Chapter 16
The incident with her legs was a turning point in Chloe's health. Instead of getting better, she got worse. In the next week leading up to her wedding day, she lost most of the feeling in her legs and her mental and physical heaths were deteriorating quickly. Soon, for short periods of time, she could not remember whom she was, where she was, or whom it was she was with. The doctors increased her intake of medicine and painkillers, insisting that she face a grueling session of chemotherapy every other day. The medicines made Chloe feel so much sicker that she refused to have her dosage increased, insisting that she was going to die anyway. It wasn't a very bright attitude for her to have in such a time, but as much could be expected when you were 17 and trying to fit the whole rest of your life in the allotted time given to you by the doctors. She became noticeably thinner as well, losing her womanly contours to the monster that was slowly taking over her life.
Yet she chose not to fall easily and give up. She went out two days before her wedding to buy a dress. She could not walk easily any longer and was forced to go in a wheel chair. Her father went with her, looking over the choices in the finest stores that they could find, pushing Chloe in front of him as they strolled through the streets. Everyone walking by them waved, and as soon as they had passed they started talking about how nice a girl Chloe was or how pale she looked or how nice it must be to have a father like Craig.
Eventually, Chloe and Craig spied the perfect dress. It had a tight bodice and thin lace straps, a pretty lace trim decorating its edges. The skirt was full and long, trailing out a bit behind her. It was made of a white silk, Chloe was surprised as to why her father would agree to spend so much on a dress she would wear only once, but she said nothing. They picked out the prettiest headdress that they could find. Chloe chose a simple, yet elegant white headpiece, whose veil would hang in a thin, sheer blanket over Chloe's hair and down to almost the entire length of the dress. The owner of the store suggested that she allow her to jazz up the piece with a few real white carnations the day of the wedding. Chloe nodded her head smiling, thanking her for her kind thought and offer.
Chloe chose not to worry Shawn about her failing health and didn't allow Craig to call him or Nancy to tell them what was going on. Chloe secretly hoped that her brother had found his own romance with Jamie-Lynn.
***
The day of the wedding, the church was packed. More than 200 people showed up, surpassing Chloe's goal. In fact, it appeared as though the whole town had shown up to watch the joining of two of their most beloved teens that had been the talk of the town ever since that fateful night of the play.
The reverend stood patiently at the altar, Brady standing out by his side. Along with the best man, Chloe had chosen Mimi and Belle to be her bride's maids upon realizing that they weren't really that bad. Brady followed up with Jason and Phillip and Isabella had been chosen as the maid of honor.
Now, as Brady stood there, he grew very nervous. Today he would be giving his soul away to another, though he doubted that he hadn't already done so already. It wasn't the whole concept of getting married to Chloe, because really he had never wanted anything more than this in all of his life. It was the fact that he had to do it in front of everyone. That's what made him nervous, and really for no apparent reason because he was often in the spotlight as a football star and such.
Now, as the ceremony began, he played nervously with his cufflink. First down the aisle came Marigold, the reverend's daughter, filling the space as flower girl. She threw little red rose petals over the ground, unfortunately not always landing where they were supposed to when a glass of water Chloe's drama teacher had sitting by her feet was filled with rose petals next time she raised the glass to take a drink at the end of the wedding. Following down the aisle were John and Isabella, walking slowly, arm in arm. The bride's maids dresses were a simple pale purple, with thin straps and length. Their hair was worn in a mass of curls and a light ring of lilacs to finish the look. Belle and Phillip, and Mimi and Jason walked down and stood in their respectful places.
The reverend's mother proceeded to play a soft melody in the background as everyone stood up and looked towards the open doors of the chapel expectantly for the bride's arrival.
Outside, Chloe stood up from her wheel chair and clutched her father's arm tightly.
"Are you sure you want to do this pumpkin?" Craig asked, giving her a kiss on the forehead.
Chloe nodded and stood up as straight as she could.
"No matter how good God's intentions were, there is no way I am being pushed down the aisle on my wedding day."
Craig chuckled softly, and through the bright beams of sunlight pouring in through the doors, all eyes were on Craig and Chloe as they stepped slowly into the chapel.
Chloe met Brady's happy eyes and gave him a slight smile. Her hair was down in soft waves, some of her dark hair left to hang over her shoulders, pieces left framing her face. The promised ring of carnations stood out bright against her hair, and suddenly she was the same beautiful person that Brady had come to know and love.
