Rajni clears her throat as she stands and looks around, her eyes coming to rest on her sisters.
Taking a breath she says, "I came here a stranger, and you made me family. I had nothing, and you gave me everything. You helped me to understand a lot about what love is, but more importantly...to love myself. Now, I see you and how much joy your love brings to each other." Rajni pauses to raise a glass to the brides, "A toast to my sisters. May you always put each other first, and seek your love's greatest good. May your lives be filled with joy and hope that can't be understood. May you prosper in your health, and wealth, and grace, and mercy too. May all you ever dare to dream be realized by the both of you, and may you forever find joy in each other's eyes, warmth in each other's arms, and love in each other's hearts. To Elena and Kama." Bringing the glass to her lips, Rajni takes a sip before sitting back down.
"Hear, hear!" Elena exclaims, lifting her empty glass symbolically.
Rajni blushes.
"That was very nice," Dillon says, squeezing Rajni's hand.
Looking up at him she smiles while still blushing slightly, "Thanks love, I was just a little nervous." She says, squeezing his hand in return aznd giving his cheek a kiss.
Asha and Priya finish serving the rest of the guests before getting their own food and finally sitting down.
After everyone finishes eating, people get up to leave. A few people remain to chat with Asha and Priya.
Rajni leans over to Dillon and whispers, "You gonna talk to Toni before we head back to your house? I was gonna help pick up the dishes before we go. I love you." Giving his cheek a kiss, Rajni gets up and starts clearing the dishes from the tables.
Feeling very full on all the delicious food, Arista has to have Alethiro help her up. Seeing Rajni starting to clear the tables, Arista gives her a wave before picking up their sleepy daughter.
Arista wait for Asha to have a free moment before approaching. Giving her a smile as she holds her sleeping daughter, "That was a beautiful ceremony, and your dinner was absolutely delicious. Thank you for inviting us to share this day with your family."
Dillon gets up and goes to sit by Toni as Rajni helps with the dishes.
"You're quite welcome," Asha says. "Thank you for coming."
Arista smiles, "It was our pleasure, but we should get her home and put to bed. I just wanted to tell you how much we enjoyed it, and how beautiful and happy all your girls look tonight. They have a really great mom and auntie though, so it's not surprising that they're all beautiful and happy." Arista gives Asha a brief hug, "Have a wonderful rest of your evening."
"You as well," Asha replies. "If you need us, we'll be here for you."
Arista rubs a hand over her slowly growing belly, "Oh I'm sure I'll be needing you, for lots of things. How can time go so slow, and yet so quickly? Thank you, and I'll come by and visit sometime when things have calmed down a bit. Goodnight Asha, and to you Priya." Shifting Celine in her arms to her other side, she heads out with Alethiro's arm around her.
Rajni tries not to think about what Toni had told her as she takes the dishes to the kitchen and starts washing them.
Kama smiles as she sees Arista talking to Asha, glancing at her beloved. Soon they would be parents as well, a thought that was at once exciting and nervewracking. But they had the very best example to learn from.
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Priya comes up to Elena and Kama as the guests begin to leave. "Why don't you two run off so Asha and I can get this place back in order?"
"Are you sure you don't need our help?" Elena asks.
"Quite sure," Priya responds. "I'll get Toni to give me a hand after she's done talking with Dillon."
Elena takes Kama's hand. "As you wish."
Arista leans into Alethiro's side as they head home.
Kāma kisses Elena's hand as she takes it, beaming. "Then we would be delighted to, thank you auntie."
"Feeling alright?" Alethiro asks Arista.
Priya smiles at the newlyweds. "You are welcome."
Arista yawns while nodding, "Yeah, I guess I'm just tired. That was a pretty full day." She says, before yawning and shifting Celine to her other side. Even without the beaces, her little girl wasn't that little or light anymore.
Alethiro goes and unlocks the door for Arista and Celine. "We can call it a night now."
Arista nods, "I just need to get her changed, and let go to the bathroom before we tuck her in for the night. She's pretty wiped out as well, so I'm okay with calling it a night. I just feel so tired." She says, following him into the house as Celine remains asleep on her shoulder.
Alethiro closes the door quietly. "I understand."
Arista gives him a soft kiss, "I love you." She then takes Celine to her room, and gets her out of her dress, and ready for bed. After waking her up enough to go to the bathroom, wash her hands, and clean her teeth, Arista takes her tuckered out tot to her bed and tucks her in. Putting Honey up on the bed with Celine, Arista gives her forehead a kiss before turning out the lamp. Even as she starts to walk out of the room, she hears Celine start to softly snore.
Smiling softly to herself, Arista leaves her door open a crack before going to check on her brother.
Arista finds Theon in the kitchen reading a book.
Arista gets a glass of water, "I hope the puppy wasn't too much trouble. It was a beautiful ceremony followed by really delicious food, and I'm absolutely stuffed now. It's been a really long day though, so we're probably going to head to bed soon. Celine passed out before we could even get her home, so she's out for the night. I just wanted to see how your evening went and let you know we were home before heading to bed myself." She says, sitting down at the table to drink her water.
Theon looks up from his book. "Honey slept most of the time, so my evening was quiet."
Arista nods her head as she drinks her water, "Alright, well...have a good night and rest well. We'll see you in the morning." Not wanting to bother her brother as he relaxed with his book, Arista finishes her water quietly before washing out her cup and setting it aside to dry.
Arista heads out of the kitchen to the bathroom, washes up after taking care of her personal needs, and goes to the bedroom to get ready for bed.
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Alethiro finishes straightening out the covers on the bed. "How's Theon doing?"
Arista shrugs as she changes into her nightgown, "He was reading a book. He said everything was fine, and Honey slept most of the time." Arista sighs as she sits down on the bed, "I'm not sure how he's doing because he isn't talking about anything really. He's been pretty quiet....and I just don't want to....I don't know, make him think he has to talk about stuff if he isn't ready to, or doesn't want to. I think he's okay....as far as I can tell."
Alethiro kisses Arista's forehead before getting into bed. "It's only been a couple of days since he came back and...it's been five hundred years for him too."
Arista nods and lays down next to her husband. Snuggling up close to him, she puts her head on his chest.
"Yeah, I know. I remember what it was like, waking up and finding out that my home, my family, friends....the world that I had known was just gone. It's a lot to deal with."
Rajni just stays in the kitchen washing the dishes and cleaning up, as she awaits for Dillon to finish talking to Toni.
Dillon comes into the kitchen. "Are you still helping out?"
"He'll feel better in time," Alethiro says comfortingly. "Good night, my love."
"I just have a few more dishes to wash, then we can go." Rajni says, trying not to think about how worried she was about Toni.
Arista sighs again, "I know. Good night my love."