The Heist at Cordia Aquarium

Broken glass strewn through the street reflects pearlescent copies of the blue sky overhead, along with stray couples of mourning doves going about their noontime rituals.

Thea reaches a hand over her head and pulls a poster from her already open backpack. "Priest-for-Hire" in bold, outlined lettering scrawl across the top next to an image of her in a church parking lot. Below those, her usual list of services with the addition of red, color pencil marks spelling out "Impromptu Weddings" and "Notary".

She staples it across the light pole in front of her. Just the library and grocery store now.

Empty tree limbs sway just above benches in a cloistered garden. Just off a side street, this garden sits open to the more curious public. Exhaustion and pain weigh down Thea's limbs. She collapses into one of the benches, lets her head roll back, and takes deep breaths. The sky glows a gradient of orange and blue, dark towering clouds roll closer on the horizon. She snorts a laugh and gulps in another breath. Probably foreshadowing what she can expect out of her grind, but that's just the anxiety talking. Hopefully.

Lightening flashes in the distance, highlighting the peaks and valleys of clouds around it. Then thunder accompanies a chime ringing from her pocket. Confusion strains her brows, she slips her phone out and glances at the screen. Already?

It's not a number she knows: not insurance, no scam warning, and Frank definitely doesn't remember how to use one. She clears her throat and hits the accept button. "Thea Aalberg, Priest-for-Hire."

Raucous chuckles stampede out of the phone, "Hush, hush! She answered!"

Frustration twists Thea's chest into a painful knot, she's no stranger to prank calls. She keeps it out of her voice except for the occasional waver. "Excuse me? Is there something I can help you all with?"

Chuckles die down after a couple more hushes and a young woman's voice comes through. "Hi! Sorry about that. So you do weddings; can you do one tonight in front of city hall?"

Thea's chest untwists and excitement gnaws at her fingers. "Tonight? One second..."

Silence from the other end.

She drops the phone to her lap, pulls up her map, and pecks in "City Hall". A brief loading animation later and the directions and amount of time to get there appears. Only 13 minutes of walking.

Thea brings the phone back up. "I think I can do that. When do you need me there?"

A different, deeper voice comes through in the background this time, liquor seeping through the phone with it. "10 minutes ago, man!"

The young woman reappears with her words punctuated by laughs. "Stop it! Sorry about them, they're just excited. But anytime! Soon though, we've got to get the after party started!"

Twisting uncertainty and gnawing excitement wrestle over Thea, so she snorts another laugh and follows it with a sigh. They're too drunk aren't they?

Before Thea can respond, the young woman goes on. "So you're on your way?"

Decision freezes Thea's tongue and her mind hammers at it like an ill-trained ice carver. This isn't wrong, right? She's about to get evicted; if she doesn't do this, it's the same as packing her bags.

The woman prods again. "Hello?"

That frees Thea's tongue, but sends a cold feeling crawling down into her stomach. "Y- yes. I'll be there in fifteen minutes." Did she really expect sober couples to reach out?

"Great! See you there! I'll be the one in a neon pink crop top."

Then silence. Except for the rumble of thunder in the direction of city hall. She's going to get soaked.

City Hall looms in the night, with spotlights and columns casting sinister shadows across a facade filled with intricate reliefs. Thea's breath turns to fog, but fire bellows in her lungs. She tucks her unused hand into her armpit and trudges toward the entrance. Just below at the base of the stairs, a splash of neon pink dances in the moonlight. A rainbow of colors join and part in chaotic movements all around it.

Sweat forms in cold, prickling beads against Thea's scalp. She rests on her cane, tugs at her cassock's collar, and sucks in cold air to soothe her burning insides. More people than expected. She's tired, it's cold, it's going to rain, and now there are all these people she has to give a speech in front of — completely out of breath and energy.

The smell of gooseberry rushes along the wind and overwhelms Thea's senses. Her face twists at the stench, but she trudges forward. These people really are trashed.

Closer, the splashes of color transform into people throwing extremities out at strange angles with awkward timing. At least she's not being paid to teach them to dance; not that she can. The woman in pink breaks away, raises a hand, and calls out. "Thea? Thanks so much for coming!"

