evaporated instantly. She looked serenely at Melinda. “You told him to bring it with him, didn’t you, dear?”
A Historic Day Indeed — Melinda Blackstone and Chris Livingston
Once Charles arrived, looking so much younger than his seventy-plus years, Norma forgot all about us, and we each wandered off into the crowd. Chris and I, holding hands, weaved our way through the horde and up to the steps of city hall. We joined in the singing, waving our flags, and kissing, lots of kissing, and not just between Chris and I either.
We made it just in time to hear the speeches from different dignitaries and celebrities. I don’t know that I even heard a complete sentence because of all the cheers and applause each time something significant was said.
I snapped pictures of everything and everyone. When they draped that giant rainbow flag down the side of the building, I pushed Chris up the steps so I could get her picture. Then I handed the camera to a total stranger and asked her to take our picture together. I told her to snap as many as she could before her finger cramped. I wasn’t sure of the proper etiquette for tipping on something like that, so I just shoved a hundred at her. She seemed very pleased with that tip. When I played back the photos she had taken as a slide show, it flipped through each photo like a video, with us smiling, waving, and kissing. And then of course, I turned my camera into a camcorder and did it all over again.
After the speeches, I noticed couples had begun lining up on the steps to get married. The county clerk was on hand to issue the license, and there were several deputy marriage commissioners available to perform the ceremonies. I couldn’t help but be swayed by the emotion of it all and grabbed Chris’ hand, holding it to my heart.
“Baby, let’s do it. Let’s get married,” I said, holding my breath for the answer.
Chris looked at me, and then up at the rainbow flag. “You’re right, Melinda. Let’s do it,” she said breathlessly.
I almost jumped for joy, I was so excited. We got in line and the couple behind us told how they had been waiting for this moment for thirty years. We congratulated each other, and I took their picture with the flag in the background.
“Next,” the county clerk shouted.
I pulled out my wallet and paid the fee, and in a matter of seconds, I held the license in my hands, giving me the legal right to marry Chris. It was nothing short of magical. Not only because marriage equality finally happened, but because I was actually getting married. Something I vowed I’d never do because there were too many fish in the sea, and I loved to go fishing, metaphor implied. But meeting Chris changed all that, and I’ve never been so happy. In fact, I was so happy that I pulled out ten one-hundred-dollar bills and offered to pay for the nine other couples waiting in line behind us. I told the clerk to keep any change left over, but she refused because it would get her in trouble. So I pulled out a credit card and asked her to swipe it nine times for the exact amount, if that’s what she needed to do. I never knew it would be so troublesome to do something nice for people. We finally got it worked out to her satisfaction, and by that time, two more couples joined the line, so I paid for them also.
“Oh, honey. You are so wonderful,” Chris stated, grabbing me for a kiss.
George came walking out of the crowd and waved his hands in the air. “You’re getting married without your best man?” he asked indignantly.
“George, perfect timing,” I said, slapping him on the shoulder.
“Any idea where the others are?” Chris asked, looking around.
“I’m right here,” Kate said, coming up beside us.
“That’s one. Let me call the others,” George said, taking his cellphone from his jacket.
“Thank you, George,” Chris said, pulling her own vibrating phone out of her jeans pocket. She looked at the caller ID and answered it immediately.
A Historic Day Indeed — Melinda Blackstone and Chris Livingston
Once Charles arrived, looking so much younger than his seventy-plus years, Norma forgot all about us, and we each wandered off into the crowd. Chris and I, holding hands, weaved our way through the horde and up to the steps of city hall. We joined in the singing, waving our flags, and kissing, lots of kissing, and not just between Chris and I either.
We made it just in time to hear the speeches from different dignitaries and celebrities. I don’t know that I even heard a complete sentence because of all the cheers and applause each time something significant was said.
I snapped pictures of everything and everyone. When they draped that giant rainbow flag down the side of the building, I pushed Chris up the steps so I could get her picture. Then I handed the camera to a total stranger and asked her to take our picture together. I told her to snap as many as she could before her finger cramped. I wasn’t sure of the proper etiquette for tipping on something like that, so I just shoved a hundred at her. She seemed very pleased with that tip. When I played back the photos she had taken as a slide show, it flipped through each photo like a video, with us smiling, waving, and kissing. And then of course, I turned my camera into a camcorder and did it all over again.
After the speeches, I noticed couples had begun lining up on the steps to get married. The county clerk was on hand to issue the license, and there were several deputy marriage commissioners available to perform the ceremonies. I couldn’t help but be swayed by the emotion of it all and grabbed Chris’ hand, holding it to my heart.
“Baby, let’s do it. Let’s get married,” I said, holding my breath for the answer.
Chris looked at me, and then up at the rainbow flag. “You’re right, Melinda. Let’s do it,” she said breathlessly.
I almost jumped for joy, I was so excited. We got in line and the couple behind us told how they had been waiting for this moment for thirty years. We congratulated each other, and I took their picture with the flag in the background.
“Next,” the county clerk shouted.
I pulled out my wallet and paid the fee, and in a matter of seconds, I held the license in my hands, giving me the legal right to marry Chris. It was nothing short of magical. Not only because marriage equality finally happened, but because I was actually getting married. Something I vowed I’d never do because there were too many fish in the sea, and I loved to go fishing, metaphor implied. But meeting Chris changed all that, and I’ve never been so happy. In fact, I was so happy that I pulled out ten one-hundred-dollar bills and offered to pay for the nine other couples waiting in line behind us. I told the clerk to keep any change left over, but she refused because it would get her in trouble. So I pulled out a credit card and asked her to swipe it nine times for the exact amount, if that’s what she needed to do. I never knew it would be so troublesome to do something nice for people. We finally got it worked out to her satisfaction, and by that time, two more couples joined the line, so I paid for them also.
“Oh, honey. You are so wonderful,” Chris stated, grabbing me for a kiss.
George came walking out of the crowd and waved his hands in the air. “You’re getting married without your best man?” he asked indignantly.
“George, perfect timing,” I said, slapping him on the shoulder.
“Any idea where the others are?” Chris asked, looking around.
“I’m right here,” Kate said, coming up beside us.
“That’s one. Let me call the others,” George said, taking his cellphone from his jacket.
“Thank you, George,” Chris said, pulling her own vibrating phone out of her jeans pocket. She looked at the caller ID and answered it immediately.
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