The Wedding

With all the excitement going on recently, there's not as much time as I'd like to spend with Raradia. It's taking longer to teach her than I planned, yet there's really no helping it. Elioviel wants me to be involved in every step of her wedding planning.

I've attended the weddings of my children before, but this is the first time I've done so much to help. As it is, human weddings really aren't so different from elvish weddings. Everyone wears their best clothes with the bride wearing a fancy dress of her favorite color. Family and friends from all over gather to watch the ceremony where the groom and bride promise themselves to each other. Naturally, for elves their declaration is for all eternity instead of until death. There's a marvelous party afterwards. The main difference between the weddings is that the party lasts all night, and it's the wedding morning instead of the wedding night that the groom and bride anticipate.

Morti has been staying over almost every night. The wedding is a bittersweet for him what with his mother passing away recently. I hear his father isn't doing so well either. Anyway, Morti's staying over makes getting everything done easier. It's actually him who has come up with most of the ideas and suggestions for what the wedding will be like. He has a great eye for design.

I make him sleep downstairs in Elediril's room with him. It's so that he is as far away from Elioviel as possible, and also so Elediril can catch him if he tries to sneak upstairs. I don't care if Elioviel and Morti's wedding is right around the corner. They're not going to be doing anything until they are good and married.

Elioviel and Morti were determined to have their wedding on the first day of spring so the wedding could be at the park before the spring festival was set up. That day happened to also be Noril's birthday though. I made sure we celebrated it properly despite the craziness trying to get everything else ready. He was not going to be forgotten. Noril thankfully didn't seem to mind that the day wasn't going to be about him. He and Milmarion were more than happy to sit and play videos games while the rest of us scrambled about preparing.

I wasn't sure we would be ready in time. Then, in the blink of an eye, the family and all the guests were seated at the park surrounded by beautiful decorations while Elioviel and Morti stood under the arch. As I'm sure you are expecting, I cried during the whole thing. The ceremony hadn't even started yet when my tears began rolling down my cheeks. My eyes were so full of water that I could barely see as Morti slid the gorgeous ring he had bought onto my daughter's finger.

Despite what their classmates at school said about the two of them never lasting, today is the proof that they were all wrong. I know marriages and couples splitting up are becoming more common amongst human relationships, but I simply cannot see that being the path for Elioviel and Morti.

I was truly incredibly happy, yet there was sadness in my chest that was just as great. It wasn't because I was giving my baby girl away. That doesn't bother me at all anymore. I know I might be selfish for saying this, but I was sad for myself. It's the same old thing I've faced before. I got to see Elioviel be bound to the love of her life, and I wanted so desperately to be in her place.

I'm tired of being patient. I'm tired of what should be the most intimate expression of a lasting and deep love only being something that causes me to feel empty. Sure, I feel physically good for a while. Those small moments vanish so quickly though, especially with me being an elf. An hour is nothing in the span of my lifetime. The good moment ends, and I always return home alone.

I forced myself to stop my thinking. It really was selfish, and if I want to wallow in self-pity, I can do it tomorrow. There was no excuse for missing out the enjoyment of the wonderful moment in front of me.

The reception was also held at the park. Elioviel and Morti cut the delicious looking wedding cake they had ordered and everyone got to eating. I became particularly fascinated by the turkey dinner while Milmarion decided to try the hot wings and ended up with a very sore mouth.

When the meal was over, all that was left to do was enjoy some dancing. Elioviel and Morti shared the first one, of course. I couldn't help but to cry again. It was such a sweet and tender moment of joy. There was so much happiness in their eyes even though they kept stepping on each other's toes. I can barely remember anything else that was so heartwarming. 

The party lasted quite a while. They guests knew when it was time to leave though for we were all aware the new couple wanted to begin their evening. Morti's father was passing the large family house down to him, and with Mr. Goth taking a trip to visit friends after the reception finished, Elioviel and Morti had the whole house to themselves. Elediril, Milmarion, Noril, Raradia, and I made our own way home.

It was right back to business the next morning. The boys were sent off to school while Raradia and I started on her walking.

Knowing that Elioviel and Morti would be giving me a grandchild sooner rather than later, I somehow got the idea into my head that becoming pregnant had become a race. There was no better time to try for a new child given that Elioviel and Morti weren't around to distract me anymore, and that Raradia was all taught and well into her toddler days. 

The father of that new child turned out to be a young man by the name of Mr. Carlton Cash. He was one of the party crashes I met at the wedding. I decided to pay him and visit, and we had a long conversation on his front porch. Mr. Cash is certainly a very opinionated person, I'll say that much. We did eventually make our way inside to get down to business.

Elediril, Milmarion, and Noril snuck outside one night to the spring festival despite it being a school night and me flat out telling them not to go. They chose not to listen. All of the festival activities were closed by the time they got there, but the three of them still stayed for a long time playing horseshoes. They somehow expected me to be sympathetic when they were exhausted the next morning and didn't want to go to school. They made their choice, so I told them to suck it up and deal with the consequences of their actions.

Letters from ada and Eloril are thankfully frequent. Eloril says that it was slightly difficult again to adjust back to being in the elvish lands. He revealed that the same was not true for ada. I knew he was very glad to be going home. Ada admitted before he left that he still couldn't forgive humans, and that hate for them remains in his heart. His only concession was that he was able to like the ones he met a little. I remain glad that he improved in any manner, but I also understand that simply being here consistently stressed him out. Being home where he can be truly comfortable must be a great relief.

Ada and Eloril's letters, and thinking about being home, made me have a huge realization. At this pace, when I finally do return home I will have spent considerable more time living on this side of the wall than I have in my own lands. I will have lived longer amongst humans than my own people. The truth is both amazing and terrifying and one more reason for me to push this task forward faster.

I had my break. The pace needs to be picked up once more......