Chapter 106

Pastor Lisa looked at them and said, “Please face each other. I will now read their vows.” Although they had anticipated saying their vows, they gave permission to her to read it to them if one of them couldn’t read to each other. Pad knew this change was about him as Lisa winked.

One twin tugged RJ’s coat. RJ looked down and accepted a ring with black thread. Pad turned to Jay, the twin by his side and whispered. “Jay, do you have the ring?” Jay nodded and fetched it from his pants and handed to Pad. As Pastor Lisa read aloud, they changed rings so they had the right ones.

“Do you, Ransom James Davis, take Padrick as your husband? To have and to hold in sickness and in health? In good times and in bad? Through fair weather and good weather? Though happy moods and moods when coffee is not available?”

As the crowd laughed, RJ replied. “I do!” He held Pad’s ring and then took Pad’s left hand. “With this ring, I thee wed.”

She turned to Pad then asked. “Do you Padrick Mclaughlin, take RJ as your husband? To have and to hold in sickness and in health? Through football season and soccer season? And any other seasons of the year? Through happy moods and when his teams lose?”

Pad waited for the laughter to quiet before he also answered. “I do!”

Pad held RJ’s ring and said as he slipped it on RJ’s ring finger. “With this ring I thee wed.”

Both ministers looked at each other and in unison announced. “By the powers vested in us by this church and the new laws of Florida, we pronounce you as husband and husband. You may now kiss!”

As Pad moved a half-step, RJ held Pad’s face tenderly and whispered, “I love you!”

“I love you too!” Pad kissed RJ before the congregation erupted in applause.

The ministers waited briefly to allow the liturgical clapping to subside. Both pastors then offered quick prayers and blessings with the congregation affirming with Amens.

Finally, Lisa turned to the organist who readied with the exit song. Lisa nodded and turned to both Pad and RJ. “Okay, face the attendees.” As both complied, Pastor Lisa announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, we introduce you Mister RJ Davis and Padrick Davis!”

* * * *

“What are you doing?”

“I’m watching these videos again.”

RJ reached over and grabbed the phone. “You shouldn’t be on the phone on our honeymoon.”

“Well, you were snoring and I couldn’t go back to sleep. Plus our wedding was kind of a blur.”

“How many drinks did you have?”

“I think three or four Chardonnay. Then I had some on the plane over. You know Jay is going to be a good videographer. Let me show you.”

“Okay.” He sat up, his head against the headboard as Pad did the same.

“Here’s the one with me and my aunt dancing. Nice touch on the Joni Mitchell song.”

“She said that was your mother’s favorite.”

“It was. She would play that song, ‘Both Sides Now’ a lot.” They watched that together as RJ had his arm around Pad. “Here’s one of you and Amelia.” Pad played the video RJ and his mom dancing. “I have to admit that when I heard this was your dance song, I thought it was odd. But I’ve come to understand.”

“Sara’s her middle name.”

“I know. It just jarred me to hear Stevie Nicks. I thought something more Henry Mancini or something.”

“My mom is not in her eighties. The sixties and seventies was her time.”

“I’m not saying anything.”

“Says the man, judging. This is why I didn’t share with you the dance list.” RJ grabbed Pad’s phone to look for another video. “Where’s ours?”

“It’s there. Kinda shaky. I don’t think Jay did such a good job on that one. Jen’s will be better.” Pad pushed the play button after he found the vid for RJ. “I love the song you chose by the way.”

“I knew when I first heard it in the car with you, that it’d be our wedding song.” They both sat and watched the whole thing, even though the picture was hazy at times, Justin Timerblake’s “Mirrors” captured their mood and moment. “Thanks for getting my mom there.”

Pad kissed RJ on the lips. “You’re welcome.” He studied RJ and smiled. “The sun’s behind those curtains. Should we get out of bed and look out?”

Pad got out of bed as did RJ, both naked.

Their lovemaking had just occurred three hours before and after their showers, RJ fell asleep. Pad couldn’t fall asleep, partly due to the fact that he slept on the plane, and partly because he was excited that they were back in this city.

Pad opened the curtains from the side, and the Chao Phraya River revealed itself below. The city had a smoky haze today. But Bangkok’s modernity of tall buildings and mix of Buddhist temples in the Thai and Theravada style could be seen across the river.

“I thought for a long time about booking us at same hotel and the same suite where we first stayed. I hope I did right.”

Pad hugged RJ from the side, not wanting to take his eyes from the water taxis plying the river and the traffic from millions of people swarming the city. “You did right. Wait here.” Pad ran to his check-in luggage and grabbed a wrapped gift. “Happy Birthday!”

“Aww. Thanks! What is it?”

“Open it. I didn’t know what to get you so I asked your dad for help.

RJ opened it. “Nice. It’s the latest DVD of the X-Men movie.”

“Yeah, but look who signed it.” Pad pointed to an autograph.

“Is that Stan Lee’s autograph?”

“Yes! I know you were disappointed you couldn’t go to MegaCon this year so your dad went to one of his scheduled appearances in New York and got it.”

“My dad did this?”

“Yes.” Pad gesticulated with his hands. “Before you forget I bought the movie and told him what you had wanted for a while!”

“You are so awesome, my love.” RJ leaned over to kiss Pad. They embraced for a moment before RJ whispered. “I have something for you.”

“Really?” Pad stood there and watched the scene of the city as it tantalized as he heard RJ rummage through his carry-on. “When did Chaz say Ann could see us?”

“Maybe in a day or two.” RJ handed Pad an envelope. “She arranged for us to get marital blessings at a local temple by an abbot she knows so she’ll call us.”

Pad looked at the business letter-sized envelope. “What’s this?”

“Open it.”

Pad opened it and read it. “I don’t understand. There’s a lot of legal gibberish on here.”

“I’m thirty-five today. I officially have my inheritance, which I couldn’t touch until today. I’m a beneficiary of it and so are you. I made the family lawyer make changes so you and I are the sole beneficiaries but I also changed who would manage the moneys. Besides my lawyer I’m making you the co-trustee.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You are the only person I trust in this world. I love you so much. I wanted to show that everything I have is yours and that you are my rock. You can finally buy your aunt a new car. You can stop working two jobs. You can pay off your student loans.”

“I didn’t want you to do that for me.” He held the papers in his hands. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“Baby, I love you and I knew this would help.”

“It does. Thank you.” Pad stared at the papers and stood in shock. “All I wanted was you, RJ. Just you.”

“I know. And all I wanted was you. Yesterday was a fresh start. And today, I have—we have—a little money to get us a do-over. I trust you completely, Mister Pad Davis.”

“Ooh. I love how that sounds.”

RJ kissed Pad then broke away so they could smile at each other. Their foreheads touched as they both beamed. RJ caressed Pad’s temples with both thumbs. “I love you so much. Pad, I want to give you the world. I want us to have our happily—no—splendidly ever after. I know I put you through a lot and I know you doubted about us but love always wins.”

Pad whispered back. “Love always wins.”