jayden Mills to be your eternally wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love…’
‘I do,’ Samuel said, not able to wait a moment longer.
‘And do you…’
‘Yes,’ Jayden declared, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on Samuel.
Francesca hid her smile. ‘Very well then. Does anyone present know of any reason why these two should not be joined in the bonds of the soul? If so, speak now or forever hold thy peace.’
And in the assemblage gathered there that starry night, not a word of objection was heard. Not even a whisper.
‘Then by the authority invested in me by the love of all gathered, I hereby pronounce you dully married in the eyes of men, and under the light of the very stars that shine in the heavens. You may kiss the groom.’
Samuel and Jayden wasted no time in locking their lips together in a passionate yet tender kiss as their friends and family erupted into cheers and applause.
Leo blinked and let out a deep breath. ‘Whew, I didn’t expect to get through that without crying.’
A loud sob broke his thoughts and he turned to see the old sergeant blowing her nose on a bright pink handkerchief.
‘Sarge, are you… are you crying?’
The sergeant sniffled and turned to snap at him. ‘And what if I am lieutenant? I am not made of stone, you know?’
‘Could have fooled me,’ Leo muttered.
‘Insubordination! I should have you court-martialled!’ she barked, all traces of tears gone. ‘For godssakes man, snap to attention! The ceremony is over and all those cheering mouths expect to be fed. Battle stations, it’s all hands on deck now. On the double with you!’
Leo snapped into a salute before racing off to the kitchens. Cam and Paul dissolved into a fit of giggles but their laughter was short-lived as the old sergeant whirled on them.
‘That goes for both of you as well.’
They quickly scurried off and in less than hour later the reception was well underway with everyone gorging themselves on the copious amount of food laid out. A soft hum of conversation filled the air, underscored by the clinking of glasses and the occasional burst of laughter. At the far end of a long table sat the newly wedded couple, surrounded by a score of their friends. Samuel was wearing a smile so bright it seemed the sun shone out from his face and even Jayden’s face was alight with happiness though it was much harder to notice if you didn’t know him well.
‘Congratulations, mon gars,’ Pierre said, slapping Jayden heartily on the shoulders. ‘Now, that you’re officially passer la corde au cou I am now free to use our face however I please.’
Leo turned to him curiously. ‘You’re also gay?’
‘Why do you ask, mon chéri? Interested?’ Pierre winked at him causing Leo to splutter in embarrassment.
‘What… no, I-‘
‘Just give it up bro,’ Paul said. ‘You’re never beating the allegations.’
Jayden’s face took on a slightly aggrieved expression as Pierre continued to pull all sort of funny faces at Leo. ‘Stop doing that with my face. And thanks for putting that thought in my head, now my appetite is ruined.’
Pierre chuckled. ‘Everyone knows that the only appetite that matters tonight is the one in the lit conjugal.’
‘Did I hear someone mention sex?’ a voice piped up excitedly. ‘You’re not getting the party started without me, are you?’
Jayden closed his eyes as Mimi came up to place his arms around him, squeezing him tightly. She turned to Samuel. ‘You don’t mind if I kiss your husband, do you?’
‘Go for it,’ Samuel answered with an amused smile on his face.
‘I knew I liked you for a reason,’ she said before proceeding to pepper Jayden’s face with kisses.
Jayden’s face wrinkled as he tried to break away. ‘Alright, alright. That’s enough. Save some for later.’
‘Don’t worry Jaybear, I have more than enough to last us the whole night.’
In a rare show of familial piety, Pierre decided to come to his rescue. ‘C’est vraiment injuste! Where about the rest of us?’
‘When you get married then you can have your turn,’ Mimi responded but she still untied herself from Jayden to place a chaste kiss on his lips. ‘There. Now, where’s this orgy I was hearing about?’
‘An orgy? Is that how kids celebrate weddings these days? I have truly grown old.’
‘Hello Grandmother,’ Jayden greeted as the old woman hobbled up to them. ‘Enjoying the party?’
‘Enjoying? Bah! I haven’t been to a social event this good in years. After that scheming harlot banished me from society…’
‘Play nice, Grandmother.’
The old woman cleared her throat. ‘After… she-who-must-not-be-named sent me away, the only gatherings I could attend were those hosted by a cesspool of backwater nonces who couldn’t tell a teacup from a coffee mug. Even this affair, tawdry as it is, could be considered an improvement.’
