~ All or Nothing ~
by Leslaureate
Disclaimers: See Part 1
Feed The Bard: Please let me know if you like my work! I'd love to hear from you! leslaureat@aol.com
EPILOGUE
The party was a smashing success. It seemed that everyone that ever knew them attended the gala event. No one wanted to miss Izzy and Ginny's Twentieth Anniversary party. After all, not too many relationships in the lesbian and gay community ever lasted that long. Their house was decorated in silver and black-crepe paper and similar colored Mylar balloons streamed everywhere.
Izzy and Ginny stood at the dining room table cutting the cake, each holding a piece and playfully threatening to shove it in the other's face in response to the crowd's cat calls. Alex stood to the side, the unofficial photographer by default, laughing at her friends antics as she tried to coax them into posing, cake raised for the kill.
Alex clicked away until both Izzy and Ginny wore whipped creme frosting all over their faces. As the guests of honor began to clean themselves up, Alex turned to scope the crowd, pleased at the turnout. She had worked hard to help organize the party and was relieved to see that everyone was appearing to enjoy themselves and having a good time. Sensing a presence, she turned around and looked back behind her. Her heart started to flutter when she saw Stacy leaning against a doorway enjoying the festivities. Alex snapped a quick photo hoping to capture the look of peace and joy on Stacy's face.
'My God!' she thought to herself, 'She's just as gorgeous now as she was the night I first met her.'
Alex quietly walked up and stood next to Stacy without Stacy hearing her approach. Stacy felt body heat next to her and turned to see who it was, then returned her attention to the guests of honor.
"Hey," Alex said, watching Izzy and Ginny laughing across the room. "Having a good time?"
"Yes, I am. It's good to see stuff like this. It gives me hope."
"Yeh, it does. I always knew that they'd make it. I couldn't picture one without the other."
"Yep, they make a complete circle, two halves making a whole."
"Whatcha been doing?" Alex asked, raising her glass to Izzy and Ginny in a silent toast, watching their response in returning it by raising their own glasses.
"Been talking to a bunch of people I haven't seen in eons. It seems like 'ol home day. How about you? Are you enjoying yourself?"
"Yep. I think I got some great shots. Thank God I hired the caterers to do everything, otherwise I'd probably be a wreck. I have been wondering about something though. I've got a question for you."
"Yes?" Stacy asked inquisitively, turning to look at Alex with a raised eyebrow.
"I've been thinking . . . " Alex paused nervously.
"Well, that can be dangerous," Stacy teased.
"Hardy, har, har. Seriously, I've been thinking, and need to know something."
"Well, what is it already?" Stacy gently prodded.
"Um . . . It's been ten years since we first met and a lot has happened in that time, both good and bad."
"Yes, it has."
Alex turned to face Stacy, her face red with embarrassment and anxiety. "Well, thinking back, I wouldn't have traded the last ten years for anything and can't imagine you not in my future. I...I think we should make honest women out
of each other. Stacy, you're my soul mate. Without you I couldn't feel complete. Even after all of this time, my heart still flutters when I look at you. I am so absolutely and completely in love with you still that it's frightening sometimes. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and clean up each other's spittle when we're old and decrepit . . . Will you be my life partner and marry me?"
Stacy looked at Alex dumbfounded. Her partner was certainly unpredictable. "Alex you amaze me sometimes. I never know what you're going to come up with next." She whispered, pleasantly shocked at Alex's heart wrenching proposal.
"Well?" Alex asked anxiously.
"Alex, ten years ago I had every reason to kick you out of my life and God knows I tried. But you were a little pit bull and were very persistent. Since then, you've seemed to creep into and become part of every fiber of my being. I love you with all my soul and am already your life partner. But yes, my love, I'll marry you in a New York minute!"
Tears of joy and happiness slowly slid down both of their faces as they looked into the other's eyes. Alex pulled Stacy up against her, holding her tightly, not wanting the preciousness of the moment to escape. Alex pulled away just enough to find Stacy's lips with her own, entering into a soul wrenching
passionate kiss.
"God I love you so much Stac . . . I can't imagine my life without you," she whispered into Stacy's ear, her mouth nipping playfully at Stacy's earlobe.
"Hey, hey, hey! Enough of that!" Alex heard Ginny as she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Only Izzy and I can get away with that today! The way you two are acting people may think that you two are the ones celebrating." Ginny teased.
"Think again, my friend. We are celebrating." Alex laughed, wiping the tears off of her face with the back of her hand.
"Hey! What happened? You two ok?" Ginny asked concerned, noticing the puffiness and tear stains on her two friends' faces.
"Well Gin, you may as well be the first to know because you did introduce us," Stacy smiled as Alex gently wiped tears off of her cheek.
"First to know what?" Izzy asked, stepping beside her lover and putting her arm around Ginny's back.
"Well, this woman here has asked if she could make an honest woman out of me after all of these years and I said yes."
"Oh my God!" Izzy exclaimed, putting her hands over her mouth. "That's absolutely friggin fantastic!" she cried, moving to give them each a hug.
"Way to go bud! I'm so happy for you two!" Ginny congratulated, giving Alex a bear hug, then hugging Stacy. "What? No ring? Come on Al, you can do better than that!" Ginny teased noticing no ring on Stacy's finger.
"Well, I was going to wait for a more private moment, but what the hell," Alex hesitated before reaching into her blazer pocket and pulling out a ring box. She kneeled down on one knee and opened the box revealing a thick gold band with a diamond solitaire in the center and deep blue sapphires in a channel setting on each side of the diamond. "The diamond is my heart
and the sapphires are your eyes," Alex whispered as she pulled the ring out of the box, took Stacy's left hand and slipped it onto Stacy's ring finger.
Stacy held her hand up to look at the ring, tears again falling down her face. "Oh my God! Alex, this is exquisite!" Stacy cried, looking at the ring, still in shock from everything that was happening. "Come here you!" She grabbed Alex, pulling her up off the floor into a tight embrace, never wanting to let go of her and knowing that she truly now had it all.
FINIS Hope y'all enjoyed it! Let me know if you did! leslaureat@aol.com
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