Brady watched in awe as Chloe walked slowly down the aisle, using her father as a support as she willed her legs to move. He could tell how hard it was for her to accomplish this task that may have seemed simple to all others. Upon reaching their destination, Craig kissed Chloe's flushed cheek and stepped back, allowing Brady to take her hand and help her stand.
The reverend started by reading a passage from the bible then told the people before him to kneel. He could see how relieved Chloe was to take the pressure off of her legs. Brady mouthed the words "I love you" to Chloe as the reverend continued speaking, Chloe mouthing them back and smiling. Soon the reverend called upon the holder to bring forth the rings. Belle smacked Mimi's arm.
"Oh, that's me!" Mimi said, snapping out of her trance and walking towards the reverend and holding out the rings. The reverend took them and held them in his hands, the people before him ready to exchange these tokens of their affection. Chloe already had tears rolling down her cheeks and Brady was having a hard time blinking back his. Then the reverend stopped and nodded his head towards Brady and Chloe.
"This couple has chosen to write their own vows." He said, beckoning for them to take the reins and continue on with the ceremony.
Brady gulped and looked at Chloe. The love he saw in her eyes gave him the reassurance that he needed and he started with his vows. Brady took Chloe's hand gently in his and held the rind ready to slip onto her finger.
"Chloe," He started, feeling a tear roll down his cheek. "I don't know when it happened, but sometime in the course of my life I fell in love with you. It was the most unexpected thing, and when it struck me that I had deep feelings for you I didn't know what to think. My first instinct was to tell you, and that's exactly what I did. I don't regret telling you either, because by doing so I was able to provide you with a constant companion and was your guiding light through the toughest weeks of both of our lives. As we stand here before god, I want nothing more than to be with you every day forever, and starting right now, that is exactly what I plan on accomplishing. A wise person once told me that it didn't matter what others thought of you, and I must say that she was quite right. I did what I felt was right, going against the thoughts and wishes of many, and it got me here today. I love you Chloe Wesley, and I'm ready to spend the rest of my life with you."
He slipped the shiny wedding band on the same finger as her diamond studded engagement ring and smiled at Chloe before she started with her vows, now taking his hand and holding up her ring.
"Brady," She said, looking lovingly at him, "I don't know how long I have loved you, but I know it has been a very long time. I didn't care that I hardly even knew you. It was a strange feeling to have; yet I carried it with me everywhere. Then I started sneaking in here at night to ask god to send me a love potion, I remember the reverend walking in on me once raising my arms to the sky and yelling for a spell that would make Brady Black fall head over heels in love with me."
She turned over to the reverend who was smiling fondly at the memory, the people sitting in the pews chuckling lightly. Brady grinned widely. That little tid-bit of information had not been shared with him until that day. Craig had remembered that moment too, and he gave a knowing glance to the reverend who had shared the event with him the following day.
"When I found out about my illness, I really started thinking hard about what I wanted to do with my life. And that's when you happened, Brady. My prayers were answered and I had found someone who loved me for all that I was and I thank you for that. I don't know how I would have survived the past weeks without you; you're my rock. And now, I am as ready as I will ever be to marry you and start out life together. I will love you forever and always." Then she too slipped the ring onto his finger.
By now the whole church was in tears and Mimi and Belle sobbed loudly from where they knelt. Isabella handed them each a tissue and held a finger to her lips, silencing them. Craig sat quietly in a pew in the front row, watching his daughter lovingly with tears in his eyes.
The reverend stood up, and so did the entourage of the bride and groom. Brady helped Chloe to her feet.
"Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. May I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Brady Black." Chloe and Brady were both smiling so widely that their faces hurt.
"You may now kiss the bride."
Cheers and claps erupted from the crowd as Brady kissed Chloe, then in one swift movement scooped her up in his arms and ran down the aisle. Belle and Mimi were sobbing on the floor.
"I wanna get married…" Mimi wailed.
"Me tooooo…"
They froze when they saw the bouquet Chloe had been holding fly up into the air just as the newlyweds disappeared from the chapel. Then they both made a break for it, jumping up simultaneously yet missing the bouquet by a long shot. In stead, it landed in Phillip's lap. Mimi and Belle both made a dash for it, each catching one end of the bouquet and engaging in a tug-o-war.
Outside, Brady set Chloe down gently in the white car they had rented out and shuffled in beside her, the clanking cans heard behind them as they drove off.
