Bonus Chapter

Just a sheet covered his body when he stirred awake. His feet dragged across white linen, the material cool to the touch. No other bodies had warmed the material while he slept. River's chest ached, missing the fun game of bumping into Hunter's feet when he shifted. If he was at home, he would have rolled over to see Hunter's puffy cheeks and given him one sweet peck.

Instead, he rolled over to Cassie cracking her fork against a glass.

"WAKE UP! IT'S WEDDING DAY!"

Cassie continued her horrid assault on River's ears while Wynn snapped the lights on, now attacking River's eyes as well. He could imagine them standing just inside his room, Cassie's bare face only decorated by the dozens of piercings she's collected over the years and Wynn's bleached blond locks wrapped up in her signature cheetah print bonnet.

"Isn't it too early?" River hoarsed before he rolled over. His eyes felt scratchy and swollen to the point where opening them was truly painful. That meant he tapped around blindly until he felt cool glass on his nightstand. He pried his eyelids open just enough to have the numbers "6:45" burned into his retinas.

"We have to be out of the hotel by 7:30 so we can eat breakfast at 8. Then you'll have plenty of time to get ready," Cassie explained. River audibly sighed when she stopped banging that glass.

The relief was short-lived. Only a bit of that delicious sleepy feeling had settled over River's mind when his entire body suddenly felt cold.

"We are not letting you fall behind schedule," Cassie ground out, tugging his sheet off at the same time Willow said,

"You would never forgive us if you were late to your own wedding."

His two closest friends and biggest ops neatly folded up his sheet, unbothered by his shivering form. So much of his skin was bare since his tank top and flimsy booty shorts covered nothing. River layed there, shaking for minutes but they just stared, holding the sheet in a firm grip.

"Fine," he huffed, a heavy frown going with him to the ensuite bathroom. "You better have made me coffee."

River owed those women a lot. They took care of his second baby (the bar) when he couldn't and sometimes even when he could. They patiently waited for him to stop shutting the world out and became his close friends once he did. There were few people he trusted to see his upper thighs and the women celebrating in the room after terrorizing their boss were some of them.

River stumbled to get the seat up so he could take a piss. He washed his hands as thoroughly as one could at 7 am then dropped them on the sides of the sink, finding his reflection in the mirror. He looked as tired as he felt, his body recovering from the copious amounts of alcohol he consumed the night before.

The three-person bachelor party Wynn organized consisted of them watching bad horror movies and competing to find Canada's best bartender. But what started as a playful competition to figure out who made the best drinks ended in them drinking everything.

River saw the consequence of that in his dull hair and bleary eyes. Then he started to smile because this was it.

"I'm getting married."

—————

The first thing Hunter noticed was that he was in bed alone. If River had woken up with him, he would've played footsie under the sheets until Hunter woke up as well. It was a tradition, a lovely morning habit Hunter anticipated every time he shut his eyes before bed. The only thing that made his fiancé's absence worth it was the knowledge that his fiancé would soon become his husband.

Hunter could taste his own breath on his tongue and when he spoke; that morning layer of plaque threatened to make him gag. But he spoke anyway when he dropped by Melodie's room and hit her door with three firm knocks.

"Melodie, it's time to get ready!"

Their daughter was nothing if not responsible. Irritatingly enough, she was a morning person like her father. And, with the wedding only a few short hours away, he had no doubt she was already springing to action. Hunter tried to pick up the pace as he went through his morning routine, brushing his teeth, styling his hair, and picking out some fun underwear for their first night. This morning, he wanted all the time in the world to work on his most important project: Melodie's hair.

"Can you do my hair now?" Melodie asked as she strutted into the room. Both her bedroom and her parents room had a vanity so they could help her get ready in the morning. Melody slipped into the vanity chair easily, impatiently waiting for Hunter to get started.

As they were planning the wedding, a big question was if they would spend the night together or not. They kind of wanted to stick to traditions, but then the issue was: who would stay with Melodie?

