Chapter Ten #3
I took his hands again and caressed my thumbs over his soft skin.
"I must thank you as well; when you came into my life, you also brought laughter, light and love into it. You completed me, and you truly are my heart and my soul.” I dried the tears that trailed down his face and placed gentle kisses beneath his eyes.
“My pledge to you is to respect you, honor you, and to hold you above all others. I will keep you safe while showing you everything this world has to offer. I will cherish you with all of my heart and love you with all that I am for the rest of time.”
From my pocket, I retrieved a ring that I had custom made by Evan; it was a perfect circle of blown glass in Brodie’s favorite shade of blue, which just so happened to match my eyes.
“Callum, it’s so beautiful,” he whispered as I slipped it onto his trembling hand.
I knew he’d love it; he collected so much of Evan’s work.
When I asked him why he loved glass so much, Brodie told me that he liked the idea of finding beauty in something fragile; that in the wrong hands, it was easily broken, but the right person would treat it gently and keep it safe.
I took his insightful words to heart and vowed to always be the right person for him.
The ring settled onto his finger in a perfect fit. “With this token, I seal my vows.”
Lachlan cleared his throat. “Callum and Brodie would now like to take this time to toast their new life together. It is a tradition in Scotland to toast love with a Quaich. This small pewter cup has two handles, symbolizing love and partnership. It also symbolizes your trust in one another to provide all that you need.” He lifted the cup filled with whiskey from the small table beside him and handed it to both of us.
Brodie took one handle while I took the other.
“As you hold onto this cup, reflect on how your love for each other makes you stronger. Your bond is a partnership which prepares you for the challenges and triumphs life will bring you. When you drink, you are pledging to approach everything in life together. Brodie, do you make that pledge, and take Callum to have and to hold for all time?”
Brodie’s eyes sparkled as he looked into mine. “Tha mi,” he whispered, warming my chest with pride and love. It meant so much that he remembered those two simple words, and honored me by using them.
“Please take a drink from the Quaich.” We lifted the cup together and Brodie took a sip of the whiskey. “Callum, do you make that pledge, and take Brodie to have and to hold for all time?”
“Tha mi.” I winked at Brodie and he helped me take a sip from the Quaich.
Lachlan took the cup and placed it back on the table. He then placed a hand on each of our shoulders and recited a blessing, “May joy and peace surround you both, contentment latch your door, and happiness be with you now, and Fate bless you evermore. Please celebrate your bond with a kiss.”
I wrapped my arms around Brodie’s waist and he clung to my neck when I dipped him low to the ground, kissing him deeply as the crowd went nuts with applause. When I lifted him upright, the scent of Brodie’s arousal mixed in the air with my own.
Lachlan smiled at us both before lifting his hands to the side and addressing the crowd. “It is my greatest honor to present to you these bonded mates, Master Callum Duff and Brodie Duff.”
The crowd cheered again, and several people wiped the moisture from their eyes. Our friends hustled to the front of the crowd and wrapped both of us in tight embraces. They all gave their congratulations and well wishes as we squished together into a cluster of faces and arms.
Lachlan slipped away from the group and returned carrying a large box. “Shall I pass these out?”
“What are those?” Brodie asked, straining his neck to see inside.
“Those are torches,” I replied. “I know how much you wanted to march in the parade on St. Andrew’s Day, so I thought we could have a little parade of our own.
” The sky was dark and full of twinkling stars.
“There’s a torch for everyone here; we can light them and carry them to the field, where I’ve set up a party in your honor. ”
Brodie’s eyes shimmered and he put his hand over his mouth. “You did all of that for me?” he asked in a muffled, appreciative voice.
“Of course, m’anam. I wish I could give you the world.”
“You already have,” he insisted, giving me a tight hug.
“It’s so beautiful,” Ben sniffled, clinging to Dante and making Sam chuckle.
Fletcher extended his arms toward Lachlan. “I’ll give you a hand passing those out.”
“Me too,” Milo offered. All of our friends spread out to help Lachlan distribute and light the torches. Dante gave Brodie and I the last two, and lit them with the flame of his own.
I offered to lead the parade with Brodie, but my sweet mate said that he’d rather be in the back so he could enjoy all of the lights as they trailed down the hillside.
So that’s what we did; hundreds of flickering points of light snaked down the heathered hill and across the fields, paving the way to our bright future.