Glitch

"And now you may kiss your bride!" somebody shouts, and chaos erupts. I'm not surprised because I've already known for some time that Phantom's Rest is prone to chaos. It might be the local sport. 

While some brides run away screaming or giggling or both, others are more than happy to be kissed, and all this smoochie-cheerfulness is punctuated by Humphrey Richards shouting into his microphone that there will be no kissing of the brides.

"I should hope not!" Mr. Dunkirk bellows, waving his fork in the air, a fresh slice of pie - his fourth, I think - set before him on the counter of the dessert stall. I glance at Cody, wondering if he is planning on kissing me or whether he is afraid that I'll tear off his lips and shove them up his nose, as Allie is threatening to do to Jasper further down the line behind me.

I wouldn't, of course, I definitely wouldn't, but looking up at his face, I can see that Cody is not with me at the moment anyway. His eyes have gone opaque, staring into a void that has opened up between us, and I find myself wondering if he is thinking about other lips he'd rather be kissing now than mine.

I squeeze his hand, wanting to call him back to me and away from the lips-memory that is making him look so tense. He swallows heavily, his eyes clearing up, but whatever memory it was that took his mind away just now has not left him happy. Gazing at my face, his expression softens, and a gentle smile pulls at his lips that seem very kissable to me. I'm surprised when he leans over slightly and kisses the top of my head.

That was the perfect first kiss to seal a community wedding in the town square where a crowd of people are all laughing together, sharing in the joy of fake unions. I grin widely, holding onto Cody's hand a little tighter.

On the stage, Mrs. Dunkirk is trying to talk into the microphone a roadie placed on the mic stand, but it is too high for her, and when he tries to adjust it to make it lower, Humphrey causes it to be too low. He tries again, and he seems to be stuck in a loop now, making it go up and down until Mrs Dunkirk gets in his way, grabs the too-tall mic by its stand and tilts it towards her. 

When they were doing the vows, the same stagehand helpfully held the microphone up between them while they were looking at each other, holding their candles in one hand and each other's hand in the other. That young man, Jerry Longford, is now leaning against a speaker box, grinning happily, enjoying the show. He is clearly not going to step in and save the day.

"Every year, our festival starts with a dance and social, and this year is no different, so folks, brides, grooms and everybody else, kick off your shoes and get ready for some fun!" Mrs. Dunkirk announces. "We have once again hidden the elusive Silver Egg containing vouchers for every shop in town and every stall at the carnival for our brides and grooms to find. Remember to keep an eye out for it."

"As always, the lucky winning couple will also be entitled to free food and beverages and some other privileges for the remainder of the festival," Humphrey announces excitedly, nearly doubled over to be able to speak into the tilted mic.

"That egg is ours this year! Do you hear me, Davy?!" Aggy tells her brother with enough aggression to cause him to nod his head fiercely in agreement.

"Let's hope it was hidden somewhere it will be found this time," Mrs. Dunkirk huffs, glaring at the bent-over man. "Not like the last couple of years where it was found months later in the most impossible places. I mean, for example, stored away with the Christmas decorations... Really? That cabinet is only unlocked once a year!" 

"I... uhm... can't make any promises," Humphrey mutters, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously, and he hastily straightens up and takes a step back, pulling the mic up with him. "And now, the moment you have all been waiting for! Honourable Councilmember-."

"I've warned you, Humphrey!" Jack Weber grumbles where he's standing at the back of the stage, reluctantly waiting to step into the spotlight again. I wonder how they got him to do this. I'm suspecting some very well-planned blackmail.

"Councilmember Weber will now declare the ceremony completed and give a little speech befo-."

"I don't know why you can't just do it yourself since you're permanently glued to this blooming thing," Jack growls, stomping across the stage and grabbing the mic stand to pull it towards himself. "The End!" he shouts, making the speakers squawk in shock. "Now dance!"

Humphrey hastily grabs the stand to steady it and prevent the microphone from falling off its perch while Jack strides towards the steps cuffing Jerry's head in passing, where he is still hanging around, laughing merrily, which only succeeds in making him laugh even more.

"As always, the first dance tonight is in honour of our bridal pairs... and uhm... more than twos. Music, please!" Mrs. Dunkirk is once again tilting the stand to reach the microphone, and, having said her piece, she lets it fall back into its upright position and turns to face Humphrey. He is suddenly looking extremely nervous, and when Shawn Mendes' song Fallin' All In (one of my favourites) fills the night air with magical sound, he gingerly takes one of the much shorter woman's hands in his, placing his other hand in her side and off they go, surprisingly nimble and in sync, almost gracefully stepping all over the stage.

https://youtu.be/D5P1R6CRsoM

They did practice for this moment virtually every evening at a dance studio in Henderton, the city about an hour's drive from Phantom's Rest, where the clinic that's become my second home is located. At least, that is what I heard Aunt Mara-Belle mention to my aunt.

