Room 207 Redux

Nicky Pike was not a shy man. He was, by all accounts, a people person. In school, he'd never had a problem giving speeches. At the hospital, he was often asked to be the one to instruct new interns on their surgical rotation. And yet, he felt nervous standing here. He was floored when Byron called him a few months ago telling him that he and Jeff were having a 'commitment ceremony,' and they wanted him to act as the officiant.

"Why me?" Nicky had asked.

"Because you're my brother and you're Jeff's friend. And it's always been you, Nick, who's been the most supportive of us." Byron had been trying hard to respect Nicky's wishes and call him Nick.

"I'm a doctor, not a minister," Nicky said.

"Doesn't matter," Byron said airily. "How likely are we to find a minister in Stoneybrook who'd marry us? We can't even legally get married in Connecticut. That's why we're calling it a commitment ceremony. Look, if you don't want to do it..." Byron trailed off.

"No!" Nicky said sharply. "I definitely want to! I'm just surprised to be asked, is all."

"So you'll do it?"

"Yes. Of course I will."

So between several emails and phone calls and a lot of Googling about wedding ceremonies over the course of three months, the three of them managed to piece together their ceremony. It would be short and to the point - neither Byron nor Jeff were especially wordy and eloquent in their language. And since they were cobbling this ceremony together with very little knowledge of how weddings actually worked, they were free to do whatever they wanted and to really make this ceremony their own.

They decided to rent a room at a local restaurant for the occasion. It wasn't a huge room, the seating capacity was just over fifty, which meant that the guest list was reserved for close family and friends only. All of the Pike children were able to make it, Mallory with Ben, Jordan with Corrie and the kids, Adam, Nicky with Maggie, Vanessa with her longtime boyfriend, Margo and Claire. On Jeff's side he had, Mary Anne with her husband and children, Dawn with her boyfriend, Gracie and Richard.

Conspicuously absent were Jack and Carol Schafer. When their reply card had come back in the mail marked Will Not Attend, Jeff silently showed it to Byron, grabbed his cell phone and locked himself in the bedroom. Byron listened at the door, but Jeff was speaking too quietly and Byron couldn't determine who Jeff was talking to.

After an hour, Jeff came out of the bedroom, red eyed. "I'm going to a meeting," he'd said to Byron. "Elliot's meeting me there."

"OK," Byron said. Elliot was Jeff's AA sponsor. Since they'd been living together, Byron hadn't seen Jeff have a need for his sponsor, though Jeff talked about leaning heavily on him in the past. Jeff's life in the program and with Elliot remained a little bit of a mystery to Byron. In fact, he usually forgot about Jeff's alcoholic past unless Jeff brought up the meetings or Elliot.

While Jeff was gone, Byron shuffled through the rest of the mail. There were two other reply cards. The first was from Jeff's friend Leslie, the vegan chef who'd taught him everything she knew before moving to Oregon. She'd replied that she and her girlfriend would attend. The next reply card was from Jeff's half-sister Gracie, who'd also replied yes. Byron smiled, he knew it was good idea to send Gracie a separate invitation from Jack and Carol. (Most teenagers rebel by drinking or sneaking out at night. Gracie Olson-Schafer's teenage rebellion included getting close to Jeff. If she wanted to piss her parents off, it worked.)

When Jeff came back, he was much more relaxed. Byron showed him the other cards, and Jeff smiled widely. "You have people. Just because you don't have your dad and stepmom doesn't mean you don't have people," Byron said to him.

Jeff nodded. "I know. Elliot said he's coming too."

"Good. Are you all right?"

Jeff nodded again. "I'm all right. I'll be fine."

Still, on the day of the ceremony, Byron couldn't help but stare at the place where they would have sat Jack and Carol, but where Dawn and Gracie were sitting instead chatting with Jeff's Granny and Pop-Pop. Yeah, Byron reminded himself, Jeff definitely has people.

Other people included Shea Rodowsky and his wife, Molly. Haley Braddock, who had moved to the L.A. area around the same time as Byron and had looked them up, was there with her brother Matt. Rex (who, in a surprising move had called Byron out of the blue about six months ago to apologize, and renewed his friendship with both Byron and Jeff) was there with his new boyfriend who, Byron noted wryly, didn't look a day over twenty five. Byron knew his social circle outside his family was small, but he was content with it. Besides, he hadn't been living in California long enough to make friends who are close enough to invite to such an intimate ceremony.

Byron was peeking into the room watching his friends and family mingle. Richard was standing at the front talking to Nicky, who only appeared to be half-listening and concentrating harder on going over the ceremony notes. Adam and Jordan were standing on the other side of Nicky talking quietly to each other. Richard was acting as Jeff's best man (for lack of a better word) and Adam and Jordan were sharing best man duties for Byron.

