6 Months Later
It was two days before Christmas, and Jennifer was going around the house like crazy, putting out decorations. Every time Jonathan turned around there was another sprig of holly, or a string of lights wrapped around something.
They were having a Christmas party that night, so she was trying to make sure the house was perfect.
The party was going to be for all of their friends plus all of Jonathan's work friends.
Jennifer had made 4 different types of punch, and a couple of appetizers. They were having the main portion of the party catered.
"Miss Edwards, tell me again why we are making all these trays if you are having the party catered too?"
"I told you, Max. We are having Susan and Drew, Laura and James and Bill and Rebecca over first, and then a couple of hours later, everyone else is supposed to arrive. The appetizers are for the first part, and the caterer is taking care of the rest".
"Got it, Miss Edwards".
"It'll all come together, Max. You'll see".
Jonathan arrived right on time, with flowers for Jennifer.
"Aww how sweet. Max, can you put these in water?Hi darling. I love you, I'm glad you're home. You can't wear that for the party that starts in ten minutes. Go get ready".
She kissed him.
"I didn't have such strict orders in the Navy".
"Miss Edwards wants it all to be perfect, Mr.H. She ain't stopped moving all day".
"Jonathan-go. I want everything to be just right and they are going to be here any second".
He kissed her cheek and then headed to the bedroom.
Susan and Drew arrived first, and then Laura and James. Bill and Rebecca were the last ones to arrive.
"Ok, does everyone have a glass of something?"
Jonathan set about getting everyone a glass of whatever cocktail they preferred.
"Jennifer, your black and silver striped top is to die for! You always have the best clothes".
"Thank you! I loved it as soon as I saw it".
When everyone had their glasses, Jennifer raised hers.
"A toast. Merry Christmas to all our friends, and may the holiday season be good and plentiful to all of us".
"Cheers!"
They all clinked glasses and then took a sip.
"Any news on the wedding front, Jennifer?"
"Yes. We finally found a location. We booked that and set a date for next September. That was the soonest they could get us in."
She turned to Jonathan.
"Darling, can you pass me that tray, please?"
He handed her the tray and she set her glass down.
"Ok, so we have a little something for each of you. It's one per couple and you have to open it at the same time".
She passed each couple their silver gift bag.
"Ok, open".
They each pulled out a framed picture of them from the first poker dinner and a card that said "Will you be in our wedding?"
All three ladies squealed.
"We would love to!"
"We wouldn't miss it!"
"We can't wait".
"Wonderful! We can work out the details later, about who does what".
"The only condition is that you two have to be in our wedding!"
Susan flipped her ring around and held it out for everyone to see.
"You two are engaged?! When did that happen?"
"Last night, at dinner. And we've set a date of May 4".
"Congratulations!"
"You have to be in ours, too".
Laura slipped her ring from her right hand to her left and held it out for them to see.
"He proposed last night at dinner, also. And our date is July 30th".
"Well, that's good, because ours is August 24th, and he also proposed last night at dinner".
Rebecca showed them her ring as well.
"Valentine, looks like you are a trendsetter".
The men went outside to smoke a cigar while the ladies chatted about their rings and wedding stuff.
"This is going to be so fun planning the wedding with all of you!"
"Yeah, I agree".
"I can't wait to marry Jonathan. He'd marry me tomorrow if I agreed to it, but I want our ceremony to be just right, and not rushed".
"I must say I'm not thrilled about everyone staring at me".
"Me either".
"Same here".
"Yeah, I don't like that part either, but I'll be less anxious about it with you all by my side".
"How did you all get proposed to?"
"On the beach in Maui, after a comedy of errors".
"Drew asked me at dinner last night. He had them put the ring in a slice of cheesecake".
"How sweet. James cooked me dinner at his house and spelled it out in Scrabble tiles while we played".
"I love that".
"Bill wrote it on a card and pinned it to my cat's collar. She got scared and hid under the bed and kept running from us. It was nuts but it ended up sweet".
They all chuckled.
The men came back and sat with the ladies.
"Darling, we were the first ones to get engaged, and we are going to be the last ones to get married".
"Funny how that works out".
"I know. It has a sort of poetic feel to it".
They all toasted to the holidays again, and then refilled their glasses.
