Author's note: I do not own any of the characters of AWTR (or anything else that I forgot to put in this little disclaimer). This story is based on true events from the life of my friend who is more like Jamie than anyone I have ever met. It is dedicated to Lynnie, who never has never once lost her faith or her smile. I am writing it as a way of coping with her illness. Most of Jamie's Point Of View in this story is Lynnie's own thoughts. (Jamie's POV will be in bold to avoid confusion.)
PS: Lynnie has a list just like Jamie, and she has been waiting for a miracle for a really long time. So I ask that anyone who reads this pray for her #1. If her story inspires you, or if you would like to send her get well wishes, you can drop her a line at God bless you!

This story is dedicated to God - "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that is at work within us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."

I left my father talking to Mrs. Washington from church and made my way back to the table and sat down. I t was the same chair I sat in only a few months before on our first date. I smiled to myself as I watched Landon and his friends dancing to 'Baby Got Back'. The past few months had forced him to grow up so fast, but now he seemed unchanged as he and Eric laughed together on the dance floor. I had been married for only a few short hours and already I couldn't imagine my life any other way. I looked at everyone around me and for the first time realized how blessed I was to be in the presence of everyone I love. My #1 had been fulfilled, and at that moment my life could not have been more complete. If earth can be so wonderful, I cannot comprehend the beauty or heaven.

I leaned back up in my chair and stared up at the sky. I had never seen such a clear night. It would have taken a thousand lifetimes to count all the stars. The moon was so bright that the candles on the tables seemed unnecessary. I closed my eyes and breathed in the salty smell of the ocean. At that moment a cool breeze blew across my face...I could feel God's presence surround me and I silently prayed. 'Lord, I have been praying for this day all my life, and now that it is finally here, it is far better than anything I ever could have hoped for. Thank you for ever second of this day, every star in the sky, and every life here tonight. Right now my heart is filled with more love than I have ever felt before. If I can love this much, I can't imagine how much you love me. Thank you for making my dreams come true...'

I thought of Ephesians 3:20 'Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that is at work within us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.'

I noticed Jamie sitting by herself at our table and my heart skipped a beat. She was leaning back with her eyes closed and he face lifted towards the sky. The small smile on her face made her look like she knew some special kind of secret. I could only guess that she was talking to God. The moonlight reflected off her white dress and the candle on the table made her pale skin glow in the darkness. She looked like an angel. I suddenly understood why God had to take her away so soon. She simply wasn't meant for this world. I wondered why God chose me to be the one who got to share this night with her. Her love was everything the bible talked about - patient, kind, forgiving.

I had no idea how long I had been staring at her - was it a minute or an hour? The dance floor had cleared and I felt my face turn red as I saw small groups of people smiling at me and whispering as they watched us. I knew the night was almost over but I couldn't end it just yet. I casually walked over to the DJ and made a request. I mad my way over to Jamie and I right before I reached her side I stopped and made a mental image of her face. I wanted to remember her forever the way she looked right now.

I was still praying when I felt a hand cover my eyes.
"Guess who?"
"Hey you". Landon handed me a white rose from the vase on the table.
"Would you like to dance?" His lips curled into a smile as we both thought of that night from the past when I spoke those words.
"I thought you couldn't dance."
"Well I thought so too and then I met this girl who told me everyone can dance."
We were both laughing by the time we reached the dance floor. I looked into his hazel eyes as he pulled me closer and 'Only Hope' started playing softly. "I can't believe..."
"shhh..."
We danced in silence until Landon tripped over my foot.
"Ohh sorry...are you ok?" he asked as he bit his lip.
"Its okay, in all fairness you did warn me." We both burst out laughing, knowing that the night could not have been more perfect. "Next time I'll know better than to wear open- toe shoes." His eyes smiled back at me as we moved across the floor. It felt like no one else was there, like nothing else in the world mattered besides us dancing under the stars. The song came to an end and Landon's lips brushed against mine. I closed my eyes as the kiss grew into something I had never known before. The thought never crossed my mind that everyone was watching us...all I could feel was his hand in my hair and his lips against mine. With that the music stopped and I returned to reality wondering if tonight was a dream, because it seemed too good to be true.

"What do you think, should we get out of here?" Jamie didn't reply right away, she almost looked disappointed.
"Um...ok, it's just that I hate to see tonight end." She looked at me with big puppy dog eyes that seemed to make my soul melt.
"I'm beginning to think you married me for the party. Besides, who said the night was over? I still have one more surprise for you."

