Emma Geller-Green looked around her new apartment helplessly. The floor was a jumble of half-unpacked boxes, the furniture barely visible. She closed her eyes briefly and wished that her Aunt Monica would suddenly appear, organizational chart in hand. Mentally cursing herself for turning down Monica's offer of help in moving, Emma began to clear a space on the couch.
She smiled fondly as she regarded the now-visible floral pattern of the new couch. Her parents had purchased the new living room suite for her, and it was undoubtedly in her mother's taste--sophisticated yet feminine. She cringed remembering the green pleather set that her dad had preferred. But the giant dinosaur throw pillow…that was definitely her dad.
She was surrounded by boxes of every shape and size. It was hard to believe that twenty-three years of life had produced this much stuff. Sighing tiredly, she began unpacking the box nearest to her. She pulled out a few old teddy bears, followed by a big stuffed penguin. "Hugsy!" she squealed, hugging the toy quickly. Placing him carefully next to her, she began unpacking the next box.
Emma stared at the contents, puzzled. Apparently she had gotten a box that wasn't hers. This box was crammed full of DVDs. She pulled one out and idly read the label.
In her dad's neat, precise penmanship, it was labeled "Home Movies, 2006: Wedding." Emma grinned and mentally thanked her Uncle Joey for the DVD player that he had given her as a housewarming gift. She popped the disc into the machine and settled back onto the couch.
Chandler Bing's face, much younger, filled the screen. "This is Chandler Bing, documenting the most-awaited wedding of…ever," he said. "Could Ross and Rachel be any slower in realizing that they were meant for each other?"
"What are you doing, man?" asked Joey Tribbiani's disembodied voice.
"I'm taping the wedding," replied Chandler's voice defensively.
"You aren't the wedding, buddy," said Joey. "Get a shot of me congratulating Ross and Rachel."
The camera swung around to reveal Joey, wearing a stunning tuxedo and a come-hither smile. He winked. "How you doin'?" he drawled.
"Oh, for heaven's sake," said a female voice in an annoyed tone. "It's a camera, Joey, not a hot girl." Joey's sister Gina stepped into the frame, giving Joey a withering glare.
Joey shrugged. "Fine. Now get outta my shot!" He smiled charmingly again. "This is Joseph Tribbiani, star of the hit television show, Deep Powder. I want to congratulate my friends Ross and Rachel on their wedding today. I will be performing the ceremony. Which is kind of weird, when you think about it, since Rachel was the first woman I ever loved…"
"JOEY!" shrieked a chorus of voices, mostly female.
Emma nearly fell off the couch. Uncle Joey had been in love with her mom? This was juicy stuff! She paused the DVD and ran into the kitchen to search for microwave popcorn. This kind of drama definitely warranted a snack.
Twenty minutes later, armed with a bag of popcorn and a Dr. Pepper, Emma settled back onto the couch and hit the Play button.
Joey pulled a pretty blonde woman into the screen. It was his now-wife, Aunt Alex. "And this is my girlfriend, Alex."
Alex smiled and waved bashfully. "Congratulations, Ross and Rachel," she said. "Michael, get over here!" She exited the screen quickly and was replaced by Joey's nephew, Michael, who was now a molecular biologist.
"On this auspicious occasion," he began, looking serious, then Joey unceremoniously shoved him away.
"Speak English!" Joey scolded him.
"Would you big camera hams stop fooling around?" The camera swung around again, this time revealing Aunt Phoebe, who was very visibly pregnant, and her husband, Mike Hannigan. "The wedding starts in twenty minutes!"
Then she seemed to realize that she was being filmed and smiled widely. "Congratulations, you guys. I love you! And I hope that baby Phoebo doesn't decide to make his entrance during your wedding."
Emma laughed. The baby that Aunt Phoebe was carrying had actually turned out to be Christopher Joseph Hannigan, not Phoebo. Luckily for him.
"Phoebe, you're not due for another month," Mike reminded her gently.
Another male voice interrupted. "Phoebe, you need to sit down. Dr. Cooper told you to stay off your feet as much as possible."
It was Ross. He looked young and handsome in his tuxedo. Behind him was eleven-year Ben, Emma's half-brother. "Guys…we need to be at the front of the church now! We're already off-schedule, thanks to that Krispy Kreme stop that Joey had to make on our way here…"
"Calm down, dude," said Joey. "We're ready."
