Chapter Text
Today is the day, he thinks when he wakes up. Flora is pressed next to him in bed and he doesn’t dare move to disturb her.
Today is the day when his mums finally get married.
Mikey remembers when him and Flora got married like it was just yesterday and not 7 years ago.
7 years, geez he thinks as he finally slips out of bed away from Flora. This latest pregnancy has been hitting her harder than the previous. He’ll wake up Grant in an hour to let them all get ready for the day together.
He thinks and drinks a brew as the TV drones in the background of the kitchen. He’s more nervous about today than he was during his own wedding. It’s funny but true. Today his mums get married and it's exciting and nerve-wrecking thinking about his speech at the wedding. It’s something he’s been wanting to say for a while, but he’s never fully put it into words yet. He hopes they feel the same way as he speaks, because he just wants them to be happy.
“Brew?” he hears Flora’s voice coming from the hallway.
He gets up and pulls a mug down and pours the tea out into her cup.
“This is why I love you,” she says softly as she joins him leaning against the counter. His eyes drift downwards, landing on the growing bump on her stomach that contains his daughter .
“Mum’s always happy to know that.”
“Are you nervous?”
“No.”
Flora laughs and presses against him. “It’ll be nice,” she reassures. Their backyard will be transformed to provide the small ceremony. Some of their friends are coming, along with Owen and Hannah. Miles sends his best wishes, but he’s tied up at work. They both miss him dearly when he’s in London. “They’ll love the speech.”
He hums, but he’s not entirely sure.
“They’ll love it,” she tells him again, grabbing his hand and pulling it up to rest on her cheek. “I promise.”
He sighs and leans to press a kiss against her mouth.
With Flora by his side, how could anything possibly go wrong?
The wedding was, of course, a good day.
Mum and Dani already had their wedding certificate, getting it the day that same-sex marriage was legal in 2009. This was more of a celebration than the actual ceremony. It was small and intimate, just the way they had planned.
Mikey remembers when they first got their civil union in 2000. Mum and him had stood outside in the rain for four hours waiting to get into the building. He hadn’t the heart to let her go alone with Dani spending the day at the shop.
It was years since they first exchanged rings between the two of them. Mikey remembers planning it all with Dani, making sure it was perfect so that it would be a surprise. He remembers them both crying and him crying himself.
His memories before Dani are limited. She’s been a part of his life for the majority of it now. More memories between the three of them than when it had been him and Mum.
Flora had tried to convince Mum to not make the arrangements, saying that it was her day to be celebrated, not to work. It hadn’t worked out in the end, Mum made the arrangements and Dani and Flora planned the rest of the day.
Grant spends the majority of the ceremony in Delphine’s arms. Grant eagerly eats up all of the attention he can get from his aunt.
Del hadn’t been alive when their mums had first exchanged rings. She was young, only a few months old when they got their civil license. She had stayed with Dani when they went to get the license, but was a big part of the celebration, getting sick the same night.
Mikey couldn’t believe that gaining a sister when he was nearly twenty would have granted him one of the best gifts of his life.
He could remember how much attention he got at ten with their mums, so it didn’t surprise him that they had the same enthusiasm in raising a second child after he was already out of the house. Mum had him so young, only sixteen when he had been born.
This time, Dani got to be around for all the firsts. First time Del walked or talked, they both were there.
One night when he was sixteen, he remembers hearing a conversation between Dani and Mum. He was listening against the door as he heard Dani crying. She had talked about missing so much with Mikey and Mum reassured her that she hadn’t missed the most important stuff, the stuff that he would remember.
It was true. Dani was as vivid part of his life as his Mum was.
She had been there through thick and thin. Good and bad. No matter how much he pushed, she never left. After the first few years together, Mikey knew she’d never leave.
Never again was it just him and Mum.
Mikey is the only one to make a speech. He feels the nerves wreck up inside of him before Flora nudges him to stand up and take the stand. He makes his way to the dance floor of their backyard where the speakers and microphone is. Anyone else who wanted a speech had long ago told his mums what they were feeling. They had been together long enough that for most, there isn’t a need to speak of all the time together.
Mikey had wanted to. He had asked Mum in private, away from Dani. Letting her know that he wanted to speak, wanted to be part of their day. Mum had reassured him that Dani wouldn’t mind.
He glances over towards Flora for a supportive nod as she holds Grant’s tired body against her. How blessed with the Taylors that they found women who loved them so dearly.
“Since I could remember, it was always me and my mum,” Mikey starts, his hand is steady on his glass of champagne. He remembers the time between the two of them so vividly, more than he remembers anytime without her, although he knows there were years apart. The two of them live in that tiny apartment outside London, trying to get custody of him, fighting with the courts until it happens. Then off to Bly where the rest of their days before Dani entered their lives.
“Lucky, I don’t remember anything else, because it was the best way to grow up. I had all her attention and thrived under it, no matter how hard I tested her patience, she stayed.” There’s laughter around them and Mikey is smiling as well, but he knows better. Mum would never have left him. She always kept her promises. “Stayed when she hadn’t needed to, chose to be my mum.
“I was 9 when I first met Dani,” he glances and stares at Dani. Dani, who looks perfect and is smiling that smile that makes him relax, no matter when she gives it to him.
“It’s not all the time you’re grateful to have a single mum growing up, for not having a dad. But, I am. I’m grateful I didn’t have anyone else because that means mum and I got Dani.
Dani who was there for all my scraped knees and bad grades. Who stayed up late in the night helping me graduate with honors. And she never asked for anything in return.
I’ve never called her mom. Maybe I was too scared at first, but she was always just Dani. But in truth, that’s what she is,” his eyes go back to his mums, watching as Dani is tearing up and Mum looks at him like he’s finally all grown up.
“She’s my Mom as much as Mum is.
So, I’m glad I had a single mum growing up. Glad that we waited until Dani entered into our lives.
Mum, Mom , you two are perfect together and I love you.”
He’s barely finished with his speech when Dani has gathered up her dress and made her way over to him, enwrapping him in the biggest hug she can, leaning up to grab at him.
“I love you,” she says against his blazer and he smiles.
“I love you too, Mom.”
Dani pulls back to stare at him, getting used to hearing him say it.
Because it feels so good to finally say it.
No longer does Del have to feel confused on why he still calls her Dani.
No, she’d forever be Mom now.
Mum joins them after a moment and hugs him just as tightly.
Soon enough, Flora is on the floor with Grant and Del is making her way to him, smiling widely.
Mikey didn’t know what he did to deserve his family, but he did know one thing.
His mums were the reason it had all happened.
The rest of the night is spent in celebration, dancing goes on late into the night. Grant falls asleep with Del in the spare bedroom. Flora holds onto him all night and his mums have the wedding he always wanted for them.
God, how lucky was he.