Everyone gathered in the parking lot and once again we were showered with rice as we made our way to my car. I helped Jamie get her dress into the car and was about to close the door when she pulled me down and kissed me. I could hear her father chuckle behind me as I walked around to my side of the car. Everyone was shouting and congratulating us as we pulled away and Jamie hung out the window waving and blowing kisses until we turned the corner. We sat in silence for a few minutes and I watched Jamie stare out the window, lost in her own world. I wondered what she was thinking about when she did that. Part of me wished she would share it with me, but then it was probably something I didn't want to know, or at least wasn't ready to face yet. The streamers on the back of the car made a soft rippling noise as they trailed behind us. It wasn't until I turned onto Willow Street that Jamie broke the silence.
"Where are we going?"
"Just hold on, you'll see." A mischievous smile spread across my face and she looked at me quizzically. I parked the car in front of a small, pale green colonial with a wide front porch. An old apple tree draped its branches over the sidewalk and a wooden swing hung from a branch growing out into the yard.
"Welcome home.", I whispered. Her expression was blank for a moment and then her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.
"Our home? Oh Landon, it's perfect. But how did you...when did...I can't believe it!"
"It was a wedding present from my grandparents." I picked it out 2 weeks ago while you were in choir practice."
"When do we move in?" Her voice was filled with as much excitement as a child on their birthday.
"Right now. I brought my stuff over on Thursday and your Dad helped me bring your things over this morning." I watched her break into a grin that made the cheshire cat's seem small in comparison. We got out of the car and walked up the path hand in hand. When we reached the door I gathered her into my arms and was surprised at how light she felt despite the layers of her dress wrapped around her.The door opened into a small hallway and I carried her into the living room on the left.
"Where did all this furniture come from?!" She exclaimed gleefully.
"A present from your Dad." I helped pick it out. Do you like it?"
"Mmmm."

I carried her through each of the three rooms downstairs and her eyes grew wider with each new discovery. The house was old and it needed work, but we didn't care, it already felt like home. I carried here up the stairs and brought here into the first bedroom on the right.
"Whats this room for?"
"Anything you want." She seemed to like my answer and she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.
"And now for the grand finale...the master bedroom! I flung open the door, switched on the lights and gently set Jamie down on the bed.

I sank into the thick white quilt on the bed. The house was perfect. I didn't care that the paint was peeling on some of the walls and the stairs creaked. There was nowhere else that I could imagine spending the rest of my life. I looked around the bedroom. There was an overstuffed pale yellow armchair next to the bed. At the end of the room were to large glass doors open to the balcony. I noticed my telescope already set up in the corner. "It's perfect." I breathed.
"You haven't seen the best part yet - wait until you see the backyard. Come on, lets go check it out."
"Its a deal, but maybe I should change out of this dress first." The weight of the countless layers of fabric was starting to weigh me down.
"Good idea. I don't think I can stand this tux for one more second. Oh, and by the way you might want to wash some of that rice out of your hair." Landon reached down and pulled a grain of rice out of my hair, wrapping a curl around his finger. I stretched as I stood up and opened the door between the closet and the bed, assuming it was a bathroom. As soon as I switched the light on I burst out laughing. "Did you see the wallpaper in here?"
"Yeah. The cartoon frogs? The people who lived here before us had weird taste in decorating. Don't worry we can change it."
"Thats okay...I kind of like it." I replied, looking at the frogs smiling down in different poses. Before unzipping my wedding dress I took one last look in the mirror. I found it hard to believe that my #1 had come true. I turned on the water and started singing Only Hope. It had been stuck in my head since our last dance. Landon's voice echoed through the door.
"I love you Jamie Sullivan."
"Carter. It's Jamie Carter."
"I like that even better."

I got dressed in a light pink tank top and matching lace trimmed shorts and joined Landon on the balcony. The view of our backyard took my breath away. A narrow stone path led to a pond with a small rowboat tied to a weeping willow on the shore. The moonlight danced on the water as a cluster of ducks floated by. Off to the side were two large oak trees with a hammock strung between them. It looked like a scene from a fairy tale.
"I told you that you'd like it. I thought you could plant a garden over there behind the house." Landon pointed out a spot of bare dirt under our kitchen window. I remained silent, trying to take it all in. "You could stand here staring at it all night or we could go try out that hammock." Landon nudged me with his elbow, and looked down at me with a playful smile.
"I can't think of anything I'd rather do."

I lifted Jamie into the hammock and it creaked under her weight. "Sorry, I didn't realize how old this thing was, we'll have to get a new one sometime.
"I don't mind it. It's actually kind of nice. It smells like leaves."
I looked at her questioningly. "You also liked the frog wallpaper.", I joked. That was Jamie. She loved everything. I had never met anyone so in love with the world around them.
I lay down next to her. She seemed mesmerized by the myriad of stars above us. She took my hand in hers, extended it to the sky, and traced the outline of a constellation with her finger.

"What is it?"
"Taurus. It's supposed to be a bull."
I tilted my head and tried to figure out how anyone could see a bull in the jumble of stars.
"The legend is that Zeus disguised himself as a snow white bull in order to attract a princess.",Jamie explained. "Drawn to the animal by its beauty, she climbed onto its back. Zeus swam with her on his back to Crete, where he revealed his identity to her and won her heart."
"Can you find your star?" Jamie moved my arm higher in the sky and pointed to her star. "I think its the brightest one in the sky.", I whispered in her ear. "Its so bright its blinking. Does it look like its moving to you?"
"Landon thats a plane!" Jamie burst out laughing. Her laughter was contagious and we laughed until our stomachs hurt. Jamie rested her head on my shoulder and began reciting a passage from 1 Corinthians. "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."

In a few minutes her breathing had slowed down and I realized she was asleep. I carried her back into the bedroom. I wasn't sure which side of the bed she'd want so I put her on the side near the window, where she could see the stars at night. I turned off the light and climbed into bed next to her, knowing that nothing I dreamed that night could be as good as reality.