#bridesmaids girls trip and now joy ride

[furbyhater]

did a little solo movie night to see Joy Ride and damn those ladies were funny

[stardustshelb]

"Strawberry" Part One

Word count: 6,749

Chapter One

“Are you sure you can’t drive me to the airport in the morning?” I asked Kenneth wearily. I knew he was reluctant to allow me to go to Nashville for Riley’s bachelorette weekend. He says he’s worried about my safety, but I know the truth is that he doesn’t want me to go out without him, especially with a group of girls.

He groaned, “I have to be at work by 8 a.m. and your flight leaves at noon. I’m not sure if you know how time works but–”

“My plane leaves at 2 p.m. I have to be there by noon,” I interjected before he finished his insult.

“Whatever. Either way, I can’t swing it. Just drive yourself or get one of your friends to give you a ride,” he said as he shut the bathroom door in my face.

He knows good and well that Riley and our other friends live hours away in other states. Everyone got out of this town the second we graduated college. Well, everyone except me. Kenneth took over his father’s business so I stayed behind too. I don’t resent him for it; I love my small town. I love that my family is no more than 15 minutes away in every direction. I love my job and my students. I love my  simple two-bedroom home where I spend most of my evenings alone with Sassy, my border collie. I love my comfortable life. But I hate that my best friend since middle school took a marketing job that required her to move 738 miles away from me.

Life sometimes gets lonely when your closest friends are your coworkers who are old enough to be your parents. Finding a teaching job in this small town was easy because I went to school here. My classroom is the same classroom I once sat in to learn 9th grade English; now I am on the other side of the desk.

When Riley asked me to be her maid of honor, I cried tears of joy… and jealousy. Kenneth and I have been together since we were 16 years old. Although we celebrated our 10-year-anniversary in August, we were quickly approaching the two-year-anniversary of our engagement. Riley met her fiancé less than a year ago; yet, I am the one putting on a bridesmaid dress before a wedding dress. 

“Can you turn off the light?” Kenneth’s question snapped me back to reality. I looked at the piles of folded laundry on my side of the bed with my barren suitcase next to them.

“I’m still packing,” I said.

“Well, some of us don’t get to go to Nashville. Some of us have to go to work to help fund a trip we don’t even get to go on,” he responded.

Ouch. Yes, it’s true Kenneth is the breadwinner. His father’s business is lucrative and Kenneth does well for us. He has asked me to quit my job time and time again since he can support us financially. Everyone knows a teacher’s salary isn’t much to brag about, but I still feel pride in bringing home a paycheck every month. I love my job too much to quit. It’s already lonely in the evenings; I can’t imagine staying home all day by myself too. 

“You know I booked the cheapest flights I could find. Everyone else is flying in together and I am arriving a day early because tomorrow’s flights were more expensive than–”

“Turn off the light!” Kenneth snapped.

I collected my laundry piles and tossed them into my suitcase before shoving it to the floor. I guess I will have to finish packing in the morning after he leaves for work. I put my phone on the charger, turned off the light, and climbed into bed. Sassy jumped into bed to sleep by my feet, our nightly routine. She has always been my protector. I am going to miss her so much while I am gone, but I am looking forward to this miniature vacation. I haven’t had a trip to look forward to since my senior year of college. Kenneth is always too busy with work for us to have a vacation together. He doesn’t like to fly but he also gets car sick. If anywhere I wanted to go required more than two hours on the road, count him out. Plus it will be nice to see Riley again. I shut my eyes and tried my best to fall asleep. I am used to going to bed angry. Anger is like melatonin to me at this point. But the excitement and longing kept me awake. I pulled my headphones out of my nightstand and connected them to my phone. I scrolled through my Spotify playlists until I found one to soothe me to sleep. I selected “Boyfriends” by Harry Styles and the irony wasn’t lost on me as I drifted off…

Chapter Two

I collected the parking ticket from the machine as I drove into the airport’s economy lot. I found a spot closest to the entrance, but I knew I was still going to have to walk a billion miles. The economy lot is furthest from the airport but it’s the most affordable option. I wanted to save every dollar I had for this trip, so I figured it was a small sacrifice. I parked and started to collect my things from the trunk of my car. I grabbed my carryon suitcase and hung my purse on its handle before I started my trek to the airport. Anxiously double-checking every item on my pack-list in my head, I walked through the double doors of the airport. I made my way up to security and got in line behind what seemed to look like the entire population of my town. Luckily, the line moved fairly quickly as I approached the TSA agent’s desk. I placed my luggage on the conveyor belt, removed my sandals, and emptied my pockets. 

The large woman in the TSA uniform waved me through the body scanner. “Come on through, sweetie.”

I stood on the yellow marker and held my hands above my head. I knew I had nothing on me that would set off any alarm, but this moment always made me hold my breath. 

“You’re good, sweetie. Have a good day,” she smiled as I breathed a sigh of relief. I collected my things and scurried off to the side to put my shoes back on. When I grabbed my phone from the security tub, I noticed that I had two missed calls from Kenneth. 

I called him back as I tried to make my way through the crowd, pulling my luggage behind me. He answered on the first ring. 

“Why didn’t you answer my calls?” he asked with a bit of anger in his tone. 

“I was going through security. I couldn’t be on my phone,” I explained.

“Well, I only have so long of a lunch break and I wanted to check in before you got on your flight. What time are you set to land again?” he asked.

“3:30 p.m. for the hundredth time,” I sighed.

“Ok, you need to text me as soon as you land,” he commanded.

“Sure thing,” I replied.

“Alright, well I’m gonna get back to work,” Kenneth said.

“Hey, don’t forget to give Sassy a treat after she goes outside because that’s what she’s used to. Oh, and don’t forget that she likes to have dinner at–”

“I’ve owned the damn dog just as long as you have. You don’t have to give me instructions,” Kenneth cut me off.

“Can you send me pictures of her throughout the day? I’m really going to miss her,” I pleaded.

“You’re going to miss the dog more than me,” Kenneth scoffed.

I thought about that comment for a moment as I approached my gate. I glanced over the TV screen to verify my boarding time. 

“Wow, you don’t even deny it,” Kenneth said.

“I’m sorry. I got distracted by my gate. It’s really busy here. I will text you when I land. Please send me pictures of Sassy. I will keep you posted. I love you,” I nearly lied into the phone.

“Love you too,” he said halfheartedly before ending the call. 

While pulling my belongings behind me, I found a spot to sit down in the waiting area of my gate. The airport seemed to be a madhouse, but it looked like my flight wouldn’t be so crowded after all. There were more empty seats than I expected. I checked the “Nashville Babes” group text on my phone. I’ve had the notifications silenced for weeks because I can’t stand getting notified every 10 minutes. I asked Riley to text me separately if there was anything I really needed to know. I hate that I appear to be an unsupportive maid of honor, but seeing my phone light up constantly throughout the day–and night–has been a nightmare for my anxiety. Riley knows and understands that I get overwhelmed easily. She took charge of planning her own bachelorette weekend because she knew I would get stressed out. I still feel guilty about it, but she assured me that she truly wanted to plan it. I wasn’t going to argue. She’s always been the most supportive and constant person in my life. I hate that I am secretly jealous of her when I should be reciprocating the support. 

“Now boarding Group A!” the airline attendant announced over the gate’s speaker. I checked my boarding pass: Group C. Once again, I took the most affordable option on the cheapest flight I could find. Being last to board on Southwest meant that I am doomed to a middle seat between two strangers. I just hope that whomever I get stuck between put on deodorant today. When I say I’m looking forward to a vacation, I mean I am looking forward to a break from 15-year-olds’ body odor. One of the many drawbacks of being a teacher. 

“Excuse me,” a man in a white sweater and khaki pants said as he tried to shuffle by me. I thought he looked funny wearing both a baseball hat and sunglasses indoors. That doesn’t look suspicious in an airport. I moved my things from his path and he headed to board the plane. So he’s in Group A… This guy has money. Well, maybe not. He is flying Southwest after all. I’m sure I could have booked Group A tickets, but I didn’t want to ask Kenneth for any more money than I already needed. This trip was fully funded by me and I was proud of that. Well, until Riley picked the most expensive Airbnb in Nashville. I almost fainted when I received her Venmo request. I was grateful she didn’t charge me extra for staying one night by myself since I had an earlier flight. I swallowed my pride and asked Kenneth if I could have an extra $400 to add to my savings to help with my portion of the bill. He gave me the money with no issues, but he has enjoyed holding it above my head every chance he’s had.

Once I heard the announcement for Group C, I grabbed my things and headed to stand in line to board. I glanced at the Nashville Babes group text: 80 missed notifications. I cleared it from my phone as I opened the Southwest app to show my boarding pass. Once I was scanned in, I headed through the hallway to board the plane. I stepped on the aircraft and gazed over the heads of strangers who were all avoiding eye contact. I knew they were all pleading to themselves that I wouldn’t take their middle seat. The flight wasn’t too packed, but there were no empty window or aisle seats left. Wonderful. I scanned the rows once more looking for any open overhead space when I noticed someone’s eyes locked on me. Eyes that I hadn’t seen before; yet, a face that looked all too familiar. The Group A stranger had removed his sunglasses and was staring at me. I started to move down the aisle when he whispered to the guy in the row with him. Whoever he was, he looked angry receiving whatever news he just got. No chance I want to sit between a bickering couple. I located a row nearby filled with two women who looked rather normal. I went to lift my luggage to put in the overhead space when the Group A stranger grabbed my suitcase.

“Allow me,” he said with a smile that displayed the tiniest of gaps between his unusually white teeth. But rather than placing the suitcase in the compartment I had decided on, he placed it in the compartment above his row. 