At first, River wanted to stay with his daughter and spend the evening with her before he was hitched. But then Hunter explained why that time would mean so much to him. A chance to show Melodie that at the end of the day, he would always be her parent too.

Hunter hadn't expected River to cry when he said that over matching bowls of udon noodles. He was just speaking from the heart. But the issue was settled: River would be able to reconnect with his friends while Hunter focused on connecting with the girl that would finally be his official child.

When Melodie pulled off her bonnet, the hair underneath was sectioned into chunky, low effort braids, just small enough to stretch her curls and prevent tangling. Hunter had gotten plenty of practice over the years but the pressure of the day was getting to him. Would his 10-year-old ever forgive him for making her look anything less than extraordinary on their wedding day?

"Do I have to do my own hair?" She turned around in her chair, making direct eye contact to glare. "You're taking forever!"

"No, sorry. I was just lost in thought."

Huffing loudly, she turned back around. Hunter tried to remind himself that he'd done this a million times at this point. Undoing the braids, moisturizing the hair, brushing it out. But after a minute or two of silence, he realized that this didn't feel at all normal. Melodie was completely silent. No funny anecdotes from school or insanely specific observations about society were being shared. She wasn't even asking him about what movie his company was working on next.

His hands moved on autopilot to create the new sections and tie off the back as he realized that she'd been upset for a while. Even before she snapped at him for hesitating to start. But with the wedding getting close and their schedules getting so hectic, Hunter and River hadn't noticed.

The expression she had in the mirror was not what he expected to see hours before he got married.

Hunter reworded the question in his head four times before finally settling on "How are you feeling, Melodie?"

"I'm okay."

She tried to bring her lips up until a smile and even that looked lackluster.

"Yeah?" Hunter paused his work, searching for the best words. "No last minute jitters before the wedding?"

Hunter didn't expect the lull of silence that carried over his bedroom. Eyes downcast, Melodie let the repetitive sound of the comb running through her hair fill the void.

"Hunter, are things going to change when you and dad get married?"

"Melodie..."

She turned in her seat, using her knees on the chair to get closer to Hunter's eye level. The sudden spike in energy startled Hunter along with the anxious look on her face.

"I don't want you to become like those evil step parents on TV or get controlling like my friend Zoey's step dad. I like how things are now."

"Me too!" Hunter got down on his knees, now looking at Melodie from the same height when he grabbed her hands. "I love dropping you off and picking you up from school. I love going to your art exhibits at school and taekwondo meets at the dojo."

"And movie nights?"

"Movie nights are the best part!"

Melodie laughed at Hunter's wide eyes and big movements. Seeing him so passionate somehow calmed her down.

"Trust me, Mel. I would have never proposed to your dad if I didn't love you too. I am marrying him so things can stay like this forever. Okay?"

Slowly, she began to nod.

"Okay."

It wasn't hard for Hunter to see when her eyes started watering and her lip began to quiver. She sniffled quietly as if trying to hide the proof of her tears but nothing could hide how they streamed down her face. Without a word, he hugged her, letting her dry her face on his shoulder.

Even though she cried into his shirt for a few minutes, Hunter thought this might become his favorite memory with her. It felt like something had clicked for her. Like she finally realized that Hunter was sticking around for good.

When she was ready, Melodie squeezed him a little bit harder, wiped her face with her hands, and turned back around. Hunter knew that even though they'd had an extremely emotional moment, she wouldn't forget about getting her hair done.

"I was thinking about doing some cornrows down the front and letting the rest of your hair hang in the back. I can also add these gold accessories so they match your dress."

Hunter reached for the container, holding the gold pieces up against her skin. He could see when Melodie started picturing the finished look in her mind because her eyes literally sparkled.

"That sounds really cool."

—————

"Be careful! I don't have an endless supply of hair," River whined after Cassie went crazy with a brush.

