Finally Ready
The town had been overrun. I parked a block away and jumped out of the car.
These weren’t my usual running heels, but I didn’t have time to complain.
I had taken the remnants Patrick packed in the box and turned them into a look befitting a queen.
Nobody would notice that I wore the same outfit twice. It’d be my quiet shame.
I reached the back of the parade. The vehicles were idling, waiting for the command to roll forward. From flatbeds to pickup trucks to cars with blaring radios, Firefly had outdone itself. With a quick breath, I took in the grandeur of small-town pride.
I had arrived, and now I just needed to find the woman in charge.
“You made it!” shouted a man in the back of his pickup, holding a rainbow-colored chainsaw. There wasn’t time for a proper curtsey, so I gave him a quick salute as I charged down the sidewalk.
There were at least twenty vehicles overwhelmed by rainbows. I slowed, admiring the floats. The quilters. The market. The liquor store. Even Valhalla had a float. Chris’s Hollywood buddies had brought a double-decker bus. Shrieking filled the air as I found the Glitterati Guild.
“She’s here!”
I slowed to see Anita in the back of an eighteen-wheeler filled with women from the Quilting Guild. They proudly showed off their sewing skills, nearly covering the truck in rainbow-colored fabric.
“Is Gladys here?” I asked.
“Keep going.” Anita pointed toward the front of the parade.
I grabbed a handful of the silver sequin gown and hoisted it up. I didn’t care if I flashed my panties to the entire town. This girl had places to be. With a deep breath, I continued running along the sidewalk.
Between the vehicles, I had a glimpse of the green.
When I heard they were hosting their first Pride, I expected a handful of shops and the usual locals.
It was almost impossible to see grass beyond the thousands of people waiting for the parade.
Families had gathered in droves, circling the downtown while children waved their rainbow flags.
It appeared as if the northern half of Maine had come to show its support.
“Holy shit,” I gasped.
I had been struggling to take pride in myself… in all of me. The people of Firefly had opened their doors and in their louder-than-life way said, “We welcome you.” If I hadn’t been so stubborn and taken my cue from them, perhaps I’d have skipped an internal crisis.
“You’re here!” Jon shouted. “You’re here!”
I didn’t have time to admire the bears in their ripped flannel and tight jeans. True to her word, the burly lumberjacks raised bedazzled axes in salute. Even Lacie blew kisses as I sped by.
Gladys appeared from between the bears’ truck and a convertible.
Her hands were hidden behind her back as her head leaned to the side.
It took a moment before I realized she had made herself rainbow pants and a matching cardigan.
I had been dreading this reunion. My pulse raced as I searched for any of the apologies I had rehearsed.
“Looking for me?”
I slowed my run, huffing and puffing. Dropping the gown, I stopped just short of her. For the last week I ran away, but now that I ran toward something, I didn’t know what to say. First, I needed to address my piss-poor manners.
“I’m sorry.” She deserved an explanation. “I was working through—”
She revealed her left hand and the silver tiara. The other held the sash and scepter as if she had been waiting for me to arrive. I didn’t know what to say. After my behavior at the house, I had prepared myself for a good thwacking.
“I knew you’d come around.”
She spoke as if it were a fact. I’m sure my rudeness wouldn’t be forgotten.
It’d come up in casual conversation over coffee.
As her lip turned up, she ignored my offense and took pleasure in her subtle ‘I told you so.’ She’d bring it up until it became a legendary feat woven into the fabric of Firefly.
“Thank you,” I said. “For not giving up.”
“Have we met?” She cackled. “People say I’m relentless.”
Facts.
A tap on the shoulder and I spun to see Patrick with a grin from ear to ear. His flannel parted all the way to his navel. It went well with his brown leather chaps. I didn’t need him to spin around to know he aired his buns for all of Firefly.
“Are you ready?”
I turned to Gladys, who raised the tiara. I felt like a princess in a fairytale. Somewhere out in that crowd, my Prince Charming awaited me. For a second, I had the image of him carrying me across the threshold… even better, him slaying a dragon in my honor.
“Thank you,” I said.
“You owe me,” she replied. I had no doubt she’d hold that over my head for years to come.
“I’m ready.” The words were as much for Gladys as they were for me. “I’m finally ready.”