Two Days Later
Jennifer and Jonathan were still trying to get over their hangovers from the Christmas party, where they had practically drunk everything in the house that wasn't nailed down. Jennifer thought her headache would never go away, and Jonathan didn't think his muscles would ever stop aching. Somehow, they managed to pull themselves out of bed and into the kitchen.
Max was gone to Canada, so it was just the two of them.
"Merry Christmas, Darling".
"Merry Christmas".
Jennifer leaned up and gave him a few kisses.
She poured him a cup of coffee and they headed to the living room.
They took turns opening their presents. Jonathan had gotten Jennifer a few outfits, some lacy lingerie, some purses, a new laptop, a few books she wanted, and an envelope that said "to be revealed Dec. 29".
Jennifer had gotten Jonathan some new shirts, a new briefcase, a photo of the two of them for his office in a nice frame, some new bourbon glasses, a flying helicopter robot gadget, and some new golf clubs. He had a box that had a slip of paper in it, telling him that one of his presents was on backorder and would be delivered soon.
She sat on the couch with him while he figured out the helicopter.
"Ok, darling. Tell me to pick something up that's across the room".
"How about the pillow?"
"Too heavy".
"How about the remote?"
"Too heavy."
"A pen".
"Too light".
"Jonathan, I am not enjoying this!"
He finally settled on a magazine. His helicopter hovered over it and then picked it up and brought it to her and dropped it in her lap.
"There".
"Thank you".
"Ok now do it again".
"Jonathan!"
"How about a strawberry that gets dropped right into your lap?"
"I don't want that thing that close to my head, thank you very much".
He played with the helicopter a little longer and made her nervous a few times and then finally put it away.
They spent the rest of the day being lazy, and even made love under the christmas tree a couple of times.
As they climbed into bed that night, she snuggled on to his chest.
"Did you enjoy our first Christmas together?"
"Yes, I did".
"Me too".
They chatted till they fell asleep, both of them as content as possible.
Four Days Later
"Darling, are you going to the office today?"
"Yes, just to do paperwork. That's all. We can have lunch if you want".
"Well, I have an appointment with my editor, so I don't think I'll be done in time".
"Ok, I'll see you when I get home. I love you".
"I love you too".
She gave him a few kisses and then got in the car and headed out, confident that he was none the wiser.
Jennifer pulled up to her destination and parked and went inside.
She signed in and took a seat.
"The bidding will start at 4 million dollars".
The auction went fast, and Jennifer got in where she could, but she kept getting outbid.
She finally managed to get the upper hand.
"Current bid is 12.8 million. We have a call-in bid of 13 million".
Jennifer raised her paddle.
"14 Million".
"Caller says 14.5 million".
"15 million".
"16". "17". "18".
Jennifer didn't want to go much higher than that, so she begrudgingly let it go.
"Sold to the person on the phone for 18 million".
There wasn't anything else she wanted to bid on, so she laid her paddle down and headed out.
Later that Afternoon
Jennifer came back home and headed straight to her office.
Jonathan got home a little while after Jennifer, and found her typing away.
"Hi."
"Hey. I'm glad you're home. Can we go somewhere tonight?"
"We already have somewhere to go. Where do you want to go?"
"House hunting. We have got to get on the ball about finding a house, darling".
He pulled her into an embrace.
"What would you say if I told you I wasn't at the office today to do paperwork?"
"I would say ok."
"What would you say if I told you I went there so I could buy you something without you knowing about it?"
"I would say I'm intrigued".
"Remember that Christmas present that I owed you?"
"Yes, I do".
"It came today".
He handed her an envelope.
She opened it to find a stack of pictures and a set of papers.
"Jonathan! Did you buy us this house? At 3100 Willow Pond Drive?"
"Yes, I did. It was up for auction, and I thought you would love it, and I figured I would get it for us and if you don't love it, we can sell it and start again. It has everything we said we wanted, plus a large master suite downstairs for Max, and a large master suite upstairs for us. The pool was put in a year ago, has barely been used and I spoke to a contractor who said we can definitely work with him on redesigning the patio. And it has gates for privacy, and a gorgeous row of flower beds where we can grow fresh flowers. So, do you want to keep it, or sell it?"
"You think we'll still get 18 million for it if we sell it?"
He was shocked.
"How did you-"
She smiled at him and nodded.
"You were the one on the phone. I was the one in person".
"You mean, we were bidding against each other all along?"
"Looks that way".
"So that answers my question of whether or not you like the house".