‘Glowing accolades coming from you, Beatrice,’ Francesca Fontaine noted as she also joined the conversation. ‘Don’t let Narcissa hear you or she will boast about it for weeks.’
Jayden’s grandmother let out a discontented harrumph. ‘I don’t mean to be fastidious, Francesca. I just can’t help but to feel anguished on his behalf. As my grandson, he deserves to get married with all the pomp and circumstance that befits his station. He has already been robbed of so much.’
‘In that case, let’s not rob him of anymore. If I’m not mistaken, that is the tune for the first dance.’
Jayden shook his head. ‘It’s a lovely thought but I don’t think we should push Samuel any further.’
Samuel snorted and struggled to his feet. ‘I think I can manage for a minute or two. I’m not that far gone.’
‘Are you sure?’
Samuel sighed. ‘I suppose this is going to be my life now. Why don’t you help me dance instead of ruining your pretty face with frown lines. You’re going to end up with wrinkles in less than a year at this rate.’
‘Whose fault would that be then?’
They watched them continue to bicker their way to the dance floor as the crowd parted and cleared up space.
‘Married less than an hour and they are already acting like an old married couple,’ Dmitri noted.
Cam snorted. ‘They’ve been acting like that before they even started dating. Makes you wonder why it took them so long to figure it out.’
The dance ended up lasting for less than a minute before Jayden had to escort Samuel back.
‘If only someone could have predicted that this would happen,’ he muttered as he placed Samuel back in his seat. ‘But who could have possibly been wise enough to know.’
Samuel waved his concerns away. ‘Stop complaining. It was worth it, and you know it.’
Dmitri shook his head at them before walking up to Lucrezia with a bow. ‘I would rather dance with a ghoul but since you’re the closest thing to one here I guess I would have to settle for you.’
Lucrezia placed her hand in his. ‘With such a sincere supplication, how could I refuse?’
Leo turned to Pierre as they made their way to the dance floor. ‘Are they…’
‘Yes,’ Pierre answered without waiting for him to finish. ‘And no, they don’t know it. Sometimes I feel like plucking my hair out with how oblivious they can get.’
‘Sounds rough.’
Pierre shrugged and gave him a coy smile. ‘Wanna dance?’
Leo considered it for a second, ‘Sure, why not?’
Paul turned to Noel and stretched out his hand. ‘May I?’
Noel smiled and allowed Paul to lead him to the dance floor.
‘I guess that leaves us,’ Mimi said to Cam who let out a long-suffering sigh.
‘Fine.’
The two old women watched as the young ones had fun twirling themselves to the music.
‘We have to face it, Francesca. The world has moved on without us. We are simply people who have overstayed their welcome and do not know when to die.’
‘That’s unusually defeatist of you, Beatrice. I do not believe we have yet outlived our usefulness.’
‘No one can be stubborn forever.’ She sighed. ‘The secret to living a good life is not just simply living well, but also knowing when to die. Otherwise, you would end up like me, if an existence like mine can be considered living.’
She looked down at the bony hands which gripped her cane. ‘People think I linger on out of spite, and I let them think that, but with such a life who do I end up spiting if not myself? I stay because I am afraid.’
‘You never struck me at the type to fear death.’
She cackled at that. ‘I laugh at those who live in terror of death, because he’s not the one you need to be afraid of.’ She shook her head. ‘No, it is not death I fear, for we have had enough encounters for me to regard him as an old friend. There are those who fear the judgement of a god, and I wonder what they would do if they realised whose judgement they should truly fear.’
She suddenly chuckled. ‘You are wondering why I am being uncharacteristically transparent, aren’t you? We are old friends you and I. All those we knew are gone, leaving us the last of our kind. That means something to me.’ She paused. ‘However, you were right about one thing. I have not yet outlived my usefulness.’
Francesca glanced down at the bent woman who was several years her senior, but as expected, no further explanation was forthcoming.
Back on the dancefloor, Cam was dancing with Mimi when she suddenly pulled out of his arms. ‘Do you mind if we continued this later?’
‘I wouldn’t mind if this never happened again,’ he muttered but she was already gone.
