Title: "Solace: The Sequel to 'The Language of Longing'" (14 of 14)
Author: Meredith (roswelldreamer@aol.com)
Category: M/L future
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell.
Author's Note: This conclusion jumps ahead six years. Adam-Michael and
Lauren are 22, Jordana is 16, and the twins are 6. Thanks to everyone for
all the feedback on this story! Hopefully people are still reading it! This
is the end! FINALLY! The "sappiness factor" in this part is about a 13 (on
a scale of 1-10.) Just a warning. ;)
Backparts: The Language of Longing:
Solace:
---------------------------------
~Epilogue~Six Years Later~
7:19 AM T-minus 4 hours and 41 minutes The Evans' Home Roswell, New Mexico
Max rolled over in his bed lazily, his mind helplessly wandering to the love he'd made there with his beautiful wife the night before. He rubbed his hand over her side of the bed absently, missing her body and her warmth.
"Liz?" he called her name softly, the early morning light streaming in through the curtains. "Sweetheart?" He heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway and sensed she was coming towards him. She was wearing only one of his old white dress shirts that came down to her knees. In her hands were two mugs of coffee.
"Good morning," she said softly to him, not wanting to wake their night owl daughter and twin boys. "I just thought I'd make some coffee for the father of the groom..." Max smiled with pride. His son had just graduated from college a few weeks before and now he was getting married.
"I hope they wait a while to have kids. I'm too young to be a grandfather," Max groaned, patting his stomach gently. Liz leaned over and kissed his soft ear lobe.
"Mmm, you're going to be one damn sexy grandpa," she cooed.
"How about you, grandma?" he replied, sipping his coffee and putting it on the nightstand. He pulled her body back on top of his and relished in the feeling of closeness. Their mouths met quickly and they kissed each other slowly and softly as their bodies fought to be closer together.
"Well, well, Dr. Evans. Are you ready for another go?" she teased him.
"I'm ready if you are," he whispered onto her mouth before taking her lips again. Their rapture was interrupted by a dramatic sigh from the doorway.
"Eww, gross. Do you guys ever take a break? You're like dogs in heat." Jordana groaned.Liz buried her face in Max's neck as they laughed.
"Is everything okay, sweetie?" Liz asked her daughter.
"Yeah, everything is fine. I was just wondering when I had to go pick up Michaela, Zach, and Ryan?" Jordana asked as she yawned.
"Oh, Isabel's bringing them over at ten, I think," Max replied.
"Yes!" Jordana said, turning back towards her room. "I'm going back to sleep for a while," she stopped herself and walked back towards her parents' room. "But... I'm locking this door first."
Liz and Max looked at each other hotly. He weaved his hands in her long, silky brown hair and nibbled on her jawline. She sighed and buried her face in his neck once more.
"So, Dr. Evans, where were we?" she asked, nibbling his earlobe.
* * * 9:58 AM T-minus 2 hours and 2 minutes The Guerins' Home Roswell, New Mexico
"Mommy, I need you," the distinctive Parker Marie Guerin whine floated through the house as Maria fixed her husband's tie. Michael smirked and pulled her hands off his shirt as she sighed.
"It's okay, babe. We can fix this later. Go do her hair before she explodes," Michael said, walking back towards the living room as Maria started towards their daughter's room. Maria made it down the hall and smiled.
"How does the dress look, sweetie?" She asked from Parker's doorway.
"I look stupid, Mom," Parker said as she studied her reflection in the mirror. Maria shook her head and walked into her daughter's room.
"No, you don't. You are the prettiest flower girl I've ever seen," Maria said, smiling at the little blond girl at her feet. Her baby was hardly a baby anymore, she was nine now, but she looked angelic in the lavender dress that came down to her ankles. "You're going to look even prettier when I put the flowers in your hair." Maria grabbed the brush and flowers from Parker's dresser and began putting her hair into a French braid.
"Ouch, Mom, that hurts!" Parker cried as Maria tried to gently tug on her hair. Maria sighed and continued to try to shape the hair on the tiny head in her hands.
