Maybe it was all that history, so many happy times, so many sad times too. Whatever the reason, when he asked about it in the spring of 2021, I just said yes.
My favorite location choice: town hall, with a guest list capped at zero. As we drove into the town clerk’s office, jockeying for space with men filling out fishing requests, the setting proved too impersonal even for me. The woman behind the counter pushed a number in our direction and said, “Call the council. She comes to your house.”
On September 14, 2021, 25 years after the date we met, a judge stood with us and a few loved ones in our backyard and we were married. Afterwards, I surprised myself again by saying that I didn’t think I would ever hate a wedding again.
My disdain, I realized, stemmed from being so long expected to witness these momentous events, but also not being allowed to marry. And when same-sex couples finally got it right, I had the opposite reaction from all those who rushed to do it, thinking, “You know what you can do with your sacred disposition.” Frankly, it hardened my heart to everything.
And so, my apologies: I’m sorry if I just went through the motions on your special day. What I’m trying to say: I was working out some things.
As for our wedding, it wouldn’t be a wedding without bad behavior, right? As we made our heartfelt vows, our dog trotted onto the lawn and, in a scene-stealing performance, went about her business. Twice. What could we do but laugh?
