EPILOGUE
Joey thought his fiancée Phoebe had never looked more beautiful as she walked towards the front of the room in her maroon dress. Chandler thought his soon-to-be fiancée was the most beautiful woman in the room except, he conceded, for the bride who wore a stylish floor-length white gown with a sequined bodice and matching white gloves. In lieu of a veil, she had chosen to wear pearl combs in her upswept hair. As she walked down the aisle of the Starlight Room in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, on the arm of her father, Ross knew, without a doubt, his bride had never looked more beautiful or elegant.
With an organist playing the "Wedding March", white candles softly glowing, and holly giving the room a pleasant aroma, Rachel's father kissed her cheek, shook hands with Ross, and then left his daughter standing on the left side of the man who was about to become her husband.
The ceremony was short but beautiful, as they each took turns speaking, sometimes tearfully, what was in their hearts. They exchanged vows and rings; and when the judge pronounced them husband and wife and they finally kissed, everyone applauded and congratulated the couple whose feet had not touched the ground.
"I can't believe we're finally married," Rachel whispered to Ross. "I love you so much."
"I feel the same way," Ross said, continuing to hold his bride in his arms. "You have made me the happiest man, Mrs. Rachel Geller."
"Mrs. Rachel Geller," she said, pulling back to look into her husband's smiling handsome face. "It's perfect."
*~*
The reception went smoothly. At midnight, those who remained began to wish each other a "Merry Christmas". Phoebe couldn't stop laughing at Joey, who kept finding every spot of mistletoe, just so he could kiss his fiancée.
"I love you," he told her time and time again. "I'm ready for us to set a date. What do you think?"
"I think I couldn't love you more," Phoebe said.
"You remember when Ross talked about beginnings?"
Phoebe nodded.
"Well, how about if we celebrate the beginning of our life as husband and wife by having a spring wedding?"
"Oh, yay," Phoebe said, falling into Joey's arms. "I love spring. It's the time of new births. This will be so much fun to plan our wedding."
"Everything with you is fun," Joey said and winked.
And this time, he didn't wait to find mistletoe before letting her know just how much she meant to him.
*~*
"There's a surprise for you under my tree when we get home tonight," Chandler said to Monica, who couldn't have been happier since she and Chandler had gotten together.
"Can I guess what it is?" she teased, her blue eyes shining.
"Sure. But you probably won't be right."
"I bet I will be. It's a small gift, right?"
"Yes."
"Sort of like a square box?"
"Yes."
"If I unwrapped it, I would find out it's a black velvet jewelry box?"
"You peeked," Chandler accused, but he couldn't help but laugh.
"I can't wait until we get home," she said, her mouth finding his in a warm wet kiss.
"Since you know your gift, I think it's only fair that you tell me mine."
"Are you sure you wanna know? Don't you want to be surprised?"
"No. I want to know what wonderful present you bought for me."
"Okay."
"You give in so easily."
"Hey," she said, punching his arm. "Just for that I should make you wait. And not just for your present either."
He laughed. "I'm sorry. I should know by now that you drive a hard bargain."
"And what else?" she asked and grinned.
"And that you always win. Now tell me my present."
"Well, now that you're officially working on Joey's drama with other writers, I thought it was time you had a state-of-the-art laptop."
"Wow, Monica, thank you so much."
"See, now aren't you disappointed that I told you?"
"No, never," he said. He kissed her again. "I could never be disappointed with you by my side. Just think, sweetheart, it's almost five months to the day when we told each other how we felt. I've never regretted that for a single moment. Have you?"
"Never," she agreed. "These past months have been the best of my life. And once I'm wearing my engagement ring, I know it will be just the beginning of a wonderful life I plan to share with you."
"I had the most serious doubts I would ever have a chance to say this to anyone, but I want to tell you this, Monica, because I mean it with all my heart: Come, grow old with me. The best is yet to be."
Joey thought his fiancée Phoebe had never looked more beautiful as she walked towards the front of the room in her maroon dress. Chandler thought his soon-to-be fiancée was the most beautiful woman in the room except, he conceded, for the bride who wore a stylish floor-length white gown with a sequined bodice and matching white gloves. In lieu of a veil, she had chosen to wear pearl combs in her upswept hair. As she walked down the aisle of the Starlight Room in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, on the arm of her father, Ross knew, without a doubt, his bride had never looked more beautiful or elegant.
With an organist playing the "Wedding March", white candles softly glowing, and holly giving the room a pleasant aroma, Rachel's father kissed her cheek, shook hands with Ross, and then left his daughter standing on the left side of the man who was about to become her husband.
The ceremony was short but beautiful, as they each took turns speaking, sometimes tearfully, what was in their hearts. They exchanged vows and rings; and when the judge pronounced them husband and wife and they finally kissed, everyone applauded and congratulated the couple whose feet had not touched the ground.
"I can't believe we're finally married," Rachel whispered to Ross. "I love you so much."
"I feel the same way," Ross said, continuing to hold his bride in his arms. "You have made me the happiest man, Mrs. Rachel Geller."
"Mrs. Rachel Geller," she said, pulling back to look into her husband's smiling handsome face. "It's perfect."
*~*
The reception went smoothly. At midnight, those who remained began to wish each other a "Merry Christmas". Phoebe couldn't stop laughing at Joey, who kept finding every spot of mistletoe, just so he could kiss his fiancée.
"I love you," he told her time and time again. "I'm ready for us to set a date. What do you think?"
"I think I couldn't love you more," Phoebe said.
"You remember when Ross talked about beginnings?"
Phoebe nodded.
"Well, how about if we celebrate the beginning of our life as husband and wife by having a spring wedding?"
"Oh, yay," Phoebe said, falling into Joey's arms. "I love spring. It's the time of new births. This will be so much fun to plan our wedding."
"Everything with you is fun," Joey said and winked.
And this time, he didn't wait to find mistletoe before letting her know just how much she meant to him.
*~*
"There's a surprise for you under my tree when we get home tonight," Chandler said to Monica, who couldn't have been happier since she and Chandler had gotten together.
"Can I guess what it is?" she teased, her blue eyes shining.
"Sure. But you probably won't be right."
"I bet I will be. It's a small gift, right?"
"Yes."
"Sort of like a square box?"
"Yes."
"If I unwrapped it, I would find out it's a black velvet jewelry box?"
"You peeked," Chandler accused, but he couldn't help but laugh.
"I can't wait until we get home," she said, her mouth finding his in a warm wet kiss.
"Since you know your gift, I think it's only fair that you tell me mine."
"Are you sure you wanna know? Don't you want to be surprised?"
"No. I want to know what wonderful present you bought for me."
"Okay."
"You give in so easily."
"Hey," she said, punching his arm. "Just for that I should make you wait. And not just for your present either."
He laughed. "I'm sorry. I should know by now that you drive a hard bargain."
"And what else?" she asked and grinned.
"And that you always win. Now tell me my present."
"Well, now that you're officially working on Joey's drama with other writers, I thought it was time you had a state-of-the-art laptop."
"Wow, Monica, thank you so much."
"See, now aren't you disappointed that I told you?"
"No, never," he said. He kissed her again. "I could never be disappointed with you by my side. Just think, sweetheart, it's almost five months to the day when we told each other how we felt. I've never regretted that for a single moment. Have you?"
"Never," she agreed. "These past months have been the best of my life. And once I'm wearing my engagement ring, I know it will be just the beginning of a wonderful life I plan to share with you."
"I had the most serious doubts I would ever have a chance to say this to anyone, but I want to tell you this, Monica, because I mean it with all my heart: Come, grow old with me. The best is yet to be."