"I can tell. Have you ever tried rosemary water?" She asked, pulling some hair back to show off his hairline. "It can help with the thinning."

Wynn, who was working on the left side of his head, snickered.

River's neck was starting to tense up. Cassie and Wynn decided to help him with his hair at the same time for speed. But with two sets of hands knuckle-deep in his tresses, finding a comfortable position felt nearly impossible.

"I'm bored," River sighed, looking at his own tired eyes in the mirror. Then, he perked up when he remembered the reception prep. "Did the decorators show up yet? I don't want them putting out flowers while the guests are arriving."

"The decorators got to Adonis an hour ago and the caterers just showed up," Cassie sounded off like she'd rehearsed it. "They'll have plenty of time to get ready before the reception."

Slouching, River fell back into his seat, a deep pout settling onto his mouth.

"What am I going to do now? You guys handled everything for me."

"That's kind of the point of getting a wedding planner," Wynn muttered.

"And bridesmaids," Cassie tagged on.

They finally started to apply the gel and River saw something promising when he looked at his reflection. The women worked in silence for a while, the room quiet enough for River to hear the soft hum of the heater. The moment was kind of peaceful. Until Wynn finally threw up her hands.

"Come on! You're getting married, River!" She spoke passionately, voice echoing rapidly around the room. "You're not even a little bit excited?"

"I'm trying not to think about it."

"Why?" She asked, hands re-entering his hair.

"If I think about Hunter too long, I'll probably start crying so hard my face will swell up like a balloon and I'll have to cancel the wedding," he explained. His friends started laughing even when he maintained a majorly serious expression.

"Or I'll call him and realize it's not enough to hear his voice over the phone so I'll drive over to see him and kiss him for so long we'll be late to our own wedding."

"That sounds more like you," Cassie smirked.

"Shut up."

One of Wynn's rings snagged on River's skin and he hissed, face scrunched up against the pain. He gave her and Cassie the job so his hair would look better than normal, but at this rate all he would get from the experience was hair loss.

"Don't be dramatic. It was just a little scratch," Wynn tutted. Even if she called him that, she still turned and started dropping her many rings onto the nightstand. It wasn't until they pulled their hands away, announcing that River's hair was done, that River stopped side-eyeing Wynn. If he couldn't stress over the flower deliveries or music selections, he would keep himself busy somehow.

They thought he was joking about breaking the rules and finding Hunter but River was dead serious. He'd considered sneaking out of the hotel and having a quick makeout session at least 7 times. Their entire day was planned to the minute. It wouldn't be hard to find out exactly where the younger man was.

Honestly, Hunter should have hired some security specialized in keeping River away from his own fiance. He might need it.

The shared doc with the pre-wedding schedule was a couple of clicks away. All River had to do was open his google drive. Stopping himself from checking was the biggest thing on River's mind when they drove up to the ceremony venue. He would not look for Hunter. He would not skip the ceremony and convince Hunter to just sign the papers so they can be together sooner.

He couldn't, even if he really wanted to.

"This church is so cute. How did you find it?"

"We visited a couple of places Hunter found online last year. This was the only one that didn't remind me of my religious trauma."

It was a small, queer-friendly church that spent more time talking about kindness than any specific bible verses on Sundays. River had loved how non-catholic the church looked. Hunter loved the building's modern lines. Both of them loved that it was a 15-minute drive from Adonis.

Wynn clambered out of the car first and made a big waving motion, cueing River to step out too. He couldn't tell if she was going for bodyguard or royal butler but he strangely didn't mind the fussing. Cassie had to park the car so when Wynn offered her arm, River took it, grabbing from underneath like the dainty bride he was. He was far from dainty on most days. But today, he sure as hell felt like it.

"Are you excited for the big day?" Wynn asked, lips curling around a british accent. Oh this was definitely a butler.

"Why yes, good sir. This will be a good day indeed."

The two were cackling over how much River's British accent just sounded like his normal one when someone cleared their throat.

"Am I too early?"

