Chapter 33

“CARE FOR ANOTHER SPIDERMANHATTAN, my future wife?”

Hailey spun to see Avery holding an amber cocktail garnished with cherries impaled on a toothpick.

“I love you so much. How do you read my mind like that?” she asked while reaching for the drink. He pressed a kiss to her temple and held it for a beat while wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

“Years of practice. Plus, you just finished talking with one of your aunts so I figured you could use it.”

They both chuckled while looking out at all the bodies before them. In the two months since their engagement, Hailey had correctly suspected her and Avery’s mothers would go crazy with planning and their engagement party was currently going off without a hitch.

Thankfully, they let Avery and Hailey have fun with themed drinks and foods to get some of their geek flair into the mix. Along with the Spidermanhattan Hailey was sipping, they had a Captain America Old Fashioned, Loki’s Lemonade and some Gandalf the Earl Grey Tea to go with dessert. Avery was most excited about the Batman burgers while Hailey had way too many bites of tomato bookschetta and Daredeviled eggs. She even managed to throw in some dragons around the house for decoration as a nod to her book.

“I still can’t believe we’re going to get away with this,” Avery said under his breath in case anyone was listening. Hailey took a quick look around to see they were actually getting a moment of privacy before she gave him a light elbow to his side.

“Don’t jinx us! We didn’t even get started yet. Have you heard from Cole?”

Avery used his free hand to pull his phone out of his pocket, then laughed as he read the screen. He angled it so Hailey could read the messages from Cole.

COLE:The eagle has landed

COLE:The falcon is driving the eagle crazy about chair placement.

COLE:The nest is prepared and the eagle is ready to lead the sparrow and blue jay into battle.

Hailey barked out a laugh at Cole’s code language. She could only guess that the falcon must be Elena and her and Avery had to be the sparrow and blue jay. It looked like everything was ready for them and now all they had to do was make the announcement. She could only hope that her second surprise of the night was going just as well for Abby. She’d have to wait and see.

After Bridget’s wedding with dress fittings, rehearsal dinners, flower arrangements and a million other things Hailey didn’t want to think about, she realized she didn’t want a big wedding, and Avery was in the same boat. A big wedding would mostly be for their parents and a bunch of people they didn’t even know. Tonight was just close friends and family to celebrate her and Avery finally finding each other, which is what they really wanted to focus on.

She knew both of their parents would be disappointed, but the money and stress they’d save would be worth it. Plus, neither of them wanted to wait. It already felt like they’d waited years for this. After one more look across the room full of party guests, with their closest friends missing, her and Avery shared one more look and both nodded.

Avery grabbed a champagne flute off a table nearby along with a butterknife and began clinking it to get everyone’s attention. The muttering around them quieted and all the heads in Hailey’s parents’ open kitchen and living room turned toward them. Avery cleared his throat while she reached around him and squeezed his waist.

“Hi, everyone! Hailey and I just want to thank everyone for coming tonight and being with us tonight as we celebrate our engagement. We’ve known each other a long time and I just can’t wait any longer to be with her. So, if you’ll all make your way to the basement, we both have a surprise for you all.”

At this, Avery lifted his glass to the crowd and drained it while Cole’s voice came booming over the silence and confused glances. He was standing by the basement door.

“This way, folks! We’ve got quite a show for you so just make your way downstairs and find a seat.”

Avery leaned down to press one more kiss to the top of Hailey’s head and gave her a meaningful look before making his way toward Cole and helping usher everybody downstairs. She could hear him say, “You’ll see,” over and over as she scanned the crowd.

“Dad!” Bruce’s head turned to his daughter and he made his way through the crowd over to her with an amused look on his face. “You’re going to stay with me.”

“Sweetie, what’s going on?” he asked as the last person made it out of the room.

“You’re about to give me away.”

Bruce’s brows furrowed as Hailey unzipped her sweater dress to reveal a simple white sundress, then she bent down to open a cupboard and pulled out a simple bouquet of white carnations.