“Would you prefer the window seat or the aisle seat?” he asked.

“What happened to the man who was sitting with you?” I answered his question with a question.

“I asked him to sit elsewhere. I figured you’d prefer a better spot,” he smiled that smile again.

Bewildered, I responded: “I’ll take the aisle.” No way would I be confined to the window seat with this strange man trapping me in. I needed an escape route in case he was a pervert or something. 

“Perfect. I love to watch the clouds anyways,” he said as he shuffled into the row. I followed suit but sat to keep an empty seat between us. 

“Why didn’t your friend just sit in the middle if you wanted to give me a good seat?” I asked confusingly.

“That’s my–um–assistant. He can stand to sit elsewhere for the short flight since I see him all of the time. I’d prefer to sit next to someone more pleasant anyways,” he joked. 

God he’s adorable. A little too forward but adorable nonetheless.

“Well, I appreciate you doing that for me. I figured I was going to have to sit between two strangers, but an aisle seat is definitely a welcomed surprise,” I said.

I opened my phone to inform the Nashville Babes that I had boarded and would be landing in roughly an hour and a half. I completely ignored the hundreds of messages that came before mine. I was about to put my phone on airplane mode when I received a private text from Riley.

Riley: “You ok?”

Me: “Yes, of course. I’m so excited to see you! Get ready to lose oxygen from my hug when I see you tomorrow.” 

Riley: “Just checking. Haven’t heard from you in a couple days. Let me know when you land and when you make it to the Airbnb. Safe travels, love.” 

I sighed as I read her message over and over. I smiled and held the message down to “love” it before searching through my purse to retrieve my headphones. 

“Already getting the music out and we haven’t even heard the safety instructions yet. I think you need to pay attention,” I heard the adorable stranger say.

“There isn’t much I can do if there were an emergency. Knowing that I need to breathe oxygen through a mask that will drop in front of my face is all I need to know,” I said with a laugh.

“Just make sure to put your own mask on before you help me with mine,” he said.

“Who says I would help you?” I turned to him and asked.

“I helped you with your luggage. I helped you get an aisle seat. The least you can do is help me breathe,” he said with a smile that displayed his perfect teeth again.

I laughed and replied, “Ok, well I am not banking on there being an emergency, so no need to worry.”  

“Does anyone ever bank on an emergency?” he asked. Smart ass.

I rolled my eyes and placed my headphones in my ears. I opened my Spotify app to find the playlist I downloaded to prepare for the flight.

“Who are you listening to?” the stranger asked. I am beginning to wish I had sat between the two women after all. Not having to play 20 questions with this guy would have been worth sacrificing the extra space I had in this aisle seat.

“Nobody yet as I literally just opened the app,” I responded.

“Can I give you a song suggestion?” he asked.

“Um… I guess?” I replied questioningly.

“May I?” he asked as he reached for my phone.

“I’m not giving a stranger my phone,” I said with a shocked expression to my tone. The nerve of this guy.

“What am I going to do? Run off with it? You’ve got me trapped in,” he smiled showing that cute, tiny gap again. 

“No thanks,” I said as I went to start my music. 

Suddenly, he unbuckled his seat belt and stood up from his seat. I stared at him wide-eyed as a flight attendant stopped by our row to say, “Sir, please stay seated and buckle your seat belt.” 

He waved to the irritated attendant and displayed a soft smile as he sat in the middle seat beside me. Immediately I was hit with his fresh cologne scent that made me crave more as he started to buckle the seat belt. You have got to be kidding me.

“What are you doing?” I somehow yelled and whispered simultaneously.

“Please let me pick a song for you to listen to. Then I will leave you alone. I promise,” he said with a slight pout to his lips. God, his lips. How did I not notice those yet?

“Give me your phone in exchange,” I said with an air of confidence in my voice.

“Ah, so she’s smart and she’s beautiful,” he said as he reached into the pocket of his khaki pants. I tried to hide the blush that I could feel warming my cheeks. I couldn’t remember the last time I received a compliment.

“I’m not unlocking it, but I will let you hold it for ransom,” he said as he held his phone out to me. I took it from his hands as his fingers brushed against mine. I felt an immediate rush of energy run through me as our hands briefly touched. What was that? I handed him my phone and watched as he typed the words “Greta Van Fleet” into the search bar in my Spotify app. He made a face that almost seemed disappointed, and then clicked  to download the band’s complete playlist. He attempted to hand my phone back to me, and I stared at him confusingly as I reached for it. I was too busy watching him with my phone; I never even glanced at his lockscreen. Before I gave him back his phone, I tapped the screen to see what his background was. On display was a photo of a crowd of lights, but the photographer must have been standing on the stage when they took it. There had to be thousands of phone flashlights in this one photo. It reminded me of tiny stars in the midnight sky. 

“I took that picture, ya know?” he said with a proud smile.

“Are you a concert photographer?” I asked. 

He let out a wild laugh and then glanced down at my phone’s screen, “It’s almost finished downloading.”

“I thought you said a song suggestion. A. One. Singular. Not a whole playlist,” I said.

“I mean… I wanted to give you options,” he said.

Waving his phone to him I asked, “So, is this crowd picture from this band’s concert?”

“Yes,” he said, like there was more he was wanting me to ask. I decided to have the upperhand and gave him his phone back without asking another question. I watched my screen as the playlist was nearly completely downloaded. 

“I’m Josh,” he said like he was annoyed that I hadn’t asked for his name yet.

“Hi, Josh,” I replied disinterestedly. 

“And you are…?” he asked.

“I’m about to listen to this playlist,” I said with a matter-of-fact tone.

“Smart, beautiful, arrogant…” he muttered under his breath.

“I’m going to pretend that I didn’t hear that,” I said as I put my headphones in. “You can move back to the window now.”

“We are about to take off. If I stand up, I’ll cause a scene and then we’ll be delayed. Then I’ll probably become a flight risk and be forcibly removed off of the plane. Everyone would be recording the fiasco and posting it online. Let’s just avoid all of that and I’ll stay seated here,” he said with a smirk.

“You have quite the imagination…” I said hiding my smile.

“I’m sacrificing a coveted window seat for you. I hope you know that,” he replied.

“I never asked you to change seats,” I said.

“No, but you didn’t object either,” he responded with a smug expression on his face.

Once the playlist completed its download, I switched my phone to airplane mode. I sighed in frustration and scrolled through the playlist to view the songs. Whoever this band is, they have quite a discography. I wanted to ask him which song I should start with but I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. I scrolled until the title “Trip the Light Fantastic” caught my eye. Intrigued, I selected the song and tilted my head back to listen to it. Before I shut my eyes, I noticed Josh was staring at my phone to see which song I chose first. I closed my eyes and relaxed as the lyrics danced through my ears. I have never heard anything like this before. I was so entranced in the music that I didn't even realize we were now speeding down the runway about to take off. The music, plus the feeling of lifting off the ground, was nearly overwhelming in the best way possible. I felt like I had stepped into the song itself. When the song ended, I didn’t want to open my eyes. I wanted to stay in this moment for as long as possible. 

“What did you think?” I heard Josh ask as I removed my headphones.

“Wow,” is all I could formulate. My thoughts ran wild and I wanted to describe the feeling I just had, but I couldn’t put it into words. 

“What did you think about the guy’s voice?” he asked.

“The dude is talented as hell. I just wish I could understand everything he sang,” I said.

There was that wild laugh of his again. “Yeah, I think the band receives that criticism a lot,” he said with a shrug. I truly wanted to listen to another song, but I didn’t want him to know I was so interested in this band. I guess one could call me stubborn. 

“While I love to share music with new people, I’d love to talk some more if that’s alright with you,” he said sheepishly.

“I feel like you would talk to me even if it weren’t alright with me,” I said sarcastically.

“Smart, beautiful, arrogant,” he repeated. I playfully pinched his arm. 

“Hey!” he exclaimed as he rubbed his arm.

“I let it slide the first time. I wasn’t going to let you get away with it again,” I said.

“Now that I’ve been physically assaulted… Are you going to Nashville for business or pleasure?” he asked.

“I’m attending a bachelorette party,” I said.

“For you or someone else?” he asked, looking down at the dainty ring on my finger. The same ring that has been without a wedding band companion for nearly two years. The same ring I wanted to leave inside the jewelry box before I left my house this morning.

“It’s for my best friend Riley,” I said with a sadness that I couldn’t hide like I normally do.

As if Josh sensed the change in my mood, he completely turned his body to face mine. I could tell that he positioned his head to get me to look at him. I locked eyes with him and it was like I could actually see the wheels in his head turning. 

“How long will you be in Nashville?” he asked.

“For four nights. I had to take two days off from work, but I’m looking forward to it,” I said with a forced smile.

“You don’t sound like someone who is excited to attend a bachelorette party,” he said.

“It’s just a lot, but I am excited for Riley,” I said trying to convince the both of us that I really was excited.

“What do you do for work?” he asked while continuing to hold eye contact. As I stared into his dark brown eyes, I studied the long lashes that I would kill to have. 

“I teach 9th grade English,” I responded.

“Smart, beautiful, arrogant, and a world changer. A difference maker. One who shapes the minds of our youth. You’re a hero to our doomed society,” he said. I felt my cheeks redden as I processed the way he just described my job. I don’t normally feel appreciated at work, not even at home. It felt good to have someone remind me of my purpose. 

“Sometimes I feel like I’m just a glorified babysitter,” I said with a nervous laugh.

“You should never feel that way. I think you have one of the most important jobs in the world. I’m just a concert photographer,” he said with a tone that I couldn’t quite place.

