Straight as They Come, Kinda

40: Lifelong Promises

Peter had said that he loved him. More than once. Over, and over and over until the words had been firmly planted in his mind.

They had kissed. They had reconciled. Things just couldn't fall to this point again, could it? Peter had even brought his bags to cement that he really was staying... for good this time.

With his head buzzing with dreary thoughts he wished wouldn't linger in his head any longer, Colin dragged himself to the bathroom and freshened up, resolving that Peter must have been somewhere in the apartment.

He wasn't.

He wasn't in the kitchen when Colin made himself a cup of coffee, wasn't on the balcony when Colin stepped there for some fresh air, wasn't in the living room when sat down to put on his dress shoes after putting on his trousers and a freshly ironed white shirt.

Even worse, his bags no longer sat there. And this, despite making Colin curious about whether Peter had already unpacked, also made him fear the possible emptiness he'd find in his boyfriend's room if Peter hadn't.

He decided to call Peter and find out if anything had come up, but the only answer he received was the sound of Peter's ringtone floating from his room.

Shit. He picked up the phone, not knowing whether to leave it behind or take it with him to the hotel. After some thought, he slipped the device into his pocket as he grabbed his suit jacket and headed out the door.

The venue for the wedding and reception were at a beach resort, which wasn't a long distance away from the hotel where the guys were getting ready.

When Colin arrived, they had done most of the work, and the best man was teaching the lot of them on how to put on a tie properly. Colin was put up to seating the guests when they arrived and handing out the order of service to them.

"You look more jittery and nervous than I am. Don't want me marrying Amy anymore?" Micheal joked, sitting next to Colin with a half-filled glass of white wine in his hand.

"It's not that," Colin said with a laugh. "I'm just wondering why relationships are so complicated, unpredictable. Like, why can't we just have a clichéd happily ever after? Why all the additional side quests?

"I honestly have no answer for you on that. But it's all worth it once you find someone to share the good and the bad times with. The good times feel better, and the burden of the bad is lighter."

°

With the wedding march melody playing, Colin watched his sister walk down the aisle, her hand gripping onto their father's arm as her gaze traced from him to her to-be husband.

After their father led her to the platform, he lifted the veil and she stood facing Micheal, her wide smile faltering, happiness morphing into tears as she quickly wiped her face with the back of her hand. She cried even more with Michael's whisper about how beautiful she looked and burst into abrupt laughter when he told her she'd have looked better in a toga. With the cool air, rolling waves that complimented the sun's morning glow, and serene atmosphere of the beach before patrons arrived and distorted that settled peace, everything felt like a dream.

Colin's eyes met hers when she glanced at the lined groomsmen, and he gave her a subtle thumbs-up which was received with a nod.

The vows were said, rings were exchanged, and the only thing Colin could make out through all the promises was how genuinely happy they both looked. Amy was virtually glowing, and Michael looked as if he wouldn't give that moment up for the world.