Hotaru woke up one morning and looked at her calendar. "August 12th
already?" she asked. Her memory flashed back to the day she and Matt first
met. "There's something important about today," she said. "But I can't
remember." The words under the date on her calendar caught her eye. "Of
course! Today's my wedding day! How stupid of me to forget," she said. Her
memories drifted back to Mimi and Joe's wedding reception. When Mimi threw
the bouquet, Hotaru caught it. "Then you're getting married next," Yolei
remarked. Hotaru nodded, smiling. "Very soon, I might add," Hotaru said.
"Really?" "Yeah." She cleared her throat and announced to her friends that
she and Matt were getting married on August 12th. Mimi and Sora drove by to
pick her up 2 hours later. Sora and Tai had gotten back from their
honeymoon in China 3 days ago, and Mimi and Joe weren't leaving on theirs
until Hotaru and Matt were married, because they wanted to be there for
their friends. They drove to the church on Cherry Hill. Hotaru paced
nervously. "I can't believe I'm getting married," she remarked to Sora.
"Relax. I felt the same way before I got married. You'll be fine." Hotaru
stared at her reflection. Her dress looked like the one Drew Barrymore wore
in The Wedding Singer. Her hair wasn't down, which, as Mimi said, was a
rare occasion. It was curled into dozens of skinny strands of hair, which
looked like coils of black rope, and then pulled into a ponytail. On top of
this she wore a silver tiara with a tear-shaped sapphire, a family heirloom
that had formerly belonged to her mother, who had given it to her. "You
look just like a princess from a fairy tale or something," Mimi remarked.
Hotaru smiled and adjusted her new sapphire necklace, a gift from all 3 of
her sisters. Her aunt's gift was a sapphire bracelet, which was now
fastened around her wrist. Sora, Mimi, Kari, and Yolei had chipped in and
bought a pair of pearl and sapphire earrings. The reason for all the
sapphires was that they were Hotaru's favorite kind of jewel. Hotaru
grinned. "You know, I couldn't have asked for a better bunch of best
friends then you guys," Hotaru remarked. The door to the small room opened
and a girl with short, blonde hair and blue eyes came in. It was Megumi,
Hotaru's niece. "Hi, Aunt Hotaru," she said. "Hi, Megumi-chan. How's
Masaio?" "Mom's okay." "I didn't know Megumi was coming," Yolei said. "Of
course she was going to be here. Megumi's the flower girl," Hotaru said.
Megumi picked up a small basket filled with rose petals. "White, yellow,
pink, and red. You must really like roses, Aunt Hotaru." "They're my
favorite flower. Just right for a wedding, don't you think?" "Sure. The
women lined up, and Hotaru's father walked in. "Hi, Dr. Tomoe," Kari said.
He smiled. "Thanks for coming, Dad," Hotaru said. Everything went smoothly.
They walked down the aisle, and to the altar where Matt and Fr. Lonigan
were waiting. "Dearly beloved," the priest began once Hotaru had reached
the altar, "we are gathered here today to witness the union of this man and
this woman in holy matrimony. If there is any one who thinks that these two
should not be joined, speak now, or forever hold your peace." The wedding
proceeded, and finally, it was time to exchange the rings. After that came
the wedding vows. Fr. Lonigan began with, "Matt, do you take Hotaru to be
your lawful wife, to love, honor, and keep her in sickness and in health,
forsaking all others so as to keep only unto her, so long as you both shall
live?" "I do." Matt turned to face Hotaru. "I, Matt, take you, Hotaru, to
be my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better,
for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health while we both
shall live." He smiled at her, and she felt her knees go weak. Fr. Lonigan
also turned to face the young woman who stood before the altar.
"Hotaru, do you take Matt to be your lawful husband, to love, honor, and
keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others so as to keep
only unto him so long as you both shall live?" "I do." She turned to face
Matt, smiling dazzlingly at him, looking every bit like the angel she was
to him. "I, Hotaru, take you, Matt, to be my lawful husband, to have and
to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer for
poorer, in sickness and in health while we both shall live." "Then by the
power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the
bride," Fr. Lonigan said, officially ending the ceremony. For the first
time, Matt and Hotaru Ishida kissed. 2 days later, a white GMC Jimmy drove
to Tamachi International Airport. Matt and Hotaru were going to catch a
flight to Cancun, Mexico. Hotaru turned the radio on and 'From This
Moment On' by Shania Twain played. She grinned at Matt and started
singing.
"I do swear that I'll always be there.
I'd give anything and everything and I will always care.
Through weakness and strength, happiness and sorrow,
For better or worse, I will love you with every beat of my heart.
From this moment life has begun
From this moment you are the one
Right beside you is where I belong
From this moment on
From this moment I have been blessed
I live only for your happiness
And for your love I'd give my last breath
From this moment on
I give my hand to you with all my heart
Can't wait to live my life with you, can't wait to start
You and I will never be apart
My dreams came true because of you
From this moment as long as I live
I will love you, I promise you this
There is nothing I wouldn't give
From this moment on
You're the reason I believe in love
And you're the answer to my prayers from up above
All we need is just the two of us
My dreams came true because of you
From this moment as long as I live
I will love you, I promise you this
From this moment
I will love you as long as I live
From this moment on."
From this moment life has begun
From this moment you are the one
Right beside you is where I belong
From this moment on
From this moment I have been blessed
I live only for your happiness
And for your love I'd give my last breath
From this moment on
I give my hand to you with all my heart
Can't wait to live my life with you, can't wait to start
You and I will never be apart
My dreams came true because of you
From this moment as long as I live
I will love you, I promise you this
There is nothing I wouldn't give
From this moment on
You're the reason I believe in love
And you're the answer to my prayers from up above
All we need is just the two of us
My dreams came true because of you
From this moment as long as I live
I will love you, I promise you this
From this moment
I will love you as long as I live
From this moment on."
