Before
“Have you ever just stepped inside a place and thought, ‘This is the one?’ Well that’s what happened when I saw this space.
“It’s so perfect, isn’t it?” Lucero replied. “Did I ever tell you my father’s family was from around here? Being here feels so right, almost like coming home.”
“I don’t think you ever did, that’s so cool,” Tomomi replied. “Now we just have to figure out if we want to use the indoor or outdoor space to actually get married in.”
“It’ll probably still be warm enough for an outdoor wedding. And so romantic,” Lucero said dreamily.
“Then let’s book it.”
Wanting to be surprised, Tomomi let Lucero take charge of ordering the flowers. It was so hot here, even on the last day of summer, he couldn’t believe it. While he waited, he looked for somewhere they could strip out of their jeans an dput on some shorts. It was already too cool for shorts back home.
“Let’s get a couple of different flavors so we can taste them.”
“This one,” Lucero said definitively.
“But it’s fruitcake,” Tomomi pointed out.
“Doesn’t taste like fruitcake, and the roses are in our colors. Come on, try it.”
Cautiously, Tomomi did. “Okay, that actually is good. Youve convinced me.”
“Can we order the off-white naked round cake with golden roses please?”
“Sorry, we don’t carry that one here, but you can order it online.”
“All right, thank you.”
Now
You are my morning star, the light that guides me through the darkness. Today, I pledge my heart to you.
I promise to be your unwavering companion, standing by your side as the sun rises and sets. Just as the morning star heralds a new day, I vow to bring hope and joy into our shared journey.
In your eyes, I’ve found my confidante. I promise to guard your dreams as I share mine, weaving our aspirations together like constellations in the night sky.
Together, we’ll create our own celestial map, tracing paths of love across the vast expanse of our lives. And when storms threaten to shake our foundation, we’ll remain steadfast—like the ever-fixed mark of the morning star.
You are my dawn, my guiding light. With you, I’ll explore love’s greatest adventure, hand in hand, heart to heart. Let our love shine brighter than any constellation, illuminating our path toward forever.
May our love be as enduring as the morning star, rising anew each day.
At the reception, Tomomi and Lucero chose to sit with Micaela, Ryder, Iokua and Sarah. It felt nice to get out of the heat and into the air-conditioned building. Tomomi could feel the sunburn prickling his skin and regretted not using sunblock, but he hadn’t anticipated the delay that would have them standing outside longer than intended. Still, he wouldn’t change the ceremony for anything. Being happily married to Lucero made the discomfort worth it.
“Your outfits are beautiful, and perfectly complement each other,” Micaela said.
“Thanks. I got the idea from my bio dad,” Tomomi explained, comfortable talking about Kakeru around Ryder. “It’s traditional in Mt. Komorebi, and I wanted to reflect that.” What he didn’t add was that the outfit was actually too hot for Tartosa. He didn’t mind too much now that he was inside, he just hoped the temperature cooled enough that he could dance comfortably outside.
“And getting married here made me feel connected to my roots on Dad’s side, so it made sense for us,” Lucero added.
“So did you get a sunburn so you could be as red as your clothes?” Iokua teased.
“Shut up,” Tomomi pretended to glare at his half-brother, though he supposed he probably did look funny. He planned to avoid mirrors for a few days.
“Just one dance, for tradition?”
“Oh, all right, but don’t complain if I step on your foot.”
“I won’t, I promise.”
Tomomi tried to make it good, but he could feel Lucero’s tension, and he wasn’t feeling too great himself. “We’ll get out of here and go on our honeymoon right after this dance,” he promised.
“We need to say goodbye first,” Lucero pointed out, letting him twirl her.
“I know. We’ll make it quick.”
In the moments before the outside lights came fully up,what had been an okay dance took a turn for the worse when Tomomi misstepped and tripped Lucero.
“Ouch!” she yelped as she went down.
“I’m so sorry! Let me help you up,” Tomomi said, reaching for her.
Lucero scowled at him but accepted his help reluctantly. “I’m done dancing,” she announced.
“Okay, sure we’ve had enough,” Tomomi agreed easily.
“I think the goodbyes will go faster if we split up, unless you want to sit down and rest your foot.”
“No, I’ve got it. Meet you out front.”
Tomomi finished saying goodbye to his family in record time, eager to get away for their honeymoon. Both of them had jobs waiting when they got back, making this vacation time all the more precious. He and Lucero had yet to talk about when they would start their family, but Tomomi hoped it would be soon.
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