Chapter 50

It was a beautiful afternoon in Paris. The autumnal air was still warm enough not to need a coat or anything over the top of his suit jacket, and Stan walked out onto the balcony of the hotel room. He breathed deeply. Life was good.

He felt a hand in the small of his back, and another arm draped over his shoulder. He looked to his left, to see Anne, blonde hair up in a complicated looking knot, looking incredible in her ivory, flowing, strapless lace dress with a ribbon belt around her waist. To his right, Denise, gloriously curled red hair flowing past her shoulders and a slim gold headband holding the curls off her face and looking equally brilliant in her matching ivory halter dress.

"It's time, Stan," Denise reminded him.

"Okay," Stan answered. He turned. Anne stepped back inside the room, and Denise followed. Anne pinned the white orchid into the buttonhole of Stan's black dress suit, completing his costume. Then she stepped back to join Denise and they both faced him.

She and Denise picked up their bouquets, made of matching white orchid blooms. Anne asked, "How do we look, Stan?"

"Fabulous, my princesses. Fabulous."

"I love it when he says that!" Denise told Anne, and they both smiled warmly at each other. They turned to go, collecting their shawls from the king-sized bed. Stan followed. He kissed them both lightly on the back of the neck, and let them precede him from the room.

The hotel had a number of wonderful historic rooms, dating back to the 18^th Century. Stan and his two partners had an appointment in one of them, named after a former French Queen.

Stan had cast around, trying to find a way to demonstrate his commitment to both of his wonderful women. He'd hit on this idea, broached it to them and they'd loved it, running with the theme. Denise had suggested asking Elaine and Susan for ideas. They'd suggested something like this afternoon's proceeding, and Ken had suggested this wonderful venue (and, incidentally, he and a grateful Sid had paid for it.)

Inside the Marie-Antoinette room they found their guests waiting for them. Just close friends. Elaine and Susan were there, and of course Elizabeth and her new husband, James. Maggie was standing next to them with Valerie and her husband, while her husband and Ken were standing at the far end of the room, in front of the expansive balcony.

Stan had got the idea from a story he'd read, once. An extended relationship was celebrated by the traditional giving and receiving of rings, but with a twist — each partner got three rings, which interlocked.

He'd ignored the pagan ceremony that went with it, as none of them were particularly religious. But the idea had stuck.

Now it was time. Stan, Anne and Denise went to stand in front of Sid and Ken. Elaine, a remote in her hand, pressed 'Play' and the sounds of Eric playing "Let it Grow" filled the room. Once the song was over the music faded, to be replaced by a soft instrumental version of some Gershwin love songs.

Ken cleared his throat.

"We all know why we're here. Stan, Anne and Denise have decided to show their commitment to each other by the giving and receiving of rings, and by an exchange of vows. I understand that Stan has decided to be a gentleman, as always, so he'll be going last. Which of you two ladies will go first?"

"I will," called Anne in a strong voice. She stepped forward and turned to face her two partners.

"Stan, Denise. I'm no poet, as you know, but I found this, and it expresses what I want to say."

"I take you both to be my partner,
to have, and to hold from this day forward."

"I give to you my unending love and devotion,

and I promise to be true to you, to cherish you, and to share
my thoughts, hopes, and dreams with you both."

"I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you
my best friends. I will love you forever."

She turned to her right, where Sid gave her a ring, which she placed on Denise's offered finger. She smiled at the redhead, splendid in her ivory dress, who smiled back as she pushed it all the way home.

Then Anne turned to her left, and took a similar ring from Ken which she placed on Stan's finger. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears as she stepped back alongside him, and he took her hand and squeezed it momentarily.

Denise took her cue from a nod by Sid, and stepped in front of Stan and Anne.

"I decided that, this being a very non-traditional relationship, we ought to have something with at least a flavour of the traditional. So:"

"I give you these rings, wear them with love and joy.
I choose you to be my partners,
to have and to hold from this day forward for better or for worse,
for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish as long as we all shall live."

Denise placed a ring onto Anne's finger, and then put the second ring onto Stan's. He fiddled with them for a moment, then showed them to both ladies. The bands interwove and locked together, platinum and red-gold.

Finally it was Stan's turn. He took a step forward, turned smartly about, almost as if he were on parade and stood there, looking at his two loving partners.

Stan closed his eyes for a moment. Caron was still with him, and egging him on. His throat closed and he was unable to speak for a moment, but then he smiled weakly, shook his head a little, and cleared his own throat.

"It seems I'm not the only one who thought along traditional lines on this very un-traditional day."

"The sun smiles on us today, our wedding day, and how can it not, for
our love is stronger than forever and our hearts beat together as one.
I promise to be a true and loving partner from this day forward, in
all life's circumstances, as we face them together. In the joys and
sorrows, the good times and bad, in sickness or in health, I will always
be there for you, to comfort you, love you, to honour and cherish you both, now and forever more."

He took the ring from Sid and placed it on the tip of Denise's finger. "This, to me, is a marriage, sweetheart. Nothing less," he told her as they made eye contact and held it as he pushed the ring home, his platinum joining Anne's yellow-gold. Denise smiled, there were tears in her eyes but she was happy, that was certain.