Title: What Has Led Us to This Place
Summary: A more in-depth look at the wedding of Seth Cohen and Summer Roberts from the eyes of Seth, Summer, Ryan, Taylor, Kirsten, and Sandy. (Written as if it was about 7 years after the finale)
Ryan:
I never thought our lives would lead us to this place. I never thought I would be standing here with these people. If you had told me twenty years ago that I would end up, well, happy, there's no way I would have believed you. And yet here I am, looking across the threshold at the woman I love. She looks beautiful today. And as she smiles back at me, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world, even though this is really Seth's day to be throwing that phrase around.
I'm happy for them. As strange and turbulent as their relationship was, I think we all knew that they would make it. In spite of all his moping and pining over Summer Roberts, he finally gets the girl, and I find it strange that to this day he still holds me responsible for getting Summer to love him. I have a lot of respect for the two of them. They've been through a lot and still made it out in one piece.
I think back to all those years ago, when I arrived in Newport for the first time. I remember what Seth told me as we sat on his boat and he described to me his unrequited love for some girl named Summer. I remember Summer harassing me at Holly's beach house and Seth's horrified expression as she groped at me. But the guilt of that moment has long since passed.
And here she comes. The dress is beautiful and I see Seth stand up straighter as he turns and regards his soon-to-be-wife. She sticks her tongue out at him and he lets out a small laugh. I look back at Taylor, and she smiles at me and I know that we've made it. And Seth and Summer have made it, and Sandy and Kirsten have made it. We're right back where we started.
And as much as I miss Marissa, and as much as I know everyone wishes she were here, I've been ready to let go of her for a long time. I love Taylor, and she knows I do, and as I fiddle around with the ring box in my pocket I can assure myself I love her, and will make it known tonight. And as I look at Seth and Summer and remember where they started, and think of where they'll be going, I understand that I am finally finishing that chapter of my life and embarking on a new, even more wonderful adventure with the people who I have come to love and call my family.
Taylor:
I never thought our lives would lead us to this place. I never imagined myself having what I have now: love, friends, family, and the best kind of happiness there is. Ryan smiles at me, and I smile at him. He looks great in a tux, and I frown a little bit at the fact that in a matter of hours, I'll have to get him out of it. But the guilt is fleeting. I never thought Ryan was going to get over Marissa. I never thought he would be able to love me the way he loved her, and maybe he can't. But I love the way he loves me, it makes me feel like luckiest girl in the world, but I know that it's Summer's day to feel that.
I wonder if Ryan will ever propose. I'd like to hope so; it's always impossible to tell with him. We've been together for almost four years now and even though he isn't terribly open about his feelings, I can tell that we're moving in a forward direction that I hope will one day lead to us being half as happy as Seth and Summer are now.
They are the only two people I know who have managed to be apart for a long time and yet remain as in love with each other as they were when they first started dating. I remember that day in sixth grade when I allowed her to read my poem aloud to the class. Seth told me only a few months ago that it was in that moment he fell in love with Summer. So I would like to think that I had a part in putting these two soulmates together, but as someone who has studied the ways of love, I know better than to take all the credit.
Summer is coming down the aisle now. Seth exhales and turns towards his bride. All eyes are on them, and yet their eyes are on each other. I wish I knew what they were thinking. I wish I could get inside Summer's head and hear her thoughts as she makes her way to the place where she will become Mrs. Seth Cohen. I find myself staring at Ryan. He catches my eye and we exchange smiles. There is something in the way he is looking at me. Something that says "soon enough, Taylor, soon enough" and as I look back at our two friends, I know that I have nothing to worry about because I am exactly where I want to be, and I am going exactly where I want to go and I know deep down that I will not be alone as I make my way through the next chapter of my life.
Kirsten:
I never thought our lives would lead us to this place. I have a son getting married, and a daughter going into third grade. I clench Sophie's hand tightly as my eyes begin to tear up. I can see that Seth is nervous by the way he's standing so straight with his hands folded in front of him. I wish I could run up there and give him a hug, tell him that everything would be fine, and it will, and he knows it. I suppose there's nothing I can do about it now; I must accept the fact that I raised the most neurotic man on earth.
Being here makes me feel old. I see my two boys standing up at that altar, their faces are those of men, but to me they will always be boys. I am reminded of mine and Sandy's wedding. It was not unlike this one. Except ours was in the backyard of my father's house. I was so nervous…and so young. But I loved Sandy, and that was always enough. It dawns on me that Seth and Summer are extremely similar to Sandy and I. Although, Summer has taken on the role of liberal activist in this scenario.
They may not have much in common, but their feelings are real and I look at my son and know that he is as happy now as he will ever be, and as a mother, a feeling of contentment sweeps over me.
The music starts playing and we all turn to see Summer. She looks absolutely stunning. I was going to offer her my old wedding dress, but when I removed it from the trunk I realized that it was better left hidden away…forever. She sticks her tongue out at Seth and we all smile. She'll take good care of him, and I know that Sandy and I have taught him how to take care of her. It's difficult letting your children go, but I feel the strongest sense of ease with the idea of Seth and Summer spending the rest of their lives together, and as I look at my smiling sons, and down at my smiling daughter, I know that all will be well.
Sandy:
Who would have thought our lives would lead us to this place, huh? Seth marrying Summer, Kirsten and I having a beautiful little girl, Ryan and Taylor going to Berkley? Talk about surreal. We've all had our ups and downs these past years, but somehow we've made it here in one piece.
