Urs stood beside Carlos and leaned to Seb where he stood with David.

“Elope, Sebastien…just run away with Maddie and elope.” One more deep breath and they stepped forward, side by side, two by two and walked firmly down the carpet to stand in front, but each on one side, of the priest, all four dressed in their white summer weight Armani with white shirts, white ties loosened, looking freshly scrubbed and suave, elegant and far more poised than they actually felt.

The music ended and there was a very brief pause, then the drum intro for Morricone’s Gabriel’s Oboe {Nella Fantasia} started with the orchestra playing back up to Grupo Tahine playing the melody on the pan pipes.

**

Elena and Janet clutched hands and smiled encouragingly at each other when Sam and Neto arrived on the patio and Cena, Anya, Rose and Hazel hugged the two brides then left to take their seats, escorted to the front by Seb and Carlos who then returned to David and Urs, the two grooms now separated, David to the left of the priest with Seb, and Urs to the right with Carlos beside him.

“Everyone ready?” Neto asked with a huge smile. “Come, your new lives are waiting for you.”

Gerry and Maddie preceded them to the end of the walkway around the house and the orchestra began playing the intro for Morricone’s Gabriel’s Oboe {Nella Fantasia} with Grupo Tahine playing the haunting melody on the Pan Pipes.

Gerry took a deep breath, much as she would before walking on stage to give a performance, nodded at Maddie and they began their walk down the aisle.

**

The witnesses rose and looked back down the wide aisle, watching as Gerry and Maddie came into view, their faces radiant, gowned in rose red silk halter topped dresses with full skirts that fell to their ankles, carrying sprays of white roses. They reached the front, stood beside Carlos and Sebastien and all eyes turned again to the beginning of the long red carpet. Now Urs and David looked as well, for some reason both holding their breath.

Urs saw Neto’s thick head of grey hair first as the 2 couples turned the corner onto the carpet, then his breath caught and heart leapt as he saw Elena and she raised her eyes from the carpet to search for him. He took an involuntary step forward, every nerve of his body urging him to run, not to get away but to meet her and gather her in his arms and keep her there forever.

She radiated beauty and love as their eyes met and held and he felt his face ache with the urge to cry and smile, to sing as he had never before let himself, for her, only for her. His mind didn’t register the red spray of roses she carried or his mother’s pearls or the slender column of white silk that encased her body, strapless, fitted snugly over her ample breasts and outlining her waist in a wide band of tiny pearls that spiked to peaks just under her breasts and again in several points over her flat stomach and round hips. The skirt flared below the knees for comfort when walking and just touched her white strapped sandals. Only later did the vision of his first sight of her coming to him register in his over-loaded mind.

Across the few feet of space David was equally awe struck as Sam appeared with his Janet lightly touching his arm. He grinned at his proud Dad then paled as his eyes shifted to Janet, his beautiful Jan. The details of her appearance were lost on him…she could have been wearing jeans instead of the long white silk column that hung from thin spaghetti straps to gently outline her long body, nipping in at the waist then curving out again in a graceful bell to touch her white shoes, flashing in the late afternoon sun in iridescent glitter from the sprinkling of tiny stones embedded in a random pattern over the skirt. Like Elena her hair was swept up and back, allowed to cascade around the tiny rosebuds placed carefully here and there.

The brides and escorts reached the altar and both David and Urs held hands out to their partners for life, clasped the hands offered to them and turned together to kneel in petition before the priest.

And so it began, the few minutes of words, questions and responses that would unite the loves of these men with the women they had chosen as lifemates, love freely and willingly offered and accepted with joy, lives joined before God and man in age old ritual.

Urs kept stealing glances at Elena, finding her gaze often on him as well and they shared smiles as well as vows until finally, they were allowed to exchange rings and with only a brief moment of facing each other and swimming in the love found in each others eyes while David and Jan exchanged rings as well, the final pronouncement came to make them husband and wife.

David and Janet were already kissing when the priest laughingly gave them permission and turned to Urs to find them embracing as well, gently, then with abandon as she threw her arms around his neck and he picked her up, holding her around the waist.

The orchestra began playing once more and the priest led them to a side table to sign the paperwork, then back again to the altar where he introduced “David and Janet Miller, Urs and Elena Buhler” to the assembled witnesses.

They were swamped with well wishers before they could get far, all four a little in shock when Neto and Sam took them through the crowd and pushed David and Jan in the dining room, shutting the door behind them and Urs and Elena into the quiet Music room, with the door closed there as well.

“You are far too gorgeous to turn loose on all the women out there, Herr Buhler,” Elena said as he held her and she lay her face on his chest, listening to his racing heart.

“Hush, Love. Let me drink in the feeling of this moment. We are one, now, my little wife, before God and man. No-one can ever deny this love we have, will always have.”

He kissed her tenderly, on the top of her upswept hair, on her brow when she looked up at him with her eyes full of love and longing, resting on her lips gently then with more and more passion as they clung together.

“How soon can we get away from here?” he asked still holding her tight against him and she giggled when she felt the reason for his question.

“Probably a couple of hours, socializing, having something to eat, the first dance, that sort of thing.”

He swiveled his hips against her and tried to look fierce.

“They haven’t got what I’m hungry for.”

She looked at him for a moment then smiled, a slow seductive look that made him moan.

“Then let’s just go say thanks to our folks and the Divos and sneak off.”

They went back to the party, joined shortly after by David and Janet and made their way around the lawn, receiving well wishes and thanking everyone for coming. Armando got an extra kiss from Elena and a handclasp and hug from Urs for his kindness, they danced the first dance with David and Janet and Urs caught David’s eyes and the imperceptible nod that told him they were ready to escape too.

When they got to the atrium the Divos were there along with the Millers and Hazel, Cena and Neto and the elder Buhlers.

“Your bags are in the boat, Urs,” Neto said.

“And yours are in the Jeep,” Sam said with a grin.

“We recognized the signs,” Anya said with a laugh.

“Go, enjoy your new lives. We will keep everyone happy,” Cena said with a little shove. There was a flurry of hugs and kisses before Urs and Elena took off through the patio and down the stairs to the cigarette boat, while David and Janet got in the Jeep parked at the front entrance and headed south towards Boca de Tomatlan.

**