The following week, Jack and Sue went back to the bullpen, her hand weighted down with the diamond that he had bought for her before they left Wisconsin. Everyone was ecstatic, though slightly sad to see Jack move out of their office. Bobby more than made up for the others lack of enthusiasm when he found out that Jack would be moving to the same unit as he was currently working.
Cases were interspersed with wedding talk, and time gave way to summer before anyone even realized it was coming. Though there had been several teasing comments about how slow the two had been in getting together, the overwhelming feeling as they stood in the church in mid-June was of thankfulness and excitement. No one who had ever seen Jack and Sue together could think of either of them without the other.
In the back, before the ceremony began, Sue's father spoke to Jack with the love of a father, and the respect of a man. "My daughter has loved you for a while, and we are excited to welcome you into our family. Both my wife and I have come to respect you, and love you as a son. However, if you ever hurt Sue, I will kill you myself." Jack grinned slightly, although he was sure that the man in front of him truly believed what he was saying. Mr. Thomas then reached into his pocket, retrieving a small velvet box. Opening it, Jack saw a small key, and he immediately knew what it was. "I gave Sue a heart the day she turned 16, for a long time she wore it all the time. We taught Sue, and her brothers, that her body was a gift for only one man-the man she would marry. Sue always had a sensitive nature to her, and I remember the look in her eyes as I took the key to that locket and placed it in this box. I told her that one day I would give that key to her husband. Some time before she moved to D.C. I heard her in her room. She was crying. When I stepped in, she had the locket in her hands. Concerned, I asked what was wrong. She simply said that she had been praying for her husband, though she didn't know you at the time. I just thought you should know that." Extending the package to Jack, he took it reverently.
"Thank you for telling me that, sir. I will do all that is in my power to cherish this gift she has given me. Believe me when I tell you that I do not take it lightly." Fingering the small key, Jack realized that he and Sue had been connected long before they ever met in person. Through their years apart, God had been molding them for each other. It was a humbling moment as he realized all that he had been blessed with. Today Sue would pledge her life to him, even as he pledged his to her. They would stand before God and their friends and family, promising to love each other through better or worse, until death parted them. Tonight they would come together, sharing a bond that God had ordained for husband and wife. In every way possible, the two would become one. He still battled guilt as he considered that she had saved herself for this night. The past sin still trying to poke its ugly head into his thoughts, but he refused to listen. Forgiveness had given him a new start, and a new ministry. A verse popped into his mind. "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:12) Thankfulness sprang from a place deep in his heart, as he moved into the sanctuary to await his bride.
Sue smiled at the look on Jack's face as she entered. The whole family stood in front of her...Myles, Bobby and D stood beside Jack, and Tara and Lucy stood next to her empty spot. Seated on the front rows was her mother as her father walked her down the isle. On the other side Jack's parents were sitting beside Molly and Coach. Jack had been unsure how he wanted Coach to be involved in the ceremony. The desire to show him how much he meant to him was foremost in Jack's mind, but he didn't want to overstep his bounds or cause his own parents to feel slighted. However, after they had sat down and had a long talk with Mr. and Mrs. Hudson, they both felt at peace having them sit with his parents, and giving them a special note in the wedding program. It had been Molly who had come to Sue just a few hours earlier, thanking her for all that she had done for Jack, and assuring her that she and Coach thought of her like a daughter. "Jack has always been like a son to us, and we are so happy to see him do so well in picking a wife." The words had warmed Sue's heart, and caused tears to form in her eyes as she hugged the older woman.
Thinking back over the last several months, Sue was amazed at how much Jack had grown in his relationship with the Lord. Though she had loved Jack for a long time, she loved him even more now than she thought was possible. The fact that he had started a small group with other men who had dealt with the loss of abortion caused her heart to soar. Bliss was the only word that could describe what she felt as she walked towards him, knowing that from now until the end of time, she was his and he was hers.
Later that evening, Jack took the small key and opened the long ago sealed locket. Inside was a picture of Sue at sixteen, and a small note folded into a little ball. Opening it, Sue's handwriting welcomed Jack. "To my future. I look forward to the day when together we will read this, and I will forever be yours." Looking into Sue's eyes, he saw the crimson start to rise in her cheeks. "That sounds so silly." She smiled at him.
"No, Sue. It is not silly. This is the most precious gift I have ever been given. To think that all those years ago, you already thought of me. I am truly humbled." Leaning towards her he kissed her softly. "And Sue, I will forever be yours."