Chapter Text
Maggie was holding her breath as she waited for Sydney to emerge from the changing rooms. They were trying on dresses … for fun. Not just any dresses though… Wedding Dresses.
But for some reason her ever practical girlfriend was taking this more seriously or so it seemed. She had been in the room for a whole 5 minutes. I mean five minutes… that is a long time isn’t it? How hard was it to change into another dress?
She unconsciously started furiously tapping on the archaic chair she was sitting in. The assistant had long since given up on the somewhat annoying couple who just were not taking this whole thing seriously and so had retreated to the counter. She waited patiently another five minutes before barging into the changing room.
The sight that met her eyes almost scared her to death.
Sydney was in the far corner of the room holding her knees tightly to her chest and silently crying. Maggie immediately ran to her and took her into her arms. Though cold and stiff at first, Sydney eventually relented and eased into Maggie’s gentle but firm embrace. It was then that Maggie glanced upon the phone lying at her feet.
“They told me I was going to hell” she sobbed as she desperately tried to breathe in.
“Hey, hey. It’s ok. I’m here, shhhhh”. She patted Syds semi wet hair. How long had she been crying like this and she had been waiting obliviously outside.
Maggie gently tried to calm her but inside she felt a fire raging uncontrollably.
How could someone who should have unconditional love for their child say and treat their very own like this? She pulled Sydney closer in an effort to protect her from an unknown eminent threat. Sydney responded by burying her face in the crook of Maggie’s neck. Her hands were tightly wound around her girlfriend’s body and Maggie could feel warm tears falling down her neck and then down her chest.
“Please never leave me” Sydney managed between closed teeth and breathy sobs.
“I’m here Sydney, I’m not going anywhere, though honestly right now I would will to be elsewhere to give some certain someone’s a piece of my mind. What else did they say?”
“It’s not important”
She sighed as she knew that whatever was not said was probably the most cutting and hurtful.
“Syd, we talked about this. NO secrets remember?” Maggie gently kissed the back of Sydney’s wet neck and parted a few strands of hair so she could view her girlfriends face through the mirror.
“Its uh…. Not really that important” she stuttered on her words and then turned her head away from Maggie’s view.
She let her cry because she knew it was what was best for her but she would be there till the end.
And she knew with uttermost certainty that this was the women that she would eventually marry, hell maybe even sooner than later.
“Babe, you are not going to hell. If anything you would be off on a one way ticket to heaven. Think of all the people you have saved and all the little babies you have miraculously delivered. You are an amazing person and I’m so incredibly proud of you for sticking up for yourself and oh so unbelievably happy that out of all the women in this world, you chose me. Like I still don’t even know why. I’m not even so very girl crazy as yourself”
She heard a snicker come from somewhere beneath the fiery red hair.
“That’s not what I’d think after last night”
“Aha, well I guess you got me.” She kissed the forehead that had emerged from her hiding place.
“You know I love you right Syd?” she asked with genuine affection and concern heavily laced in her tone.
Sydney could barely look back at her face but she eventually managed a small smile.
“I guess so”
“What do you mean I guess so, I dropped everything and came with you to London? I’m redoing studies as well as a consequence of coming here. And then there’s that bed I had to fight with back in Toronto. Of course I love you. ‘I guess so’.. What kind of an answer is that?”
This got Sydney laughing. Her mission was complete. She pulled her ever increasing amazing girlfriend into a tight hug.
“I’ll never leave you, so never ask me to leave you. Please just do the same. I don’t think my little heart could take another Sydney departure.”
She pulled away from Sydney who was still trying to stay in the embrace. She cradled her face in her hands.
“Syd, you are my one and only. It took both of us long enough to figure that out. I’ll protect you through thick and thin. Even from those who are supposed to love you unconditionally. Also I forbid them and you from contacting each other. Effective from today”
Syd laughed a gentle breezy laugh.
“This sounds an awful lot like wedding vows”
“Oh yeah?”
Syd nodded her head in confirmation.
“Well I guess you could be right. Who knows maybe a wedding is not far in our future.”
She winked back at her amazing redhead and once again pulled her into a warm, gentle hug.
This was the love she had always longed for.
And nothing and no one would take it away from her.