“Thank you. I appreciate it,” I said, finally giving into a real smile. I watched his eyes fall to my mouth and I could feel a million butterflies in my stomach. Why does he have such an effect on me? I shook the thoughts from my head as I opened the Southwest app to see how much longer our flight had. A little over one hour to go with a stranger who makes me feel better about myself than anyone has in years. Maybe I should take a nap.

“What’s on the agenda for your bachelorette weekend? Bars and strippers?” he asked with a smile.

“Definitely the strippers. That’s a necessity,” I responded with a smirk.

“Well, when I’m not taking pictures at concerts, I happen to moonlight as an exotic dancer,” he said returning the smirk I gave.

“I’m sure you make more money taking pictures,” I said biting my lip.

“First you physically assaulted me and now you’ve verbally assaulted me,” he said. 

“I’m sorry,” I said, covering my face from the embarrassment of inadvertently insulting him.

“No, you’re right. The crowd usually pays me to keep my clothes on,” he said tilting his head down in shame. Unlikely.

“What’s your stripper name?” I asked. Before he could answer, the plane suddenly dropped in altitude. I heard screams from the rows behind us. I gasped and grabbed his hand before shutting my eyes. The turbulence was over quickly as everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at the same time. I slowly opened my eyes to realize everything was ok. I didn’t realize I was still holding Josh’s hand until he asked, “Are you ok?”

“Yes, sorry about that,” I said as I quickly jerked my hand back to my lap.

“No need to apologize for the hand-holding. It was nice while it lasted,” he said with a wink.

“Who was the first person to cross your mind when you felt the plane drop?” I asked him in a serious tone.

Without hesitation, he responded, “My mom.”

“Tell me about her,” I said.

“She’s the most important person on the planet,” he said looking at his hands. “She has given up so much for me and I hope I make her proud.”

“I’m sure you do,” I said while trying to swallow the lump in my throat. I’m not sure if my nerves were shot from the temporary panic or if his sentiment was getting to me. 

“Who did you think of?” he asked.

“Honestly… I thought of myself,” I admitted with shame.

“Really? Elaborate on that,” he said as I could tell he was giving me his full attention.

“I’m sure I sound narcissistic, but I thought I was about to die without having lived, and then I’d leave a legacy of nothing behind,” I said with a sigh.

“I know I don’t know you. Shit, I don’t even know your name. But, I can tell that your death would most definitely leave an impact on people,” he said.

“Nothing like discussing death with a total stranger,” I said with a light laugh.

“Death doesn’t scare me. I know it’s not the end. I just enjoy my life and the love I can give to the world while I’m here in my physical form. The love I provide won’t leave when I fade away,” he said. I stared at him like I just heard one of the most philosophical phrases come from another person’s mouth in years. He’s insightful and adorable.

“I got that from a song, by the way. It’s on the playlist I downloaded to your phone. Don’t be too impressed,” he said with a laugh.

“Ah, plagiarism,” I said.

“That’s actually my stripper name,” he said with a smirk. 

“Now I definitely know you aren’t making any money,” I said, trying not to laugh.

“How about I give you a glimpse of my routine and you tell me what I can do to improve my shtick to make more money?” he asked.

Stunned by his foreward remark, I immediately felt guilt running through my veins. This is the most flirting I’ve had since high school. I’m not used to this sort of attention. I looked down at my hands in my lap. 

“I’m sorry if that was too much. I–” Josh began to say.

“No, no it’s ok. I was just worried I wouldn’t have enough money in my purse to get you to keep your clothes on once you started,” I said stifling a giggle. 

“Alright just kick a man while he’s down,” he said as he clutched his hands over his heart. He threw his head back acting like he was wounded and I eyed his neck. His adam’s apple protruded, making me feel weak. 

“I wonder if there is a doctor on board to help you,” I said sarcastically looking around the plane.

Suddenly he rose out of his seat and shouted, “Is there a doctor in the house?”

Completely stunned, I stared at him with wide eyes. I cannot believe he just did that. I watched a flight attendant quickly make his way over to our row. Oh my God.

“Sir, are you having a medical emergency?” the flight attendant asked him. Next to the attendant stood Josh’s assistant, the angry man who changed his seat earlier. 

“No, no, I am ok now. Sorry for the alarm,” he said, trying not to laugh. His assistant rolled his eyes and quickly returned back to his middle seat. I’m sure he is used to Josh’s antics by now. The flight attendant gave a displeased look to both of us before walking away. I felt like I had just received punishment for a crime I didn’t do. Guilty by association. 

“That was so not funny!” I exclaimed with a sigh.

“I can’t help myself sometimes,” he said with a smile. This dude is nuts.

“You’re a lunatic,” I said, getting my headphones back out.

“No, wait. I am sorry,” he said. “I’ll move back over to the window seat and leave you alone,” he said with a sense of shame in his voice. I put my headphones in as I watched him change seats then position his body to where he was looking out the window. I was no longer in his line of vision. I opened my Spotify app and his Greta Van Fleet playlist was there. I hesitated. I wanted to listen to another song but I also wanted to block this guy from my mind and listen to my own music. Against my better judgment, I selected “Light My Love” from the playlist. I closed my eyes and listened to one of the most beautiful songs I had ever heard.

Chapter Three

I was six songs deep into this playlist when I felt someone tap on my arm. I reluctantly opened my eyes for I was enjoying being in a complete and utter trance of this band. Josh looked sheepish as I removed my headphones. 

“Do you care to let me out to use the bathroom? I really need to stretch my legs,” he said. Without responding, I shifted my body and moved my legs into the aisle to give him a clear walkway. He shuffled past me and I got a whiff of his cologne again. He smells so damn good. Maybe I’m being irrational for giving him the silent treatment. I’m 26-years-old but I’m acting like I’m 12. I decided to act more civil once he returned to our row. I don’t want to look too anxious, but I couldn’t help but watch the bathroom door awaiting his return. After what felt like an eternity, I decided to do something irrational. I can be crazy too. I took my headphones off and left them in the seat as I shoved my phone in my jeans pocket. I stood up and started to make my way to the bathroom to check on him. As I got closer to the door, it opened and he exited. I wanted to retreat back to my seat from pure embarrassment, but there was nowhere to turn. He looked up at me and scrunched his eyebrows together like he was confused. As he should be. I decided to try to play it off that I needed to use the restroom rather than run back to my seat like I desperately wanted to. As he moved past me, his body brushed against mine and I felt every nerve from my toes to my scalp tingle. I felt like I could no longer breathe. I made my way into the tiny bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror. “Get it together,” I said aloud to my reflection. I took a few deep breaths and made my way back to my seat. I made the mistake of looking at him because his deep brown eyes were once again locked on mine. A shiver immediately ran through me. I sat back down in my aisle seat and tried to think of something to ease the awkward tension.

“What has been your favorite song off the playlist?” he asked, breaking the silence.

“That’s difficult to say. I have genuinely loved all of the ones I’ve listened to so far,” I said with a smile. His cheeks almost looked like they were a new shade of pink. Was he blushing? I quickly added, “Thank you for sharing this band with me.”

“Thank you for listening,” he said back with a smile. I bit my lip as I felt like the awkward tension was over. However, a new tension was forming. 

I checked the Southwest app and realized we were set to land very soon. I put my headphones back in my purse as a sign that I was ready to talk to him. He picked up on my cue because he quickly switched seats again. His cologne hit me and if I hadn’t been sitting, I may have collapsed. He buckled his seat belt just before the overhead light signaled us to do so. 

“What’s the first thing you and your friends are doing tonight?” he asked.

“Actually, I am flying in a day earlier than everyone, so I have the Airbnb alone until everyone flies in tomorrow,” I said. I suddenly realized that I shouldn’t have told a stranger that I was going to be staying alone in an unfamiliar city, but the words had already left my lips. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

“Really?” he said as he sat up straight in his seat. I nodded but then looked away. I can’t believe I just overshared this information with him.

“If you’d like some company…” he said quietly. I quickly turned my head back to him. I was dreading another night by myself, especially without Sassy. Riley said I could FaceTime her tonight, but I didn’t want to bother her while she finished packing and getting her stuff together. I was going to use the time to decorate the place before her arrival anyways. 

I stammered, “Josh, I–” 

“How about dinner? I can take you to some of my favorite places in town. What do you like to eat?” he asked with a big smile. The idea of not being alone was tempting and as frustrating as he had been at times, I really did enjoy his company. 

Before I could give him an answer, I felt our plane touch the ground as we braced for a complete stop. This was always my least favorite part about flying. 

“I really need to decorate the Airbnb and unpack. I’d like to get settled in rather than go out. Plus, I don’t have a vehicle,” I finally responded as the sounds of seat belts unbuckled around us.

“If it’s not too forward, I could always come over and cook for you. I can bring some groceries and wine, or whatever else you’d like to drink. I can even help you decorate. You can’t spend your first night in Nashville alone,” he said. 

I mulled over his offer as people around us began to stand up and form a line in the center aisle as they collected their luggage from the overhead compartments. Josh appeared not to be in any hurry to leave, nor was I. 

“Fine. But I want to text your full name, picture, vehicle description, and phone number to Riley in case I go missing,” I said with a matter-of-fact tone.

He laughed nervously and then said, “Give me your phone.” I put in my passcode and handed it to him. He stared at my background, a picture of Sassy and me, before opening the contacts app. “I’m giving you my number so you can text me your address when you’re ready for me to come over to cook you dinner,” he said as he was typing. I watched the plane empty row by row until it felt like we were the last two remaining on board. I noticed his assistant standing in the aisle waiting on Josh. “I think you’re going to get an earful when you get off the plane,” I said, eyeing the angry-looking man. 

