The atmosphere inside the Palace ballroom, where the Prince and Princess arrived for their reception, was equally enthusiastic. A shower of flower petals rained over them as they made their grand entrance. King Henry and Joe West wiped tears from their eyes, Wally and Jesse jumped as they cheered, H.R. forgot he was holding a drink, causing a champagne flute to shatter when he clapped his hands, even Duke Wells was smiling brightly. Prince Barry whisked Iris off to the dance floor.

“I’m so glad I set them up.” Cecile mused as she watched the newlyweds share their first dance as husband and wife.

Joe laughed. “How have you reasoned that you set them up?”

“It was my carriage that got her to the ball.”

Joe laughed again.

Cecile put her hands on her hips. “You snigger all you want, Joe West. It’s not my fault fate chose me to bring Iris and Barry together.”

“I’m happy to trade a minute of tear for a minute of humor.”

“Iris getting married is making you really emotion, is it?”

Joe gazed at his daughter with soft eyes. The person he would forever see as his little baby was now a grown woman. He looked beyond the dancing couple and saw Wally on the other side of the room, looking more like a man each day. He’d move closer to Lady McGee’s laboratory, where he’d recently been given his own workshop. Just as Joe was growing accustomed to that change, this day arrived.

“My children are no longer children.” Joe sighed. “Amongst my pride, is an abundance of nostalgia.”

“I understand. I was the same way when my daughter moved out.”

Joe swirled his drink. “Look at us, two empty nesters.”

“A house can get lonely when you’re all by yourself.”

“I’m sure I’ll be quite lonely.”

Cecile looked up at Joe with a twinkle in her eye. She whispered, “Perhaps, you don’t have to be.”

The music stopped playing, the first song was over. Joe stood, looking at Cecile in relative silence for a moment as he tried to comprehend what Cecile was implying. When it struck him, he giggled. “Cecile, are you suggesting..?”

“We’ve made such good partners in getting bad guys off the streets.”

Joe nodded. “We have.”

The orchestra began another song. More couples joined the dance floor.

Cecile bit her lip. She put her drink down on a table and took Joe’s hand. “I think we might make good dance partners as well.”

“Then, may I have this dance.”

“This one, and the next one.”

Jesse and Wally were already spinning around the room.

“Nonsense!” Jesse said. She and Wally were deep in conversation over Wally’s latest blueprint. “The thermal combustion chamber would never work. You’d need more gasoline and where will you get it from? Have you struck oil?”

Wally grinned. “I struck gold with you.”

Jesse’s eye roll at her boyfriend’s flattery did not distract him from the rose tint of her cheeks.

She brought the subject back to Wally’s design. “How fast do you propose this machine will be capable of going?”

“At least three times that of a horse.”

“I know it’s the faster the better with you.”

“You say that as if the same is not true for you.” Wally laughed. “Once my design is fully functional, I’ll race you.”

“Oh, you’re on!”

In the center of the ballroom, the happiest couple of all, the newlywed Prince and Princess danced. Barry took advantage of the steps that position him to whisper sweet nothings in his wife’s ear. Iris smiled, full of a warmth and glow that put the candles, flickering above them in chandeliers, to shame.

From overhead, Prince Barry and Princess Iris looked like twirling figures in a music box. Two people, watching them from the balcony of the grand staircase, exchanged satisfied glances.

“I’m so glad we set them up.” Cisco said.

“Did we?” Asked Caitlin. “Or was it destiny?”

“Either way, we end up doing the work for destiny a lot of the time.”

Caitlin tilted her head from side to side in consideration. “True.”

“You don’t think this Earth has a Big-”

Cisco was cut off when Caitlin tackled him to the floor, knocking the wind out of him.

Iris squinted. She could have sworn she saw them. But, with one quick turn during the dance, and the balcony was empty.

“What are you looking at, Iris?” Barry asked.

“Nothing. Just, remembering the night we met.”

Barry beamed. “A night topped only by this one.”

The orchestra slowed to a soft, gentle melody. Barry pulled Iris in closer and pressed his forehead to hers.

“I love you.” Iris breathed.

“I love you.”