PROLOGUE

He stood in front of the mirror and adjusted his bow tie. The easy tasked deemed difficult with shaking hands. He was so nervous. In a few minutes he would stand at the altar and watch the woman he loves walk down the aisle. And not just walk down the aisle, but walk down the aisle to marry him.

What if she changes her mind? He thinks. What if she's not ready? He swallowed hard.

"Raymond." Dembe said peering into the room. "It's time."

He adjusted his cuff links and straightened his jacket. He took a deep breath and a smile crept across his lips.

—

She stood in her white dress, her knees shaking beneath the flowing fabric. Nervously adjusting her hair, making sure everything is in place. She looked at her reflection in the mirror- she was stunning.

"Elizabeth," Mr. Kaplan said as she stepped into the room. "Are you ready?" Liz turned nervously towards her.

"Kate, I-"

"Do you love him?" She interrupted. For a moment Liz just stood there confused. Then she saw look in her eyes and it made her realize that the answer to that question was the only thing that mattered right now.

"I do." She smiled and her knees stopped shaking. Mr. Kaplan smiled and took Liz's hands and kissed her on the forehead.

"Come on dear, it's time." Liz took a deep breath and while wearing a smile she stepped out into the hallway.

—

He felt like he was standing there for days. Seconds felt like minutes, minutes like hours. He anxiously fidgeted with his hands and stepped back and forth where he stood. He was standing before hundreds of their closest friends, all with their eyes on him. He gritted his teeth and stopped when he heard the doors open in the back. And there she was. Everyone stood as she stepped into the isle.

"There she is." He whispered. He no longer felt the nerves tense in his chest, now it was all loose in his stomach. "Has my heart loved til now," he whispered to himself. His smile was ear to ear as he couldn't contain his excitement any longer.

"She's beautiful, Raymond." Dembe said leaning to him.

"So beautiful." He whispered. The moment she lifted her head and their eyes met, it was as if everything else in the world just seized to exist. There was only her. There were no people in the audience, no one standing behind him, not a single soul besides her own. Her blue eyes were ghosted white by the vail that fell before her face, but what the vail couldn't hide was the unmistakable outline of her smile. He bit his lip as she stepped up the few stairs to meet him; he took her hand and helped her along.

"Forswear it sight," He spoke quietly and they once again met each other's eyes. "For I've never seen true beauty til this night." He smiled sincerely and they took each other's hands.

"May everyone please be seated, the ceremony is about to begin." The pastor spoke and there was a roar as everyone found there seats. "We are gathered her today to join together two people who have seemed to overcome just about everything the world has thrown at them. Overwhelming the odds and most certainly- breaking the boundaries. Knowing both of them personally, I have never known a more perfect pair." He stepped back and gave a slight nod to Liz, giving her the floor to begin with her vows. She nodded in affirmation, took a deep breath and met his eyes.

"Ray, I have to admit- I never thought I'd be standing here. I guess there just aren't explanations for the most incredible things that happen to us. But I suppose it always had to come to this. And standing here now; there's no place I'd rather be. You have completely turned my life inside out, but if you hadn't- this, you, me; none of it would even exist. And as crazy as it all may be, as much as its cost the both of us, I couldn't imagine it any other way. You were always there for me, even when I didn't want you to be. I've yelled at you, I've sent you away, I've tried to get rid of so many times- but I just couldn't let go. As if beauty had fallen in love with the beast. And after all that's happened, all that we've been through, all I can say is I can't wait to see what kind of trouble we get ourselves into next. You're my partner in crime, my best friend….and together we make a great time. Thank you, for everything, I don't know what I do without you, and I don't even want to imagine a world without you in it. I promise I will always love you, and I will always come back. You're my home. My madness and my hero. You're my sin eater…. And I thank god for you every day." She wiped the tears from her eyes and he let his fall to the floor. The whole chapel was silent.

"Raymond…" The pastor said signaling that he could now read his vows. Raymond nodded his head, sucked back his tears and cleared his throat. Immediately a smile cracked across his lips.

"Elizabeth…" He tilted his head. "I'm a great deal of things. But all that I am, today, I would not be without you. You've given me the light I needed to see through the darkness. You've given me something to live for again. You've given me a place to call home… a reason to laugh; smile. A reason to come back. You are very simply the only reason I need." He paused. He stared down at his feet as the lump in his throat grew larger. His jaw tightened at the memory raging in his mind. "He had a gun to head, he had a gun to my head and I thought to myself 'this is it'," he swallowed the lump in his throat. Liz looked on, eyes watering. "'this is it, Ray'. This was just after I told you go. I told you it was time to go….that there was nothing you could do. And off you went. And as much as it killed me to see you walk away, I knew you'd be safe…." He wiped his eyes. "So as I'm sitting there….on my knees, knowing it was the end, there was only one thing that I kept seeing- You. I saw you, Lizzie… And in that moment, I just wanted to see you on last time, so I could tell that I'm sorry. But I couldn't, you were gone. I remember hearing the hammer click back, I could feel his finger on the trigger, and as a last desperate attempt, my last thought, last words….I said your name. And there you were. You came back for me….You saved me. You keep saving me." Liz's mouth fell open, tears rolling down her cheeks. "And I never told you that….Lizzie you are always my very first and very last thought. And I can only hope to be all that you will ever need. Be the one person you can always count on, the one you can trust. Because one thing is for sure, you are all I have ever needed. I told you that I have never lied to you, and I am a man of my word. So when I say 'I love you', Trust me- with everything that I am, and all that I will ever be, I love you, Elizabeth. I love you so much. I always have….and I always will. And i will always come back."

The rings are brought out and given to both of them. Reds eyes flicker as he looks at the gold band in his palm.

Liz takes Reds hand.

"We can do this," she said sliding the ring onto his finger. He takes her hand.

"You and I." He finishes as he places the ring onto her finger.

"Together."

"Together."