I hear Cody chuckle softly and follow his gaze to where the twins are trying to waltz, but they keep on getting in each other's way, which leads to an argument, and now they're either doing a very interesting modern dance, or they're brawling.

It is probably a brawl since their parents, dressed exactly like them, hurry over and drag them apart. Finally, Aggy is dancing with her father, and Davy is dancing with his mother. I always love seeing the Winston family together when they look like four beautiful, vibrant ragdolls, with Davy and Aggy miniature versions of their parents. I know that Mr. and Mrs. Winston are wearing wigs. Neither of them has hair as bright as that of their children, in fact, Mr. Winston's hair is quite blond, but reality is easy to ignore if one looks at their painted faces and cute costumes.

Smiling happily, I turn to Cody, enjoying his strong profile, his dark hair standing up stiffly and his glistening grey eyes. I would love nothing more than to sway in his arms the way Sindy is doing in Noah's, with her cheek resting against his heart, lost in the mellow, romantic melody. The idea is leaving me a little breathless.

Yes, Cody did cry until he fell asleep on my lap on that first day we met, and it was an exquisitely intimate, heartbreaking experience. It felt like his soul bled into mine that day, and parts of him remained with me long after I left him there. Still, it was very different from what it would be like to hold each other while our hearts and emotions are being stirred by a rousing love song. I don't think I would know what to do if he were to put his arms around me right now. I might melt away in a glistening puddle of joy reflecting the lights sparkling from every available surface.

Cody turns his head to look at me, and his smile falters, his eyes midnight, lit only by the gleam of our candles and the myriad of lanterns casting glittering light all over the town square. I am positive that Cody is the most beautiful human being I have ever seen, despite the slightly gaunt hollows of his cheeks and the bruised look of his eyes.

He is tired and in pain. 

While we were dancing around the square, I noticed his injured leg dragging more and more, and I was relieved when we finally made it back to the stage. During the trek, I slowed down as much as I could, and realising what I was doing, Sindy and Noah did the same.

Cody didn't complain even once, he nobly tried to keep up, but I could see the muscles in his jaw clench and unclench with the strain it was putting on him. I wanted to ask him if he'd like to stop, but there was a determination in his eyes that would've been wounded if I did that, so I held out with him, trying not to jerk him around too much, taking smaller steps.

That determination has faded away now, and at the moment, he is looking almost ill. The sight rips at my heart. 

I don't remember knowing Cody before I met him in the field. Perhaps I didn't know him; we could've visited our families during different time periods, our paths never crossing. I was only half listening at the time, but I heard Auntie and Sindy talk about Aunt Maria's grandson a while back, about how vibrant and strong he used to be and how hard it was for them to see him so broken.

Something bad happened to Cody. Something that left his bones shattered and his soul severely injured, but he is rising again, like the Phoenix from the ashes. Gazing at him, seeing the stubborn set of his shoulders as if he refuses to stay under, despite the fact that life is trying to beat him down, I can imagine how strong and vibrant he must be when he is not broken.

I squeeze his hand tightly and rise to the tips of my toes since I've noticed how awkward it is for him to stoop down, but I have to get closer to his ear to make sure that he can hear me above the noise around us.

"Would you mind if we grabbed something to drink and sat somewhere we can see all of this, but none of this can see us?" I ask, giving him a hopeful smile, and his eyes widen in surprise.

"Don't you want to dance?"

My heart flutters in my chest, realising that he is willing to endure even more pain if I want to join in the traditional first dance. I look around us at the dancing couples, some gyrating wildly, others almost standing still in a hug. Danny Jameson is hanging onto the neck of his cow, and she is happily snacking on his straw hat. The perfect couple.

I giggle when I see Allie and Jasper trying to outdo each other in wild body jerks and arm flapping, completely oblivious to the rhythm and romantic vibe of the song. Every now and then, Allie's hand or elbow accidentally connects sharply with a part of Jasper and from the way his eyes are narrowing when he looks at her, I think he is onto the fact that she is doing it on purpose.

"No, I'm a bit tired, but if you really want to..."

"Let's go," Cody says, pulling me along with him, finding a path through waving arms and spinning bodies to the drinks stall, where he buys us some sparkling grape juice after asking me what I would like.

"Where to?" he asks, and I know just the place where I want to be right now.

"Will you be able to make it up there?" I ask, pointing to the low roof of the Barn Inn, the only hotel in town. It looks like a barn, mostly because it was one many years ago when Phantom's Rest itself was still a farm.