“I usually do,” he said with a smile as he passed my phone back to me. I glanced down at the contact name that read Plagiarism with the winky face emoji. I covered my mouth as I laughed loudly. 

“Ahem,” we both heard his assistant clear his throat as he began tapping his foot impatiently.

“Ok, I think it’s time to go,” I said as I grabbed my purse and stepped into the aisle to let him out. While Josh exited his seat, he stood so close that I could smell his delicious scent again. I watched him open the compartment and get our luggage out. He lifted the handle of my suitcase and handed it to me. I smiled at his kindness, avoiding eye contact, because I had about all that I could stand.

We made our way down the center aisle following his assistant off of the plane. Before he stepped inside the airport, I watched as he put his sunglasses back on. Weird. 

“I’ll be anxiously waiting for your text,” he said to me as he pulled his hat down a little further over his face. Before he walked away, he said, “I’ll send you all of the info you need for Riley when I hear from you,” with a wink.

I made my way down to ground transportation and requested an Uber to take me to the Airbnb. I sent Kenneth a text to let him know that I had landed, but I texted Riley that I was going to call her ASAP. I needed her advice now more than ever. I knew I was treading in dangerous waters by allowing that adorable, frustrating, sexy, funny, crazy stranger to come over, but something made me want to be around him. I may be in too deep, but I’ve always been a strong swimmer.

[filmforager]

Joy Ride: Review

Crazy Hitch-hiking Asians

While comedies like Bridesmaids and Girls Trip have showcased the hilarity of female friendships, major studios have shied away from films about Asian girls just having fun. But, doing for raunchy comedies what Crazy Rich Asians did for rom-coms, Joy Ride is here to give the genre a much-needed shake up. Delivering a ton of riotous laughs at breakneck pace, this is one of the funniest films in years.

From first-time director Adele Lim (part of the writing team on Crazy Rich Asians), Joy Ride is tied together by a moving study of identity and friendships. We follow Audrey (Ashley Park), an uptight career woman who was adopted by an American family, and never met her birth mother. Learning how to blend in in a dominantly white neighbourhood, she met best friend Lolo (Sherry Cola), a slacker who protected her from racist bullies, and now specialises in body positive art installations (a lot of penises). When a big work opportunity presents itself for Audrey in Beijing, Lolo convinces her to hit two birds with one stone and meet the woman who gave her up for adoption. 

The journey takes a while to get going, as the two friends pick up Audrey’s college roommate Kat (Everything Everywhere All At Once’s Stephanie Hsu), a saintly actress with a wild past, and Lolo’s cousin ‘Deadeye’ (Sabrine Wu), a strange but endearing K-pop stan. But as with all joy rides, things don’t go entirely to plan. And after a run-in with a troublesome drug-dealer, this trip takes a turn for the chaotic. 

Written by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao, this keeps the laughs coming at a pace that’s almost hard to keep up with. You may think you’ve seen every scene of friends accidentally taking drugs in cinema, but you’ve not seen anything quite like this. The standout set piece is a mind-blowing sex montage featuring a Chinese basketball team, which brings plenty of tension, lust and repressed feelings to the surface. There’s also a hilarious K-Pop rendition of Cardi B’s ‘WAP’, which reaches a shocking climax the likes of which you rarely see in cinema.

Joy Ride might go to some crazy places with its comedy, but there’s still plenty of heart amid the chaos. While you can see the third-act complications from a mile away, Lim keeps things fresh with plenty of surprises and a dedicated cast that bicker and bond like real life friends. Everyone gets a moment to shine, though Sabrine Wu’s oddball performance threatens to steal many a scene. The result is a study of female friendships that feels sincere and true to life, as well as an affecting story about belonging that will have you reaching for the tissues. Fast, lean and full of freewheeling energy, this is not a ride you’ll forget in a hurry.

With first-time director Adele Lim at the wheel, Joy Ride manages to be both an outrageously funny comedy and a touching portrayal of female friendships.

★★★★

[thenerdsofcolor]

NOC Review: Strap In for a Smart, Sweet, and Hilarious 'Joy Ride'

NOC Review: Strap In for a Smart, Sweet. and Hilarious 'Joy Ride' @JoyRideMovie #JoyRideMovie

Name me a single raunchy R-rated comedy prior to 2022, starring Asian leads. Ok. You probably said the Harold and Kumar trilogy. But what about Asian women? That becomes a bit more challenging. It’s hard to find many Apatow-level comedies outside of Bridesmaids and Girls Trip even led by female ensembles or directed by female filmmakers, let alone a predominantly Asian one. But we now finally…

[1025cherrystreet]

reasons

harry and y/n exchanging vows on their wedding day

a/n: i was listening to music and feeling real lonely tonight, so i basically just wrote everything i want to hear from someone one day :) i never know how to end stories, soz! hope y'all like it, any feedback is appreciated!!

warnings: none, just fluff <3

The white chairs are filled with their family and friends. Gemma, Michal, and Anne sit on the groom's side while Y/N's parents and brother sit on her side of the aisle in anticipation. They didn't expect to be the people who have big weddings, and it's not even that big, but everyone they know is in attendance. James Corden and his family are in the audience, Louis, Liam, Niall, Zayn, and their dates all sit to watch their friends get married. Smiles adorn everyone's faces as the couple take platform at the front while Jeff (who got ordained just for their wedding!) reads off statements of marriage.

Y/N's best friend Claude is her bridesmaid (or 'bridesman' as his boyfriend, Frankie, liked to call it) and Mitch stands next to Harry as his best man. Everyone in shades of beige and sage green as it's Y/N and Harry's favorite colors.

"Y/N you can start with your vows, now." Jeff smiles at her, gesturing with his head, signaling Claude to take her handwritten promises out of his suit jacket pocket and hand it to the bride.

She mouths a watery, thank you, to Claude before turning back to face her fiancé standing in front of her. Even on her wedding day, she gives a bashful smile to Harry before clearing her throat.

"Harry." She starts nervously, "You are my person. You look at me as if I hung the stars and I can only hope you know I feel as devoted to you as the moon. The way you shined your bright light on my life is something I will never take for granted. You are my every reason. You are my lifelong dream to go to Italy and you are the endless praises I've always craved." Her hands shake in both exhilaration and trepidation.

"You are good books on long evenings... You are flowers in the middle of spring, you're long night car rides with blaring music, and you are the smell of rain on a cool evening in June. You're the cold side of my pillow in the middle of a hot summer night... the feeling of warm sun-kissed skin from showering after a beach trip...and the split second of silence when it's raining as you drive under the overpass on the interstate... You are 'that part' of a good song and the moment it would rain at school and everyone would just stop and stare out the window," She says, stray tears rolling slowly down her face, trying to ignore the way she can feel everyone's eyes on them in that moment.

"You are a pinky promise I hold so deeply... You are laughing so hard to the point of pain and you're rediscovering bagels every five months." Y/N smiles and glances up at him from her paper just quick enough to catch his chuckle as he knuckles the trapped tears in his green eyes. The last line gaining laughs from family and friends in the crowd.

"You are all of my reasons to live, H. Both the big dreams I've had my whole life and the little things I appreciate in my day-to-day. Of all these reasons to live though, most importantly.. you are Harry. My Harry. There's not enough words in the English language to convey my love for you, but I would spend the rest of my life searching for the right ones if that meant I got to spend it with you." She pauses to look her love in the eye, Harry staring right back at her with so much adoration for the girl in front of him.

She looks back down at the papers, tears catching on the edges. "So, with that, I vow to be your person. I vow to be your every reason to live another day and every small encounter that brings you even an ounce of joy. I vow to be your best friend and your indescribable love, if that's what being your person entails. I will be anything you need and everything you want, if it means we could happily grow old together."

"I love you, Harry Styles... and I can't wait to be your wife." Y/N finally lets the tears flow freely from her eyes as she stares up at her soon-to-be husband, Harry raises his hand to gently wipe them from her face with a breathtaking smile on his lips.

Tears of his own fall down, Y/N reciprocating the loving action. The two of them smile at each other for a moment, taking each other in. Harry has never felt more loved in his life, feeling honored to even be that person to someone, let alone his girl. He takes her hand and raises it to his cherry stained lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

"That was beautiful, Y/N," Jeff whispers with a grin and turns to Harry, "Now, Harry you can now read your vows."

Harry drops her hand to retrieve the hand-written pages from his blazer pocket, quickly unfolding it and taking Y/N's hand once again. He glances at her before clearing his own throat and starting.

"Y/N, I want t'start off saying I love you. I love you so much it scares me."

"Y'have no idea what y'mean to me and what all y'have done for me. Y'keep me sane when my life tries t'drive me crazy. Y'make me feel normal when my job gets too much t'handle. You make me feel loved when it feels like everyone is out t'get me and y'make me feel like Harry when the whole world wants me t'be Harry Styles," He says, glancing up from the paper ever so often, his hands shaking in turn.

"I used t'resent being known as Harry Styles. My name became a bad taste in my mouth and sounded like nails on a chalkboard. I felt like Harry Styles always had t'be polite and put together and had no room t'make mistakes. It was exhausting trying t'be perfect all the time, I started t'lose myself... But you. You, Y/N, made me want t'become someone I wasn't ashamed of anymore. Y'showed me what it was like t'feel safe and content, and y'taught me t'never be anythin' but authentic because you said Harry Styles was just as capable at love and acceptance as Harry... You made me fall in love with myself again, and f'that I could never repay you. I love you so much that I can't even explain it, but f'your sake, I'll try, so here goes..." Y/N smiles at him with glassy eyes.

