They say in the end, true love prevails, but in the end, true love can't be no fairytale. To say I'll never make your dreams come true would be wrong, but maybe, darlin', I could help them along.
"I Wanna Marry You" – Bruce Springsteen
"Do you have your tie?"
Sammy looked up from his reflection in the mirror and nodded thoughtfully before holding up the silver slip of silk. Abigail came over and took it from him, carefully looping it around his neck and tying it neatly. She could feel the nervousness rolling off him in waves. This was a pretty big day, one they had both been looking forward to for so long. Weddings only came along once in a lifetime if you were lucky, and this one (a small, private affair) had been months in the making. They'd gone over every painstaking details together, and now in just a few minutes, a justice of the peace would unite the happy couple in marriage.
"You look beautiful," he murmured as he turned to smile at her, holding her gaze with warm love and affection. She blushed prettily and shrugged the compliment off without any kind of verbal response. She only slipped her arm through his so that her fingertips rested lightly on his forearm and grinned at their reflection in the narrow looking glass. "I love you, you know?"
"I love you, too," she said softly as their eyes met in the mirror.
"This is really happening, huh?"
Abigail nodded as she allowed him to lead her out of the small room where they'd gotten dressed. She could see all of her friends waiting down in front. Christian and Ben looked handsome in their dark suits, ties matching Sammy's. Tara and Kat were dressed in the same lavender dresses, holding tiny bouquets of tea roses and white lilies. She could see his mother sitting down in front with Ari, the woman already clutching a lace handkerchief. Her own mother was across the aisle in a pretty hat with a little veil.
"Well, Mr. Evans, I think it's time to do this," she said as they waited for the musical cue. A nontraditional musical piece picked specifically by Abigail soon filled the air. With one last smile in his direction, they started the march down the aisle in perfect unison. Abigail tried to focus on keeping one foot of the other rather than on the blur of people on her left and right. She barely saw Ethan near the front, Miss Raine and Zach just to his side. "Slow down, Sammy. You're making me run, and these heels are not meant for that."
"Sorry," he muttered as they made it halfway down the aisle. He slowed his gait to keep in time with Abigail's slower pace. "There are way more people here than I thought there would be."
"A perfect fifty," she reminded him from behind pursed lips. "That is what we agreed on."
By the time they finally made it to the front of the room, the justice of the peace looked more than ready to get the ceremony under way. The kind-faced man in the black robe smiled at them before he started his brief speech outlining the importance of marriage. Abigail stood proudly at Sammy's side, her arm still tucked firmly in his. She could feel him shaking nervously and found it to be quite adorable. His knees still knocked together after all these years.
"And who gives their blessing for this man in marriage?" the justice asked.
Abigail smiled proudly at the justice and then over at Sammy. "I do," she announced before leaning over to press a gentle kiss to his smooth cheek. She had been so proud when he had asked her to do this, something his father couldn't do after they'd lost him to a heart attack last year. "I wish you a lifetime of happiness."
"Thank you," he murmured back as he let go of her hand and finally turned to his groom. He gazed up at Ollie as if he was the most precious thing in the world, and Abigail couldn't help but look past the couple at her own partner. Ben winked at her before nodding his head back toward the justice as a reminder to pay attention.
Fifteen minutes later, Ollie and Sammy kissed in front of their closest family and friends. Abigail applauded loudly as she met Christian to be escorted back down the aisle. Ben followed closely behind, flanked on either side by Kat and Tara. When the whole lot of them finally made it back to the private room and were joined by Ethan, they relished in a champagne toast before being paraded back outside for an endless barrage of photographs in various combinations and poses. It took more than an hour for them to make it to the reception hall for the party to officially begin, and by then, Abigail was so famished that she nearly devoured her meal whole.
They all watched as Ollie and Sammy took their first dance as a married couple in the middle of the floor and applauded politely through the speeches. Having already given hers at the rehearsal dinner, Abigail was able to enjoy a second glass of champagne from her place between Sammy and Ben while Kat and Christian waxed poetic about the couple. There were more photographs to be taken, and an endless stream of people stopped by the table to tell her how pretty she looked and how beautiful the wedding had been. By the time Sammy finally dragged her out to the dance floor, she was dead on her feet. However, she allowed him to spin her around the floor in an upbeat cha-cha in homage to their old class. When the music transitioned to a slow waltz, she whirled in the opposite direction and into Ollie's waiting arms.
"Well, how does it feel to be married, Mr. Lieberman-Lloyd?"
"Ask me in a couple days when I come back down," he grinned dreamily. "Thank you for everything you have done for us, Abigail, especially walking him down the aisle today. I know that he's still missing his father terribly, but having you there really helped."
"I would do anything for you two, you know that," she reminded him happily. She loved the others, but Sammy and Ollie were special to her. She would do anything for them short of being their surrogate, and that was only because she suspected Ben would have something to say to the contrary. "Just take care of him for me, okay?"
"I will," he promised before leaning down to buss her on the cheek.
Ben came over and tapped on his shoulder then. "Mind if I cut in?"
"Sure, mate," Ollie said, shaking his hand firmly. "Thanks again, Abs."
Ben wrapped his arms around her tightly when they were alone. "This will be us in a month."
"Can't wait," she mused happily before leaning her head to her own fiancee's shoulder.
She looked around to see Kat dancing with Christian and Tara with Ethan. Neither of the couples was together but they were all friends. It was nice that they still had moments like these where they could all be in the same place at once. She caught Sammy's eye as he danced with Ollie near Ethan and Tara. He smiled up at her and winked before mouthing that he loved her. She smiled and inaudibly returned the sentiment. Life was beautiful.
My take on wittykittylizzie's request.