I dipped low as she slid the tiara onto my head; with a push, she ensured it wouldn’t fall from my wig. Patrick took the sash and hung it over my head. I felt as if I should have a victory speech, words of triumph, or a humble, “I don’t deserve this.”
The tiara might have been a flimsy piece of plastic, but as I stood, back straight and shoulders out, it became the summary of my visit to Firefly.
It had been waiting for me to get out of my way, for me to answer one question.
Who am I? It wasn’t an either-or answer.
It wasn’t even a name. I am fabulous. It seemed I was the last person to reach this conclusion.
I snatched the scepter from Gladys. I deserved it.
“Feisty,” she said. “I love it.”
“Again, thank you.”
“Child, you were born for the spotlight.”
“Are you going to keep standing there? Or do we get this party started?”
With a slight wave, Patrick took me by the hand.
He dragged me past the American Legion float, complete with veterans waving American flags in one hand and an assortment of queer identity flags in the other.
The sound of the motorcycles grew louder.
Dozens of women sat atop their hogs, ready to get the parade underway.
Amanda took up the rear, screaming her approval when she spotted me.
Patrick guided me to the door of a small red convertible where two older gentlemen waited. It took a moment before I recognized Aaron and Thom as the men Sammy’s father had berated. Before this trek around town ended, I’d be sure to apologize for his behavior.
Patrick opened the door and took a bow. “Your chariot awaits.”
I kicked off my heels and climbed into the back of the convertible. I took my seat in the back, double-checking my tiara and sash. It might be egotistical, but something about it felt right. Would it be rude to ask for a chariot all the time?
Patrick waved, running toward the back of the parade where the bears awaited. I refused to cry and ruin my makeup. Firefly had been willing to accept Mabel, not at the expense of Mike, but alongside her.
The Dykes on Bikes revved their motorcycles, filling Firefly with the roar of mufflers. One by one, they turned the keys, killing the engines. Aaron and his husband turned, eyebrows raised as if I might know what was going on. I shrugged.
Amanda’s was the only motorcycle still running. She turned about, equally confused by what was going on. A second later, she shut off her bike. It seemed that only the ladies in the motorcade—
I gasped.
From the front of the lane, I recognized the woman clad in leather. Tessa had worn her tightest leather pants, complete with a denim jacket. As she walked between the bikes, heads turned. They were in on it. All of them. I recognized a grand gesture when I saw one.
“Is she…” Aaron let the words trail off.
Thom slid up in his seat, ensuring he didn’t miss a beat. “She is.”
Tessa reached Amanda. All eyes turned to the two of them. Amanda, wonderful, chaotic Amanda, had no idea what was going on. For a woman obsessed with planning a wedding, she couldn’t see what unfolded in front of her.
“You said I should call when I got serious about us.”
I gripped my scepter tight enough that it might break.
Amanda still didn’t understand. “What are you—”
She froze as Tessa got down on one knee… or at least tried until the tight leather pants stopped her. She adjusted the fabric, pulling them up before finally getting into position.
Thom, Aaron, and I shared a collective gay gasp. Aaron reached out, taking Thom’s hand. Their matching wedding bands spoke volumes, and I had to fight off a second gasp.
“I want to be serious with you… forever.”
She reached into her breast pocket and produced a small black box. When she cracked it open, I wanted to ask about the cut of the diamond. It shimmered bright enough to know she hadn’t spared any expense.
“Amanda Kahl.” Tessa pulled the ring out of the box. “Will you be the chaos to my order?”
Amanda’s eyes shot up as she processed. From the women on motorcycles to the marching band, everybody held their breath. I had no idea how these women would make it work, but it didn’t stop me from being their number one fan.
“Girl, say yes!” I shouted.
Amanda dropped the kickstand and got off the bike. She pulled the glove off her hand before presenting it to Tessa.
“Yes!” she yelled. “YES!”
Tessa jumped to her feet. She lifted Amanda, spinning her around. The women cheered. Aaron held down the horn on the car. The town clapped. The marching band played the… the Imperial March from Star Wars? Not my first choice, but who was I to argue with love?
Tessa slid the ring onto her finger.
“Jason, we’re having a double wedding!” Amanda yelled.
The bikes turned on, and the ladies revved their engines. Amanda took her seat. This time, Tessa jumped on the back, arms wrapped around her fiancé’s waist. Firefly Pride—it gave the gays what they needed.
I raised my scepter into the air. “Let’s get this party started!”