A/N: This one is for Lori2279. Thank you so much for the prompt. Sorry this took so long. I had completely forgotten to post it last week. I hope you enjoy this.
This is the last snapshot. I figured that it would be good to end with the beginning (kind of, sort of).
I'd like to thank everyone who has been reading, reviewing, and providing me with prompts. Your continual support and the fact that you're reading and enjoying my work means a lot.
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I DO
He never thought he'd be doing this.
When he was younger, he sometimes thought he'd be on his own forever.
He could never picture himself doing this with any of the other girls he'd been with.
He remembered when he and Seth were younger and he rambled on about how Summer was "The One". He remembered thinking he was full of it. He didn't believe in "The One". He didn't think there'd be anyone like that out there for him.
"Dude, calm down," Seth said.
"I am calm," he lied.
He wasn't calm.
What if she came to her senses, realized he wasn't good enough for her and ran away?
What if he lost The One?
They had made it through college while being an ocean apart.
No one thought they'd do it. He didn't even think they'd last more than a month. They were so different – but that was what drew him to her. He missed her when she wasn't nearby. She was different from everyone he had ever known and when she came back for Thanksgiving during their first year apart he realized exactly how much he had missed her and knew she was The One.
He loved her – it wasn't infatuation or the conditional kind of love. He really loved her. The time apart just made him love her more.
He remembered saying it for the first time when she was drunk. He remembered thinking that even though she was insane she was just so… so… He couldn't even begin to describe her.
Summer passed him with a huge grin plastered on her face but he chose to ignore her and focus on the end of the aisle.
He hadn't seen her for a while.
She stayed with Summer last night and Seth stayed with him. His brother wanted to throw him a bachelor party with the whole nine yards but after a stern glare he just invited some guys over for poker, beer, and videogames.
He didn't know what she did last night. When he called her this morning she assured him that there hadn't been any strippers but didn't divulge any information about what she did with the girls.
The fact that she didn't tell him how she spent the night made him a bit nervous even though he trusted her explicitly. Plus, he knew that Kirsten and Sophie had spent the night with her too so whatever she did had to be rated PG.
They wanted kids. He didn't care what they had as long as they had them together but she wanted a boy – one who looked just like him.
He didn't tell her that he loved her – he still wasn't good at saying it. Sometimes it spilled out though – when they were arguing, or after the sex they had because of the arguing, or just when they were alone and he watched her.
He wasn't sure how she managed to do so, but she could make his palms sweat, his heart swell, his pulse quicken, his mind whirl…
He stopped breathing as soon as he saw her at the end of the aisle.
He stared at her.
She smiled at him and he stared at her.
Some of her loose auburn tendrils were pinned back and held her veil while others cascaded over her back and shoulders. Her dress was simple, classy, and clean cut with embroidery and embellishments here and there. It was sleeveless, hugged the upper half of her body, and flowed from her waist to her feet. He knew she wouldn't go for something big, puffy, or glamorous and he knew that she would look beautiful – but he hadn't expected her to look… the way she did.
She took his breath away.
She was glowing and she kept smiling at him as she made her way to him. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her even if he wanted to.
He watched her hand her bouquet to Summer and hold out her hands for him to take like they had practiced yesterday afternoon.
He took her soft, delicate hands into his and locked his gaze on her sparkling hazel eyes.
He didn't really pay attention to what the priest was saying and could tell that she didn't care either. They were in the Cohen's backyard with close family and friends and neither one of them was particularly religious – Seth and Summer had a rabbi perform their ceremony and Kirsten thought it would be good to have a priest conduct theirs.
They kept their eyes locked on each other and he waited for the part where he had to say two little words that would make her his.
"Do you, Ryan, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife – to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do you part?" he heard the priest ask him.
"I do," he said, causing her to smile up at him lovingly. He turned to Seth quickly and took the gold band from him before placing the ring on her finger and smoothing his thumb over the back of her hand.
"Do you, Taylor, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband – to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do you part?" the priest asked her. Time moved slowly in those split seconds in which he nervously waited for her to say something.
"I do," she said, making his heart melt. He felt like time stood still as she turned to Summer for his matching gold band, turned back, and slid the ring onto his finger before looking up at him with those beautiful hazel eyes of hers.
Taylor Atwood. She was his now. She was his wife. Forever. No take backs.
He instinctively leaned in and captured her lips. The kiss was tender and gentle at first but as soon as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he buried one of his hands in her hair and placed the other on the small of her back, it became more heated and passionate.
They were interrupted by coughing and his eyes snapped open once she began to pull away from him. He glared at the priest before looking at their friends and family. Sandy chuckled while Kirsten blushed as she smiled at them. He could hear Seth snickering behind him and saw Summer trying her hardest not to laugh.
He couldn't help it if his wife was hot.
He looked at her and found her smiling up at him with bright red cheeks. He knew she was smiling because his were the same colour.
"Well then," the priest started, "by the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride."
Oh.
"At least I managed to sneak in one last kiss with Miss. Townsend," he whispered to her, placing his hands on her waist and resting his forehead against hers.
She giggled and he grinned before kissing his wifefor the first time.