I pull back just enough to look into his eyes.
"And I promise that whatever happens, you will never have to look for me again. Never. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. I'm yours." I take a breath. "Ivan Collins, I'm yours. Forever."
Pastor Daniels is openly crying now. She takes a long moment to compose herself, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue someone hands her from the front row.
"Well," she says, "in all my years of officiating weddings—and I've done hundreds—I don't think I've ever witnessed vows quite like those."
A soft, tearful laugh ripples through the guests. I can hear Rosalyn sobbing in the front row.
"The rings, please," Pastor Daniels says.
Caleb steps forward with extreme care, holding up the pillow with shaking hands. His eyes are wide, his lower lip trembling, and there are actual tears on his cheeks.
"Are you guys okay?" he whispers loudly, concerned. "You're crying. Is something wrong?"
Ivan laughs through his tears, reaching down to ruffle Caleb's hair affectionately. "We're okay, buddy. These are happy tears. Don't cry."
"Oh." Caleb considers this for a long moment, his small face very serious. "I didn't know happy tears were a thing. But okay. That makes sense, I guess. Here are the rings. Don't drop them because they're really important."
"We won't," I promise, taking Ivan's ring from the pillow—a simple platinum band, chosen because neither of us wanted anything flashy or expensive. Ivan takes mine, identical to his.
"Ivan," Pastor Daniels says. "Place the ring on Jay's finger and repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed."
Ivan takes my left hand in both of his, and I watch as he slides the ring onto my finger with gentle precision. His hands are trembling, but his eyes are absolutely sure.
"With this ring," he says. "I thee wed."
"Jay, place the ring on Ivan's finger and repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed."
I take Ivan's hand—the hand that pulled me back from the edge of oblivion, that held me through nightmares, that has never once let me go when I needed to be held—and slide the ring home.
"With this ring," I say, "I thee wed."
Pastor Daniels smiles, and I can see fresh tears in her eyes.
"By the power vested in me by the state of Georgia," she says, "I am honored and overjoyed to pronounce you married. Legally, officially, and in the eyes of everyone who loves you."
She pauses, her smile widening.
"You may kiss your husband."
Ivan doesn't hesitate for even a second. He pulls me into his arms and kisses me, deep and fierce and full of promise, full of everything we've been through and everything we're going to build. The guests erupt into applause, the kids cheering, Rosalyn openly sobbing in the front row.
When we finally break apart, Ivan presses his forehead to mine.
"We did it," he whispers. "We're actually married."
"We're married," I repeat, still not quite believing it's real.
"Mr. and Mr. Collins-Morrow," he says, testing the sound of it. "Or Morrow-Collins. We never actually decided."
"Doesn't matter which order. Either way, you're stuck with me now."
"I've never been stuck anywhere I wanted to be more."
We turn to face the guests together, hands clasped tight.
Pastor Daniels raises her hands. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, for the first time as a married couple—Ivan and Jay!"