"It wouldn't hurt if you stopped squirming," Maria said, pulling the rubber band off her wrist with her teeth as she finished the end of the braid. "There," she said, smiling. "All done."
"Thanks, Mom," Parker said as she looked at herself in the mirror. "Where should the flowers go?" Maria picked them up from where they were resting on the bed. She tucked one stem into the back of Parker's braid and two on each side.
"Perfect." She said sweetly. Parker turned around and kissed Maria's cheek. "Now, go find your Daddy, I want to get a picture of everyone dressed up before we go."
"OK, Mom." Parker said, bouncing out of her room and down the hall. "DADDY!" She screamed. Maria winced, putting her fingers in her ears.
"That child just cannot grasp the concept of 'inside voices'..." she muttered under her breath as she left her daughter's room to find the rest of her family.
* * *
10:35 AM T-Minus 1 hour and 25 minutes The Evans' Home Roswell, New Mexico
Isabel, Alex, and their children filed out of their Land Rover and walked quickly into the two-story Southwestern-style home occupied by Isabel's brother, Max, and his family. Isabel was carrying a tray of food that would be part of the mountain of dishes for the reception, taking place at the home. Her nephew was marrying the love of his life today, and she couldn't be more happy for him.
"We're here!" Alex called as he lead his children into the house and watched them scatter. Michaela walked up the stairs to Jordana's room, while twelve-year-old Zach and eight-year-old Ryan walked out to the backyard to see if they could find their other cousins. Isabel placed the tray of food in the refridgerator, having to shift a few things around to get it to fit. Liz, Maria, and both of Adam's grandmothers had cooked up a storm for the reception, and Isabel was getting hungry just looking at it all!
Just then, Liz and Max came down the stairs, looking every bit the radiant couple. Alex smiled at them. "It's hard to believe you guys will probably be grandparents in a few years," he mused to them. Liz was wearing a knee-length lavender sundress with a white rose corsage pinned to her chest. Her hair was curled and pulled high up onto her head with tiny tendrils falling from either side. She looked radiant and not a day over thirty. Max was wearing a grey suit, a dark grey shirt, and a grey tie, taking advantage of the monochromatic look that was making a comeback. His hair was neatly slicked to the side and he grabbed his wife's hand eagerly as they made their way into the kitchen.
"You both look beautiful," Isabel said, smiling. "Parents of the groom, can you believe it?"
Liz shook her head, trying to hold back tears. Max chuckled and grabbed another tissue from the inside of his jacket. His wife had had four crying fits in the past hour and a half and she'd had to reapply her make up at least three different times. He'd learned his lesson and grabbed plenty of tissue for the ceremony. "Honey, are the boys still out back?" Liz asked him.
Max walked over to the sliding glass door leading to the backyard and looked through it.
Alex walked over to Liz and hugged her. "Ryan and Zach went out to play with Matt and Dylan," he replied. Max nodded as he saw his twin boys running around happily with their cousins in the back.
Liz walked over to the door with fright. "Oh, I hope they don't get their clothes dirty! That would be terrible, they're the ring bearers, they have to look perfect!" she said, her lower lip quivering. Max laughed and took her into his arms.
"Baby, remember? We can fix that," he said, pointing to the fabric in her dress and then moving it over to the white rose on her chest, changing the color to match the lavender perfectly. Liz smiled, burying her head in Max's chest.
"How could I forget," she replied, leaning up to kiss him softly. Alex rolled his eyes and walked back over to his wife in the kitchen. She was watching the boys playing out of the window over the sink. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She smiled and snuggled into his embrace.
"What are you thinking about?" Alex asked her.
"Oh," she sighed. "Just watching our boys out there," she sniffled. "It seems like yesterday that we brought Ryan home from the hospital. Now he's already eight-years-old. I overheard he and Zach the other day, they were looking at one of Michaela's teen magazines and picking out all the 'hot' girls. He's eight, Alex! He's too young to be looking at girls," Isabel said.