"I love how y'are so kind and loving t'everyone you meet. I love how you're a hugger from the first encounter and how y'always ask people if they are okay twice, just to make sure they know y'really care and will listen if they need it. I love how y'throw spilled salt over your shoulder and believe in the stars as some form of higher power. I love how y'decide to have a dance party two in the morning 'just cause' and sing songs at the top of your lungs f'the world t'hear. I love how y'have 86 spotify playlists because 'you need one for every memory or feeling'. I love when y'show me new music and bring me t'find a new appreciation t'my craft and others'. I love how y'look at the smallest moments in life and cherish them. I love how y'take nothing for granted and live everyday as if it's your last. I love how y'always choose t'view life for its beauty and child-like innocence, than for its deception and cruelty, first."

"I love you...Truly, Madly, Deeply," He chuckles out and Y/N laughs out loud, shaking her head at him playfully. Four loud wooo!'s sound out, the rest of their loved ones laughing at the cheeky reference. "I love everythin' about you and everythin' that has made y'who you are today...I love you, Y/N. My Y/N." He proclaims with a boyish grin.

"So, I vow t'be your husband always. I vow t'be your husband when you're angry at me f'messing up the laundry and when you're crying over not feeling enough f'people. I vow t'be your husband and love you when you get tired of rewatching The Notebook every time we have a movie night. I vow t'be there for you, even if you may not want me anymore-" She scowls and swats his arm for him even thinking that, making their guests let out a good chuckle.

"And, lastly, I vow t'be your best friend and lover 'til the day we die. You are not my Allie, you are so much better. You are my Y/N and I can't wait t'create my own movie with you."

Salty tears flow down their faces as they stare lovestruck at each other, the eyes of their family and friends all fade away and it's only the two of them in that moment. Hands intertwined, lost in each other's gaze, the only thing they comprehend is the, you may now kiss one another, that comes from Jeff's mouth.

'Awes' and coos sound from the crowd, Niall and Louis cheer the loudest, the other boys smiling at the newly-weds. Gemma and Anne are bawling their eyes out, just like Y/N's parents are. But, neither of them notice any of it as Harry wraps an arm around her waist, the other cupping her tear stained cheek and pulling her in to kiss her passionately.

[ziracona]

Dwight/Jake wedding headcanons maybe? They deserve it.

For sure!

It’s a couple years down the road. They’ve been living in the Indiana house with Adam, while the others orbit in and out from Springwood and Lockport and Haddonfield and Indianapolis and Bloomington and New Jersey and Missouri and New York and such every few days. It’s peaceful and fun there for them. Woods, big house, familiar smells and people and memorobelia and Ron’s grave and markers added nearby for Vigo and Alex and Lisa and Sujan and the person from the lab with no name and the survivors who came before them and never got to be buried. It’s home. They’re just chilling, Dwight and Jake talking with intent but also very relaxed about something while Adam edits a sequel in his easy chair, deep in edit mode, when Jake calls over, “Hey Adam, do you want to be a best man, or do you want to marry us?”

Which Adam hears the wrong homophone for for a second and almost takes him out before he realizes they meant the other version of ‘marry’ and remembers how to breathe again.

He stutters out a, “Well, I, uh—I mean, I can do whichever you’d prefer, but I’m not ordained. In. Anything. I know I did Min and Nea’s, but—”

“—Yeah, we know, but we just need it to be legal,” Jake shrugs, “and we don’t want a stranger at the wedding period, so someone’s getting ordained.”

“I think you can get ordained online in like an hour,” adds Dwight helpfully, “and we’re not religious either, but—and now that I’m saying this it was Meg so that means I should make sure becuase sometimes her memory for numbers is uhhh bad, but she told me like a week ago you only need ten people to officially get your new religion recognized. And we could be ‘the survivors’ or something. I don’t know I believe in much, but I believe in that.”

Jake nods. “Whatever is true, this group of people can rip a hole in the fabric of the universe for each other. I’d ascribe to that.”

“I kind of like that,” says Adam, “I would too. But if we have a spiritual ‘leader’, wouldn’t Ace be a better choice than me? Or Jane?”

This is considered a good point and they debate between Adam, Jeff, Tapp, Jane, and Ace for a bit, [Philip is also briefly considered, but they realize just as fast he’d be overwhelmed and stressed by having to do it & mercifully swap him to another role], then decide on Ace, who’s always been the kind of...not exactly dad, not exactly uncle, but not not those things, and certainly some kind of an early spiritual or morale core for them, parentish figure, and a comfort and hope leader for them all. Also, they know he’ll get a fkn kick out of being ordained for this.

Dwight takes Quentin as his Best Man, Claudette his Maid of Honor, and Jake takes Nea as Matron of Honor, Andrew as Best Man, and Meg as Maid of Honor. They decide fuck it, and it’s kinda Parks & Rec (an argument used by and against Jake many times the next few weeks) anyway, and also both take Adam and Philip as Best Men because fuck it, it’s too hard and also wedding rules are arbitrary and made to be broken, and so then Jake adds Kate as a bridesmaid, Dwight adds Laurie, they realize the number of survivors is dwindling dangerously and decide fuck it, our wedding is for us might as well be fkn weird and cool, and add David, Min, Tapp, Jane, Jeff, and Laurie as groomsmen and bridesmaids too. This still leaves Michael, Anna, Sally, Benedict, Susie, Jeff’s three Legion kids, and everyone’s families which is like fkn a lot of people, to be audience party (sans Nancy, who is pleaded with to be wedding party and run the music pre-reception because the number of people that they want involved /and/ who won’t give in to or be tricked by Meg into some kind of terrible flash mob stunt is very small, and in fact, basically is just Nancy. She is happy to do it and thinks their desperate reasoning is hilarious).

They break the news to Meg and Claudette and Ace first (after Adam), ask Ace to marry them, and tell Meg she can run post-weddding/reception music however she wants, except the songs for a couples dance & parent dances. She is /thrilled/. Claudette is very happy and cries. They call up Quentin & Nea to add to the conversation and Jake says Nea and Meg and Susie are in charge of setting up the wedding because he knows they’re gonna fight him for the role anyway, but they have to throw whatever they can together with only the stuff they own already and $50, they want only family & the other survivors/their families at the wedding, the service short and sweet, and to have it at the cabin, by the river. Meg loses her mind with indignance and joy together, and goes buckwild. They hit thrift shops for fairy lights and streamers and more.

Everyone is thrilled to be asked, Jane says “about time,” and Philip can’t think of anything to say and gets overwhelmed emotionally and taken off guard to be asked to be a groomsman. It’s sweet. Everyone with fashion sense takes everyone else shopping or through their wardrobes for fun wedding clothes and to at least have accent pieces that match a color theme. (Complimentary blues, yellow/gold, and pinks to the grooms’. More on that). It’s super fun & they make a fashion show of it. There’s no matching in form, just color, which is just the best version anyway there’s really no goddamn reason to spend thousands of bucks on a wedding when you could just have a funky cute good time with the people who love you & no stress.

Jake picks a deep blue hanbok (bc the hottest Jake I’ve ever seen is the one @eggchef did for lunar new year & the note in the tags about an actual hanbok has been banging around in my head ever since), and when they’re going through stuff for Dwight, he comments a pink one is surprisingly nice because it’s not the color he’d expected to think about, and Jake remarks offhand that if they do deep blue and pink they’ll be stealing their girls’ looks, and the second he says that, they both know there’s no other choice now. Dwight gets a light pink suit and a tie that matches Jake’s blue. They’re adorable and both look exceedingly handsome.

The wedding is short and perfect. Ace does a great job, it’s a nice day, and Meg works wonders with her $50 budget and (notably obscenely large) preexisting store of party supplies, + help from her mom who is passing down the legacy of being the best tiny budget party planner on earth. It’s very open, but with near arches and dangling glass and prisims that cast rainbows everywhere, lots of meaningfully chosen for their blessings and symbolism flowers and flower chains from Claudette. It’s a little reminiscent of the birthday decorations Min and Nea did plus the prisims, and that accidentally makes all the survivors super emotional like 1 minute in.

Only the moms get to speak in the wedding (besides Ace and the grooms), and Andrew and Meg and Nea and Quentin and such all gotta save their roasts for the reception. It’s sweet. Ace knows them super well and it shows in the best way. The grooms write their own vows, and both echo their statements in the hatch tunnel without knowing the other was going to do so too. Jake starts with an “I am deeply, unendingly, ridiculously in love with you,” and Dwight brings in a, “I wouldn’t be who I am without you.” They end it with Dwight saying, “Will you still stay with me, now that it’s all over? Through whatever we’re thrown to next?” And Jake replying, “Wherever you go, I’ll always follow.”

I cry.

The reception is a party by the house. It’s just a huge prepared buffet made by the family who can cook, so no one has to sit and wait. Meg starts the music with Cascada’s Evacuate the Dance Floor because she doesn’t “want to see people dragging their feet like a bunch of fuckin weenies, I want asses on that dance floor!” There’s a lot of 90s and early 2000s pop, but also many many classic dance songs. Lots of ABBA. Lots of it. Everyone has great fun. Min, Nea, Susie, and Meg made the playlist, except for a few of the specific dances. Muriel Fairfield’s mother-son dance with Dwight is to Song For Ten by Neil Hannon because he knows she’s a sweet big emotional nerd and it’s the song she wants, and he’s willing to do it, and she sobs and is a mess but also the happiest she’s been since the day she got the call he was alive.

They have literally zero idea where they’re going when they drive off for a honeymoon. They’re like “Uhh so I’ve been looking at our complete and utter lack of wedding structure and planning as a good thing? But we might have overstepped that a little here....”

