[OTA] We Are Gathered Here | The Fox-Kattalakis Wedding

[headfollowheart]

A few things had gone wrong, honestly. There had been some confusion in the morning when they’d arrived to decorate the church - a few bouquets on the altar, some green and blue ribbons twined around a few of the posts - and it’d been locked. She’d managed to leave Spade Castle with her dress, veil, the coin from his mother strung on a thin leather thong, the emerald silk sash and Victor’s ring - but of all things, she’d managed to leave her shoes in their box in the closet, and Chives had had to go back for that. Hadyn looked a little green from his adventure shanghaiing Victor with Ben and Elisha, her cousin Sara had in usual Sara fashion managed to break the heel on her left shoe. Nerves finally hit as Chives was braiding her hair, and by the time the veil was settled over the smooth curls, her nails had left indents in her palms.

In the end, though, it was pretty much perfect. Two of her closest friends preceded her down the aisle in soft blue dresses with forget-me-nots in their braided hair and small posies in their hands. She’d walked towards her fiance on her brother’s arm with her hands full of spring flowers, and after the words were said and Victor lifted the veil, they were married. It only felt a little different than before, Zoe thought as their brief kiss ended. But it was different; she was Zoe Fox.

Zoe Fox knew, of course, that Victor Fox would have preferred them to just slip back to their apartment - no big party, no flowing wine and hors d'oeuvres - but she’d wanted something. And he’d given her carte blanche in the end, really; she’d chosen the small reception room that opened out into the Castle gardens, she’d picked the combination of hyacinths, hydragea, and lily of the valley for the table arrangements, the Greek-flavored menu of spanakopita, wild green and strawberry salad, linguine primavera and herb-encrusted lamb. She’d pored over cake designs until she finally picked a vanilla bean cake with strawberry puree filling, decorated in vanilla buttercream. She’d pruned the list of friends, family and acquaintances who might be expected to be invited to the wedding reception until they numbered barely fifty.

Under the strict supervision of Chives, of course the reception looked perfect, she thought as they arrived, and she smiled as she slipped her hand into Victor’s arm and the full skirt of her dress swirled against both of their legs. Perfect, though perfect didn’t matter quite so much to her right now.

Comments

[grrranimals]

Careful, or she'll start calling him Arwen. "You're on. Zoe will hide her head in shame and wonder why she ever invited any of us. Poor kid. I'm not sure Dillon approves of the match. His entire family shot him looks during the, 'speak now or forever hold your peace," bit."

She twirls easily. It takes more than a waltz to faze this Deck kid.

[bluntforces]

"Seems like it's way better t' avoid this whole shebang and just run off with that special someone. We expect you and Dillon t' be dodging the 'grandbabies now' bullet by followin' this wedding up anytime soon?"

Waltzing isn't difficult. Wedding chicken? Slightly more so.

[grrranimals]

There are Spades here. If he starts the chicken dance, there could well be bodies.

"I'm so blaming you," she hisses. "Macarena next?"

[bluntforces]

"Hell're you blamin' me for? I'm just dancin' like a gentleman." The gentlest of gentlemen.

Who will absolutely do the Macarena with her. Even if the song doesn't match.

[grrranimals]

"Like an instigator, you mean." She sees another couple and then another copy them and starts to laugh. "Who'd a thunk we'd be trend-setters?"

[bluntforces]

"Everyone, hopefully. We're pretty dang fabulous."

They can even do the macarena and maintain a real conversation. How fabulous is that?

"You holdin' up good, by the way? Everything turin' up Tess in your life?"

[grrranimals]

She gives him such a look. Fishing, Evan? Bad enough Mum quizzes her, don't you start. But it's with a secretive smirk she answers. "Well enough. Didn't know I was expected to hold something. People should tell me these things. My arms could get tired.

"You're perkier than last time I saw you. Bet a certain brunette has something to do with that."

[bluntforces]

It can't be helped. He does it to all his siblings, biological or otherwise.

It also can't be helped that he gets a completely goofy smile when she mentions that certain brunette. "She does. She-- way definitely does. Forgot how nice bein' in love is."

[grrranimals]

She has started seeing one guy she likes, but nothing to talk about, especially to nosy older brother types.

"Being in love's th'easy part." Staying in love was the hard part. She's always thought Mum and Tor ought to write a book about weathering love through all its storms. They'd found the secret.

Or maybe just the right person.

"Am I gonna be attending one of these dos for you soon?"

[bluntforces]

"--soon? No." Which gets the faintest look of consideration crossing his face as he reaches to pull her back into less disruptive dancing. "Maybe in... a few years, but... not soon. Got too much livin' t' do first. Both of us."

[grrranimals]

Despite her nearly phobic avoidance of the topic, Tess has always seen marriage as a new beginning, not an ending. "You make it sound like people curl up and die once they tie the knot."

[bluntforces]

"...nah. Don't mean it like that. It's more..."

It was, really, that he had spent a long time with rough men who would have used him very differently with a ring on his finger.

"It just changes things. Different sorta responsibilities t' consider."

[grrranimals]

"S'pose you're right. Never thought about it much." It's nice Evan's the sort she can enjoy herself instead of spending all her dance time guarding her toes.

"Does that mean you'll be coming home eventually instead of staying Outside?"

[bluntforces]

"Truth be told, yeah?" He pulls her a little closer conspiratorially, ducks his head against her cheek. "Might be movin' home next year, if I can work th' classes."