“Holy shit. Right now?” he said as tears gathered in the corners of his eyes.

“Right now. Let’s go.”

She looped an arm around her dad’s as they made their way to the top of the stairs. Now she just had to wait for her cue. She could hear plenty of voices downstairs guessing at what was about to happen, including both Avery and Hailey’s moms commiserating together. When she heard, “Oh my goodness, for me?” and “Aw, honey, they’re beautiful,” she knew Avery had just handed them each a bouquet of their own, which meant they must have been seated.

The first notes of Pachelbel’s “Canon” soon made its way up the stairs, stopping the chatter, and Hailey pulled her dad down the stairway. The basement was a big open area off to the side of the covered stairway and no one would be able to see Hailey or her dad until they got to the bottom.

When she reached the landing, she turned up the aisle that her friends created while the rest of the party was upstairs. The fifty or so attendants were all seated on either side and at the end of the aisle stood Avery, beaming at her and trying to discretely wipe at the corner of his eyes. Everyone else disappeared as Hailey and Bruce made their way up the aisle and she felt like she was floating toward Avery on a cloud.

When they reached the front, Bruce shook Avery’s hand and gave him a pat on the shoulder while shaking his head in amusement. Then, Avery brought his gaze back to Hailey. They joined hands as everyone around them spoke in hushed whispers and then Bridget cut the music.

In hindsight, Cole was probably the absolute worst person to give the job of officiant, but once they told their friends their plans, Cole swiped tears from his eyes and practically begged for the job. He had been both Hailey and Avery’s friend as long as they’d been each other’s so they went with it. If anything, they knew it would be fun.

Hailey stole a quick glance to where her parents were seated in the front row and smiled, seeing her mom’s eyes filled with tears and a big smile on her face. She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and turned back to her soon-to-be husband.

“Welcome, everyone, to the surprise wedding of Avery and Hailey,” Cole began. A couple gasps could be heard. Apparently some people were still guessing at what was happening. “I’m absolutely honored to be marrying two of my best friends tonight, but not marrying them myself because it turns out they’re not into the poly thing. The three of us could have been so happy together, but I know just the love that the two of them share will be enough as well as legal in the state of New Jersey.”

Avery and Hailey both giggled at Cole’s antics and Avery released one of Hailey’s hands to pat Cole on the back while he said, “Sorry, man.”

Cole wiped at a fake tear before continuing. “It’s cool, Avery. I’m so happy to see you two finally find each other. And,” he looked to either side where each of the rest of their friends were standing, “we really do mean finally. These two met over fifteen years ago in an English class while also crossing paths at soccer, something they still enjoy together for the greatest indoor team in all of South Jersey, the Cherry Stems. To see us live, check out the Marlton facility next Tuesday night at seven.”

Hailey turned to Cole and raised an eyebrow at his shameless plug.

“Right. The wedding,” he continued. “Anyone who has seen these two together knows they are perfect for each other. I remember way back in our senior year of high school after a particularly eventful soccer party.” Avery closed his eyes and dropped his head for a moment, muttering, “Jesus Christ,” under his breath so only Hailey and Cole could hear. Cole continued, “That’s right, buddy. I didn’t forget it. Avery and I were on one side of someone’s backyard watching Hailey, Abby and Elena kicking around a ball. Not, in like, a creepy way. But, look at them, they’re all beautiful. Anyway, we were watching and I turned to Avery and asked him if he would ever finally ask out Hailey. She was dating some nobody at the time. But, I remember he turned to me and said, with the straightest face, ‘One day I will.’ And I asked him when. And he said, ‘When she’s ready to marry me, because I won’t be able to take anything less.’”

Hailey took a sharp inhale and tried blinking away the sudden onslaught of tears while she heard a bunch of people around her say, “Aww.”

“Now, you may be wondering, ‘Cole, how could you possibly remember that?’ Well, after he said that, I asked him to say it one more time so I could type it into my phone verbatim. I wanted to make sure I had it when my best man speech came around.”