Exhaustion tugs at Thea's mind. "That's me, thanks for calling. So we're doing it right here?"

The woman grabs one of Thea's hands and shakes it. "The stairs over there, come on!" She turns and beckons behind her. "I'm Jess by the way."

Thea follows after as fast as she can. Just a little more rushing about, then she can rest. "What are you looking for?"

Jess glances back over her shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"I've got all the forms all ready for you to sign, so we can just do that. Or I could officiate a small ceremony for you."

"A ceremony, of course! Just do your thing."

Regret burns through Thea's lungs and mind. It's fine, it's just a little longer; she can make it. "And who is getting married?"

As the two of them reach the group, Jess pulls a woman in a sky blue trench coat out of the gyrating crowd of drunk dancers; the woman's auburn hair sweeps just above her shoulder with the motion. She pushes against Jess for balance and laughs. "Hey! Don't pull me around like that!"

Jess wraps an arm around the woman. "This is Penny. It's her and I that are getting married."

Penny tightens the blue trench coat around herself. "Oh, heck yeah! It's us getting married! About time too." She shifts rolling eyes between Jess and Thea. "It's only been, like five years. Actually, no we should probably wait six years. Let's call this off."

Jess squeezes Penny around the shoulder in a side hug. "Yeah. I know I should have done it sooner. Speaking of, let's get this show on the road."

Everyone turns to Thea. Panic shoots through her; right, she's suppose to run this thing. "You just want me to come up with something?"

Jess lets go of Penny and stands at the base of the stairs. "Yeah! Let's just form an aisle here and it'll be like I'm at the podium."

The crowd shambles around to form approximate lines on either side of Jess.

Sparks of inspiration light up Thea eyes, so she twists around herself and searches. This can be spruced up a bit. Trash litters the sidewalk, grass clippings fly about for the last time this season, and unfallen leaves rustle in a gentle breeze; oblivious to the coming storm. Thea grabs at a bundle of nearby leaves, crushes them in her hand, then shoves them in her pocket. These will work.

Shifting eyes of the hopeful wedding-goers acknowledge just how weird that was. Cold nips up her neck threatening to send her into a full body cringe, but she shakes her head. Don't react to it.

Jess smiles down the makeshift aisle of drunk friends and pumps her fists with two thumbs up. Thea starts towards Jess, then pauses after a few steps. More stares. She pinches crumbled leaves out of her pocket, then tosses them to her sides in puffs of red-toned confetti.

The crows cheers out drunken words as they recognize the impromptu flower girl. She steps forward a few more steps then tosses another couple puffs; then louder cheers. A man near the end of the aisle cheers loudest. "Yeah, man! That's the stuff! Great idea!"

Penny steps into place at the end of the aisle opposite Jess and both of their eyes change in that moment. Not Thea's moment, not the crowd's moment; their moment. Something eternal swims between them, then circles around the crowd; voices hush, bustle stops, and all eyes dart between the brides drinking in the intense, warm atmosphere.

So Thea slinks past the remaining bit of the aisle and posts herself behind Jess. Maybe marrying someone wouldn't be so bad; the idea of sharing her recliner isn't great, much less her... Well, there really isn't anything else she can share. A moment like this can change some minds, though. Not hers, just some.

The moment passes and Penny strides toward Jess. She nods her head to every other person along the aisle, stops across from Jess, and locks eyes with her partner. Then swirls of orange fire spurt from Penny's tear ducts and swim around her iris in a perfect circle, like rings of pure sun. "Let's start it!"

Long hours of practice sever threads of panic; Thea clears her throat and puts on a confident voice. "We're all here today to celebrate the union between Jess..." Wait, she doesn't know this person's last name. They'll hate that and then her and then not pay her.

"Thatcher." Jess says.

A cold flash of relief swells at the back of Thea's head, as if death itself brushes past. She clenches down on the cane's handle. "Right, Jess Thatcher and Penny..."

"Margrave," Penny says.

Another flash of relief; Thea claps and spreads her arms across the crowd. "Jess Thatcher and Penny Margrave!"

A large drop of water hits Thea's head from storm clouds swirling above. She glances up, then back to the waiting crowd. Better hurry this up.