"Why not? I was eight the first time I saw you. I knew you were the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen in my life," Alex replied. She turned around in his arms and kissed him.
"Good save, Mr. Whitman," Isabel joked, kissing his cheek.
"You're worth it, Mrs. Whitman," Alex replied.
* * *
11:55 AM T-minus 5 minutes and counting St. Mark's Episcopal Church Roswell, New Mexico
Liz opened the back door that lead into the chapel slightly, smiling as she saw the people that filled up both sides of the aisle, all here to see her son marry his soulmate. The pews were decorated with white and lavender flowers and the altar was decked out with the same two colors that the bride had chosen. She sighed. "Sometimes, I wish Max and I had gotten married in a church," she mused.
Jordana smiled up at her Mom. "I was there when you guys were married, wasn't that enough?" Liz smiled and held her daughter in her arms, trying not to crush the lavender flowers she was holding in her hand. She was one of the bridesmaids for the ceremony that was about to begin.
"Of course, sweetie," Liz replied, rocking Jordana in her arms. "You were the best wedding present anyone could have ever given us." Her daughter smiled.
"Better than a toaster?" she replied.
Liz tickled her side. "You're my silly one, aren't you?"
"Of course I am. That's why you love me so much," Jordana replied.
Liz sighed. "You look absolutely gorgeous. My baby is all grown up. You are so beautiful."
Jordana blushed. "Mo-om," she whined. "You're embarrassing me!" Liz looked down at her with tears in her eyes. "Oh, no, don't you start crying again. Dad gave me strict instructions to make sure you don't cry back here." Liz smiled.
"Oh, he did, did he?" she asked, raising her eyebrow. Just then, she saw Matty and Dylan run over to her from the front of the line (where they were waiting patiently with the flower girl, Parker Marie). They tugged on the bottom of their Mom's dress and smiled up at her, two front teeth missing in each boy's mouth.
"Mama, Mama," they said in unison. "Daddy told us to make sure you don't cry!" Matt finished. Dylan nudged him to the side as their mother and sister watched them with curiosity.
"Look, Mama," Dylan replied. "We're going to do our dance for you," The two boys looked at each other and linked arms, spinning around in circles for a while then stopping to look at each other and make a silly face.
Liz clapped and bent down to hug her sons. "That was great. Mommy won't cry anymore, I promise," she said. "Now go on, you need to take your place at the front with Parker, okay?"
"Okay, Mom," Matt said, grabbing his brother's hand and leading him back to the front.
Just then, one of the church workers that was helping them with the ceremony breezed into the back room and walked over to the bride and the bride's father.
"Five minutes people, everyone in their places so we can get ready to begin!" the old woman cried, slapping her hands together as they heard the organ music beginning to play.
Kyle Valenti looked over at his daughter and smiled with pride. "I wish your mother could be here to see you today, pumpkin."
"She's here, Dad. She always is." Lauren said quietly with a tear- filled smile. "I just want to say 'thank you', Daddy. Thank you for always being there for me, and for loving Adam-Michael as much as I love him."
Kyle laughed. "I wouldn't say 'as much'," he retorted. "But I do care about him a lot. Like a son."
"I know you had some bad history with Adam's family, but I'm just so greatful that you put your problems with them aside and learned to care for them." Lauren said thoughtfully, trying with some difficulty to keep her mascara from running down her cheeks. Thank goodness her maid of honor had gone out at the very last minute and picked up some of the waterproof kind.
Kyle sighed. "I have grown to care for Max and Liz a lot, I respect them a lot more than I did in high school. They love their children and each other so much, they would die for them. I have to respect that-- because I feel the same way about you."
"Daddy," she said, a tear escaping her eye. "I love you, Dad." she kissed his cheek.
"I love you, too," Kyle said, trying to hold back the teares that threatened his eyes. He had to be strong for his daughter.
Liz walked over to the two of them and gave Kyle a hug, followed by a kiss on the cheek for her soon-to-be daughter-in-law. "I could stand here and try to tell you how happy you've made my son and our family, but it would take way too long and I don't have that many tissues with me," she said shakily. "I can't wait to call you my daughter."
