Page 4 of Ever After

I look between him and the box. “I don’t know. I thought you did.”

“And when in the course of our long friendship have we ever worn boutonnieres?”

“Stop calling them that. They’re flowers,” I snap. “Just flowers. They can’t hurt us.” I gasp. “What if we damage them and Levi refuses to marry me?”

His brow creases. “Is that likely?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never gone through a fucking wedding ceremony before. Anything could happen, and I’m not ready to cock things up and⁠—”

A sigh echoes through the room, and Rosalind lifts one of the roses and settles it on my lapel. I inhale the fresh sweet scent as she fastens it neatly with a pin from the box.

“Thank you so much, Rosalind,” I breathe. “You’re amazing.”

Looking slightly resigned, she fastens Will’s flower in the same way. Then she stands looking at both of us for a long moment.

Be happy, Blue Billings, she says in my head in her sweet, gentle voice. Keep faith with each other through the good and the bad. Be each other’s strength and stay. Love each other forever because life is short and love is eternal.

My eyes grow hot, and I have the horrible thought that I might cry. She smiles as if she knows it, and then with a rustle and another gust of lily of the valley, the breeze blows through the room and she vanishes.

“What just happened?” Will asks faintly.

“She offered me some advice.” I turn to him. “Have you got any equally wise words for me before we do this?”

He considers the question. “Just let Levi decide everything and you’ll be fine.”

I shake my head sadly. “Rosalind’s advice was far better.” I click my fingers. “Well, come on, then.”

“Where?”

I sigh. “I’m getting married, Will, and you’re holding us up.”

“Well, of course I am.”

Bickering and laughing, we head downstairs. At the door, he pauses.

“What?” I ask.

“I love you very much,” he says solemnly.

“Oh my god, do not fucking make me cry, William.”

His voice isn’t quite steady. “You’re going to be amazing at this wedding business.”

“Why? Because I have Levi?”

He pats my shoulder. “Not just that. Because you’re a wonderful person, Blue Billings. You always say you’re lucky to have Levi, but I happen to think it’s the reverse. He’s very lucky to have found someone like you.” He shakes his head. “I never thought either of us could ever have this, you know?” I nod in response and he says, “All those years of nothing and I’d do it all again in a heartbeat, because it was never just nothing when there was always you. Thank you for being my friend.”

I grab him into a tight hug, resting my face on his wide shoulder. “I love you.”

“Love you more.”

“Maybe you should do a speech after all,” I add slyly. “That was positively Shakespearian.”

“Oh, fuck off,” he says, shoving me off and trying not to laugh.

York registry office is a beautiful Georgian double-fronted building on Bootham. When we climb out of the taxi, it’s to find Tom waiting for us.

“You look very spiffy,” I call.