Cissy was reaching for her second glass of champagne when Mimi popped up beside her.
‘Shall we dance?’
Before Cissy could answer she was already being pulled to the dancefloor and Mimi spun her around before placing her arms on her shoulders.
‘So,’ she began as they swayed softly to the music. ‘You are avoiding me.’
‘I’m not avoiding you.’
‘The thing with growing up with politicians in your family is that you become extremely skilled at lying and even better at spotting a lie,’ Mimi replied offhandedly.
Cissy stared at her for a few seconds before conceding. ‘I was avoiding you.’
‘I already knew that,’ she replied with a smile as she twirled them around. ‘What I don’t know is why.’
‘Do we have to do this?’
‘We hit it off at my ex-fiancée’s birthday party and a week later we agreed to go on a date which I thought went swimmingly well. Apparently, that opinion was one-sided since you’ve proceeded to ignore me ever since.’
‘That is usually enough to give normal people a hint,’ Cissy muttered.
‘Ah, but I’m not normal.’
‘I am painfully aware.’
‘And you like that about me.’
‘A bold assumption, isn’t it?’
‘And you like me.’
‘I don’t…’
‘We’ve already established that I’m a human lie-detector.’
Cissy was silent for a moment. ‘It’s not going to work.’
‘Why not?’
‘You already know I’m ace, and you are… well you.’
‘Meaning?’
‘You are a walking sexual machine.’
Mimi giggled. ‘I take that as a compliment.’
‘That’s my point. You have needs and I can’t fulfill them.’
A slow smile worked its way across Mimi’s face. ‘Oh darling, I am more than adept at taking care of my own needs. It’s a skill you pick up when most men can’t tell a clitoris from a labia.’
Cissy frowned. ‘But you don’t need to. Why do you need to do that just to be with me?’
Mimi laughed. ‘Have you met you?’ She spun her around and looked directly into her eyes. ‘You are the most fearsome, loyal, wittiest person I’ve ever met all wrapped up in one beautiful package. I would be a fool if I let you walk away because I believe we can make each other very happy. And just like your brother and my poor ex, we deserve to be happy.’
A small smile appeared on Cissy’s face. ‘You learnt that in therapy, didn’t you?’
‘Why, yes, I did. So, what do you say? Shall we one up those gays?’
‘Yes.’
Mimi squealed and stopped dancing to place a kiss on her lips. ‘Let’s break the news right away.’
Cissy found herself being dragged again though this time, she found that she didn’t mind.
‘Guess what?’ Mimi said as soon as they reached the table where Jayden was sitting with Samuel.
Jayden closed his eyes in trepidation. ‘Please, no more kisses. I don’t think my skin can handle any more.’
Mimi humphed. ‘Rude. You should have appreciated them when you had the chance because now, they’re exclusive to only one person.’
‘Don’t tell me…’
Mimi nodded excitedly. ‘Indeed. You are not the only one who got hitched tonight.’
‘Oh God, which poor fool did you swindle this time?’
‘That would be me,’ Cissy said, finally speaking up.
The look of open-mouthed shock on both their faces was so priceless that the last reservations that she had about the relationship disappeared into the wind.
‘Why so shocked, brother?’
Samuel’s mouth opened and closed several times. ‘You… her…. Huh?!’
‘What he means to say, is how and when did that happen?’ Jayden said, already having regained control of his facial features.
Cissy smirked at her brother. ‘Just because you’re the main character of your own story doesn’t mean the world revolves around you.’
‘My world does,’ Jayden stated in such a matter-of-fact manner that the table turned to look at him as if he had suddenly sprouted two heads. ‘What?’
‘Are you going to randomly spout romantic nonsense now?’ Mimi demanded. ‘Is this what marriage does to a person?’
‘I like it,’ Samuel said, sounding more than a little pleased. He turned to his sister. ‘What about you? Are you also going to turn all gushy and romantic now?’
Cissy gave him a deadpan stare. ‘Hardly, and you remember what you promised me?’
‘Yes, yes. If that ever happens, I should proceed to put a bullet in your head, though considering recent events that seems like a sordid joke.’
Cissy blinked, the realization occurring to her now. ‘Maybe just chucking me in a mental asylum will do.’
‘Will do,’ Samuel promised solemnly.