Cody shrugs, running his eyes over the structure just outside of the reach of all the lanterns and fairy lights. It is not a high climb, as my goal is not the actual roof but the steel protrusion shielding the entrance, a single strip of fairy lights running along its border, the rest of it in deep shadow. Perfect for enjoying the view without being seen.

I take my can of juice from the counter, and Cody grabs his, and together, we skirt the dancers to reach the Inn at the back of the stage. Some crates are stacked along the inn's side wall, forming part of its rustic decor, and I often use them to get onto the sturdy steel awning. It is one of my favourite places to sit and think and dream pleasant dreams.

Now that we're standing here, side by side, looking up at the awning, I realise that asking him to climb up there might've been a mistake in his current condition. I'm about to suggest another place, but Cody sets his candle and drink down on one of the crates, stacked on top of three others and pulls himself up by his arms until he sits on the one next to it.

Wow! There's nothing wrong with his arms!

I'm blinking up at him, not even trying to hide my admiration. That was not an easy stunt to pull off. I usually have to step on a couple of lower crates and wrestle myself up to the awning in a completely un-ladylike fashion. There's no way I could reach out above my head and then just deadlift myself up like that.

He made it look easy, but I don't think it was. He seems to be a lot stronger and healthier than he was the day I met him out in the field, but he still has a long way to go before he can be declared healed.

I hand him my candle and can of juice and am startled when he puts them next to his and leans over to hold his hands out to me again. I take them and use my feet in every crevice I can get them into to clamber up the sides of the four large crates while he pulls me up. It doesn't take long for me to join him on the top crate.

"That was fun!" I giggle. It really was. I've never come up this far that easily. We sit quietly for a couple of minutes, and when Cody moves to get up, I get to my feet and offer myself for him to hold onto to help him get to his feet too, with his injured leg refusing to bend properly or take his weight.

It takes many giggles, almost tumbles and a lot of effort, but we're finally both standing. Technically we're hugging now. His arms are around my shoulders, and my face is buried in his chest. He is not letting go again, and I don't want to let go, either. I can hear a thousand horses running over hills and through fields in his warm chest, and the sound is mesmerizing. I could stand like this forever, just listening to Cody's heart beating, inhaling the lemony freshness of his cologne, and feeling his arms wrapped around me. 

This feels so right.

"Uhm," he grunts, finally stepping away from me, sliding his hands down my shoulders and then he turns, reaches up to the edge of the awning and repeats the awe-inspiring pull-up, causing the sleeves of his black denim jacket to bulge delightfully over his biceps.

If this is Cody in a broken state, he must be rather frightening when he's healthy and strong. When he sits, he holds out his hands for the candles and drinks, and after setting them next to him, we repeat the process where he pulls me up to him while my feet climb the wall, and this time, I end up on his lap.

We're both startled by this unexpected outcome and laughing nervously, not really wanting to take our hands off each other but knowing we shouldn't be touching either; I scramble from his lap and find my place near the edge facing the town square. I accept the candles and drinks when Cody hands them to me and place them out of the way while he awkwardly manoeuvres himself into position next to me.

This is perfect! 

A balmy breeze is lifting my hair from my face, and where we are is dark enough for us to clearly see the full moon, bright and heavy with promise hanging over Granary Downs. Below us, close enough to see the details, are people laughing, having fun under twinkling lights, their candles flickering between them, happily accentuating their movements while they dance.

It is beautiful! I can feel my spirit lift, the sadness that has been cloaking me like a heavy blanket lightening its weight as I enjoy the view, the music and the boy sitting next to me, his shoulder touching mine. The atmosphere, so grey earlier, is now vibrating with colour.

"I'm surprised nobody has caught on fire yet," Cody remarks, opening his can when I hand it to him. He is right; it seems unnatural that all these people can dance around with lit candles without any accidents.

"My veil caught fire," I remind him, opening my can too, and taking a cold, grapy sip, closing my eyes and moaning with delight.

"Oh, right," he breathes, his eyes unreadable in the gloom when I glance at him. Our candles, set on either side of us, provide our only light, and they are not big or bright; they are just little flames valiantly dancing in their small bowls.

"It was just to help you find me," I smile, and he doesn't scoff at me for being corny or cringe about it; he just returns my smile and suddenly reaches out with the hand where my veil is still tied around his wrist and runs the tips of his fingers along the contour of my face, causing me to shiver, goosebumps popping up all over my skin.

The action seems to startle him because he snatches his hand back and returns his gaze to the town square that is once again wearing a new jacket, concealing itself in a fairy tale.

"Good job, Veil," Cody mutters, grinning. I don't know him well enough to be sure, but I think he is happy too.

~~~