River didn't have to, he would have recognized that voice anywhere. Yet he still turned around to look his mother in the eye.

—————

From what Hunter could tell, Melodie thought she was his maid of honor. As he walked up and down the church, trying to finalize details and not bump into his fiance, Melodie was far more passionate than him.

Each bundle of flowers was meticulously inspected. Each direction banner or sign was scanned for typos. Anyone who might not be a guest was stopped and asked about their purpose in the church. And when a man who turned out to be church staff was spotted in an all white suit, Hunter had to hold both of the ten-year-old's arms to stop an attack.

"I'm just hooking up the sound system. I won't be here for the wedding."

The middle-aged man stared at the father-daughter pair with wide eyes, clutching equipment to his chest.

"Good." Melodie bared her teeth, jerking against Hunter's hold for dramatic effect. "All that white is hurting my eyes."

Hunter almost forgot to chide her for being rude. The sight of the small, skinny child making a grown man quiver sent him into a fit. In the end, Hunter had to remind her about kindness between echoing laughs.

They parted ways with the poor staff member, heading toward the chapel while he slipped into a backroom.

"Only the bride can wear white," she told Hunter confidently.

"There's not going to be a bride, Melodie."

"Yeah, but you and dad are going to wear white suits. Him wearing white is like auditioning to be a homewrecker."

Hunter was torn between laughing again and being terrified by his ten year old's far too advanced vocab.

"Where did you learn that word? Tiktok?"

"No. The TV," she answered. "Remember that Jim Carrey movie-"

"Okay, you're right. That was my fault," Hunter rushed out. He forgot that Melodie was old enough to notice jokes that were 'meant for adults.' The movie hadn't seemed so inappropriate back when he was a kid but now he wondered what else she could pick up from PG films.

"Don't worry about homewreckers, Mel. Your dad and I are solid."

"Fine I won't," she agreed easily enough. After a moment of silent movement through the halls, she added: "But people still shouldn't wear white today."

A buzz of excitement settled over the room when Hunter and Melodie entered the chapel. There was still some time before the ceremony started but the most punctual guests were already showing up. Hunter smiled at those he recognized–which was basically everyone there–but didn't linger. They were here for a purpose.

Quickly, Hunter spotted the purpose sitting in the front row. Jet black hair styled in thick, luscious waves settled on her shoulders and framed her round cheeks. Hunter thought her brown skin popped even more today, sparkling with highlighter and something less tangible. He didn't expect her to look upset; it was obvious that her and River had both moved on from their failed marriage. But the happy glow still surprised him.

"Hey guys," she smiled, standing to hug Melodie. "Should I call you Mr Conyers now or do you want to wait until after the ceremony?"

"Now sounds great. I have no problem with now."

Melodie was excited to inform her mother about all the ways she'd saved the wedding in the last 2 hours. But before she retold their dramatic interaction with the innocent staff member, Hunter planned his exit. He didn't want to see Nia's reaction when she found out Hunter hadn't punished Melodie much at all for disrespecting the poor man.

"Thanks for keeping an eye on her before the ceremony."

Kneeling down, Hunter dropped a noisy kiss on Melodie's head just to tease her. As he expected, she made a big show out of scrubbing the spot while he rose to a stand.

"I'll see you guys in about . . . 35 minutes."

Just knowing how close they were had Hunter's heart stuttering. He was smiling so hard it hurt and he hadn't even seen River yet.

—————

Lucinda Conyers looked much older than River remembered, but that's what happens when you go 10 years without seeing someone. Her thin gray hair was so fine that gravity couldn't catch it and the strands floated above her skin. Deep lines cut into the sides of her mouth and eyes. From them, River could imagine her signature frown of judgment. Yet, the expression itself was absent today.

"Is that . . . ?" Wynn whispered in shock. River had never shown her photos of his parents; he didn't keep any to show. But River didn't invite a lot of elderly people to the wedding. And as a child, everyone always said he looked exactly like his mother.

