Page 56 of Spring Breakup
“He called it our avalanche,” Dean said in Tyler’s ear.
“We shouldn’t be proud of that.”
They cruised through the mountains, Sarg pointing out hidden waterfalls and wildlife before making a landing on the icefield near Skipper Glacier.
From there, they walked about a hundred yards onto the glacier, giving the wedding a jaw-dropping backdrop of neon-blue cracks and crevasses.
It was strange to be on a huge swath of ice in the middle of July. It was colder on the glacier than down in Silverbrite Springs, but the sun warmed their skin.
Dean was Leo’s best man, but Leo was an incredibly lowkey groom. The whole wedding was lowkey. A beautiful location in the Alaskan summer sun, wildflower boutonnieres and bouquets, a champagne toast, and lunch afterward at Dog Salmon Saloon. No one was even wearing a suit, and Rosie’s short pink dress was from a vintage clothing store. The most difficult aspect of the wedding had been finding boots that looked okay with his outfit but would hopefully prevent any slipping.
Without fanfare, the ceremony started. Rosie and Leo faced each other with Benji officiating between them. Everyone else stood in a semicircle and watched.
Leo and Rosie promised themselves to each other in such a simple, heartfelt way it almost brought tears to Tyler’s eyes.
It did bring tears to Leo’s. Tyler hadn’t pegged him for a weeper, but Leo laughed and sniffled through the whole ceremony. Rosie smiled and held his hands, steady as a rock.
After they exchanged rings and were pronounced married, Leo gently framed Rosie’s throat with his hands and kissed her. SAs Leo pulled away, she lightly patted his cheek and bit his bottom lip. It was sweet and also undeniably sexy.
With the ceremony over, Rosie did the honors of popping the champagne and giving everyone generous pours. Sasha gave her speech first as matron-of-honor. It was funny and brash and short.
Then it was Dean’s turn. Tyler leaned in and kissed his cheek. “You’ve got this.”
Dean nodded. He held up his champagne flute before seeming to realize it would be hard to show the book of drawings and hold the glass at the same time. Tyler rushed in and grabbed the flute. He would always be there to back up his man.
“Once I started writing this speech to celebrate my two best friends, I realized that the words wouldn’t come, but inspiration did. Those of you who know me know I don’t share original art very often. But as I thought of the things that bind Rosie and Leo together, the things that make them so wonderful for each other, I couldn’t get the words on the page… just the pictures.”
He opened to the first page in the book and showed the crowd. It was a drawing of Rosie and Leo from behind. They were curled up together on a bench, her head on his shoulder, fireworks in the distance. Tyler knew, from Dean’s explanation, that it was from a Fourth of July sex party, but there was nothing explicit. It only showed their pure tenderness for each other.
“Rosie and Leo take care of each other. They are in each other’s corner one hundred percent,” Dean said. “I can see it in the way they look at each other and reach for each other. It’s in their actions and their words.”
And everyone could see it in Dean’s beautiful drawing.
Dean turned the page to reveal a picture of Rosie and Leo and their family—biological and found. It was a whole group, one that Tyler felt himself lucky to be a part of, sitting at a table sharing food, Rosie and Leo at the head. Dean explained how they were the glue of their family that bound it together with love.
He went through several pages, each picture detailed and beautiful.
Tyler tried to gauge Rosie and Leo’s response not only to Dean’s speech but also to the incredible art. Rosie had her hand over her mouth, her eyes glistening, and Leo was full-on crying again.
Dean turned to the last page. It was a drawing of Rosie and Leo on the gravel road into Silverbrite Springs minutes before the avalanche. In it, Rosie was in the foreground, glowing and excited despite the rain, and Leo was standing on a boulder, pointing toward the glacier. It was like Dean had drawn a snapshot from Tyler’s memory of that day.
Tyler remembered dread and discomfort and panic. But that had not been Rosie or Leo’s reaction at all.
“This day, where Tyler and I were separated from Rosie and Leo by an avalanche, was one of the scariest of my life,” Dean said, his voice wistful. “But Rosie and Leo viewed it as a grand adventure. An obstacle to tackle and overcome and, most importantly, enjoy. In their eyes that day, I saw their future. A lifetime of caring, family, and exploration together. A perfect match. So please raise your glasses.”
Everyone lifted their champagne flutes.
Dean met Tyler’s eyes through the small crowd. “May we all be so lucky to surround ourselves with love that knows us, sees us, celebrates us, and fights for us. To Rosie and Leo’s grand adventure together.”
The guests clinked their glasses and said, “Cheers!”
Dean handed the book he’d created to Leo and Rosie and accepted their hugs, but he quickly extricated himself from the crowd and found Tyler.
Tyler grabbed his hand. “I’m so proud of you.” It had taken a lot of late-night pep talks to convince Dean that a gift of drawings was the best way to celebrate Rosie and Leo.
“I need something harder than champagne to drink. I feel sick,” Dean said.
“Here. Let’s go for a quick walk.”