Dwight drives while Jake searches the web for LGBT safe honeymoon locations because there’s nothing that would ruin a trip more than that not working out, and reads off a list and Dwight is like, “Wait wait holy fuck, I though you meant what US cities or maybe Canada. Switzerland? Do we even have cash for the plane fare somewhere like that?” And Jake just looks at the page silently for a few seconds, shuts the laptop, and without expression says, “...I really hate this, but I’m gonna let myself be a rich boy, just once.”

They take Andrew’s jet to New Zealand (Jake calls him and listens for 2 minutes then just monotone goes “Okay but you owe me for being a dipshit for fifteen years,” and they get the ride). Jake picks a relaxed pace and some scuba diving, some hikes, but no overnight camping. Lots of just seeing the world and holding hands and grinning at how absolutely breathless and shocked Dwight is at every chunk of nature like nothing he’s seen before. They are disgustingly, blissfully happy.

[ayma-nidiot]

“Don’t Speak Their Names” - Shrimpshipping fic Chapter 34

This chapter can be found here on AO3.

Chapter 34 - The Queen’s Wings 

~27 October 2007, early afternoon~

“Aww, you look cuuuuute!” Téa looked at the wedding outfit she, Serenity, and Mai worked hard to make for Weevil. The bug duelist’s colour scheme matched that of Metamorphosed Insect Queen - a royal blue tuxedo, the red tie and white frilled shirt from his Duelist Kingdom days, and an elegant veil resembling the Queen’s wings and crown. “I just wish I could be the maid of honour so I could hold this veil while you walk down the aisle. Mai, you’re so lucky.”

“For what it’s worth, you can be the maid of honour at my wedding,” Mai spoke while she inspected the veil and Serenity put the finishing touches on Weevil’s hair. “I want my veil to look just as amazing as my Harpie Lady’s wings. I just have to wait for that slowpoke Joey to propose already.”

“Yeowch! I’m sorry you’ve had to wait for my blockhead of a brother. ...There.” Serenity put a butterfly pin on the right side of Weevil’s hair. “You’re ready. Should we go, then?”

Weevil got into the front seat of the limo Mai drove while Camellia, Serenity, Téa, Ptera, Tricera, and the other bridesmaids got in the back seats.

But before Mai drove off, Weevil asked, “Hey, where’s Amber?”

“Daddy!” Amber nearly tripped while running to the limo, scattering a few of the flowers she carried in her basket.

“Whoa there, little lady!” Téa caught Amber before she could fall and picked up the flowers she dropped.

“Thank you, Auntie Téa!” Amber hugged Téa’s neck as she brought her in the limo that finally took off. Amber turned to Espa’s 16-month-old daughter, Artemis, and offered her a yellow rose. “Hey, Arte, you want this?”

“Flower! So pretty!” Arte grabbed the stem of the flower with her tiny toddler fingers.

“Aww…” Weevil smiled as he spoke to his daughter. “I picked the perfect flower girl.”

“And your stepcousin Mokuba picked the perfect flowers,” Camellia remarked. “And the perfect limo. And just about everything else.”

“Actually, Spinos picked the flowers. He paid for a good deal of the wedding too, you know.”

“Did he?” Ptera smiled at the thought of her former lover. “That was thoughtful of him.”

“Psst.” Espa leaned slightly forward to awaken Weevil from an apparent nap. “Weevil, we’re here.”

“Hmm… Wha-” Weevil saw everyone else already exiting the limo and making way for the extravagant displays by the famous Domino City T.V. “Thanks for reminding me! I’m glad you decided to ride with us instead of with Rex. Even though you’re a groomsman.”

“I couldn’t help it.” Espa carried Arte out of the limo and, once he met with his brothers, he handed her to the next oldest one. Mako soon joined them with Caesar, their son. “This cutie patootie wanted to ride with her best friend.”

“You’re such an airhead sometimes, Daddy!” Amber giggled as she walked down the aisle while throwing flowers.

“None of that smart mouth, young lady!” Weevil chided while he proceeded down the aisle, with Camellia by his side and Mai holding his veil. 

“Hehehe… She’s just like you when you were that age.” Camellia chuckled. “I remember it like it was yesterday.”

“You’re literally walking me down the aisle.” Weevil squinted; he could barely see the wedding awning, with lush greenery. “Do you really think this is the best time to reminisce about how I was a troublemaking toddler?”

“Yes, it is.” Camellia cried a little. “I lost eleven years with you… I’m so proud of how far you’ve come since then, my son.”

At the sound of Duke playing the church organs, the ceremony began in earnest, drawing attention from passers-by.

“Hmm?” One of Weevil’s opponents from Duelist Kingdom took notice of the bug duelist. “Oooh, it’s that nasty Weevil Underwood. And he’s… getting married?”

“We might as well stick around to see the unlucky schmuck whom he’s marrying,” replied the kid whom Weevil tricked in Battle City. 

“Mother, I can’t do this! I’ve rehearsed my vows, like, a thousand times and yet I think I’ve forgotten most of them already!” Weevil’s heart raced faster as he could now see his husband-to-be. Rex wore a tuxedo resembling Black Tyranno, and his chestnut locks were tied back with a dinosaur claw hair clip.

“Relax, sweetie,” Camellia reassured as she stepped back, now that her son had reached the T.V. “Remember, you’re the smartest guy in all of Domino City.”

Weevil stammered as he held Rex’s hands, with Mokuba about to start officiating the wedding. “Y-Yo, dude.”

“Pfft…” As best man, Joey stood behind Rex. “‘Smartest guy in all of Domino City,’ huh?”

“Shut up, Joey!” As if Weevil felt nervous enough, Joey’s teasing didn’t make it any better. “Or I just might sneak a caterpillar in your shirt when you get married!”

“Hey.” Rex squeezed Weevil’s hands tighter. “You know how Joey is. Just ignore him.”

“Dear friends, family, and citizens of Domino City,” Mokuba began the ceremony, which by this point had drawn a large crowd. The close friends and family of Rex and Weevil took their seats. The sun looked upon them from directly above, the sunlight glistening off of the awning’s flowers and the variety of insects crawling throughout it. “We are gathered here today to witness the union of Rex Leonidas Raptor and Weevil Henry Underwood in marriage. We welcome and thank each and every one of you for being a part of this wonderful occasion. As with their careers as duelists, their journey as a married couple will test and bring out the best in them. And just like their latest careers as duelists, they will face trials and tribulations, but always come out strong in the end. You are all gathered here because you have helped these two young men and have a bond with them, one way or another. As for me, I couldn’t be more proud that my cousin, Rex, has chosen me to officiate his wedding. The grooms have each prepared vows that they will recite now.”

“M-My turn!” Weevil piped up, much to the surprise of all. “I don’t need to rehearse to let all of Domino City know just how much I love you. I don’t need to rehearse to remember how united we are in our desire for revenge against several duelists. Particularly Yugi, Atem, and ESPECIALLY Joey.”

“ESPECIALLY me, huh?” Joey couldn’t help but laugh again. 

“Spoken like a true duelist,” Yugi spoke to his former other self.

“You said it, partner,” replied Atem.

“Aw, heck, Rex. I’ve prepared a handwritten speech for my salutatorian address. But on this day, I want to speak from the heart. Even now, I am still in awe that a ‘dung beetle’ like me is worthy of your love. While everyone in this city hated me, you were the only one to show me love all those years ago. Even after I went mad and tried to kill you, you still loved me. I am so grateful that we have found each other, and I vow to love you forever.”

“See? What did I tell you?”  Camellia winked.

“I bet I can outdo that. ” Rex smirked.

“Go ahead and try, dino brain.”

“Gladly, bug boy.” Rex took a deep breath before beginning his vows. “I am thankful for all the blessings we have, not the least of which is our adorable daughter Ambrosia. If not for Mai and her expertise, we wouldn’t have such a bundle of joy.”

“Aww, you’re too kind, Rex.” Mai sat next to Amber and Téa.

“Yet I haven’t always been kind; I’ll be the first to admit that I’m still as arrogant as they come. But several people have made me appreciate friendship more - not the least of whom is you, Weeves. You were my first friend, and I couldn’t be happier that we made that same dumb mistake of showing up to regionals prelims a day early.” This tale elicited several giggles from the crowd’s members, even from those who were not explicitly invited. “I had no idea that from there, I would quickly fall in love with that rich boy I met, and that he would be the man I swear my eternal love to on this day. Waiting those three years to confess my love was so worth it.”

“Hehe…” Weevil laughed in his signature way. “I think I win.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Even at the altar, you guys are still rivals. Let’s just say you both win.” Mokuba chuckled. “Now, will the ring bearer present the rings?”

“I think you’ll like who I chose for the ring bearer,” spoke Rex.

Between the husbands-to-be and in front of Mokuba stood a tan-skinned boy with spiky brown hair, red-violet eyes, and traditional ancient Egyptian garb. He can’t be older than two, Weevil reckoned. It can’t be… It’s Heka!

“As we begin the declaration of intent, I would like for each groom to place a ring on his partner’s finger. Rex Leonidas Raptor, do you take Weevil Henry Underwood as your lawfully-wedded husband? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and not so good times, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself unto him for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.” Rex took the new ring - a rose-gold one with a thin sapphire band in the middle - and put it on Weevil’s left ring finger.

“And do you, Weevil Henry Underwood, take Rex Leonidas Raptor to be your lawfully-wedded husband? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and not so good times, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself unto him for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.” The wedding ring Weevil gave Rex was similar to his engagement ring, but had two thin bands of dinosaur bone inlay.

The dinosaur duelist wore this new ring on his left ring finger, complementing the one he wore on his right ring finger. “You spend too much money on jewelry, bug boy.”

“If there are any objections to this union, speak now or forever hold your piece.”

“Who would object to these two cutie pies?” Joey noted.