Rex and his boyfriend were talking to Leslie and her girlfriend. Maggie, Mallory and Ben had struck up a conversation with Elliot and his wife. It was surprising to Byron to see all of these people who'd never met before getting along so well.

"What do you think?"

Byron turned around and saw Jeff standing there, smiling.

"I think it's a good turnout."

Jeff looked over Byron's shoulder. "I think you're right." He grabbed on to Byron's hand. "Are you ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Byron said. Byron stood back and waved his hands to get Nicky's attention. Nicky smiled and nodded. He stood up straighter, cleared his throat and waited while Richard, Adam and Jordan took their places and the room quieted down.

"Let's do this," Jeff said.

"Wait," Byron pulled Jeff back. Jeff looked at him with concern. "I love you," Byron said. "Even without all this," Byron waved his hands toward their guests, "I'd still love you."

"I know," Jeff smiled. "I love you too." He looked in and saw every eye was watching them talk in the doorway. "Come on. We've got people waiting for us." And he and Byron walked up to the front of the room slowly, hand in hand.

People watched them solemnly, though the serious nature of the moment was broken by Jordan's two year old son Aidan calling out, "Hi Bine! Hi Jep!" Byron and Jeff laughed and waved to their nephew.

When they got to the front of the room, standing before Nicky, he smiled at them before starting to speak.

"When two people choose to be committed to each other for life, it doesn't matter what the law says. That there are two people who are willing to be with each other and forsake all others is a beautiful thing. How fortunate for us that we get to be here to witness the joyful union of these two men, Jeffrey Charles Schafer and Byron Joseph Pike. As Byron and Jeff stand here before us to proclaim their love and their commitment, we rejoice with them and for them as they undertake a life together.

"Both Byron and Jeff recognize that they learned their ability to love and learned that love is a natural state of being, from their parents. So today, Byron would like to recognize his parents, John and Dee Pike as shining examples of a loving relationship. Jeff would like to recognize his stepfather, Richard Spier, who never gave up on him and never gave up on love. We would observe a moment of silence to remember Jeff's mother, Sharon Spier, who is certainly watching from above with a smile on her face. And so we thank John and Dee and Richard and Sharon for making today possible, not only for Byron and Jeff, but for all of us."

Nicky paused as everyone looked down, some with their hands clasped in prayer thinking of Sharon, and how happy she would be to have seen this day. And no doubt, some were wondering why Jeff's father couldn't be bothered to show up for this event.

Nicky continued. "Love is easy. To love someone is to touch their lives as an artist touches a canvas or a musician plucks a string. Love is reciprocal. Love is giving a piece of yourself in return for getting a piece of the one you love. Love, simply, is the richest part of life. Love comes naturally to most of us, and I can tell you from seeing it that the love between Byron and Jeff is natural and easy.

"But love is not the only thing to make a commitment such as this one work. The commitment will take hard work, faith, patience, and dedication. These things do not come as naturally as the love does, but it's the love behind the hard work, faith, patience and dedication that make it worth it. When two people work together to make one bond, it will not diminish either individual, but will enhance each partner.

"At this point Byron and Jeff have asked that Jeff's stepsister, Mary Anne McCoole, give a reading."

Mary Anne stood up nervously. Forty pairs of eyes rested on her as she cleared her throat nervously. "An Apache Blessing.

"Now you will feel no rain,

For each of you will be shelter to the other.

Now you will feel no cold,

For each of you will be warmth to the other.

Now there is no more loneliness,

For each of you will be companion to the other.

Although there are two bodies,

But there is only one life before you.

Go now to your dwelling place,

To enter into the days of your togetherness.

And may your days be good and long upon the earth."

Nicky smiled and continued. "Who has the commitment rings?"

"I have," Adam said, and pulled the rings out of his pocket and handed them to Nicky.

Nicky held the rings in his hand. "A ring is a perfect circle. Symbolic of a line with no beginning and no end. A ring reminds us of the universe, where all things are possible, as it will be in the union of these two men." Nicky held up the rings, "Let us send good thoughts and prayers to these rings, the symbols of Jeff and Byron's commitment to each other."

Nicky looked in the rings and handed Jeff the ring with Byron's initials engraved inside and handed Byron the ring with Jeff's initials engraved inside.

"Jeff, put the ring on Byron's finger and repeat after me." Jeff slid the ring onto Byron's finger easily and waited patiently for Nicky.

"Byron, this ring is a symbol of love and happiness.

With this ring, I promise to love and respect you my whole life.

