Viktor

It’ll be fine, Viktor, my wife said.

You’re overreacting, my wife said.

You wouldn’t want to disappoint Papaya, would you, Viktor? my wife said.

Nearly a year ago it was a hot air balloon.

Today, it’s an alpaca.

“Oh my god, Fred’s going to die!” Papaya shrieks and wails and moans in the bride’s room at the abbey.

“Do we have a vet on speed dial?” Peach asks me. “I’m pretty sure this’ll work itself out naturally, but…”

She blinks beseeching blue eyes at me, and even if she weren’t in an utterly stunning floor-length ivory dress with flowers in her hair and those plump red lips turned into a pout, I would be unable to deny her anything. I stifle a sigh and pull out my phone. “I shall see what we can do.”

Papaya’s weeping into Fred’s coat, her arms about the animal’s neck, which should be quite impossible given the outfit the alpaca has been adorned in.

Fred can’t be a naked ring bearer, the girl had insisted.

And because knitting Fred a lacy white dress for our next attempt at a formal wedding had kept her occupied, Peach and I relented. We were unsurprised by the addition of a tutu and unicorn horn, but the fairy wings were unexpected.

Still, it was not the outfit Fred ingested, but the rings on the pillow.

“Thank you,” Peach whispers. She presses a kiss to my cheek, then wipes it, undoubtedly because she’s left lipstick behind.

Which is something I don’t mind in the least. I never mind wearing her lipstick on any part of my body.

“You need me to Heimlich the llama?” Zeus Berger asks.

Behind him, Ares Berger rolls his eyes and sighs. The twins—along with Manning Frey—have just finished the hockey season, and I’m truly honored to have them here.

“You can’t Heimlich a llama,” Joey informs Zeus. “You’d break it in two.”

Papaya wails louder.

“Hey, ssh, it’s okay,” Gracie tells Papaya. “Fred’s going to be fine. My cat swallowed a rock once, and she just pooped it out a few days later. Seriously. It’s no big deal.”

“I swallowed a mood ring once,” Zeus offers. “Only hurt a little coming out.”

Ares snorts, and Zeus hooks a thumb at him. “And Ares ate a puck once.”

Felicity, Ares’s wife, winces. “Ouch.”

“Small bites,” Ares tells her.

Dear gods, I’ve missed these gentlemen.

“Papaya, we’re going to get Fred to a vet,” Peach says, “and after the wedding—”

“You’re still getting married?”

“We’ve already had one wedding canceled,” Peach replies dryly.

“That could be your thing,” Joey puts in. “Canceled weddings. It’s adorable.”

“Since when do you do adorable?”

“When it’s your weddings falling apart and not mine.”

Joey cracks a rare smile, Peach bursts into laughter, and I understand why the Berger twins are both smiling broadly now.

There’s magic in the laughter of the ones you love.

My phone connects to the vet, and I make quick arrangements to have the alpaca picked up. Then I turn to my wife. “I would very much like to marry you again today.”

Peach smiles, and my heart sings. “Good. Because I’d very much like to marry you again today. Anybody who’s coming to this wedding, get to your places.”

“But Freeeeeed,” Papaya cries.

With beseeching, you would be my hero if you could solve this eyes.

I’m quite certain I’m being played.

And also that I know absolutely nothing about the digestive tract of a llama. Or an alpaca. Or goats, sheep, camels, or any other animal.

But I do know ‘tis nearly impossible to disappoint the ones I love.

Which is why when Peach and I take our vows—our public vows, in the abbey, with Joey and Zeus officiating—there’s an alpaca in a dress, with a unicorn horn and fairy wings, on a stretcher at the altar beside us.

‘Tis a wonder Peach and I both managed to keep a straight face through the vows, though when I’m granted permission to finally kiss my wife, she whispers softly, just before our lips touch, “Imagine how much publicity Amoria will get when this wedding goes viral.”

Gods above, I do love this woman. And I intend to show her every day for the rest of my life.

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Pippa