"Are you certain that we're ready for this, Ruth?" Harry asked, his voice tight, his hands cold as Ruth held them in her own.
Studying him sympathetically, she turned to face him on the steps of the little country church. "We can wait if you want to Harry."
His gaze was distant, his body tense beneath his tuxedo. "I made such a hash of it the first time."
"Will you make the same mistakes again?"
He shook his head, lowering his gaze to the steps between them and then glancing to her eyes quickly and away again. "Will you run?" he asked quietly.
Anger shot to her heart but the pitiable look on his face dispersed it. Stepping into the warmth of his body, she took hold of his lapels and pulled herself up to his lips, kissing him lightly there until he bowed to her and drew her body tightly against him. When he released her, she replied, "I will never run from you again. I vow to you today, here before God and the universe, that I will be true to you, will behave in love to you in all joys and trials, will nurse you when you're ill and accept the same in return. I promise to argue with you when you're ideas are clearly incorrect—" Blatantly astonished, he met her gaze. That's got his attention. "I promise to listen to your arguments when you feel that I am wrong. I will bicker, contend, disagree, pettifog, quarrel, quibble, row, squabble, wrangle—" Harry laughed out loud and she saw the burden rise from his shoulders. "But I will not run. This is forever. Still interested?"
Chuckling happily, relief hanging from his eyelids, he promised, "Yes. A thousand times, yes. We'll figure this out together."
"Indeed. I love you, Harry."
"I love you, Ruth, from the heights of the heavens to the depths of the seas."
She smiled brightly in return, pulling matching white gold wedding rings from her handbag. "Then let's go put these on." Harry nodded, kissing her once again before taking her hand and leading her in, welcomed by a very pregnant Catherine, Fabian, Graham and Malcolm. Catherine stood up with Ruth and Graham stood up with Harry. There, before the witness of those who loved them most, they pledged—forever.
THE END