September fifteenth dawned as a beautiful day. Preparations had been going on for two days at Britin to celebrate the wedding of the century. Emmett's Fabulous Festivities was taking care of the ceremony and reception, but Emmett had to trust things to his employees since Justin had asked him to be his best man. Emmett had been very hands-on until the day of the wedding, making sure everything was perfect for the men he considered to be the perfect couple.
The ceremony would be held in the garden. The gazebo, which would be used as the altar, was decorated with white twinkling lights, mixed white and blue flowers, and golden gardenias. Chairs were put on the lawn for the guests to watch as Brian and Justin said their vows. A large tent was set up in the sprawling back yard for the reception.
Once all of the guests were seated, a silver runner was rolled along the center aisle in preparation for the wedding party to enter. A lady who played piano for the Pittsburgh Symphony had been hired to play during the ceremony, and she began to play Pachelbel's "Canon in D Major."
JR appeared first wearing a beautiful blue dress, silver sandals, and a sparkly silver princess crown that she insisted on wearing. She slowly made her way down the aisle dropping blue and white flower petals along the way.
Next came Blake and Cynthia. He was wearing a black tuxedo with a blue tie and vest to match Justin, while she wore silver palazzo pants with a matching fitted blouse. They were followed by Drew, whose tie and vest were silver like Brian's, and Melanie, whose palazzo pants and blouse were blue to match Justin.
The last to appear before the grooms arrived were the Best Men, Ted and Emmett. The two old friends walked arm-and-arm down the aisle together, Ted with a silver tie and vest and Emmett wearing blue. Emmett was already crying happy tears.
Brian was waiting for his cue, flanked by Gus and Debbie. The Kinney men were each wearing silver ties and vests and Debbie, who was holding Brian's arm so tight he thought he was losing the feeling in it, had on a lovely silver chiffon dress.
Brian smiled and leaned down toward the older woman. "Ma, I want this. I'm not going to run, so you really don't have to hold on so tight."
Debbie loosened her grip and looked up at Brian with tear-filled eyes. "Sorry, Honey. I'm just so happy for my two favorite sons. I love you both so much."
Brian smiled and kissed her cheek. "We love you, too."
Gus looked over at Debbie. "Trust me Gram, if Pop tried to run, I'd kill him."
"Aww, I love you too, Sonny Boy," Brian said with a smile.
The three of them walked down the aisle together and everyone took their places. Brian waited at the altar for his groom to join him.
Justin had asked Jennifer and Molly to walk him down the aisle, with Molly carrying Keegan. The ladies were in matching blue chiffon dresses. The eight month-old was wearing a tiny little black designer tux and a blue and silver-striped bow tie.
"I'm so happy for you, Justin," Jennifer said to her son. "You're finally getting your happily ever after. No one deserves it more than you."
"Good catch, big brother," commented the younger Taylor sibling as Brian came into their view. "Hot and rich... maybe you could give me some pointers."
"Molly Taylor," Jennifer replied, rolling her eyes. "You have a fiance of your own."
"We're not married yet," Molly joked before they began to make their way down the aisle. She passed Keegan over to Gus before taking her seat next to her fiance, who was quite attractive and came from a very nice family.
Judge Dennis started the ceremony with the traditional words: "Family and friends, we are gathered here to join these two men, Brian Aiden Kinney and Justin Cole Taylor, in matrimony. It is my honor to officiate this wedding today. Who gives these men to be joined in marriage?"
Gus and JR stepped forward, and Gus said, "My sister, my brother, and I do... and it's about time."
Chuckles and murmurs of "That's for sure" could be heard from the guests.
The judge continued, "Justin and Brian have written their own vows. Justin, please start."
Justin took Brian's hands in his and looked into his hazel eyes. "Brian, the first time I saw you sixteen years ago, crossing the street and walking toward me, there was something, like a spark that went off in my head. Somehow I knew you were the one, the one person who could complete me. It's taken a long time for us to get here and it hasn't always been easy, but it was all worth it. Everything we've been through has brought us to this moment, the moment that we pledge our love and commitment to each other forever. I want you to know that you are my best friend, not as a substitute or a replacement for Daphne, but my best friend in your own right. Brian Aiden Kinney, you are all I will ever want, all I will ever need, and all I will ever desire. You are my heart, my life, and my home. I love you."