“Even if I did, I wouldn’t do anything about it,” mumbled the kid who got his Dark Ruler Ha Des stolen all those years ago.

“Then by the power vested in me - Mokuba Kaiba, president and CEO of Kaiba Corporation - I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may now kiss the husband.”

“There’s that pretty face.” Rex lifted Weevil’s veil from his face.

“Come here, you Jurassic jerk!” Weevil seized Rex by the waist, tiptoeing slightly to kiss his new husband.

“I now present to you, Domino City, Mr. and Mr. Rex and Weevil Raptor!”

“So, the runner-up and champion of regionals got hitched, and with each other, no less,” Rex’s opponent at regional semifinals mused while Duke played “Sexyback” on the organ. “Who’d have thunk it?”

“I gotta admit that I kind of started shipping them after Raptor’s regional loss,” spoke the Battle City kid.

“ Which Raptor are you talking about, me or him?” Weevil overheard the boys.

“Um…” The boys were at a loss for words.

“Anyway…” Weevil held up his bouquet, full of peonies and red roses. “I’m wondering who will get lucky today.”

“Me, that’s who.” Mai brushed her hair back. “Then you’ll have to propose to me, Joey.”

“Nah, I’ll get it!” Téa declared as the bouquet flew in the air.

“Ladies, ladies…” Duke stepped forward. “You’re all wrong. I’ll-”

“Actually, you’re the wrong one, Duke.” Mako showed everyone the bouquet he just caught. “Looks like I’ll be getting married soon.”

“Aww…” Duke smiled. “Congrats, dude.”

“And I know just who it is I want to spend the rest of my life with.” Mako looked to Rex and Weevil, as if asking for permission, and the newlywed couple consented.

“M-Mako?” Espa’s eyes widened when Mako knelt in front of him, revealing a ring with a giant blue diamond encircled by several small green ones. “Oh… my gosh…”

“That is, if this cute psychic will say yes to my proposal.”

“Yes! Of course I do, Mako!” Espa continued to cry as his new fiancé put the ring on his finger.

“Yay!” Caesar hugged his mother’s legs. “I love you, Papa!”

“You… You guys…” Espa hugged Mako and their children.

“There’s still a lot of party left, you two.” Rex had to wipe his own tears of joy. “You’re all invited to the reception at the Grand Domino City Hotel. Naturally, there will be lots of dueling rooms there, and suites for the bridesmaids, groomsmen, and our families. So you know what that means.”

“It means I’ll squish the new Mr. Raptor?” Joey challenged.

“No, it means I’ll squish you. ” Weevil cracked his knuckles.

“I thought I was the one you were after?”

“Yes, you too, Atem. See you there.” And with that, Rex and Weevil got in the back seat of the wedding motorcade.

“Ah, there’s the happy couple,” spoke the driver as he started the ignition. “Ready?”

“Yes!” Both young men exclaimed at once.

“Wait…” Weevil squinted to get a better look at the driver. “Bakura?”

“My friends call me Ryou, but whatever floats your boat.”

The bandit king wasn’t kidding when he said he’d attend! Weevil thought, and the trio arrived at the hotel to find that the partying had already begun. But...

Rex noticed the pensive look in his husband’s face, even while they walked to the dining room, to which Tricera and Ptera hauled the wedding cake they made. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Weevil shook off whatever confusing thoughts he was having, and instead diverted his attention to lighthearted conversations with people he once called enemies. After lunch, he took the cake cutting knife from Tricera and grabbed Rex’s hands. “Give me a hand, will ya? And don’t you dare make a ‘short-handed’ joke about my prosthetic arm.”

“You’ve already taken mine, pinworm!” Rex had a small bite of the cake before offering some to Kaiba and Atem, whom he barely even noticed. “Here you go.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” Atem offered Heka some cake before eating it himself.

“Um… I’m good for now,” Kaiba insisted as he rubbed his belly. “I haven’t felt hungry all day, but I’m sure I will later.”

“Hopefully there will be a later.” Rex watched Amber, Arte, and Heka chase each other in the dining hall. Atem tried to prevent Heka from using his newfound magic on anyone. Mako and Espa weren’t as successful at containing their own children; Arte could already bend spoons with her mind, and Caesar could be seen swimming butterfly in the nearby gym pool. 

“Ugh.” Espa whined. Caesar beat a high schooler in a short race, baring purple shark fangs in victory. “I knew I shouldn’t have let you talk me into a water birth, Mako. Both of our kids have shown their shapeshifter abilities already.”

“Caesar looks so much like my dad…” Mako beamed while he watched his son. “I’ll be darned if he grows up to be a better swimmer and fisherman than me.”

It took the intervention of all of Espa’s brothers to get the prodigious twins to stop. “I’ll give you one thing, our kids are already proving to be smarter than I was at that age.”

“Psst, hun.” Weevil whispered to Rex while Kaiba was distracted playing with Heka.

“What?” Rex spoke with a mouthful of cake.

“Why are Kaiba and Atem here at 22 years old, when just a couple of years ago, they were here at 37 years old? Do they even remember who we are?”

“Is that what you were confused about this afternoon? Please.” Rex took his and Weevil’s dishes to the dishwasher. “Haven’t I told you it’s better to not think so much?”

“You’re right.” Holding Rex by the hand, Weevil approached Kaiba and Atem. “Dueling speaks louder than words.”

_______

~16:00~

“Kaiba?” Rex looked past his Ultimate Conductor Tyranno and at his cousin. It was Kaiba’s turn, and Rex and Weevil were clearly winning the tag duel. “You don’t look so good. If you had told me, I-”

“How dare you underestimate Seto Kaiba? I reveal my trap Raigeki Break to destroy your Ultimate Conductor Tyranno!”

“Naw, that trap won’t be doing nothing. Not if my Jurassic Heart can help it. ...Anything else?”

“I… end my turn…” Kaiba clearly wanted to leave, but had too much pride to simply throw the match. “By the way, it’s ‘won’t be doing anything. ’ Learn proper grammar, rabbit stew.”

“Then I’ll end it quickly,” Weevil proclaimed. “I activate my Armored Bee’s special ability to cut your Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon’s attack points in half, then I’ll go in for the kill with my Battlewasp - Halberd the Charge!”

“So you’ve finally gotten your revenge on me, Weevil.” Atem clapped after he and Kaiba had lost. “Well done. What did you think of them- Huh? Kaiba, where are you going?”

Kaiba said nothing as he ran for the nearest loo. Right as he did, Joey walked up to Weevil, clearly wanting a duel from him. “Say, what happened to rich boy?”

Before Atem could follow after the Egyptian queen, Rex offered, “I’ll go check on him for you, Atem. You can cheer on your buddy Joey. He’ll need it.”

“Oh, I don’t think I will.” Joey climbed onto one of the dueling platforms. “But I would certainly love for Atem to see me squash this mosquito personally.”

“Bring it on!” were Weevil’s last words that Rex heard before making way for the loo Kaiba entered.

“Hey, Kaiba?” It didn’t take Rex long to find Kaiba and the loo he very loudly threw up into. “I was going to ask if you’re okay, but you’re clearly not.”

“Thanks, Captain Obvious.” With nothing left to throw up, Kaiba sat on the loo and pouted. “Anything else?”

Rex fished around in his pants pockets. “I was going to save this for myself, but I think you need it more.”

“What’s this?” Kaiba looked at the small box with the KaibaCorp logo Rex gave him; it had two pregnancy tests in it. “So KaibaCorp makes these now? And how bold of you to assume that just because I’m sick, that it means I’m pregnant. And you just so happened to be carrying these around? I don’t know whether I should laugh or cry.”

“Just take them, man. Please.”

“Hmph.” Kaiba slammed the stall door shut. “Fine. But just so you know, this is a waste of time, because I know I’m not pregnant.” About three minutes later, Kaiba opened the stall without looking up at Rex.

“So? How’d it go?” Rex asked. Kaiba only showed him the pregnancy tests in response; they both showed the word “pregnant” next to the number 16. “Well, well, well. I suppose some congratulations are in order.”

“...I guess I better go tell a few certain individuals the good news, huh?” Kaiba let Rex help him walk a short distance before he could walk on his own. “And Rex?”

“Yeah?”

Kaiba wrapped an arm around his cousin. “Thank you. You’re probably the only one other than Mokuba, the pharaoh, and Heka that I can tolerate.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Rex gave Kaiba a few noogies before parting ways with him. “If you see my husband, tell him he can find me in our hotel suite.”

_________

~17:00~

“Phew…” Weevil hardly broke a sweat winning two duels in a row. But now he wanted nothing more than to take a break from the festivities before dinner, and made way for the hotel suite he rented with Rex. 

Weevil didn’t even have to get his card key before his husband opened the door and, still dressed in his wedding garb, spoke in a sultry voice, “Hey, baby. That was quite a long duel.”

“I wish you could have seen me turn that Joey into bug juice.” Weevil took off his veil and gently put it in the closet before wrapping his arms around Rex. “Amber is in the care of your father right now, so we have all the time to ourselves.” Weevil’s spider “ears” appeared. “And you know damn well what I want you to do to me.”

“Which is precisely why I did… this. ” Rex invited Weevil to come deeper inside the room to see the elaborate honeymoon setup. The first things Weevil noticed were the rose-scented candles planted throughout the room. Red roses floated in the sweet-smelling whirlpool bathtub. The towels next to it were folded in the shape of butterflies and dinosaurs, and had more roses around them. The bed had a spider silk canopy and a comforter with kissing swans on it. “Well, I can’t do art for shit, so the hotel maids folded the towels. But everything else was made by yours truly.”

“So you grew the flowers, too?”

“Aww, come on, bug breath. You know what I mean.”