"Two souls to be linked here and now in life and death, sickness and health, happy times and sad; and for eternity afterwards. Are there vows you want to state in front of all of your friends and the heavens above?"

Jess rustles in a tight front pocket and unfolds a paper. She breathes a laugh and onlookers nearly see butterflies come out with it. "I've been writing these for a while."

Penny grabs Jess' hand without breaking eye contact. "You never told me that!"

Jess raises up the paper, then her shoulders keel over and heave with laughter. She flashes the front of the rain-slicked, waxy paper at Penny. "It's just the receipt from dinner." Using the edge of her hand, she wipes a tear from her eye, "Ho, that was a good one."

Laughter bubbles up Thea's throat; she reels in her neck and grinds her teeth to suppress it, then snorts anyway. "And you, Penny?"

And the rain starts. Within moments, every surface is slick and puddles form in uneven dips in the concrete slabs.

Penny rolls her eyes away from Jess and she calls over the rain, "No bad jokes from me, let's do this."

Contentedness warms Thea's chest in spite of the rain, so she spreads her arms a final time. "Then I pronounce you wife and wife! Please kiss. Uh— You may kiss, I mean."

Even compared to the rain, the cheers are drowning. The small group turns into a raucous swarm; they run, they whoop, they drink. Then concern twists Thea's stomach away from its warm contentment. She raises a hand but wavers halfway, leaving it curling inward. She won't be able to convince them to stop.

The crowd surges toward the three of them near the base of the stairs. Guilt and concern give way to urgency. Thea circles around the crowd and waits at a safe distance.

Penny breaks from the throng and stops just in front of her. She pulls a stack of twenty dollar bills out of an inner trench coat pocket and offers it. "Here, and thanks for doing this. We've been putting it off for so long..."

A small bit of that contentedness from earlier creeps into Thea's heart. She slips the bills into her pocket. "Happy to help. I actually had a good time with it."

Penny brings her hands to her chest and places them palms-together as if she was about to pray. "I'm so happy to hear that! Be careful getting home."

Realization strikes Thea's mind. She widens her eyes and digs around in her backpack. "One moment... I almost forget to give you all the form. I already got Jess' signature, now it's just waiting for your's."

"Oh yeah! We should have said something."

Thea slides over to a nearby statue depicting a dolphin. A sweeping stone tail blocks a bit of the rain. She reaches a pen and paper out to Penny. "No, no. It's my fault."

Penny presses the paper against the side of the statue, signs it, and hands the pen back. "Don't worry about it. Thanks again."

Thea pivots and tosses a hand into the air in the rough approximation of a wave. Finally, closer to rent and now she can rest.

The rest of the night blurs together in exhaustion, a cab ride Thea can't afford, and a soft recliner. Then sun directly in her eyes. A strange malaise fills her mind as her consciousness surfaces from dreamless sleep; something out of place, not right. She rubs her eyes with the palms of her hand and looks out her balcony window. Forgot to close the blinds last night.

Flocks of blue birds battle over who gets to perch on the balcony railing with dive bombs and incessant chirping. Thea watches them for a moment more, then pushes herself out of the recliner and heads into the kitchen. All the dishes are gone from the sink, placed in their appropriate cabinets by a less tired past Thea. Present Thea blinks through blurriness and sets up the kettle to boil.

A loud thump reverberates around the bare walls of the apartment. Thea's heart leaps, and she steadies herself on a nearby counter top. Freshly brewed tea threatens to spill over the edge. She holds still until the tea settles. No more noise from the balcony. Thea sets her tea onto the coffee table and flips on the television. "Darn birds."

Speakers crackle to life before the image comes into focus. "—Margrave and Jessica Thatcher. Our hearts are with their family. Now to Neil on sports where he's talking to the experts in the Wrestler's International R&D department to find out just how they get their athletes into tip top shape."

Pictures of the two women from last night fade out and a man in a tailored business suit stands in front of a predominately glass office building. The words "Just married couple lose lives in hero mishap" scroll across the bottom of the news feed alongside "Duck sweaters are in, more at 12PM."

Confusion crashes into Thea and sends her sprawling back into her recliner. What? She'd just seen them last night, this doesn't make any sense.

Except it does.