I looked up to find the minister staring at meexpectantly.
“Your vows?” heprompted.
“Oh,yeah.Oops.”
One job. I had one job: pay attention during the wedding; and I couldn’t even do that. Unable to trust my memory at such an important moment in my life, I unfolded the crumbled paper inmyhand.
“Jake, in writing these vows, I was consumed by finding the perfect word to best describe how I feel when I’m with you. There were many contenders.Loved, of course, because you show me every day in both your actions and your words that I’m cherished.Respected, no doubt, because you want me to always shine in my own right. And let’s not forgethappy, because, with you, I’m never without a bright smile on my face. But, Jake, the word that best describes how you make me feel islucky.
Lucky that Mitch and Kate had the sense to pair us up for their wedding. Lucky that you didn’t get a restraining order against me when I pulled that dancing prank on you during our first meeting. Lucky that I get to look at your handsome face every day for the rest of my life. But most of all, I feel lucky to have found you – my love, my best friend, my dream come true. I love you, Jake McKallister, and Ialwayswill.”
Throughout my vows, Jake kept his focus on me, reacting to each of my words with varying displays of emotion. It was clear my sentiments hit him in the core, and it took him a moment to gather himself in order to give his own vows. And when he began, no visual cues wereneeded.
“Before you, Casey, I’d seen love… even thought I knew what it was all about. I’ve created songs dedicated to it and watched others parade their happiness before me. Yet, realistically, I had no faith in the concept of love, and I never imagined finding it for myself. Then you came along, with that ridiculous banana binder of yours, and turned everything I thought I knew upside down. Casey, I love that, in the middle of a kiss, I can feel you smiling. I love that when you ask for directions, you request that words likeeastandwestnot be used. And I love that you hold up sappy signs for me as I’m getting off airplanes. Because of you, I now get to flaunt my own happiness in everyone else’s faces. So thank youforthat.”
Jake paused, not only to allow the giggles in the church to fade away, but also to change the vibe of his speech from playful to sentimental. Taking my hands in his, he continued. “You’re my changing storyline. My favorite dream. My redemption. I can now say with confidence, I finally get it… I know what love is. It’s you, Casey, from beginningtoend.”
Maybe I should have been bawling after Jake finished his heartfelt speech, but all I felt was joy. There wasn’t anything more he needed to say. No matter where this world took us, I had made a difference in it. I had changed this man for the better… made him feel again, and love – and if that were the last gift I ever received in life, I would die a happywoman.
The minister placed his hands over our joined ones and had us repeat after him the traditional wedding vows: ‘To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death douspart.’
Looking out over the group gathered to witness our union, I was suddenly grateful for the smaller crowd. These were the people who loved us, who wanted us to succeed. There were no hangers-on in this group. No people here for a photo op. These were just friends and family, eager to witness our love and the beginning of our life together. So as Jake slipped the ring over my finger, it was our beginning, but also in my heart and mind…an ending. The search was over. I’d found my other half, the man I would grow old with. In that moment I pictured us timeworn and gray, sitting shoulder to shoulder in a diner booth, not because there was no room to sit on the other side, but because we just liked being close to one another. I’d make sure he stayed interested in me by keeping him on his toes at all times. A little kiss here, a butt grab there, and of course, the paper from my straw blown straight into his face when he least expected it. That’s what the ring meant to me… a lifelong friendship with the man Iloved.
And with one final, heart-thumping sentence, the minister smiled and proclaimed, “I now pronounce you husbandandwife.”
6
Jake: TheReception
Was therea certain protocol to kissing the bride? I wasn’t sure. Maybe that was something I should have checked on before standing up in front of everyone, clutching her face, and planting a solid lip lock on her… with tongue. Based on Casey’s zealous reaction – and that of her female relatives, whom I’d caught fanning themselves after the steamy kiss – I’d scored solid tens across the board. However, I hadn’t taken into consideration the rest of the judging panel; namely her father and brothers, who seemed not nearly as impressed as the females. If I had to guess, my combined scores would have come in somewhere in the averagerange.
All in all, though, a solid showing, given the way I’d been feeling after seeing Casey walking down the aisle at the beginning of the ceremony. If anything, the kiss was a reflection of her splendor. I’m not trying to be overdramatic here, but it really was like an out-of-body experience… as if I were looking down on the proceedings wondering who the hell the lucky bastard was who got her. The fact thatthe bastardwas me became clearer and clearer the closer she got. If human eyes could bulge like those of cartoon characters, mine would have been a few inches outside their sockets. Casey was beyond all expectation… my tailor-made princess. Her purity and grace were magnified by the beautiful face under the veil. Her expression was serene, like a woman who was sure of her choice in soul mate. It struck me then that Casey was so much more than I deserved. Had she not met me, her life would have been a whole hell of a lot easier. But I’d fought hard for my bride, and selfish or not, I wasn’t going anywhere until I madehermine.
And making it official was just what I’d done. Casey and I stood facing the guests, soaking in the applause and well wishes. I couldn’t remember a moment I’d felt as happy as now. We were husband and wife. Life, from here on out, would be lived together. I’d promised her to try harder… and I would. Giving her everything she wanted was my priority even if it meant facing the ghosts ofmypast.
I glanced at my bride only to find her peering up at me with a glint in her eye and a conspiratorial grin on her face. Maybe she was remembering the searing kiss. I know I was still fevered from it. But when the music started, I realized that smile of hers had nothing to do with the kiss at all… Casey had something more sinister up her sleeve. She was taunting me withweddingspast.
“Don’t look at me like that, babe,” she said, laughing. “You know exactly what’shappeninghere.”
My eyes left her in order to stare down the wedding party. Surely they weren’t a part of this shakedown – but one look at all those expectant faces and I knew Casey had turned them against me. I made eye contact with Keith, but he shrugged. My brothers, even? Dammit. Defectors! Allofthem.
“We arenotdoing the wedding dance!” I protested. I’d managed to dodge it once before at Mitch and Kate’s wedding, but like a case of aggressive crabs, it was back to haunt me. I really had no choice. Either I looked like a douche for not finding Casey’s joke whimsically fun, or I looked like a total idiot for pretending to be a happy participant in one of the stupidest ideas any bride or groom had ever come up with to entertain theirguests.
Casey nudged me forward, her eyes pleading for my cooperation. Well, shit. This was happening. I was doing the dance. Mentally preparing myself for the humiliation, I looked to Casey for guidance just as the music suddenly stopped, and the entire church erupted inlaughter.
I looked around, not sure what was happening, but certain I was the butt of thehystericaljoke.
Casey grabbed my shoulders. “I’m just kidding,” she said, laughing. “I’d never do thattoyou.”
“Sowe’renot…”
“No dancing, Jake… just your standardweddingfare.”
What the hell? Twice! She’d gotten me twice with the same damn joke. How could I not have known? I bent over and grabbed my knees, exhaling audibly. When the shock passed, I looked up at my new bride and said, “Yousuck.”
“I love you too. Now walk me down theaisle.”
* * *