Lauren bit back her tears and smiled. "Thank you, Mrs. Evans," she said quietly.
"Call me 'Mom'," she replied.
Lauren gasped. "Okay, Mom." Liz squeezed Lauren's hand.
"I'll see you out there, okay?" she said, smiling. She was being escorted out to the front pew by fourteen-year-old Evan Guerin, who was an usher. He and Adam-Michael were the closest boys in age in the family and they were very tight. Lauren nodded, smiling.
Lauren looked up at her Dad again. "Dad, don't cry," she said. "I'm only moving a few blocks away."
"I know, sweetie. I know," he said, wiping away happy tears for the first time since he could remember.
* * *
"Adam-Michael Parker Evans, do you take Lauren Michelle Valenti to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold from this day forward? For richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; till death do you part?" the priest asked as he turned to Adam. Adam held Lauren's hands in his own. She smiled as she felt how shaky he was.
"I- I do," he said, smiling down into Lauren's beautiful blue eyes.
The priest nodded, turning to Lauren. "And do you, Lauren Michelle Valenti, take Adam-Michael Parker Evans to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold from this day forward? For richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; till death do you part?" the priest asked her. She squeezed Adam's hands and sighed deeply.
"I do," she said firmly.
Max wrapped his arm around his wife as he watched his son answer to the same solemn vows he took when he and Liz were married sixteen years before. His greatest hope for his son was that he would still be as crazy in love with Lauren on their sixteenth anniversary as they are on their wedding day. He brushed at a stray piece of hair that had fallen across her face as her head rested on his shoulder. He reached into the pocket of his jacket and grabbed another tissue for his wife. She definitely needed it. To thank him, she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.
"I am so in love with you," he whispered for only his wife to hear.
"I am so hopelessly in love with you," she whispered back, setting her head back on his shoulder.
"...by the power vested in me by God and the state of New Mexico, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," the priest smiled, motioning to the new couple.
Adam felt a surge of love rush from deep within him as he lifted Lauren's veil slowly to reveal her perfect pink lips. Everyone clapped as they melted into each other for their first kiss as husband and wife. Their parents cried and their family and friends cheered, but Adam-Michael and Lauren Evans didn't hear a thing. They only felt each other, they only needed their love.
They were home.
~The End~
~Epilogue~Six Years Later~
7:19 AM T-minus 4 hours and 41 minutes The Evans' Home Roswell, New Mexico
Max rolled over in his bed lazily, his mind helplessly wandering to the love he'd made there with his beautiful wife the night before. He rubbed his hand over her side of the bed absently, missing her body and her warmth.
"Liz?" he called her name softly, the early morning light streaming in through the curtains. "Sweetheart?" He heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway and sensed she was coming towards him. She was wearing only one of his old white dress shirts that came down to her knees. In her hands were two mugs of coffee.
"Good morning," she said softly to him, not wanting to wake their night owl daughter and twin boys. "I just thought I'd make some coffee for the father of the groom..." Max smiled with pride. His son had just graduated from college a few weeks before and now he was getting married.
"I hope they wait a while to have kids. I'm too young to be a grandfather," Max groaned, patting his stomach gently. Liz leaned over and kissed his soft ear lobe.
"Mmm, you're going to be one damn sexy grandpa," she cooed.
"How about you, grandma?" he replied, sipping his coffee and putting it on the nightstand. He pulled her body back on top of his and relished in the feeling of closeness. Their mouths met quickly and they kissed each other slowly and softly as their bodies fought to be closer together.
"Well, well, Dr. Evans. Are you ready for another go?" she teased him.
"I'm ready if you are," he whispered onto her mouth before taking her lips again. Their rapture was interrupted by a dramatic sigh from the doorway.
"Eww, gross. Do you guys ever take a break? You're like dogs in heat." Jordana groaned.Liz buried her face in Max's neck as they laughed.
"Is everything okay, sweetie?" Liz asked her daughter.
