Regina handed her bouquet to Kathryn, motioning for Emma to do the same with August, before taking both her palms in her hands and squeezing tightly. The minuscule space between them allowed their hands to swing slightly, but all Emma could do was stare into the chocolate brown eyes that glittered so brightly it was as if flecks of gold spotted her irises.
"Emma," Regina began before cutting herself off with a contagious smile. Emma mimicked her expression and squeezed her right hand encouragingly. "Emma, just thinking back to how we first met, I remember saying that your family must be so proud of you. We are. You are a fighter, through and through. I cannot even begin to fathom why we made it here today. I certainly know how though. We are not conventional and our relationship has rarely been by the books, but it's worked for us. Not to say that it's been easy—" Regina rushed to clarify earning a laugh from the congregation and a half-hearted shrug from Emma. "God knows it hasn't been easy. But I know for certain that being with you—coming home to our family—it's all been worth it.
"I love you," Regina breathed confidently, her eyes watering just as Emma's glistened. "I love you so much. I love you when we're fighting. I love you when you're sad. I love you when you're gone." She sniffled as a few tears escaped streaking down her cheek before Emma brushed them away with an understanding smile. Regina captured her hand once more and brought both up to her chest and over her heart. "You will always have a home here. There will always be love, and acceptance, and support. There will be good days and bad days, but our days will be spent together. I am so proud to stand next to you, and I am so lucky to have a wonderful mother for our son all wrapped up in my best friend and wife. Whatever life throws our way, I know we can make it through."
Emma hadn't realized tears were streaming down her face until Regina cupped her cheek and soothed them away with a thumb. She caught her wrist and brought a delicate hand up to her lips and pressed kisses along her palm. Her body shook as tiny murmurs of excitement and astonishment coursed through her. Thirteen years later, and Emma still couldn't get over that Regina wanted her. But she knew it. She knew she did. Regina staying up late with her just because Emma couldn't sleep; Regina calling her throughout the day just to check in; Regina curling up beside her even on the nights when they argued about something petty like the dishes. Emma knew.
"I'm not usually this quick to cry," Emma defended meekly as she wiped a pinky under her eyes, careful of her make-up. A muttered 'yeah right' from August had the blonde playfully rolling her eyes, but she kept her gaze on Regina, bringing their joined hands down as she regained her composure.
"A wise man once told me," Emma began side glancing at August with a knowing smirk, "that there is no right or wrong time. Time is going to pass me whether I want it to or not, so make it the right time. That's why we married each other the second we could make it legal."
The crowd laughed again, and Regina nodded, supporting her claim.
"If I've learned anything in all my years walking this earth, it's that he was right. Take chances. Even when the stakes are high or the odds are against you, just try. Past Emma would have been so wary writing to a stranger, but that stranger turned into my friend, and then my best friend, and then my lover, and now my wife. Whether it's the right time or the wrong time, all I know is that I would spend a lifetime waiting for the chance to meet you, Regina."
A collective aww started by Ruby and eventually picked up by the bridal party and half the crowd sounded in the hall loud enough to make Emma blush and Regina giggle at her embarrassment.
"I know you'd do the same. Just look at us, you did do the same. I promise to be by your side always, even if you can't see me. I will be your rock, your confidant, your friend, and your loving wife for as long as you'll have me. I love you, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you and our son."
As if on cue, Henry stepped up between them and held up their rings in his palm. They took them and brought Henry into a tight hug before kissing the teen on his cheek. Without breaking eye contact, they slid their rings onto the other's finger, holding fiercely onto one another before coming together to meet in a sweet kiss.
The guests cheered as they followed the wives and their entourage down the steps to the lower hall where drinks and hors d'oeuvres were being served while the staff moved hastily to clear out the ceremonial chairs and make room for the dinner tables. August was the second to wish the couple congratulations, after Henry of course. Emma, Regina, and Henry had collapsed into one another in another embrace as soon they made it down the steps.
Pictures were taken. Old friends were reacquainted. New friends were made. Emma and Regina had never looked happier. The photographer had stolen the Swan-Mills family for pictures out by the beachside which gave August the chance he needed to navigate the crowd on the upper floor and find that Accented Beauty he had bumped into earlier.
Making a pit stop at the open bar first, he narrowly avoided running into Denise, Neal's three-year old, as she laughed and ran away from Aliya. He smirked that both girls had matching blue dresses and braided pigtails. He chuckled even harder when he remembered Neal complaining that his fingers were too big to braid the girls' hair, but Tamara basically forced him to learn.
Reaching the bar, he bumped into Ruby who, judging by her wild eyes, may have been part of the crowd already taking shots. Graham, now delegated to Co-Sheriff after a heart attack put him to desk work duty, was already cheering for another round.
"Lookin' spiffy, Sarge." She patted his shoulder and leaned her hip against the bar. "I'll even let you buy me a drink."
He laughed and motioned for the bartender to prepare two rum and cokes. "You're drunk already? It's barely even six."
"Please," the waitress scoffed and taking the proffered drink. "I'm just getting some liquid courage."
"Oh," he raised his eyebrows intrigued. "Who's the lucky man?"
A timid "excuse me" sounded between them, and August and Ruby parted when auburn hair and fair skin squeezed between them to reach the counter and ask the bartender for a soda. Smirking at his luck, August tried to duck his head and catch the eye of Accented Beauty, but she was determined on getting her drink. When she turned to make her leave, that's when August noticed Ruby had been staring at her with the same intrigue—grinning bashfully at her actually—and Accented Beauty's fair cheeks tinted pink at the attention as she smiled into her glass.
"No," August immediately warned.
"What?" Ruby snapped her head at him after staring off after her, and put two and two together. "No, she likes me better."
"We had a moment when I got here."
"We were talking the entire time downstairs, and I helped Emma and Regina pick the floral arrangements. You don't even know her name!" Ruby stomped her foot petulantly.
Before August could retort, the familiar accent spoke up over the music.
"Ruby?" August's eyes widened when he saw not one, but two Accented Beauties. He hadn't realized the one who had sneaked between them mere seconds ago had been wearing a different style of dress, flowy and fairly conservative compared to her counterpart.
Ruby smiled and turned her attention to the florist. "Hey, Belle."
"This is my sister, Lacey," Belle introduced, though Lacey's eyes had been permanently fixated on August's with a knowing smirk on her burgundy painted lips. "She's here for a few months helping my father and I run the shop."
Slowly, August and Ruby turned to one another, their lips quirking pleasantly. "Lacey," Ruby began, shoving the man toward the woman in a clubbing dress, "this is August."