Rock Hard

After all, we had already become parents together. It hadn’t taken long at all for Seth to put a baby in me. And what a beautiful baby he was. Nine months had passed faster than I thought possible and by now we had been a family of three for an additional few months.

As the organ started up with an especially peppy rendition of the Bridal March, I took a breath and stepped out unto the breach. The tent flaps were held open by two groomsmen, recruited from the deep ranks of Metal bands.

My wedding dress moved around me like a cloud in a dream. In place of my usual collar, I wore a different one, made out of white satin to go with my dress, decorated with a 19th century cameo broach.

At the end of the green aisle, beneath an arch of orchids, my master waited, to make me truly his. Our son was currently being shared between his two sets of happy grandparents who sat in the front row.

My mind locked onto the presence of my sweet master, my mouth responding as though by rote as we went through our self-written vows. Right up until the kissing bit. My brain kicked right back into gear then, launching a fireworks display behind my eyes.

I remained engaged through much of the reception, even during the speeches, which went on a bit. Everyone who spoken on Seth’s behalf seemed to have nothing but good things to say about him, mostly in reference to times he saved them from their own stupid decisions. One got the feeling that at least half the wedding party wouldn’t be alive were it not for Seth’s friendship and willingness to be DD whenever they needed a ride.

The drinks and food portion ended and then everyone convened at the bandstand for the dancing and carousing portion of the festivities.

It was even more beautiful than I’d imagined. Not only did the bands more closely resemble a Frank Sinatra backing ensemble, but because of the limits of the venue, many of the rigs also tended toward the acoustic. There was nothing quite like hearing an unplugged version of Black Metal to make you feel even better about life on your wedding day.

“Have you seen Stephanie?” I asked Seth, as we cuddled near the front of our crowd of dancing guests.

“Yeah, a while ago; she was taking to Ragnar.”

“Ragnar? Is that some actor or something?

“No, no, Ragnar Karlssen. He plays drums in Loki’s Laugh.”

“Well, she did catch the bouquet,” I teased.

“Looks like there could be another wedding on the horizon.”

Our baby, whom we had named Casey, started to fuss, so I lifted him from his bassinet and held him close, gently rocking him back to sleep as Seth quietly sang to him. He still had a really nice voice, despite the years of dormancy. I wondered if he could still play bass, too.

Our little bundle returned to dreamland as Lords of Sacred Shadow took the stage, everyone falling silent as they started their set. Even the kids who had been running around and screaming started sitting down to listen, as if they had magnets in their butts.

Seth put his arms around me, and we held each other as they played, a sense of the beautiful and finite nature of mortality coming over us as the goosebumps rose on our arms.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes, master,” I whispered, so that only he could hear.

Once we had returned Casey to the care of his grandparents, we went to the hotel that Seth had booked, which happened to be right across the street from our wedding venue. He was so sweet and knew that I wouldn’t want to ride the motorcycle back to his house, because I’d gotten a ride with Stephanie.

“It was amazing to see so many of my musician friends at once,” Seth said, as the elevator hummed around us.

“It sure was,” I told him. “It was almost like some kind of battle of the bands, or a big, combined concert.”

“I’m lucky to know so many talented people and to have had them all celebrate with us,” he remarked.

“You should write a book someday,” I told him.

“Who would want to read it?”

“Lots of people,” I said, taking his hand. “I know I would.”

Because I read everything about you that I could get my hands on, before I knew you, I thought.

But there were some things I wanted to keep to myself, even from my husband. It would always be my secret that I had had such a crush on him before I had ever even gotten the internship and before he had ever asked me to quarantine with him.

The elevator dinged for our floor and, as though taking it as a cue, Seth scooped me up into his arms, and held me close as he traversed the paisley carpeting. Even when we got to the door, he remained undaunted, finding a way to get the door unlocked and open without the need to set me down.