Epilogue

Teddy

Boarding the Pride Cruise a week after graduating with our Juris Doctorates, the rainbows are a welcoming sight instead of a confusing one. Jamie and I take the bar exam to become lawyers next month in Virginia, but first we have one last thing to take care of.

A year ago, we were idiots. Beyond booking a cruise we didn't belong on, faking a relationship was a dumb move. Frat bros who were too tired from school to realize the mistake we made until it was too late.

"Best mistake of my life," Jamie is telling Magic at the entrance to the main deck.

"I can't believe you weren't really a couple. I saw your names on the roster and thought this was an anniversary trip," Magic playfully slaps my fiancé and winks. It doesn't bother me like it did before, now that I understand that I was feeling jealous. "And you won the game show!"

"We booked the honeymoon suite for real this time," Jamie explains with a laugh. "My fiancé made me pay full price."

We had a civil ceremony in Virginia over winter break to make sure our names were changed before we got our degrees to match, but we kept up calling each other fiancé for fun until the ceremony in the Bahamas. We had our whole lives to call each other husband.

"Our families are meeting us in Great Harbor Cay for the ceremony," I share, taking Jamie's hand in mine. I let his mom and mine take over the planning, and the Horowitz's were flying everyone down, even my nieces and new nephew. "Then the rest of the cruise will be our actual honeymoon."

"Do you want to come to the wedding? Second Officer Lizard and the Captain too, of course," Jamie adds, having already discussed it with me. We are both better at communication, as well. "We might not have happened if he hadn't told us to kiss."

"Oh. Em. Gee. Liz is First Officer now, and we would be honored," Magic claps and starts crying before letting us move on so he can greet the next guests waiting to board.

"Do you think he's finally gotten together with Liz, since he agreed for both of them?" I ask Jamie, walking with him to the bar on deck.

"I guess we'll find out."

We see some familiar faces from the year before, and Jamie invites them too. I type a text to our moms to add a few more seats. My fiancé makes friends so easily, and I can't deny loving him for it.

***

Jamie is standing two feet away in a white suit with no tie and his dark hair is styled, tropical flowers on his lapel contrast the light fabric and compliment the ones on mine. His sleeves are rolled up, showing off muscular arms I can't wait to have wrapped around me. My cream suit is in a light linen, and I'm thankful in the midafternoon heat as we stand before family on a beach overlooking the Bahamas.

It's not Cock Island, but it is beautiful.

"The couple will now make their commitment to this marriage with the exchanging of rings," Captain Laurent states, and I'm so glad he accepted the invitation.

The captain stepped in for the officiant we booked when she got food poisoning right before the ceremony. Thankfully, we had done the paperwork signing part since we were legally married. Laurent can't read the planned sections in Hebrew, but he has the rest of the words and all the important parts.

We slip the rings on one another after and Jamie squeezes my hands in his. The rings we picked out months before are finally where they belong, and will never be removed.

"Do you, James Adam Horowitz-James, take Theodore Richard Horowitz-James, to be your lawfully wedded husband, until death do you part?" Captain Laurent asks in his French accent, his white mustache curled at the edges to match his smile. We're the James's, but his last name breaks them up so he's not James James.

Sarah nudges her brother from her place as his maid of honor, since he's too busy staring into my eyes. The assembled guests laugh and Jamie smirks at me from under the chuppah. Neither of us is converting, but we wanted to have some of the traditions from each of our cultures. We already started our lives together, this is just the public way we're declaring our love. Elizabeth is standing beside me, and I can hear her wet laughter through happy tears.

"I do."

"Do you, Theodore Richard Horowitz-James, take James Adam Horowitz-James, to be your lawfully wedded husband, until death do you part?"

"I do," I answer without hesitation, leaning forward to kiss Jamie. We break apart when people laugh at us skipping ahead. I'm blushing but Jamie is grinning. "Sorry, Captain."

"He couldn't wait," Jamie shrugs. "You can continue."

"As you've already kissed your groom," Captain Laurent chuckles and looks back to the script. "By the power vested in me, by the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, I now pronounce you husbands."

Naomi steps up to place a cloth-covered glass between us on the ground, and we smash it together, still holding hands. Captain Laurent speaks at the same time with the Catholic phrase, "Go in peace with God."

My family's automatic reply of, "Thanks be to God," and the Horowitz's "mazel tov," ring out along with "L"chaim" and "congratulations," blending our families and guests in celebration.

Jamie and I make our way down the aisle, surrounded by love. He stops me at the end and bends me back, but before he kisses me, Jamie speaks for only my ears, "I love you, Teddy. My best friend, my life."

He kisses me then, and I realize every day with him has been better than the last.

"With you, I'm the happiest man in the world." I smile and remember his words, "You"re stuck with me forever."

"Happily."