I couldn't happier for Seth. He's been in love with Summer all his life, and as a father I can't tell you how much joy it brings me to see my son's face when all his dreams are coming true. I suppose Kirsten and I sheltered him, maybe even too much, but he's turned out more than all right, and I think we all had something to do with it.
As I look around, I realize that I am looking at all the people who saved this family. All the Coopers are here, even Marissa, I can tell. I look from Jimmy, who seems to finally be on track, Katelin, she's been 22 for almost a whole year and I still can't believe it, Frank and his and Julie's son, Jason, Bullit, I still don't understand how he became part of this family, but we're happy to have him, and Julie. She finally has figured out what it's really all about.
I look at Taylor, who saved Ryan when he needed to be saved more than anyone else. I've seen the smiles he gets when he talks about her, and I myself have to smile because I know what he plans to ask her tonight. And I look at Ryan. He saved us all. He saved Kirsten and me; he saved the Coopers, especially Marissa.
Ah, there she is. The one who saved Seth. And he saved her. And when it comes down to it, that is the person you are supposed to be with. The person who makes you who you are today. Summer brought him out of his shell and taught him how to be Seth Cohen. And he knew that no matter what, the most important thing was letting her be who she was. And for a time they let each other go, but knowing that they would end up here, and that is why I know this will stick.
Finally I look at my wife. She saved me. I saved her. And I know that all of the people around us will raise our daughter, and in turn, save her as well.
Summer:
I never thought my life would lead me to this place. I'm about to marry Seth Cohen. I am about to become Mrs. Summer Roberts-Cohen. I'm nervous but unbelievably excited at the same time, and I am drunk with the feeling. I look at myself in the mirror one last time and a sea of thoughts rushes through my head. Memories, hopes, dreams of the future, how amazing I look in this dress, my wedding night.
Finally my mind rests on one moment from our past. That first kiss. I have never forgotten the feeling of that instant. As he stood there reciting a poem to me that I had long since forgotten, I felt more empowered and more special than I ever thought I could be. It just felt so right to kiss him. And every time we kiss now I am reminded of that moment and I am reminded of how much I love him.
We've been through so much together, and I still find it amazing that I went from not knowing who he was at all, ignoring him and shunning him for so long, to here, where I am more than ready to call myself his wife. I've been ready for a long time to start my life with Cohen. Though, I suppose I can't call him that now because soon enough I will be a Cohen as well. I've always felt so… I don't know…married to him. And I'm glad we took the space we needed. I found myself in what I love to do, and he found himself doing the things that make him happiest. And both of us knew that the only thing that would make us happier after that would be getting married.
I find myself thinking about his proposal. The one that I said yes to and meant, that is. It was incredibly romantic. But he was so nervous. He reminded me of the fifteen-year-old Seth I had learned to love. His hand was shaking as he withdrew the ring from his pocket, this time it was diamond, but I still have the glow in the dark plastic one he gave me the first time, and I wear them both to this day.
I step tentatively down the aisle. As my eyes look up at Seth the smile comes almost too naturally. I see everything I will ever need in him, and I know I give him the same feeling. To calm my nerves and his too, I stick out my tongue, people laugh, but I don't hear them. My eyes are fixed on my soon-to-be husband and I can't seem to get to that altar fast enough. I am exactly where I am meant to be, doing exactly what I am meant to be doing, and I am heading exactly where I want to be heading, with the person I have come to call my best friend, and finally, after almost 10 years, my husband.
Seth:
I always knew my life would lead me to this place. From the moment I laid eyes on Summer Roberts I knew, she was the one. And no matter what happened or how we got here, we would make it to this day, and here we are. I find it fitting that the people standing closest to me now, Ryan and Taylor, are the ones who brought Summer and I together. If it hadn't been for Taylor's poem, I would not have been so sure of my love for Summer, and if it hadn't been for Ryan, Summer may would not have been so sure of my existence.
Nothing in my life could have prepared me for the happiness I feel in this moment. The only time I remember a feeling even close to this, was when Summer came back to me after leaving Zach. That kiss, despite being messy and quite moist, is what has kept me so confident in Summer's love for me all these years. The fact that I know we will always come back to each other. And even though it's been a bumpy road, I knew one day I would be standing in this spot preparing to call myself Summer Roberts' husband.
I look at my little sister. She's smiling up at me and I silently wish for her all the happiness that these people have given me. My mom is already starting to cry and I know how hard this must be for her. My dad is glancing around at all the familiar faces and yet my eyes can do nothing but stay fixated on the place where in moments Summer Roberts will appear, on her way to being my wife. My wife. I'm marrying Summer freaking Roberts.
Surreal does not begin to describe the sheer elation I am feeling right now. I can't tell you how hard it was for me to let her go, but as I said, I knew she would find her way back to me, and I to her. I am her destiny, and she has always been mine. If I had had the chance, I would have proposed to her in the third grade, but the circumstances being what they were…well…you know the whole story.
I turn to see her walking up the aisle, smiling at me and my heart jumps from my chest. She is, as she has always been, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I look at her and I still feel the same as when I saw her for the first time at the age of 8. But the only difference is that now she is looking at me, and only me, and I feel as though I am on the verge of tears but she saves me by sticking her tongue out, and I play along.
And here I am, almost 20 years later knowing exactly what I knew then. And as I look at Ryan, my best man, and my parents, who have managed to keep me alive all these years, and finally at Summer, who has been everything to me and who I am about to marry at last, I know once and for all that we have come full circle.