"Yeah, everything is fine. I was just wondering when I had to go pick up Michaela, Zach, and Ryan?" Jordana asked as she yawned.
"Oh, Isabel's bringing them over at ten, I think," Max replied.
"Yes!" Jordana said, turning back towards her room. "I'm going back to sleep for a while," she stopped herself and walked back towards her parents' room. "But... I'm locking this door first."
Liz and Max looked at each other hotly. He weaved his hands in her long, silky brown hair and nibbled on her jawline. She sighed and buried her face in his neck once more.
"So, Dr. Evans, where were we?" she asked, nibbling his earlobe.
* * * 9:58 AM T-minus 2 hours and 2 minutes The Guerins' Home Roswell, New Mexico
"Mommy, I need you," the distinctive Parker Marie Guerin whine floated through the house as Maria fixed her husband's tie. Michael smirked and pulled her hands off his shirt as she sighed.
"It's okay, babe. We can fix this later. Go do her hair before she explodes," Michael said, walking back towards the living room as Maria started towards their daughter's room. Maria made it down the hall and smiled.
"How does the dress look, sweetie?" She asked from Parker's doorway.
"I look stupid, Mom," Parker said as she studied her reflection in the mirror. Maria shook her head and walked into her daughter's room.
"No, you don't. You are the prettiest flower girl I've ever seen," Maria said, smiling at the little blond girl at her feet. Her baby was hardly a baby anymore, she was nine now, but she looked angelic in the lavender dress that came down to her ankles. "You're going to look even prettier when I put the flowers in your hair." Maria grabbed the brush and flowers from Parker's dresser and began putting her hair into a French braid.
"Ouch, Mom, that hurts!" Parker cried as Maria tried to gently tug on her hair. Maria sighed and continued to try to shape the hair on the tiny head in her hands.
"It wouldn't hurt if you stopped squirming," Maria said, pulling the rubber band off her wrist with her teeth as she finished the end of the braid. "There," she said, smiling. "All done."
"Thanks, Mom," Parker said as she looked at herself in the mirror. "Where should the flowers go?" Maria picked them up from where they were resting on the bed. She tucked one stem into the back of Parker's braid and two on each side.
"Perfect." She said sweetly. Parker turned around and kissed Maria's cheek. "Now, go find your Daddy, I want to get a picture of everyone dressed up before we go."
"OK, Mom." Parker said, bouncing out of her room and down the hall. "DADDY!" She screamed. Maria winced, putting her fingers in her ears.
"That child just cannot grasp the concept of 'inside voices'..." she muttered under her breath as she left her daughter's room to find the rest of her family.
* * *
10:35 AM T-Minus 1 hour and 25 minutes The Evans' Home Roswell, New Mexico
Isabel, Alex, and their children filed out of their Land Rover and walked quickly into the two-story Southwestern-style home occupied by Isabel's brother, Max, and his family. Isabel was carrying a tray of food that would be part of the mountain of dishes for the reception, taking place at the home. Her nephew was marrying the love of his life today, and she couldn't be more happy for him.
"We're here!" Alex called as he lead his children into the house and watched them scatter. Michaela walked up the stairs to Jordana's room, while twelve-year-old Zach and eight-year-old Ryan walked out to the backyard to see if they could find their other cousins. Isabel placed the tray of food in the refridgerator, having to shift a few things around to get it to fit. Liz, Maria, and both of Adam's grandmothers had cooked up a storm for the reception, and Isabel was getting hungry just looking at it all!
Just then, Liz and Max came down the stairs, looking every bit the radiant couple. Alex smiled at them. "It's hard to believe you guys will probably be grandparents in a few years," he mused to them. Liz was wearing a knee-length lavender sundress with a white rose corsage pinned to her chest. Her hair was curled and pulled high up onto her head with tiny tendrils falling from either side. She looked radiant and not a day over thirty. Max was wearing a grey suit, a dark grey shirt, and a grey tie, taking advantage of the monochromatic look that was making a comeback. His hair was neatly slicked to the side and he grabbed his wife's hand eagerly as they made their way into the kitchen.