The incident with her legs was a turning point in Chloe's health. Instead of getting better, she got worse. In the next week leading up to her wedding day, she lost most of the feeling in her legs and her mental and physical heaths were deteriorating quickly. Soon, for short periods of time, she could not remember whom she was, where she was, or whom it was she was with. The doctors increased her intake of medicine and painkillers, insisting that she face a grueling session of chemotherapy every other day. The medicines made Chloe feel so much sicker that she refused to have her dosage increased, insisting that she was going to die anyway. It wasn't a very bright attitude for her to have in such a time, but as much could be expected when you were 17 and trying to fit the whole rest of your life in the allotted time given to you by the doctors. She became noticeably thinner as well, losing her womanly contours to the monster that was slowly taking over her life.
Yet she chose not to fall easily and give up. She went out two days before her wedding to buy a dress. She could not walk easily any longer and was forced to go in a wheel chair. Her father went with her, looking over the choices in the finest stores that they could find, pushing Chloe in front of him as they strolled through the streets. Everyone walking by them waved, and as soon as they had passed they started talking about how nice a girl Chloe was or how pale she looked or how nice it must be to have a father like Craig.
Eventually, Chloe and Craig spied the perfect dress. It had a tight bodice and thin lace straps, a pretty lace trim decorating its edges. The skirt was full and long, trailing out a bit behind her. It was made of a white silk, Chloe was surprised as to why her father would agree to spend so much on a dress she would wear only once, but she said nothing. They picked out the prettiest headdress that they could find. Chloe chose a simple, yet elegant white headpiece, whose veil would hang in a thin, sheer blanket over Chloe's hair and down to almost the entire length of the dress. The owner of the store suggested that she allow her to jazz up the piece with a few real white carnations the day of the wedding. Chloe nodded her head smiling, thanking her for her kind thought and offer.
Chloe chose not to worry Shawn about her failing health and didn't allow Craig to call him or Nancy to tell them what was going on. Chloe secretly hoped that her brother had found his own romance with Jamie-Lynn.
***
The day of the wedding, the church was packed. More than 200 people showed up, surpassing Chloe's goal. In fact, it appeared as though the whole town had shown up to watch the joining of two of their most beloved teens that had been the talk of the town ever since that fateful night of the play.
The reverend stood patiently at the altar, Brady standing out by his side. Along with the best man, Chloe had chosen Mimi and Belle to be her bride's maids upon realizing that they weren't really that bad. Brady followed up with Jason and Phillip and Isabella had been chosen as the maid of honor.
Now, as Brady stood there, he grew very nervous. Today he would be giving his soul away to another, though he doubted that he hadn't already done so already. It wasn't the whole concept of getting married to Chloe, because really he had never wanted anything more than this in all of his life. It was the fact that he had to do it in front of everyone. That's what made him nervous, and really for no apparent reason because he was often in the spotlight as a football star and such.
Now, as the ceremony began, he played nervously with his cufflink. First down the aisle came Marigold, the reverend's daughter, filling the space as flower girl. She threw little red rose petals over the ground, unfortunately not always landing where they were supposed to when a glass of water Chloe's drama teacher had sitting by her feet was filled with rose petals next time she raised the glass to take a drink at the end of the wedding. Following down the aisle were John and Isabella, walking slowly, arm in arm. The bride's maids dresses were a simple pale purple, with thin straps and length. Their hair was worn in a mass of curls and a light ring of lilacs to finish the look. Belle and Phillip, and Mimi and Jason walked down and stood in their respectful places.
The reverend's mother proceeded to play a soft melody in the background as everyone stood up and looked towards the open doors of the chapel expectantly for the bride's arrival.
Outside, Chloe stood up from her wheel chair and clutched her father's arm tightly.
"Are you sure you want to do this pumpkin?" Craig asked, giving her a kiss on the forehead.
Chloe nodded and stood up as straight as she could.
"No matter how good God's intentions were, there is no way I am being pushed down the aisle on my wedding day."
Craig chuckled softly, and through the bright beams of sunlight pouring in through the doors, all eyes were on Craig and Chloe as they stepped slowly into the chapel.
Chloe met Brady's happy eyes and gave him a slight smile. Her hair was down in soft waves, some of her dark hair left to hang over her shoulders, pieces left framing her face. The promised ring of carnations stood out bright against her hair, and suddenly she was the same beautiful person that Brady had come to know and love.