The camera was abruptly switched off and Emma groaned. Then the screen flickered back on and was filled with an image of Rachel, gorgeous in her flowing white wedding gown, preening in front of a full-length mirror.
Emma herself was preening beside her, five years old and resplendent in a fluffy pink dress. A teary voice began to speak…Aunt Monica's.
"Here we are, and it's ten minutes until the wedding," she said. "This is my best friend and soon-to-be sister, Rachel Green, and my niece, Emma."
Five-year old Emma, hearing her name, turned and waved at the camera. Then the camera zoomed in on Rachel.
Emma was struck at how breathtakingly beautiful her mother looked. "Rachel has always been like a sister to me, and now it'll be official," said Monica.
At that, Rachel began to look teary. "If you make me ruin my mascara, I'm going to have to hurt you," she said. She swallowed, hard. "Let me get a shot of you with the twins," she suggested, and the screen wobbled as the camera changed hands again.
Monica Geller-Bing smiled tearily for the camera. "Congratulations, Ross and Rachel," she said. Before she could say anything else, two tiny voices piped up.
"Mommy! Mommy!" Monica smiled and picked up both twins. Emma smiled when she saw the three-year old versions of her cousins. Jack was adorable in a tiny tuxedo, while Erica's pink dress matched her own.
"Say congratulations to Uncle Ross and Aunt Rachel," Monica whispered loudly.
"Congwadulations,," they chorused. Monica beamed.
A loud rapping noise interrupted whatever Monica was getting ready to say. "It's time, pumpkin," said the voice, and the door opened to reveal Emma's late Grandpa Green, followed closely by Grandma Green, who was already dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.
Then the screen abruptly went black again.
The first strains of the wedding march sounded as the screen flickered back on again. "This is Phoebe Buffay-Hannigan, your wedding correspondent," said Aunt Phoebe's voice in a whisper. "Since being pregnant, which is obviously Mike's fault, has kept me from being in this wedding, I will be recording it for posterity."
A wild shot of the church made Emma dizzy, then the picture leveled out. Standing at the front of the church were Joey, Ross, and Ben. The camera swung again to reveal the procession coming up the aisle…Monica and Chandler, Erica and Jack, and finally Emma, who was happily flinging rose petals everywhere. Then the music swelled joyously and Rachel herself, escorted by Grandpa Green, began the long walk up the aisle.
After what seemed like an eternity, they reached the front of the church.
Joey cleared his throat. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered today to witness the long-awaited union of Ross Geller and Rachel Green. Who gives this woman to be married?"
Grandpa Green stepped forward. "Her mother and I do," he said, and placed Rachel's hand in Ross'. He gave Ross a severe look. "I'll be watching you, Geller," he said. Then he stepped back and blended into the crowd.
Ross and Rachel faced each other, their eyes locked, and Emma could tell that in that moment, nothing in the world had existed for them except each other. She had always known that her parents were in love, but she had never seen it so clearly before.
Joey smiled at the crowd. "Today it is my great honor to join two of my best friends in holy matrimony. Ross and Rachel have known each other for most of their lives. I believe in my heart that they are soul mates, meant to spend the rest of their lives together. Today Ross and Rachel will exchange vows that they have written themselves. Ross?"
Ross cleared his throat and gripped Rachel's hands more tightly in his own. For a moment, he looked nervous. Then he smiled with pure joy. "Rachel," he began, "you are the love of my life. I can't remember a time when I haven't loved you. You're my best friend, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."
Tears were streaming freely down Rachel's face, and Ross tenderly wiped them away. "Ross, I love you more than I can ever say," she began. "My whole life has been leading up to this moment. I can't wait to begin our life together."
They exchanged rings. Joey beamed at them. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Ross took Rachel in his arms, and what would have been a long, drawn-out, storybook-ending kiss was quickly interrupted by a loud scream.
"OUCH!" screamed Phoebe. "I forgot that labor pains hurt this much!" The screen went black again, and this time no picture flickered back on.
"That's right…Chris was born on mom and dad's wedding day," Emma said aloud. She looked longingly towards the box, still filled with unwatched home movies, then remembered the millions of other boxes still waiting to be unpacked. "Tomorrow night," she said, clicking off the television.