“You hopeless romantic.” Weevil pinched Rex’s cheek before kissing it. “I could have done better.”

“Please, Weeves…” Rex undid Weevil’s bowtie. “Just this once, can we put aside the competition?”

“That’s rich, coming from you. ” Weevil removed Rex’s hair clip, running his fingers through the chestnut and lavender hair. “By the way, I’m kidding. You did great.”

“Aww, I’m glad!” Rex playfully kissed his husband’s cheeks, but when they got to the bed, his tone turned serious. He hummed into Weevil’s now-bare neckline, “Just so you know, I’m going to make love to you until all our friends downstairs complain about the noise we’re making.”

“Then… Hah…” Weevil completely half-shifted when Rex stripped him of all his clothes. “Then do it…. Or else I will take over.”

“If you rather would be the one on top, then you’re more than welcome to stop me from adoring you.” 

In response, Weevil eagerly tore off Rex’s tuxedo and shirt, while being mindful not to damage the expensive clothes. As soon as he did, Rex half-shifted as well. “Don’t you dare stop, Rex…” Weevil pulled Rex so close to him that their nipples rubbed together. The friction of Rex’s nipples and sweaty, warm body alone nearly brought Weevil to a full erection. “Don’t you dare stop.”

“Fuuuuuck…” While leaving hickies all over Weevil’s neck, Rex continued the nipple rubbing. He still occasionally breastfed Amber, so his nipples were especially sensitive. “I’m sorry, Weeves, but this… This just feels too damned good.”

“It does for me too, hun,” Weevil spoke between very deep kisses, getting a good taste of the takoyaki Rex ate a few hours prior. He snuck a hand down, feeling around for Rex’s cock before actually taking a hold of it and pumping it with his own. “And I hope this does also.”

“But you know…” Rex barely arose enough to be able to reach for a bottle of lube on the nightstand. “ This will make it even better. It’s a special lube that will arouse us more and make our orgasms more intense.”

“Oh, yeah?” Weevil let Rex spread the lube over his nipples and cock. 

“Well, what do you think?” Rex smirked as he continued to pump his and Weevil’s cocks together.

It didn’t take long for Weevil to feel the intensifying effects of the lube. “Oh… yes…”

“It’ll feel even better inside here. ” Rex’s fingers trailed from Weevil’s cock to his opening, which he massaged until Weevil shrieked loudly. “Looks like I’ve found your sweet spot, Weeves.”

“So fucking do something about it!” Weevil could hardly take this pent-up energy anymore.

“What did you think I was going to do?” Rex gave his husband’s ass a good slap before he mounted him. To his astonishment, Weevil grabbed Rex’s cock, guiding it into his opening while he took hold of his shoulders. “Ha- ha! You’re… really that hungry for me, aren’t you?”

“And… it’s not just the lube, either.” Weevil pulled Rex close enough, until Rex could feel his heartbeat running wild. “I… really do want to consummate this marriage.”

“So… do I...” Rex could hardly speak in between breaths as he pulled out, only to slam in again - and again, many times. Already, he knew that both he and his husband were about to come, but loved this sensation too much to let it end so soon. He held the base of Weevil’s cock firmly, caressing the head with his thumb. “So do I, Weeves…”

“L-Let go…” Weevil squeaked out after ten minutes of various sexual positions.

“What was that?” Rex hummed into Weevil’s ear.

“Goddammit, Rex, let me come already!”

Rex said not another word as the second he let go of Weevil’s cock, the both of them came long and hard, while Weevil held one of Rex’s hands to his pounding heart. “Can… Can you tell that I… hah… loved this?”

Rex let their orgasms ride out to completion before he pulled out, holding Weevil’s left hand to his heart, just like he did all those years ago. “Can you tell I loved it too?”

“Damn right I can…” Weevil pulled the comforter over him and curled into Rex, taking in his husband’s natural scent. “I wish I didn’t have biological needs to attend to. I just want to stay here all day, cuddling in bed with the man I just married.”

“For what it’s worth, Mom said she’d have dinner ready for us all in a few hours. And I made sure to specify to everyone that they don’t have to wear formal wear.” Rex looked Weevil in the eyes while stroking his mint green hair and planted a kiss on his forehead. “There will be so many more years of this, so don’t worry your pretty head about it.”

And so began the rest of Rex and Weevil Raptor’s married life together, naturally filled with takoyaki, bee larvae, and a hell of a lot of dueling.

[investmart007]

WINDSOR, England | Prince Harry, Meghan Markle wed in Windsor as millions watch

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WINDSOR, England | Prince Harry, Meghan Markle wed in Windsor as millions watch

WINDSOR, England — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle gazed into each other’s eyes and pledged their eternal love Saturday as they married at St. George’s Chapel in front of hundreds of celebrity guests and millions of viewers around the world.

The American actress arrived to a fanfare and walked down the aisle accompanied part of the way by Prince Charles and by 10 young page boys and bridesmaids. The children included 4-year-old Prince George and 3-year-old Princess Charlotte, children of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge.

Markle’s sleek white dress, designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller, had a boat neck and was made of silk. Her veil came to her waist in front and billowed out for many feet behind her long train.

Harry and best man Prince William wore dark formal military dress, with white gloves and the frock coat uniforms of the Blues and Royals, and Harry kept his full red beard intact. As Charles and Meghan drew close to the altar, Harry said: “Thank you, Pa.”

To Meghan, Harry said: “You look amazing.”

Markle seemed poised and confident as she delivered her vows without so much as a quiver in her voice. She smiled broadly as the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby declared them husband and wife.  Harry seemed a bit nervous — but happy.

A host of celebrities and athletes — including Oprah Winfrey, Idris Elba, Elton John, George and Amal Clooney, Serena Williams, James Corden and David and Victoria Beckham — watched the ceremony in the gothic chapel at Windsor Castle.

Prior to the festivities, Queen Elizabeth II honored her red-headed, 33-year-old grandson with a new title: the Duke of Sussex. That means that Markle is now the Duchess of Sussex.

The wedding was a global event, thanks to Harry’s status as a senior British royal and Markle’s celebrity after starring on the U.S. television series “Suits” for seven years. The wedding pomp and ceremony — complete with Anglican prayers and tradition, classical music, a gospel choir and a horse-drawn carriage ride through Windsor — was beamed live to tens of millions of TV viewers across the world.

Relatives at the ceremony included Charles Spencer, the brother of Harry’s late mother Princess Diana, and Harry’s cousin Zara Tindall and her husband. Also in attendance was the family of Prince William’s wife Kate: Parents Carole and Michael Middleton, sister Pippa Middleton and brother James Middleton.

Harry’s ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy was also among the congregation, as was Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, the ex-wife of Harry’s uncle Prince Andrew.

Outside the castle, thousands of fans crammed the streets of Windsor. Irene Bowdry, a lawyer from California, was aboard the jammed early train to Windsor. She booked her trip to England as soon as the wedding date was announced.

“An American in the royal family, isn’t that so exciting?” she said.

The weather was balmy and clear, bathing the ancient stones of Windsor Castle in a beautiful spring light. Royal fans have been camping outside the castle for days, and British police have stepped up security, with sniffer dogs, barricades and patrols all over town.

“Windsor is absolutely bursting with excitement,” said royal historian Hugo Vickers. “There are cardboard cutouts of Meghan and Harry in every shop window, virtually. There’s bunting all over the place. I’ve never seen so many people in the streets of Windsor.”

It is a time of transition for the British monarchy, one that seems filled with hope as William and Harry — the two sons of Charles and the late Princess Diana — step ever more confidently into the limelight. Many in the crowd, like Ana Karukin, a Brazilian nurse living in Florida, said they came to witness a moment of history.

“We’ve got to be here for him and for her, my Meghan, my special girl, to support them, because it’s a beautiful time,” she said. “I wish that Diana was here, but she’s in heaven watching over them.”

The brothers found the time amid the wedding hoopla to stroll outside the castle Friday evening to thank fans for coming. A smiling Harry gave a thumb’s up and answered “Great, thank you!” when asked how he was feeling on the eve of his wedding.

And it seems to be a time of joy for 92-year-old queen and her 96-year-old husband, Prince Philip, who plans to attend the ceremony despite his recent hip replacement surgery. She is seeing her grandson marry a woman who clearly has brought him the happiness he’s often said was missing from his life after his mother’s premature death.

The family tableau played out on the broadest possible stage. Dozens of broadcasters set up on the castle grounds for a visual feast. The chapel itself is a masterpiece of the late Gothic style, and Windsor Castle has been home to British sovereigns for nearly 1,000 years.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds will ride a horse-drawn carriage through the streets of Windsor, flanked by a British military procession with many officers on horseback.

Then it will be off to the first of two gala receptions. The first will be hosted in the afternoon by the queen — with finger foods, wine and champagne. The second, smaller reception is being thrown by Charles. A three-hour break in between will allow for a rest and a change of outfits for the lucky 200 invited to the evening soiree.

The chapel service will reflect Markle’s American roots. The Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, the African-American leader of the Episcopal Church, delivered the sermon, and the musical selections included versions of Ben. E. King’s “Stand By Me” and Etta James’ “Amen/This Little Light of Mine.”

Harry invited buddies from his 10 years of military service — which included tours of duty in Afghanistan — and from many of the charities he supports, which have focused on helping wounded veterans or encouraging a more open discussion of mental health issues.

The couple also honored the memory of Harry’s mother Diana, whose older sister Jane Fellowes gave a reading during the wedding service.

___

Kirka and Lawless reported from London.

By GREGORY KATZ, DANICA KIRKA and JILL LAWLESS, By Associated Press – published on STL.News by St. Louis Media, LLC (Z.S)

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