"I love it". She threw her arms around his neck.
"And I love you more".
"We move in 45 days from now, and I'm pretty positive I'm the one that loves you more".
Jonathan picked up the phone and called the auctioneer and explained that he and Jennifer had been bidding against each other, so they agreed to drop the price back to 14 million.
Jennifer poured them each a cocktail.
"Surprise darling".
"Surprise indeed".
9 Months Later
"Ok, I'm ready, I just need to be zipped up".
Jennifer stepped out of the bathroom of her suite in her wedding dress.
It was strapless, mermaid style, with a beaded section right above the seam, and sequins and satin ruching all throughout the bodice.
Susan helped her get zipped, and the other ladies helped hold her dress up so she could step into her shoes.
She had decided to go with a braided updo that looked more intricate than it was and to have her veil come down from the bottom of that.
"Jennifer, you are the most glorious bride ever".
"You look stunning!"
"Thank you. Were you guys this nervous on your wedding day?"
"Oh yes".
The wedding was taking place at a gorgeous seaside resort, with an outdoor patio area that overlooked the ocean.
Jennifer had hired the city's most lucrative wedding planner so she wouldn't have to stress about the intricate details. She told her she wanted a stage or a step up platform for them to stand on, and she wanted flowers to adorn the altar, and lots of globe lights hanging down over the reception tables. Her wedding planner pulled it off wonderfully. Jennifer had picked blush pink and black as their wedding colors, with silver as the accent color.
The wedding photographer took a bunch of pictures of the ladies helping Jennifer get ready, and then took the bridal party out to the altar to do some pictures out there. They had all decided to wear the same dress in each other's weddings, since each of them would be wearing it three times. Their dresses were black strapless chiffon gowns, with a silver beaded band at the waist.
They had just gotten back into the bridal suite when her dad came in.
"Sweetheart, you are so beautiful!"
"Thanks, Pa".
"Jonathan sent me to give you this".
He handed her a package.
She opened it to find a beautiful piece of art, made entirely of shells. The shells depicted a man proposing to a woman next to the ocean.
She found the card and opened it.
My darling Jennifer- these shells were some that I collected on our trip to Hawaii where we got engaged. This picture represents one tiny moment in our lives, but one of the best moments of my life. You are my best friend, the love of my life, and today, I will finally make you my wife. I love you and I will always love you forever. Jonathan.
Jennifer dabbed at her tears and then dug a present out of her bag.
"Susan, can you take this to Jonathan, please?"
"Certainly".
Jennifer's gift to Jonathan was a pair of cufflinks. One of them said "Marry Me Today?" and the time of their ceremony. The other one said "Love me forever" and their wedding date. Both of them had been done in Jennifer's handwriting.
She had designed the card she put with it. The front said "I'll be the one in white", in her handwriting. On the inside, she had written him a sweet note saying how much she loved him and couldn't wait to marry him.
Before she was ready, it was time to start the ceremony.
Jennifer and Stephen walked down the aisle as she tried to take it all in.
She just could not believe she was finally marrying Jonathan.
"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today…"
Jennifer kept staring at Jonathan. He looked so handsome in his tux.
"Marriage is not something to be entered into lightly. It requires a commitment from both people, to love each other, trust each other, and most importantly never give up on each other every day. Jonathan, do you commit to loving and trusting and believing in Jennifer each and every day?"
"Absolutely".
"Jennifer, do you commit to loving Jonathan, and trusting him and never giving up on him each and every day?"
"Absolutely".
"Who gives this woman to this man?"
"Her mother and I".
Stephen handed Jennifer over to Jonathan, and then sat down.
Jennifer handed her flowers to Susan and then took Jonathan's hand.
"Jennifer and Jonathan would like someone very special to them to come up and read a passage at this time, Mr. Martez Atkinson".
"I haven't known the bride and groom that long, but they put me in touch with some of their friends. And I was told they really got it bad for each other. They asked me to find a passage that describes a love story, and has a classic feel to it. I think I found the perfect one".
He put his glasses on, and began to read.