A high-pitched sob came out of Emmett, and everyone laughed.
Emmett waved his hand in front of his mouth. "I'm sorry."
It was Brian's turn. "Justin, the first time I saw you, I saw an innocent, beautiful young man. I walked toward you, not realizing that I was finally on a path toward my future. I didn't believe in love then, and I certainly didn't ever expect to find it under a streetlamp. You opened my eyes and my heart, and I fought against it every step of the way. I never felt like I deserved to be loved, especially by someone like you. You have always been there to save me from myself. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. Sixteen years ago today, I received the two most precious gifts in the world: you and our oldest son. Today, we pledge ourselves to each other forever. Justin Cole Taylor, you are all I will ever want, all I will ever need, and all I will ever desire. You are my heart, my life, and my home. I love you."
Brian leaned toward his groom and whispered, "Your last couple of lines were so perfect, I just had to steal them."
Justin smiled and nodded. "It's okay."
Judge Dennis said, "Ladies and gentleman, Brian and Justin's oldest son Gus would like to play a song* for you."
Gus handed Keegan to his Uncle Ted. Gus's acoustic guitar was on a stand beside the piano, and he picked it up and took a seat.
"Pop, Papa J, this is my gift to you. Let's hope those lessons you've been paying for have been worth it," he said into a microphone before he began to sing.
"When the earth was still flat, and the clouds made of fire, and mountains stretched up to the sky, sometimes higher. Folks roamed the earth like big rolling kegs. They had two sets of arms. They had two sets of legs. They had two faces peering out of one giant head, so they could watch all around them as they talked, while they read. And they never knew nothing of love. It was before the origin of love. The origin of love.
"Now, there were three sexes then. One that looked like two men glued up back to back, called the children of the sun. And similar in shape and girth was the children of the earth, they looked like two girls rolled up in one. And the children of the moon was like a fork shoved on a spoon, they was part sun, part earth, part daughter, part son. The origin of love.
"Now the gods grew quite scared of our strength and defiance, and Thor said, ‘I'm gonna kill them all with my hammer, like I killed the giants.' But Zeus said, ‘No, you better let me use my lightening-like scissors, like I cut the legs off the whales and dinosaurs into lizards.' And then he grabbed up some bolts and he let out a laugh. Said, ‘I'll split them right down the middle, gonna cut them right up in half.' And then storm clouds gathered above into great balls of fire.
"And then fire shot down from the sky in bolts like shining blades of a knife. And it ripped right through the flesh of the children of the sun, and the moon, and the earth. And some Indian god sewed the wound up into a hole, pulled it round to our belly to remind us of the price we pay. And Osiris and the gods of the Nile gathered up a big storm to blow a hurricane, to scatter us away in a flood of wind and rain, and a sea of tidal waves, to wash us all away. And if we don't behave they'll cut us down again, and we'll be hopping ‘round on one foot and looking through one eye.
"Last time I saw you we had just split in two. You were looking at me, I was looking at you. You had a way so familiar, but I could not recognize, ‘cause you had blood on your face, I had blood in my eyes. But I could swear by your expression that the pain down in your soul was the same as the one down in mine. Oh, that's the pain that cuts a straight line down through the heart. We call it love. So we wrapped our arms around each other, trying to shove ourselves back together. We was making love, making love. It was a cold dark evening such a long time ago, when by the mighty hand of Jove. It was the sad story how we became lonely two-legged creatures. It's the story of the origin of love.
"That's the origin of love, oh yeah, the origin of love. The origin of love. Love, love, love, love. The origin of love."
Gus had been practicing the song for weeks and it showed. He did a wonderful job and everyone applauded. Both Brian and Justin gave Gus hugs to thank him.
"That was beautiful," the judge said to Gus. "May I have the rings, please?"
Gus pulled the rings out of his pocket and handed them to the judge.
"Thank you. Brian, repeat after me: Justin, will you take this ring and wear it as a symbol of my love and devotion for the rest of our lives?"