"You both look beautiful," Isabel said, smiling. "Parents of the groom, can you believe it?"
Liz shook her head, trying to hold back tears. Max chuckled and grabbed another tissue from the inside of his jacket. His wife had had four crying fits in the past hour and a half and she'd had to reapply her make up at least three different times. He'd learned his lesson and grabbed plenty of tissue for the ceremony. "Honey, are the boys still out back?" Liz asked him.
Max walked over to the sliding glass door leading to the backyard and looked through it.
Alex walked over to Liz and hugged her. "Ryan and Zach went out to play with Matt and Dylan," he replied. Max nodded as he saw his twin boys running around happily with their cousins in the back.
Liz walked over to the door with fright. "Oh, I hope they don't get their clothes dirty! That would be terrible, they're the ring bearers, they have to look perfect!" she said, her lower lip quivering. Max laughed and took her into his arms.
"Baby, remember? We can fix that," he said, pointing to the fabric in her dress and then moving it over to the white rose on her chest, changing the color to match the lavender perfectly. Liz smiled, burying her head in Max's chest.
"How could I forget," she replied, leaning up to kiss him softly. Alex rolled his eyes and walked back over to his wife in the kitchen. She was watching the boys playing out of the window over the sink. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She smiled and snuggled into his embrace.
"What are you thinking about?" Alex asked her.
"Oh," she sighed. "Just watching our boys out there," she sniffled. "It seems like yesterday that we brought Ryan home from the hospital. Now he's already eight-years-old. I overheard he and Zach the other day, they were looking at one of Michaela's teen magazines and picking out all the 'hot' girls. He's eight, Alex! He's too young to be looking at girls," Isabel said.
"Why not? I was eight the first time I saw you. I knew you were the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen in my life," Alex replied. She turned around in his arms and kissed him.
"Good save, Mr. Whitman," Isabel joked, kissing his cheek.
"You're worth it, Mrs. Whitman," Alex replied.
* * *
11:55 AM T-minus 5 minutes and counting St. Mark's Episcopal Church Roswell, New Mexico
Liz opened the back door that lead into the chapel slightly, smiling as she saw the people that filled up both sides of the aisle, all here to see her son marry his soulmate. The pews were decorated with white and lavender flowers and the altar was decked out with the same two colors that the bride had chosen. She sighed. "Sometimes, I wish Max and I had gotten married in a church," she mused.
Jordana smiled up at her Mom. "I was there when you guys were married, wasn't that enough?" Liz smiled and held her daughter in her arms, trying not to crush the lavender flowers she was holding in her hand. She was one of the bridesmaids for the ceremony that was about to begin.
"Of course, sweetie," Liz replied, rocking Jordana in her arms. "You were the best wedding present anyone could have ever given us." Her daughter smiled.
"Better than a toaster?" she replied.
Liz tickled her side. "You're my silly one, aren't you?"
"Of course I am. That's why you love me so much," Jordana replied.
Liz sighed. "You look absolutely gorgeous. My baby is all grown up. You are so beautiful."
Jordana blushed. "Mo-om," she whined. "You're embarrassing me!" Liz looked down at her with tears in her eyes. "Oh, no, don't you start crying again. Dad gave me strict instructions to make sure you don't cry back here." Liz smiled.
"Oh, he did, did he?" she asked, raising her eyebrow. Just then, she saw Matty and Dylan run over to her from the front of the line (where they were waiting patiently with the flower girl, Parker Marie). They tugged on the bottom of their Mom's dress and smiled up at her, two front teeth missing in each boy's mouth.
"Mama, Mama," they said in unison. "Daddy told us to make sure you don't cry!" Matt finished. Dylan nudged him to the side as their mother and sister watched them with curiosity.
"Look, Mama," Dylan replied. "We're going to do our dance for you," The two boys looked at each other and linked arms, spinning around in circles for a while then stopping to look at each other and make a silly face.
Liz clapped and bent down to hug her sons. "That was great. Mommy won't cry anymore, I promise," she said. "Now go on, you need to take your place at the front with Parker, okay?"