"Once upon a time, a boy met a beautiful girl. He held his hand out to her, and she took it and held on tight. Together, they began to make their way. They didn't always know where they were going, but they knew they were going together. Sometimes, they stopped to smell the roses. Other times, they ran to get ahead as fast and as far as they could. When she stared into his eyes, she felt as if she was floating. The two of them, they were a team. If he stumbled, she helped him back up. If she tripped, he caught her. When she was tired, he picked her up and carried her. Sometimes the path was bright and sunny. Other times it was dark and stormy. Even when they grew quiet, they never truly lost each other. They wandered and walked happily, side by side, into every sunset, and out of every sunrise, forever".
Jennifer and Jonathan smiled at him. It was exactly what they had envisioned.
"Jennifer and Jonathan have elected to write their own Vows. Jonathan, you may begin".
"When I met you, I remember trying not to just stare at you all night long. I remember that I was so awestruck by your natural beauty that I couldn't breathe. I couldn't speak. We had a rocky start, but we eventually found our way, and along the way, we found our true selves. I love that even though we've known each other for what seems like forever, I am still learning new things about you each and every day. I love how when you really want something from me, you ask me to promise. So, today, I promise you that no matter what, I will always love you endlessly and fiercely and with every part of who I am. I promise to always encourage your compassion, because your compassion is part of what makes you such a wonderful person. I promise to always help you chase your dreams, because dreams are what makes your eyes sparkle like they do. I promise to always shoulder the brunt of whatever challenges you and I face, because I want you to know that you can always trust my judgement. I promise you that there is nothing that you and I cannot face together, and I truly feel as though we have already proven that. I promise that with every challenge, we will also have an adventure. I promise that you will forever more be my true partner in all things. Finally, I realize that I am not a perfect human being. However, I promise to give you perfect love and perfect trust. One lifetime is all we get, but I can already tell that one lifetime with you will never be enough to satisfy me. I promise to always be honest with you, and to try everyday to show you just how much I love you, and tell you just how gorgeous you truly are. I love you most".
Jennifer dabbed at her tears and then took her vows from Susan.
"Jonathan, once in a while, right in the middle of living a life that is ordinary, love comes along and turns everything into a fairytale. Every little girl dreams of growing up and being a princess and finding their prince. Or, of being rescued by a knight in shining armor. You are my knight in shining armor, my prince on the white horse, my everything. We didn't have the greatest of beginnings, but I am determined that we will have the absolute best ending. I think our story started as friends before it became our love story. When I think of us together, I can't help but think of what E. E. Cummings said. "You are my sun, my moon, and all of my stars". This rings true to me, because, darling, you aren't just an option. You are my priority. I didn't fall in love with you, but rather, I walked into love with you. Each step along the way was a choice, and I promise to continue to make that choice every day for the rest of our lives. I promise to always put you first, like you do for me. I promise to always give you back scratches and to always draw hearts in the steam on the mirror for you. I promise to never forget to kiss you goodnight, and to always give you sips of my coffee. You are the love that came into my life without warning. You had my heart before I realized it had been taken. I want us to enjoy every adventure, no matter how small, and I want to always hold hands with you in the car and dance with you in the kitchen. I promise to always believe in you, be proud of you, and support you in everything you do each and every day, even when I don't have the slightest clue about what is going on at the office. I promise that when we are 90 and sitting in a rocking chair somewhere, I will still want to hold your hand all day long. If someone gave me a bottle with wishes and the chance to redo my life-it doesn't matter how many wishes or chances they gave me. They could give me 100, they could give me a million. Every single time, I would choose you, over and over again. I love you the most, always and forever".
"Can I have the rings, please?"
Max handed over the rings to the minister.
"Jonathan, place Jennifer's ring on her finger and repeat after me. I give you this ring as a visible and constant symbol of my promise to be with you as long as I live".
"I give you this ring as a visible and constant symbol of my promise to be with you as long as I live".
Her band was a thinner diamond band that really complimented her engagement ring. He removed her engagement ring and slid that in front of her wedding band.
"Jennifer, slip Jonathan's ring on his finger and repeat after me. I give you this ring as a visible and constant symbol of my promise to be with you as long as I live".
"I give you this ring as a visible and constant symbol of my promise to be with you as long as I live".
"By the powers vested in me by the State of California, I hereby declare you and pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride".
Jonathan grabbed Jennifer's face and kissed her as everyone clapped for them.
"Ladies and Gentlemen-Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Hart".
Susan handed Jennifer her flowers back, and Jennifer and Jonathan walked up the aisle and headed for the reception room.
"We did it. We are husband and wife, Mrs. H."
"Happiest day of my life, Mr. H".