Brian repeated the words to Justin.
Justin, with tears streaming down his face, answered, "Of course, I will."
Brian slid the ring onto Justin's finger.
The judge then said, "Justin, repeat after me: ‘Brian, will you take this ring and wear it as a symbol of my love and devotion for the rest of our lives?'"
Justin repeated the words to Brian.
Brian, blinking back tears of happiness, answered, "Forever, my love."
Justin slid the ring on Brian's finger.
Judge Dennis then concluded, "By the power vested in me by the state of Pennsylvania, I now pronounce you married in the eyes of the law. You both may now kiss your husband."
Brian loudly said "Finally!" as he grabbed his husband and gave him a toe-curling kiss. The audience loudly approved of their union.
When the couple finished their first kiss as a married couple, they threaded their fingers together and walked back up the aisle. Once they passed the last row of chairs, they opened the cages that were on the table in the back, releasing sixteen doves. They were followed by the wedding party to stand in the receiving line as the guests filed past, heading to the tent for the reception.
Once the guests were enjoying champagne and hors d'oeuvres, the judge had several papers for Brian and Justin to sign. The most important one was the marriage certificate, which the new husbands signed along with Ted and Emmett as witnesses. Another was the order granting Justin's name change to Justin Cole Kinney. The judge had also brought JR's adoption petition, the petition for reinstatement of Brian's parental rights to Gus, and the petition for Gus's name change to Gus Anthony Kinney. When Brian was finished signing everything, Judge Dennis signed orders granting all of them, and each document would be filed the next day.
The wedding party then went into the garden to pose for pictures. After the photographer finished taking a few thousand pictures at every angle imaginable, in Brian's opinion, the wedding party finally headed to the tent for the reception.
Melanie hurried ahead of the group and grabbed a microphone so she could introduce them to the crowd.
"Attention everyone. Thank you for joining us this evening. My name is Melanie and I'm proud to present our brand-new family: Brian and Justin Kinney, along with their children Gus Kinney, Keegan Kinney, and Jenny Rebecca Marcus-Kinney."
After hearing her say JR's last name, Brian, Justin, Gus, and JR all looked at Melanie with stunned expressions on their faces.
Brian had signed whatever he was given without really reading everything like he normally would. He didn't notice that he had signed the adoption petition along with a petition that requested JR's last name be changed.
Melanie smiled and nodded before sincerely saying to Brian, "You deserve this, Pop. She's your daughter, too."
Brian grabbed the woman he had grown to greatly respect and gave her a tight hug.
"Thanks, Ima," he whispered to her.
JR walked over to her mother in shock. "You... you mean...?"
Brian then embraced his new daughter. "You're half mine, Princess."
He was then temporarily deafened by the excited scream that JR let loose.
Dinner was soon served, followed by toasts by the Best Men. Ted went first, and he told the story of how Brian had saved his life following his crystal meth addiction and how they became "the world's most unlikely best friends." He thanked Justin for being a great partner to Brian, giving him credit for being so patient with "that stubborn old mule."
Emmett went next and boasted about how perfect a couple Brian and Justin were. He told everyone that he always knew this day would come, even when the newlyweds themselves didn't think it would. He somehow got through his speech without any tears.
The DJ announced that it was time for Brian and Justin's first dance. The couple chose "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran for their song. It had been Daphne's favorite song at the time of her death. In fact, all of the songs that would be played that evening came from Daphne's Google Play library.
Gus was not the only Kinney who had been practicing for his wedding performance. It was Justin's idea for him and Brian to perform the elaborate dance from the song's music video**, and they had been taking lessons with a dance instructor for several weeks. The instructor was there at their wedding as a guest.
Everyone watched in awe as the newly married couple nailed the routine flawlessly, many in disbelief at seeing how limber Justin was and how perfectly the two moved together. They stole kisses every time their faces were close. The guests gave them a much-deserved standing ovation when the song ended.
Justin needed a few minutes to catch his breath and put his shoes back on, so Brian picked up the microphone and invited Debbie onto the dance floor.
