“Hey you.”

“Hi.” Tina replied in a relieved exhale tinged with her southern drawl.

“So friggin cute.” Shane couldn’t stop admiring the love exuding from the couple.

“Ok, let’s go! Let’s get you two married before anyone changes their mind!”

In unison but in all of their various inflections, the group retorted, “Alice!!”

Shane followed Alice out while Angie and Bella followed Shane. Tina started for the door when Bette grabbed her hand and pulled her back inside.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

They were now like two giddy teenagers on a first date. They studied each others faces, smiles beaming, cheeks aglow.

Bette’s thumbs caressed Tina’s hands. “I just want one more minute with you. Just you. Just me.”

Tina bit her bottom lip. “I just love you.” She felt as if her heart was going to burst if she didn’t tell Bette that right then and there.

“In case I don’t get a chance later, I want to tell you that this has been the best day of my life.” Bette spun her hand around Tina’s fingers before locking their ring fingers together.

Tina’s eyes followed their hands intertwining. She looked up and stared into Bette’s chocolate pools. She started to speak but her voice had not found its way from her chest. With a throaty hum, Tina responded, “We’re not even half way through the day, babe, and I already know I am going to love you even more than I do right now and that feels quite impossible and completely inevitable at the same time.”

Their heads met, and they nuzzled their noses before Bette leaned down to kiss Tina’s engagement ring. Alice appeared at the door, holding it open.

“Can you two please stop and keep your hands to yourself at all today?”

Tina grinned, leaning in for a quick kiss to Bette before starting out the door again.

“God! Your daughter is traumatized enough!”

Tina stopped, confused. “Wait, what?”

“Nothing.” Bette shook her head with an eye roll to Alice as they walked by her hand-in-hand.

***

Bette and Tina waited at the top of the landing for the ceremony to start. Bette could see the space below. Their friends gathered around, lanterns aligning the aisle. Shane and Alice fidgeted besides each other at the front while Angie waited for them at the bottom of the stone staircase. A cellist was playing an instrumental version of The Promise.