Thanks for reading! This will actually be the last chapter of the story—excluding the epilogue and the three extra chapters I promised you guys earlier. :) I'll try to go out with a bang… hahah no, this chapter will be their wedding a few months later. Edward will be the priest, because Esme doesn't have enough control to really be in the same room as a human priest for a few hours and not kill him. :) Thanks to everyone for their continued support, and I hope this chapter will please. Enjoy.
I took deep, unnecessary breaths as I walked slowly down the aisle, holding my dress up with one hand, my eyes fixated on Carlisle's face thirty feet from me. I was walking at a human pace—for unknown reasons; there were no humans in the church. This was my wedding—the day I would remember for the rest of my existence, for thousands and thousands of years. True, I had been married before, but I didn't consider that a marriage when I didn't love him or fully consent to being his wife. This, right now, with Carlisle, was truly my first and only wedding.
I remember from my vague human memories, that when I was waiting backstage at my own wedding, asking Shea what she had felt when she was walking down the aisle to marry John. Her response had somewhat confused me, but now I understood it perfectly.
Just as she had mentioned, I was incredibly nervous and excited, and if I had been alive, my heart would have been thumping out of my chest, but I had absolutely no doubt that I was doing the right thing. I loved Carlisle with all of my being, and that was never going to change, no matter how many centuries or millennia went by. Never.
The dress I was wearing was one Edward had bought for me—I still didn't have the control necessary to walk into a human-occupied store to shop. I had imagined, mentally, what I had wanted the dress to look like, and he had gone out to find something that matched. And he had gotten it perfectly. My sleeves were long, straight to my knuckles, and were masterfully embroidered with beads and intricate patterns. The bodice of the gown was tight, not like a corset, but like a snug top. It was shaped like a V, dipping to just above my breasts, baring my collar bone and neck beautifully. The style of the bodice narrowed my waist and accented my hips subtly, but noticeably, giving me more of the ideal hourglass figure that I had not quite gained as a vampire. The bottom of the dress pooled around my legs, and was plain white satin with no design. The train trailed behind me a solid three or four feet and when I stepped, you could barely see the toes of my simple white shoes—pearly white with beads and a small bow over the toes that made it look only slightly over the top.
At the end of the aisle, I imagined my father hading me over to Carlisle, like he had with Charles, and kissing my hand goodbye. Some part of me wished that he, my mother, Shea, John and their children could be here to watch me wed Carlisle, but since they all thought me dead and I could loose control if they came, they weren't invited. Shea, I'm sorry I couldn't invite you. You shall always be my sister in my heart.
I took Carlisle's hands as I faced him, taking in a deep breath. He squeezed my hands gently, looking at me with a loving expression that melted my heart.
"We are gathered here today," began Edward looking at the pair of us with slight humor in his eyes. Obviously, a human priest would be in considerable danger if he were to wed us—so Edward volunteered for the job. He was no priest, and that meant the marriage wouldn't be legal, but they didn't write the laws with immortal vampires in mind, and besides, I didn't need a piece of paper to prove that I was Carlisle's and I'm sure he felt the same.
If I had been human, tears would have been pouring from my eyes as I regarded Carlisle with the soft, affection look that he was watching me with. I wished I could cry. Watching him, I realized that he was the same—that he would be crying as hard as I if only we could. My grip on his hands tightened, but I was careful not to completely crush his hand as I was aware I could.
"Do you, Esme Platt, promise to love and cherish Carlisle Cullen, through sickness and in health," Edward said, his eyes dancing with irony—we all knew neither Carlisle or I would ever get sick, but I had wanted a traditional wedding nonetheless, "for as long as you both shall… exist?" He swapped out live for exist, and I smiled slightly, to show I didn't mind.
"I, Esme Platt, promise to love and cherish Carlisle Cullen, through sickness and in health, for as long as we both shall exist," I swore, my voice breaking once, and my breath accelerating rapidly. Carlisle looked at me softly through his liquid gold eyes and his lips pulled up into a bright smile.
"Do you, Carlisle Cullen, promise to love and cherish Esme Platt, through sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall exist?"
"I, Carlisle Cullen, promise to love and cherish Esme Platt, through sickness and in health, for as long as we both shall live," he said, his voice steady although his eyes were passionately burning at me.
"I pronounce you man and wife." Edward grinned at me, reaching out to touch my shoulder and Carlisle's. "Feel free to kiss the bride," he told Carlisle lightly, the smile remaining on his face.
The smile on my face was so wide that I was sure it would be stuck on there for forever as I stepped closer to my husband, throwing my arms around his neck as I leaned up to kiss him gently, conveying all my love for him in that one, simple but passionate kiss. His arms snaked around my waist, hugging me firmly, and he kissed me back, reaching up to trail a hand down my cheek to cup my chin in his smooth fingers. Edward made a quiet little cough, but I ignored him and continued to kiss my beautiful, handsome, loving husband. He's all mine, I thought happily. And I'm his. Not that marriage could make that any more official.
I was Esme Anne Cullen, I realized suddenly. My past life was truly over. I would miss it, but not too terribly, I thought, pulling away from Carlisle to grin softly at him. "I love you," I told him ecstatically, wanting to pull him back to kiss him until the end of time.
"I love you, too," he whispered back, and leaned down to kiss me again.
After all, I was just starting a new life.
*Sniff*… Aww man, their wedding. I love it, love it, love it. And I love you all too, for your support and reviews and how you simply read this. :) You people are amazing, and I cannot thank you enough. Have a wonderful, wonderful day. Tomorrow, I promise I will post an epilogue, and then I will start writing the three extra chapters. And after that… I'll say goodbye.
Mel.