"Deborah Horvath, get over here," the brunette ordered. "Many of you may not know this, but I was never very close to my real mother. She passed away a few years back, but the woman who has been like a mother to me since I was fourteen is this beautiful lady right here. She is the strongest person I've ever met, and I want to thank her for putting up with me for all these years and for being a wonderful grandmother to my kids."
"It's been my pleasure, Baby," Debbie said, tears glistening in her eyes. "Even though you are a huge pain in my ass."
The crowd laughed before the DJ played one of Debbie's favorite songs, "Three Times a Lady" by the Commodores. It had been her wedding song with Carl the previous year.
Next up were Justin and Jennifer, who danced to "The Perfect Fan" by the Backstreet Boys. Both mother and son were crying throughout the song, along with many of the guests. Even Brian, who had made fun of the song before because of how overly-sentimental it was, had to fight tears at seeing the two blonds dance together.
The DJ asked that all the couples come onto the dancefloor, and they all danced along to "Love Me Like You Do" by Ellie Goulding.
A few more songs were played before the cake cutting ceremony. Justin chose the classic "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" by the Four Tops to be played while he and Brian fed each other cake. Brian smeared frosting on his husband's cheeks and nose just so he could lick it off, causing Justin to giggle.
While everyone enjoyed their cake, a few more toasts were made. Debbie, Jennifer, Cynthia, Melanie, Gus, and JR all made short speeches about how much they loved Brian and Justin and how great a couple they were. JR called her Pop a "doofus" for waiting so long to marry her Papa Sunny, making everyone laugh.
The music started up again for the guests to get up and dance. Brian and JR were dancing to "Treasure" by Bruno Mars when Emmett came running over.
"Um, Brian? I was told that there is a delivery out front. I have no idea what it could be."
Brian thanked Emmett and gathered up the members of the Britin household. They all went out to the driveway, where a brand new black Dodge Charger Hellcat was parked. The man that was dropping it off handed the keys over to Brian, along with yet another paper for him to sign.
Gus immediately went into hysterics. "Holy shit! Is that...?"
"Happy Sweet Sixteen, Sonny Boy," Brian and Justin said to their oldest child.
It was now the birthday boy's turn to scream.
Foregoing any hugs or thanks, Gus ran over to his car, which had a black and red interior, and jumped into the driver's seat.
"Can I take it for a spin?" Gus begged his parents. "Please, please, please?"
"Uh, we have like, two hundred people in our backyard right now," Justin reminded the boy.
Melanie held her hand out to Brian. "I'm sure no one will miss us."
Brian gave the keys to her, grateful that she had been teaching their son to drive for the past few months. "Be careful."
After Gus and Melanie zoomed out of the driveway, Brian, Justin, and JR began heading back toward the reception. The fathers immediately noticed that their daughter looked a bit bummed out.
"What's wrong, Princess?" Brian asked.
JR shrugged. "Nothing."
He reached down and tilted her chin up to look at him. "Are you sad that you didn't get a present today?"
In fact, the parents would often give something to JR on Gus's birthday, so she wouldn't get jealous of Gus getting all the presents.
"No," she claimed. "I mean, I did get a present today - you're my Pop now and Uncle Sunny is now my Papa, too."
"So, you don't want any actual presents?" Justin said, goading her.
She looked at him inquisitively. "Why?"
"Because we may have snuck something into your bedroom when you were in the main house getting ready before the wedding," her step-father answered.
JR tried to take off running toward the guest house, but both men grabbed her by her shoulders and calmly walked with her.
"Alright, there's one condition to getting this present," Brian said. "You can't scream."
She agreed before the three of them went into the house. The men let her lead the way into her bedroom, where she found a red and white Pembrooke Welsh Corgi puppy in a crate.
JR gasped and slapped her hands over her mouth, no doubt to keep from screaming. She then turned around and hugged her fathers in rapid succession.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
"She's ten weeks old," Justin informed JR. "We've hidden her in the basement for the past two days."
"What's her name?" JR asked, tears glistening in her eyes.
"She's yours, so you get to name her," Brian said.
She didn't even have to think about it. "Sunny!"
Brian and Justin left JR alone with her new best friend to rejoin their wedding party. She didn't even notice they were gone.