"You can go ahead. I'll be there soon."

After a pause, Wynn went inside. River appreciated her hesitation, but there wasn't much Lucy Conyers could do to hurt River anymore. He'd numbed himself to her snide comments and gut-wrenching sighs of disappointment. He could handle her now.

The kitten heels she wore barely came above the ground. But they click-clacked like any pair of pumps when she walked, coming to stand a few feet away.

"Thank you for the invitation, River."

"Did you bring dad?"

Her eye twitched. He waited for the frown to settle. She refused to let it.

"No. He noticed that his name wasn't on the invite." Her sharp inhale sounded like a hiss. The first sign of disapproval. "Neither of us were happy about it but I guess you're the bride in this relationship. Today, your wishes go."

"Thank you."

Educating his mother was the last of River's worries. He had no plans to lecture her about the harm of applying gender norms to gay relationships. The argument that arbitrary categories based on sex positions dehumanized his community wouldn't land well with this woman.

So no, he wouldn't correct her. As the estranged son, that wasn't his job anymore.

"You don't seem very happy to see me," she observed astutely with narrowed eyes. "I'm curious why you invited me, River."

"You're the one who cares about appearances. I know you expected me to."

Her scoff was sudden and guttural. It was the closest thing he'd seen to amusement out of his mother in a long time. River didn't know what to think of it.

"You were never one for propriety, River. Always doing the exact opposite of what your father and I told you to."

River spent a lifetime fighting his parents. They wasted hours on screaming matches, arguing over the tiniest of things. It was disappointing to hear that none of his words had stuck. She had boiled all of his nuanced perspectives and educated opinions down to "a rebellious son."

However, Lucinda Conyers was being uncharacteristically bold today. The blatant honesty was a nice change of pace. Strangely, River respected that. He decided to meet her honesty with some of his own.

"I didn't want to marry the love of my life with any regrets," he admitted with a shrug. "I'm not ashamed of him and I want to show him off to everyone. Including you."

A wave of emotion hit him out of nowhere and his small shrug felt better than just letting the moisture in his eyes spill over.

"Dad would have had a heart attack before watching two men kiss," he added, laughing genuinely. "But I thought you could handle the ceremony."

"I still don't understand you choosing to marry a man or choosing to own a bar or choosing to divorce a decent Christian woman and raise your little girl in a motherless home," she said in a rush, practically gasping to get all the words out. "But I'll keep that to myself today."

"Good."

Smiling after all that made no sense. It made no sense at all. But River meant it when he told that woman–his mother–that he was glad to see her again. The two didn't hug (no conversation could have made them do that) but they entered the church side by side and that was good enough.

—————

The single button keeping Hunter's suit jacket closed looked good. It looked perfect, actually. But Hunter had refastened it 3 times already. He stood alone in one of the church's break rooms, acutely aware of the fact that River was walking down the aisle right now. He had nothing to do. No emails to send. No figures to animate. That innocent little white button would have to do.

"Stop fidgeting, dear."

His mother's admonishing words were as good as a hello. Shirley Dannings floated into the room, looking somewhat youthful despite the matronly design of her 'mother of the bride' dress. Hunter's father followed much more slowly. Each step vibrated through the floor, alerting anyone in a 7-foot radius to his presence.

"It's time."

The elder Mr Dannings was a man of few words. Just 2 was enough to let his wife and son know everything they needed to. He held the door open and Hunter stared at the narrow doorway, his pulse beating violently against his throat.

The doors keeping River from the aisle were nothing like the ones in his childhood church. They weren't lofty wooden planes, controlled by handles as long as his torso. These doors were short and metal. They might have belonged to a highschool or office building. Yet behind them was the room River would be married in. Again.

So much had changed since his first marriage. Everything about his life, their relationship, even this wedding was different. But the nerves were the same. The sweat pooling under his shirt and in his hands. The lack of strength in his arms and knees. His lungs were convinced they could fly out of his body so each breath felt like the last one River would ever inhale.

