I'd grown accustom to the fact that change had become a way of life over the past year, and while I didn't enjoy the fact that Jesse would be leaving my employ, I looked forward to having him at home each night. It had taken several weeks, but after conducting many interviews together, we had finally settled on a new assistant. Jesse had proven to be even more particular about who would replace him than I was. He'd insisted it was someone large and skilled enough that if something like the incident with the giant ever occurred again, they'd be able to help. I doubted that would be necessary however, as at least for the time being, I'd stopped taking new clients even by referral. If I had to put in a few more years in order to feel comfortable at work and have enough time and energy to keep Jesse fulfilled, that was just fine with me.
The last week before Jesse's graduation was a whirlwind for us both. Jesse still had courses, and I still had work, yet we managed to find time to move his things into our home. Jesse also worked hard to train his replacement, who was to start full time when I returned to work after our time off together. With so much going on, we had decided it didn't make sense for us to expend our energy on wedding plans, and we'd agreed to let his family make all the arrangements as it was to take place on the farm. I had no one to invite other than Kim and Casey, but it didn't matter. They had become close friends; often joining us for dinner after Casey's appointments and Jesse's family had always treated me like one of their own. After twenty years on my own, the amount of love and acceptance I now found in my life astonished me.
As I gazed through the bedroom window into the yard behind the farmhouse, the colors were warm and rich. The afternoon sun shimmered brightly in the distance behind pale green fields. It felt like gazing into a painting, and I was glad we'd decided to do this so soon. It was just early enough in the fall that the weather was a bit cooler than during the sweltering summer months, but the crops that hadn't yet been harvested stood tall and beautiful around the large swath of grass upon which chairs had been set up. Distant laughter drifted up with the light breeze that carried the scent of earth and leaves and life.
I could hear the shower running in the room next door as I dressed. We'd decided to shower separately as being late for our own wedding because we'd gotten lost in ravishing one another in the shower seemed inappropriate even for us. It was to be a casual affair and I'd chosen light tan linen pants paired with a dark forest shirt that reflected up into my eyes, making them appear to almost glow with a rich emerald light. I was pulling my hair back into a ponytail at the nape of my neck with a leather tie as Jess stepped into the room with a towel around his waist.
"Jesus Ash." He stopped just inside the door as it shut behind him. I grinned at him in the mirror.
"Likewise."
As he tossed the towel onto the bed, I turned to lean against the dresser and take in the show. He dressed in charcoal dress trousers and a simple white shirt. As he pulled the shirt over his head, he walked toward me, eyes burning brightly. He tucked a stray hair back into my ponytail with a loving smile.
"Ready?"
"Definitely."
We made our way to the yard hand in hand. His family had done an amazing job with little time and even less money. A few dozen chairs were placed in a half circle in front of a wooden arch, an isle running through the center. Vines and flowers of all sorts elegantly draped the arch and chair backs, bringing life and connection to the whole scene. As marriage was uncommon these days, it wasn't a legal or formal affair that required anyone of a specific rank or faith to perform the ceremony and his mother had agreed to do it, just as she had for his siblings.
Everyone was gathered together; some already seated, some milling around conversing. It wasn't a large group as neither Jess, nor I had many friends to speak of. He'd been too busy on the farm and then in school to have time for them. His college roommate was here, as well as a few people he'd gone to school with, but the majority of the group was his family. I was grateful that Casey and Kim had enthusiastically agreed to come, they were the closest thing I had to family, and I was thankful for their support and friendship.
