Jack had no reason to feel nervous, so she refused to look nervous. She had been told to go into a separate room to get ready. Now that she was secluded in the room, she felt absolutely ridiculous. She had nothing to do to get ready. She wasn’t putting on a dress. She had barely convinced herself to change out of her Quidditch pads. Gabby was in charge of bringing Max. She would have conferred with him beforehand, but she had received notice that she was expected to bear proof of her marriage to Nemo within two days. Naturally, she had panicked and quickly called up a church, before plucking Sunny from daycare.
”You know all about this new marriage law thing, right Sunny?”
“Yeah. Max is getting married to Blondeship.”
“What’d I tell you about calling her that?”
“Not to say it in front of Max?”
Jack fought off a blush, holding Sunny’s hands tighter and refusing to look at Max. “Not to say it,” she corrected, though both Dyllan women knew otherwise. “Yes, well, Max and I discussed it, and rather than having Bl- Ms Bishop move in with us or have Max move out, we’re just going to comply with the law and get married. Now, this isn’t usually how grown ups get married, okay? Don’t get married until you want to, alright, Sunny? We’re getting married now so that we can make sure we fix this law so other people don’t have to do it too. Nothing’s going to change, and when the law is over, nothing will be different either. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“What do you understand?”
“You’re in love.”
“No, Sunny, that’s not what I said.” Jack looked helplessly up at Max, though she knew he would hardly have anything better to say. The little Dyllan girl was rarely talked out of her own logic.
“I have one question though.”
“What is it, Sunny?”
“Is your baby going to be my cousin like Charlie, or my aunt like you?”
It had been an odd adjustment. Telling people had been the hardest thing, simply because everyone liked to romanticize these sorts of things. And because it was her. The could see Max settling down because of the law, but everyone had expected jail or death before Jack Dyllan settled down with anyone. And it seemed that people simply did not buy the excuse that this was buying her time, or it was saving her so she could continue to take care of her family. Apparently, everyone thought she chose being stubborn over being logical. It was her own fault – she had set a pattern after all.
The woman who had told her to get ready popped her head back in, informing her that the groom was here. Eugh. Jack had not even begun thinking in terms of bride or groom. The words sounded weird. Still, she felt her heartbeat quicken and she hurried out of the room, intent on meeting with Max to explain what was going on. The woman said something about seeing each other before the wedding and Jack scoffed. “Please. We’re in court. This is a document signing.”
Then why did she feel so freaking nervous?
Jack hurried down one of the hallways, when a yellow arm caught her. Jack turned and looked straight at Sunny. “Sunny, please, go with Charlie and take off your raincoat.”
“Pick one – I’ll do one.”
Jack sighed. “Keep the coat.”
“Good luck, Aunt Jack.”
Jack sighed and kissed the top of Sunny’s head, before continuing to jog down the hallway, before it opened up into the main room of the courthouse. She turned and there were the two men she had been anticipating. Gabby was dressed dapper because he was the sort of jerk to do that to her – dress nice at her wedding, what an arse. And there was Max, looking as though he had been dragged out of the office which, as she thought about it, he probably had. He looked more than a bit confused, and his glasses were slipping down his nose. Funny. Jack liked him in glasses.
She quickly approached, and as she did, Gabby called out, “Here comes the groom!” She sneered at him and stopped right in front of Max.
“I’m sorry – I really am. I got a letter from the Ministry today and they’re not happy with me, so it has to be today.” She reached up and gripped his shoulders, looking right at him and determinedly keeping her eyes from Gabby who was now licking his lips in an attempt to piss her off. “I know this is a lot to just throw on a person, so if you want to change your mind or something, I totally understand. I just… I need it to be today. If that’s okay with you.”