"Okay, Mom," Matt said, grabbing his brother's hand and leading him back to the front.
Just then, one of the church workers that was helping them with the ceremony breezed into the back room and walked over to the bride and the bride's father.
"Five minutes people, everyone in their places so we can get ready to begin!" the old woman cried, slapping her hands together as they heard the organ music beginning to play.
Kyle Valenti looked over at his daughter and smiled with pride. "I wish your mother could be here to see you today, pumpkin."
"She's here, Dad. She always is." Lauren said quietly with a tear- filled smile. "I just want to say 'thank you', Daddy. Thank you for always being there for me, and for loving Adam-Michael as much as I love him."
Kyle laughed. "I wouldn't say 'as much'," he retorted. "But I do care about him a lot. Like a son."
"I know you had some bad history with Adam's family, but I'm just so greatful that you put your problems with them aside and learned to care for them." Lauren said thoughtfully, trying with some difficulty to keep her mascara from running down her cheeks. Thank goodness her maid of honor had gone out at the very last minute and picked up some of the waterproof kind.
Kyle sighed. "I have grown to care for Max and Liz a lot, I respect them a lot more than I did in high school. They love their children and each other so much, they would die for them. I have to respect that-- because I feel the same way about you."
"Daddy," she said, a tear escaping her eye. "I love you, Dad." she kissed his cheek.
"I love you, too," Kyle said, trying to hold back the teares that threatened his eyes. He had to be strong for his daughter.
Liz walked over to the two of them and gave Kyle a hug, followed by a kiss on the cheek for her soon-to-be daughter-in-law. "I could stand here and try to tell you how happy you've made my son and our family, but it would take way too long and I don't have that many tissues with me," she said shakily. "I can't wait to call you my daughter."
Lauren bit back her tears and smiled. "Thank you, Mrs. Evans," she said quietly.
"Call me 'Mom'," she replied.
Lauren gasped. "Okay, Mom." Liz squeezed Lauren's hand.
"I'll see you out there, okay?" she said, smiling. She was being escorted out to the front pew by fourteen-year-old Evan Guerin, who was an usher. He and Adam-Michael were the closest boys in age in the family and they were very tight. Lauren nodded, smiling.
Lauren looked up at her Dad again. "Dad, don't cry," she said. "I'm only moving a few blocks away."
"I know, sweetie. I know," he said, wiping away happy tears for the first time since he could remember.
* * *
"Adam-Michael Parker Evans, do you take Lauren Michelle Valenti to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold from this day forward? For richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; till death do you part?" the priest asked as he turned to Adam. Adam held Lauren's hands in his own. She smiled as she felt how shaky he was.
"I- I do," he said, smiling down into Lauren's beautiful blue eyes.
The priest nodded, turning to Lauren. "And do you, Lauren Michelle Valenti, take Adam-Michael Parker Evans to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold from this day forward? For richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; till death do you part?" the priest asked her. She squeezed Adam's hands and sighed deeply.
"I do," she said firmly.
Max wrapped his arm around his wife as he watched his son answer to the same solemn vows he took when he and Liz were married sixteen years before. His greatest hope for his son was that he would still be as crazy in love with Lauren on their sixteenth anniversary as they are on their wedding day. He brushed at a stray piece of hair that had fallen across her face as her head rested on his shoulder. He reached into the pocket of his jacket and grabbed another tissue for his wife. She definitely needed it. To thank him, she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.
"I am so in love with you," he whispered for only his wife to hear.
"I am so hopelessly in love with you," she whispered back, setting her head back on his shoulder.
"...by the power vested in me by God and the state of New Mexico, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," the priest smiled, motioning to the new couple.
Adam felt a surge of love rush from deep within him as he lifted Lauren's veil slowly to reveal her perfect pink lips. Everyone clapped as they melted into each other for their first kiss as husband and wife. Their parents cried and their family and friends cheered, but Adam-Michael and Lauren Evans didn't hear a thing. They only felt each other, they only needed their love.
They were home.
~The End~