And River was okay with that. If these were his final moments on earth, he would accept it. Because against all odds, he'd fallen in love again. River had never been more sure about anything as he was about marrying Hunter Dannings.

The wedding march began. River chuckled as the words 'here comes the bride' flew through his mind. He pushed open the doors and started to walk.

The best word to describe Hunter's father was serious. He didn't waste his breath on pleasantries unless they served a purpose. He didn't dish out words of praise unless he felt you earned it. The man well into his sixties preferred to communicate with a lack of words.

Most of the time, his silence told Hunter that he'd done something wrong, that he needed to change. Today, his silence felt different. In front of the chapel doors, Hunter's mother had already hooked a hand under his right arm. Hunter looked to his left, waiting for his father to do the same.

The older man was slightly taller than his son so when he didn't speak, Hunter had to look up to see the tears pooling in his eyes.

"Oh Michael," his mother cooed softly.

Michael Dannings made no attempt to wipe the tears away. He let them silently fall down his cheeks then he followed his wife's example to step beside their son. A lot could be communicated with silence. In seconds, Hunter was on the verge of tears. Then the doors swung open.

The soon to be husbands saw one another from across the room. That's when the tears started to pour.

Hunter beamed wholeheartedly the entire walk down the aisle and the things he saw just made him smile harder. Like spotting Kian and his wife wiping each other's eyes. Or seeing Kellie and Josh mouth 'congratulations' as he passed. Hunter's cheeks hurt by the time he saw Melodie throw more flower petals into his path even though the floor was already covered.

River, on the other hand, didn't look at anything else. His gaze was transfixed on the vibrant man walking over that long aisle just for him.

Hunter and River had been dating for a long time. So long, in fact, that River had started to forget the crisp line of Hunter's jaw or the perfect swoop of his hair. He didn't usually notice how Hunter's broad shoulders filled out his suit jackets or how his biceps threatened to burst the sleeves. These days, all River saw was that smile, warm and genuine. Hunter showed him that smile constantly and River never tired of seeing it again.

"Who gives away this man to be wed?"

"We do."

River couldn't hear anything that didn't come from his fiance's lips. The two were an arms length apart, standing at below the altar, ready to be married. Hunter's larger hands slid around his own, gliding across River's skin, warming everything he touched.

River remembered a time when he thought he'd never get married again. He remembered closing himself off from the world so that he and Melodie could never be hurt again. Then Hunter came along, a bumbling blushing fool who was too lovestruck to be discouraged. Slowly and meticulously, he took down River's walls. Brick by brick, he tore them down until you couldn't call them walls anymore. It was just an open space, free to house all the memories from their long future together.

Hunter interlaced their fingers and River could barely see past the tears gathering in his eyes. He laughed and cried and everything about that moment just felt good. Hunter hardly believed his luck meeting River on a random Friday. Without meaning to, he'd found a man who meant everything to him. A man that had become his home.

They'd already spent 4 years together, enjoying life by each other's side. Now, they couldn't wait to do the same thing for a lifetime.

" . . . your vows?"

Startled, Hunter looked at the officiant. The short black woman had been repeating that question for far too long but she just watched the gay couple in front of her with a soft smile.

"Sorry," Hunter blushed, scrambling for the notecard tucked into his jacket's pocket. "Yeah, they're right here."

———————————

2 months and a day after I published chapter 36, I finished the Bonus Chapter. In that time, the book went from 5k reads to 40k reads. Then 5 days later you guys got the book to 45k. My heart is so full.

I'm not sure if I teared up while writing because Hunter and River are cute as shit or because I'm just so grateful for everything this book has brought me.

To be clear, I finished writing this back in February so getting the chance to revisit these characters all over again has been a blessing.

Thank you so much for reading this monstrosity of a chapter and for spending anytime at all with these characters and me.

Happy holidays, Happy December, Happy 2024!

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