To be faithful and honest with you.

To give you encouragement, strength and trust,

To stand with you in times of great sorrow and great joy.

To make our home one of love, understanding, patience and tolerance.

To do good with you, for you and by you.

To always grow with you.

I promise that from this day forward I will be your partner in life

And walk next to you throughout all your tomorrows."

"Byron, place the ring on Jeff's finger and repeat after me."

Byron slid the ring on Jeff's finger and held on tightly as he repeated Nicky's words.

"Jeff, this ring is a symbol of love and happiness.

With this ring, I promise to love and respect you my whole life.

To be faithful and honest with you.

To give you encouragement, strength and trust,

To stand with you in times of great sorrow and great joy.

To make our home one of love, understanding, patience and tolerance.

To do good with you, for you and by you.

To always grow with you.

I promise that from this day forward I will be your partner in life

And walk next to you throughout all your tomorrows."

"Byron and Jeff, remember to treat both yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together.

"Give the highest priority to kindness toward one another. When frustration, difficulty or fear assail your relationship – as they will threaten all relationships at one time or another – remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part that seems wrong. Remember that even on cloudy days, the sun is still there. And if it's difficult to remember that, know that when the clouds pass, the sun will be there again.

"And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your lives together, and remember to never stop looking for the sun through the clouds, your life together will be marked by abundance and delight.

"As you have consented together in this ceremony to live in a committed union, forsaking all others, and by doing so in front of your closest friends and family, it gives me pleasure to pronounce that Jeffrey Charles Schafer and Byron Joseph Pike are partners for life.

"You may seal your union with a kiss."

Byron and Jeff smiled at each other, and gripping their hands in front of them, leaned in for a kiss. Not too long a kiss, no tongue, but not a quick peck either. A loud cheer came up from their friends and family. After the kiss they held hands and turned to face everyone, and Nicky called out, "Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you the Pike-Schafer partnership."

More cheering as Byron and Jeff walked through their friends and family, giving hugs and kisses and accepting congratulations.

The ceremony had been exactly what they wanted. Short, with a lot of focus on love and the hard work of relationships, and most importantly, a day shared with their friends and family.

There was a small dinner and reception afterward, right in the same room as the ceremony had been. Dinner was good. The reception was definitely quieter than Mallory's, but small and intimate. Neither Byron nor Jeff was much for dancing, but at the urging of several of their friends and family, someone loaded Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World onto the stereo and forced Byron and Jeff to dance.

As they danced, they talked. That is how the two of them were, always finding something to talk about.

"Are you happy?" Jeff asked.

"Mmm-hmm," Byron nodded. "The happiest I've ever been."

"I wish we could take a honeymoon."

"We had one, remember? Traveling from New York to Anaheim. We just did things backwards. We had the honeymoon, then the engagement, then the marriage."

Jeff laughed, "Good point. Guess where we're staying tonight?

"At the same hotel where we had the reunion." They had planned it this way because it was convenient and it offered a shuttle to the airport.

"Yeah, but specifically."

"Where?"

"Room 207."

Byron threw back his head and laughed. "Did you do that?"

Jeff smiled and nodded. "I thought it was appropriate."

"God, I love you," Byron said still laughing.

"I love you too," Jeff answered, leaning in for a kiss. The kiss lingered and Jeff whispered into Byron's ear, "How much longer do you think we need to stay before we can get to Room 207?"

Byron chuckled and pulled Jeff in to him tighter and whispered back to him, "As soon as it's appropriate, we are going to leave and I am going to do very bad things to you in that hotel room."

Jeff sucked his breath in. "Let's go. As soon as the song's over."

Byron paused. The song was only about halfway over, so he kept whispering to Jeff, "marital sex is going to be so hot. I'm going to do things to you that have never been done before. You're going to be begging me to stop, then begging me for more."

"God, By," Jeff moaned trying to subtly grind his hips into Byron's without their friends and family all noticing. "You're killing me here. As soon as the song's over we're leaving. Got it?"

Byron laughed again. "Sure. I'm ready to go too."

And so the song came to an end, Jeff and Byron bowed to their friends and family. Jeff called out "Thank you and good night," and grabbed Byron's hand and headed toward the exit.

Byron laughed, he felt light and happy and heady all at the same time. They crossed the street and walked into the hotel where they were staying for the night. Their mood was exuberant, and by the time the elevator got to the second floor, Byron already had Jeff's shirt untucked and his hands down Jeff's pants. They raced to Room 207, where they started the second phase of their journey just a year and a half earlier. Jeff slid the key card through the slot and led Byron into the room where they collapsed against the wall together.

THE END.