Love is Always Write Anthology Bonus Volume

gone to the shore? A few years, he thought.
    Bruce reached down to Jacob's elbow and helped him get up and steady himself. His back gave a twinge, after the time spent sitting but he ignored it. He took a couple of careful steps and nodded.
    Daniel at his side said, "Doing okay, old man?"
    "Watch who you're calling old. I seem to remember you have two years on me, at least for another two months."
    "We're both old." Daniel took his arm. "Come and see."
    They walked slowly toward the docks, Daniel fitting his pace to Jacob's. There was an assortment of boats moored in the slots. Jacob saw everything from battered looking houseboats to sleek yachts. Ahead of them, Lori and Bruce turned along the shore, and then made their way up one long concrete pier. At the end, a group of people looked up as they approached.
    Jacob recognized Hannah and Michael, and Brianna with that new man she was seeing, Mihail-something. Shannon and her boyfriend. And Austin and Carl and even Eddie, leaning on his walker. Jacob jerked to a halt and whispered fiercely to Daniel, "What the hell is this?"
    "This is our wedding."
    "What?" Jacob yanked his arm free of Daniel's to turn and stare at him. "Just like that? Daniel, you don't do surprise weddings. It's just not..." He struggled to explain what it wasn't.
    Daniel smiled. "We've talked about it for years. I know you were holding out for Jersey to pass a law. You always said you wanted to stand up in front of a justice of the peace and do it right and legal or not do it at all. But we're not getting any younger. New York has passed the law and we don't have to be residents. And baby, I don't want to wait any longer."
    Jacob shook his head slowly, trying to get a grip on the sudden turn the day had taken. The sudden turn his life apparently had taken. Daniel stood watching him with a small indulgent smile, waiting patiently. Daniel had always waited patiently for him to do the right thing. Now Daniel said, "We don't have to. It can just be an anniversary party, if you like."
    In all those years, every time he'd caught up to where Daniel was, it had felt right. He said, "I want to marry you. I always have."
    "Is there a reason not to do it today, with our family and friends all here?"
    "Your family isn't here."
    "Maria can't travel any more. The rest of them don't much care. Anyway you gave me your family."
    "I don't have a ring for you."
    "I have two."
    Jacob smiled slowly. "How long have you been planning this?"
    "Since it began to look like the law might pass. Hannah did most of the legwork." Daniel took his arm again. "Come on, Trip. Let's do this thing. I want to call you my husband before we die."
    Jacob yanked him close, clutching him hard even though it threw them both off balance. "Don't. Don't say it like that."
    "Okay. I want to call you my husband for at least a decade or two. Better?"
    "Yes." He adjusted his cane and they began walking again. The crowd at the end of the slip came toward them with greetings and hugs. Eddie was looking damned old, despite being a couple of years younger than Jacob was. They hugged carefully, aware of each other's infirmities. Eddie whispered against his cheek, "I wish Phil could have hung on long enough for this. But I'm glad I get to see you and Daniel do it."
    "Me too." Jacob's eyes were damp as he pulled back. Damned wind in his face.
    Eventually they got sorted out, and headed up a shallow gangplank onto the waiting boat. Jacob walked carefully on the ridged boards. Wouldn't it be just like him to fall in the drink on his wedding day? They got Eddie on board even more carefully. Jacob said to Daniel, "Why a boat? You hate boats. And as steady as I am these days I'm likely to fall over in the middle of our vows." For a moment he heard that phrase, our vows , echo in his head and missed what Daniel replied. "Huh?"
    "I thought it was fitting," Daniel said. "I don't know. Hannah suggested it and I was going to say no and then yes just kind of popped out. It kind of closes the circle, back to where we began."
    "Okay."
    "Anyway, we're just going out on the bay. It's a lovely day, almost no wind. There shouldn't be much chop. And you're not that old yet."
    "You said that on purpose."
    "Don't chicken out on me."
    "I'm not." Jacob surprised himself by reaching out and taking Daniel's hand. "Definitely not."
    The shore slipped away from them as the boat headed out onto the water. Daniel was right, the harbor was damned nearly a pond this morning. The sun