Chapter 14 The Final Speech
The Final Speech
Seb
“Happy for you, bro,” I say for the thousandth time as Connor pulls me in for a hug. He’s wearing his wedding glow like a fucking badge of honor. Good for him.
The shock of the night? No one was shocked at Tasha and I coming out as a couple. Which means our relationship is fair game for banter.
“When are you gonna make an honest woman out of Finley’s cousin?” Connor nods to Tash and I don’t miss how he refers to her as “Finley’s cousin” and not his ex.
“When the time is right. Think we might date for a couple of days before I scare her off with a ring.”
“Speeches.” Romany inserts herself between us. “Connor, please find your wife and take your seats at the table. I’ll get the band to tell the other guests to do the same. We need speeches.”
“You heard the lady,” I say, giving Connor a last bro-hug and shove him forward. “We need speeches.”
I head over to the women, coming up behind Tasha. Her shoulders soften, and she leans back, almost as if she sensed me.
“Ladies,” I greet her friends. “Please tell me you approve of the happy glow Tasha is wearing?”
“My gift to both of you is not asking for details of how you put it there.” Lyssa receives high fives from everyone other than Tasha and me.
“Romany is on the warpath,” I say as the music stops and the lead singer asks us all to take our seats for the speeches.
Finley’s father gives the most boring of all boring Father of the Bride speeches. By the time we are able to make the toast, I need to chug more than one glass.
As planned, Connor’s speech and mine play off each other. We share anecdotes and have the room in laughter. Looking across the bride and bridesmaids, it strikes me that without Tasha’s grace our friendship group would have been destroyed.
And then it’s Tasha’s turn. Not all weddings have space for chief bridesmaid to make a speech, but Finley and Connor were brave enough to give Tasha the option.
She stands, and the pavilion quiets. All eyes on my beautiful girlfriend. The woman who was supposed to marry the groom. The cousin who got cheated on. The bridesmaid who became maid of honor because family forgives.
“When Finley asked me to be her maid of honor,” Tasha begins, “I’ll admit … I wanted to reject them.”
Uncomfortable shifting in the audience. Good. Let them sit with that.
“Not because I didn’t want to be here, but because I wasn’t sure I could be.” She pauses again to look at Connor. There’s a silent conversation that ends in mutual smiles. Not exactly friendly, but without any animosity. Every wedding guest has to respect her.
“…watching Connor look at Finley the way he does, seeing her light up when he smiles, I know this is right. They found their perfect match in each other.’
Her eyes find mine. She looks at me with so much naked emotion, I almost lose my train of thought.
“And watching them find their happiness helped me find mine.”
She. Did. Not. Just. Do. That.
Tasha raises her glass.
“So here’s to Connor and Finley. May you be as happy together as you both deserve to be.”
The pavilion erupts in applause. Finley is crying. Connor mouths “thank you” to Tasha and then nods my way with a “don’t you hurt her.”
Now who’s the asshole? Enough about the happy couple. I look to Tasha and mouth, “I love the hell out of you.”
She mouths back: “I know. Ditto.”