Brady watched in awe as Chloe walked slowly down the aisle, using her father as a support as she willed her legs to move. He could tell how hard it was for her to accomplish this task that may have seemed simple to all others. Upon reaching their destination, Craig kissed Chloe's flushed cheek and stepped back, allowing Brady to take her hand and help her stand.
The reverend started by reading a passage from the bible then told the people before him to kneel. He could see how relieved Chloe was to take the pressure off of her legs. Brady mouthed the words "I love you" to Chloe as the reverend continued speaking, Chloe mouthing them back and smiling. Soon the reverend called upon the holder to bring forth the rings. Belle smacked Mimi's arm.
"Oh, that's me!" Mimi said, snapping out of her trance and walking towards the reverend and holding out the rings. The reverend took them and held them in his hands, the people before him ready to exchange these tokens of their affection. Chloe already had tears rolling down her cheeks and Brady was having a hard time blinking back his. Then the reverend stopped and nodded his head towards Brady and Chloe.
"This couple has chosen to write their own vows." He said, beckoning for them to take the reins and continue on with the ceremony.
Brady gulped and looked at Chloe. The love he saw in her eyes gave him the reassurance that he needed and he started with his vows. Brady took Chloe's hand gently in his and held the rind ready to slip onto her finger.
"Chloe," He started, feeling a tear roll down his cheek. "I don't know when it happened, but sometime in the course of my life I fell in love with you. It was the most unexpected thing, and when it struck me that I had deep feelings for you I didn't know what to think. My first instinct was to tell you, and that's exactly what I did. I don't regret telling you either, because by doing so I was able to provide you with a constant companion and was your guiding light through the toughest weeks of both of our lives. As we stand here before god, I want nothing more than to be with you every day forever, and starting right now, that is exactly what I plan on accomplishing. A wise person once told me that it didn't matter what others thought of you, and I must say that she was quite right. I did what I felt was right, going against the thoughts and wishes of many, and it got me here today. I love you Chloe Wesley, and I'm ready to spend the rest of my life with you."
He slipped the shiny wedding band on the same finger as her diamond studded engagement ring and smiled at Chloe before she started with her vows, now taking his hand and holding up her ring.
"Brady," She said, looking lovingly at him, "I don't know how long I have loved you, but I know it has been a very long time. I didn't care that I hardly even knew you. It was a strange feeling to have; yet I carried it with me everywhere. Then I started sneaking in here at night to ask god to send me a love potion, I remember the reverend walking in on me once raising my arms to the sky and yelling for a spell that would make Brady Black fall head over heels in love with me."
She turned over to the reverend who was smiling fondly at the memory, the people sitting in the pews chuckling lightly. Brady grinned widely. That little tid-bit of information had not been shared with him until that day. Craig had remembered that moment too, and he gave a knowing glance to the reverend who had shared the event with him the following day.
"When I found out about my illness, I really started thinking hard about what I wanted to do with my life. And that's when you happened, Brady. My prayers were answered and I had found someone who loved me for all that I was and I thank you for that. I don't know how I would have survived the past weeks without you; you're my rock. And now, I am as ready as I will ever be to marry you and start out life together. I will love you forever and always." Then she too slipped the ring onto his finger.
By now the whole church was in tears and Mimi and Belle sobbed loudly from where they knelt. Isabella handed them each a tissue and held a finger to her lips, silencing them. Craig sat quietly in a pew in the front row, watching his daughter lovingly with tears in his eyes.
The reverend stood up, and so did the entourage of the bride and groom. Brady helped Chloe to her feet.
"Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. May I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Brady Black." Chloe and Brady were both smiling so widely that their faces hurt.
"You may now kiss the bride."
Cheers and claps erupted from the crowd as Brady kissed Chloe, then in one swift movement scooped her up in his arms and ran down the aisle. Belle and Mimi were sobbing on the floor.
"I wanna get married…" Mimi wailed.
"Me tooooo…"
They froze when they saw the bouquet Chloe had been holding fly up into the air just as the newlyweds disappeared from the chapel. Then they both made a break for it, jumping up simultaneously yet missing the bouquet by a long shot. In stead, it landed in Phillip's lap. Mimi and Belle both made a dash for it, each catching one end of the bouquet and engaging in a tug-o-war.
Outside, Brady set Chloe down gently in the white car they had rented out and shuffled in beside her, the clanking cans heard behind them as they drove off.