Cole got some more laughs, especially because everyone knew he was being serious.

Avery piped up. “Should I mention what we talked about after that?”

Cole’s attention snapped over to Avery and leveled him with a glare.

“No need. Moving on.” He cleared his throat. “Since then, we’ve all been waiting. We all knew it was just a matter of time. You see, Hailey and Avery are like a flowerbed, and their love is the manure that creates a beautiful garden of flowers.”

Hailey and Avery glanced toward Cole, and Hailey said, “Really? Manure?”

“Would you have preferred me to say you’re like a roomba and Avery was the piece of dirt you’ve been searching for your whole life? Because that was the backup.”

Everyone laughed around them but Hailey heard a deep gasp and looked behind her to where Elena looked like she had seen a ghost. Cole seemed to suck his lips between his teeth for a moment, but then he kept going.

“I didn’t think so. So, Hailey, would you like to say your vows first?”

She took a deep breath and let it out, gathering courage before speaking in front of so many people. The only person that mattered was Avery so she focused on him.

“Avery, I’m sorry it took us so long to find each other. A part of me wishes that we got together years ago, but I think life worked out the way it was supposed to. There is no happiness without suffering and I don’t think I would have appreciated you nearly as much if I didn’t realize how good I have it with you. I, maybe, could have gone with a little less suffering, but it is what it is. And I’m so happy that I have you now. You’re everything to me. My best friend, my rock, my source of light. My life always had you in it, but it’s so much better having you be the center of my world. I love you.”

Avery rubbed his thumbs across Hailey’s hands where he held them and mouthed “I love you” back to Hailey.

“Avery, you’re up,” Cole prompted.

He cleared his throat and gave Hailey’s hands an extra squeeze.

“Hailey. You are the love of my life and you have been for nearly as long as I’ve known you, before I even knew what love was. You have the most beautiful soul and everything you touch is better than you left it. Your kindness, your generosity, your heart. Cole wasn’t lying when I said I knew I wanted to marry you when we were in high school. You’re my dream woman and we fit together in the best way. I don’t regret taking our time to find each other because you are worth the wait. I would have waited longer, but I’m really really glad I didn’t have to. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you so much.”

A loud horn noise broke out and Hailey and Avery turned to see Cole blowing his nose with tears in his eyes. Abby let go of the hand she was holding so she could hold up a wastebasket for him to throw the used tissue. Man, they really prepared everything.

“That was so beautiful. All of us have witnessed true love here today,” Cole said as he placed his hands on Hailey and Avery’s shoulders. “Time to exchange the rings. Josh, do you have them.”

Hailey peered behind Avery at Josh who had a sour look on his face.

He gave a stage whisper to Cole. “Dude, I told you what to call me. You have to stay with the theme of the party.”

Cole looked pained as he looked at Josh with regret. “I’m so sorry. You’re right. Way to stay in character. As I was saying, may we now receive an offering from the lord of the rings.”

Josh beamed and everyone laughed as he stepped forward and presented Hailey and Avery’s rings with a flourish. They took turns adding the hoop to each other’s ring fingers as Cole led them through their “I do’s.”

“By the power vested in me by the internet, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”

Hailey and Avery moved toward each other and met in a bruising kiss as she leaned back and let her new husband dip her. Everyone around them cheered and applauded as they finished their kiss but kept their foreheads pressed together.

“Now, ladies and gentlemen, we’ll have Hailey and Avery have their first dance as husband and wife and then it’s time to party!” Cole shouted above the din.

Bridget touched something on the bluetooth speaker and “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers started playing. Someone on the other side of the room flicked off the lights while someone else plugged in fairy lights that scattered all around the room, making for a romantic setting seemingly out of nowhere.

Hailey and Avery held on to each other with their foreheads still pressed together as they swayed back and forth to the gentle tune. There may not have been any pomp or circumstance, no tiered wedding cake or beautiful bridal gown, but it was everything Hailey ever dreamed of because it was Avery she was holding onto. And she was never letting go.