There was a cheer as the band suddenly switched the tune and Mimi turned excitedly to Cissy.
‘I love this song. Can we? Please?’
‘Fine,’ Cissy sighed but there was a smile on her face as she followed Mimi to the dancefloor.
There was a content smile on Samuel’s face as he watched them leave.
‘We should probably head back,’ Jayden said. ‘You’re still recuperating, and I promised Sam I would make sure that you wouldn’t overexert yourself.’
‘In a minute,’ Samuel replied. ‘I want to make sure I never forget this.’
He took in the scene of his sister and her girlfriend dancing, Miss Alberta breakdancing in the middle of the dancefloor with half their class cheering her on, Cam arguing with Leo while Paul and Noel watched fondly, his family laughing as they talked about one thing or another, and committed them all like jewels into the treasure chest of his memory.
An hour later when he laid back on his hospital bed with Jayden hovering protectively around him while his doctor checked his vitals, he smiled to himself and said, ‘I’m glad we did this.’
Jayden smiled back and placed his hand in his. ‘I’m glad we did as well.’
~
The time that passed a week after the wedding were some of the idle days that they had experienced since the whole coming out fiasco. The stress of the wedding seemed to cause Samuel’s condition to take a turn for the worse, but that wasn’t enough to bring him down from the high of the ceremony.
He continued to remain cheerfully upbeat as the doctors prepped him for his coming surgery and at times was even strong enough to take a walk down the corridor outside his room.
To keep his spirits up, his friends and family spared no effort to entertain him making his ward the liveliest room in the whole hospital. The happiness was so contagious that even the doctors and nurses, always had a smile on their faces whenever they left the ward, and they found themselves looking forward to their checkups whenever they did their rounds.
The only person who seemed immune to this sudden bout of gaiety was Jayden and while he tried his best not to show it, the furrows on his forehead deepened each day the surgery drew closer.
On the day of the surgery, he was such a bundle of nerves that his mother had to draw him aside.
‘Deep breaths. Calm yourself, Jayden. He is going to be fine.’
‘Is he?’ Jayden squeaked. He was having a full-blown panic attack now. ‘You don’t know that. No one knows that.’
‘A fifty-five percent chance is a good enough shot.’
‘With my luck, even a ninety-nine percent chance would still not be good enough.’
‘And this is one of the finest hospitals in the country with the finest doctors money can buy. He’s in good hands.’
‘But they’re not mine! I can’t trust anyone, not with something as important as this!’
‘Jayden, breathe.’ His mother’s voice was firm as she guided him through his breaths. ‘There you go. Remember, what I used to tell you. Worrying is not a solution but part of the problem. Right now, it’s robbing you of your peace of mind that you would have needed to spend time with him.’
Jayden passed his hands through his hair in frustration. ‘You’re right. I need to calm… I need to calm down.’
‘Face your fear and let it in and use its energy against it. You’ve been through some terrible stuff, most of which was my fault, and you’ve always come through it. What’s one more? You are going to come through this as well.’
Jayden took a deep breath and nodded. He cast a glance at her. ‘This doesn’t mean I forgive you; you know?’
Victoria smiled. ‘I know. Baby steps, right?’
‘Baby steps.’
That was what he was going to do. Not only with his mother, but with the current situation as well.
Baby steps.
He was going to face it one step at a time, one minute at a time, one second at a time. Live in the moment.
Samuel looked up as he walked back into the room and a smile blossomed across his face. ‘You’re no longer frowning.’
‘Was it that noticeable?’
Samuel chortled. ‘Everyone was walking on eggshells around you, because they feared that one wrong step would cause you to snap so yeah, I would say it was.’
‘Sarcasm doesn’t suit you.’ Jayden sat in the chair next to his bedside. ‘What are you doing?’
‘Oh erm, I was… I was writing down some stuff for the baby.’ His face began to look flustered. ‘You know, just in case…’
He caught the look on Jayden’s face and quickly explained. ‘I know I’m going to make it out fine it’s just so I don’t appear overconfident and jinx it. I’m going to be fine-‘
‘I’m sorry.’
Samuel paused, glancing at Jayden in confusion. ‘Why are you apologising?’
Jayden’s head was bowed as if he was too ashamed to look at him. ‘You are worried too, aren’t you? You are the one who has to go through it so you’re definitely more worried than I could be yet all along you were the one who had to put on the brave face because I was too weak and selfish. I should be the one smiling for us both, to give you hope.’
The room was silent for a minute until Jayden felt a hand on his head. He looked up to see Samuel smiling at him with a fond expression.
‘You do love to overthink, don’t you?’
‘…It’s true though.’
‘Not exactly. The brave face is not only for you but for me as well. I have to believe that I’m going to make it out alright and the only way I can do that is too pretend that I do until I actually do. A “fake it till you make it” of the sorts. Also, you are terrible at giving hope so why should you be the one to do it? Just stick to the things you’re good at, and I will support you in the places where you are weak. Isn’t that what marriage is all about?’
Jayden nodded, a small smile on his lips. ‘I suppose it is. Turns out I’m not good at this marriage stuff, what a shocker.’
Samuel pulled back his hand and shrugged. ‘We’ve got the rest of our lives to figure it out, which, with any luck would be sixty odd years into the future.’
‘It would be.’ Jayden sat up. ‘Enough about this heavy stuff. Have you two figured out a name for the baby yet?’
‘Not exactly. Since we decided to wait until it was born to find out the gender our options were pretty limited, so we figured it would be best to just wait until it was born to give it a name. My theory is babies have a way of picking out their names for themselves and the first time you see them, you just know what their name is. Happened when I first met my little cousin, his parents wanted to call him Noah but when I saw him, I knew that that was not a Noah, so I said to them…’
The next few minutes passed like this and before any of them knew it, it was time for the surgery.
Jayden took a step back and watched as the doctors made the final preparations and when it was time to wheel him to the operating room, Jayden’s hand was in his as he was taken out of his room.
Their family and friends were gathered outside the room as they came down the corridor, even some of the guests who had come for the wedding had stayed behind to encourage them in this moment.
Jayden’s grandmother was the first to hobble up on her cane. ‘Don’t worry boy, if a malicious, cantankerous, and foulmouthed person like me can live this long then you are guaranteed to make it out alive. If not, death would have me to answer to when he finally comes for me.’
‘I agree,’ Victoria spoke up. ‘There is still justice in the world. If evil incarnate can walk freely among us, so can you.’
‘Ha! The wench and I are in agreement. See, miracles can happen.’
‘What they’re trying to say,’ Francesca Fontaine came in. ‘Is that you have nothing to worry about. You carry all our hopes and prayers with you.’
Samuel smiled. ‘Thank you, headmistress.’
‘I look forward to seeing you at your graduation, Mr. Asamoah. Make sure you attend because I shall accept no excuses.’
‘I’ll do my best,’ Samuel promised solemnly.
‘And your best is more than good enough!’ The old sergeant declared loudly. ‘The finest man to serve in my regiment and heavens know I do not say that lightly! No one can do better than that.’
‘What she said,’ Leo stated. ‘You’ve got this bro!’
Paul and Cam nodded in agreement while Noel looked as if he was struggling not to cry.
Lucrezia, on the other hand, was under no such compulsion and was letting her tears flow freely.
‘Must you make a scene,’ Dmitri scolded under his breath.
‘Just because you are a heartless piece of stone doesn’t mean the rest of us are.’
Dmitri didn’t respond but simply took out his handkerchief and handed it to her. No one noticed the unshed tears that swirled behind the stormy gray eyes.
‘Mum,’ Samuel said as his mother walked up to him with his family behind her.
‘I promised myself not to cry,’ Sandra said with a loud sniffle. ‘I wanted so badly to be strong for you.’
‘I’m sorry for making you cry, Mum. I promise, I’m going to be alright.
‘Oh, don’t be sorry you sweet boy. You know that don’t you? You are my precious sweet baby. After Alex…’ she choked on her tears. ‘I can’t lose another son.’
‘He’s going to be fine, Sandy,’ his father said, placing an arm around her.
‘Yeah mum,’ Jake agreed. ‘He’s a fighter.’
‘And a damn good one at that,’ Jack added.
Peter reached out to pat his arm encouragingly. ‘Whatever you do, don’t walk into the light.’
‘Poor joke, dude,’ Jake muttered.
‘Right, right,’ Petter rubbed his hair awkwardly. ‘Just come back. Please.’ He looked at Samuel and this time his eyes were pleading with hope.
‘I promise,’ Samuel nodded. He turned to his sister. ‘Cissy?’
‘I know you are going to be fine so don’t expect me to be dramatic like the rest of them.’
Samuel quirked his lips. ‘I wouldn’t dream of it.’
‘Remember who planned your wedding, sneaked into your boyfriend’s house and helped him break out, housed three people, three mind you, that you happened to take pity on,’ She ticked her fingers off one by one. ‘What I’m trying to say is, you owe me. Don’t forget that.’
‘Never.’
‘Alright, everyone,’ Dr. Gay spoke up. ‘It’s time to take him in. We promise to do our best and beyond, so you don’t have to worry too much.’
The crowd parted to allow them through, everyone giving him a nod of encouragement as they passed.
‘Jayden,’ Samuel said when they were almost at the door of the operating room.
‘Hmm?’
‘I’m scared.’
Jayden stopped. ‘Can you please give us a minute?’
The medical team stepped back to give them some privacy and Jayden looked down at Samuel with a weak smile. ‘So was I.’ He let out a shaky breath and gripped Samuel’s hand tighter. ‘But I’m not scared now. I may not be much good at giving hope but what if there’s one thing I am, it’s strong. It’s okay if you’re scared, I’ll be strong for us both.’
A small smile graced Samuel’s lip. ‘You were always the strongest of us both.’ His face grew peaceful. ‘Thank you. That eased my mind a lot.’
The doctor came up to them. ‘I’m sorry to interrupt, but we really mustn’t delay any longer.’
Jayden nodded. He glanced down at Samuel for the last time. ‘This is not goodbye.’
Samuel’s smile grew as he stared up at his husband. ‘It’s never goodbye between us. Remember? I’ll cross the farthest horizons to find my way back to you and no matter what, we will always be under the same sky.’
They held on for as long as they could until the distance forced their hands to fall apart. Jayden remained in his spot and stared after the closed door. He clutched his empty hands close to his chest as his mother walked up to place a comforting arm on his shoulder.
‘Come,’ she said, guiding him to the waiting room. ‘We have a long wait ahead of us.’
The wait was indeed long and seemed to stretch into eternity, but no one left their seat, not even to use the restroom. It was late afternoon, but the windowless space gave no indication of the time. The room smelled faintly of antiseptic, and the uncomfortable chairs, arranged in neat rows, offered little relief from the hours of anxious waiting.
Jayden sat closest to the door, his hands clasped tightly in his lap, fingers tangled together in a nervous knot. He glanced up at the clock on the wall, which, of course, seemed to be ticking slower than usual. His eyes flickered to the door of the surgical room every few moments, hoping for a doctor to emerge with news. His chest tightened with each minute that passed.
Next to him, Cissy, sat with her elbows on her knees, head bowed, staring at the floor. She had been in the same position for what felt like forever. Every so often, her hand would reach out to squeeze his, a wordless attempt at comfort, but it was clear from her expression that her mind was miles away, somewhere inside that operating room.
On the other side of Cissy sat Leo, his legs bouncing restlessly as he scrolled through his phone, though it was clear he wasn’t paying attention to the screen. His face was pale, and he occasionally glanced up at Cam and Paul before quickly looking away, unwilling to voice the fear that gripped them all.
At the far end of the row, Jayden’s grandmother sat with her hands folded neatly in her lap. Her eyes were closed, her face calm but tired, as though she had done this too many times before. Every now and then, she would murmur something under her breath. A quiet plea to the heavens? Passionate threats to whatever deity happened to be listening? No one knew.
The television high in the corner of the room played quietly, though no one paid it any attention. An outdated talk show host droned on about some trivial topic, the sound a meaningless backdrop to everyone’s collective tension.
‘Do you think they’ll come out soon?’ Lucrezia whispered, as if afraid to break the silent spell that held them all.
Dmitri didn’t answer right away. He squeezed her knee instead and offered a weak smile, but his eyes betrayed his worry. “Soon,” he whispered, though she wasn’t sure if he believed it.
Minutes stretched into hours, each one dragging longer than the last. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the door creaked open, and the entire room was on its feet.
The doctor’s face was unreadable as they approached, and for a second, the world seemed to stop.
[text_hash] => 814ad8e4
)