Seth was a nervous wreck. He pulled at his shirt collar, trying to enlarge it just a little. But his tie had been tightened too snug for any leeway. Sighing and resigning himself to wearing the 'monkey suit', the anxious groom tried to do a little meditative praying.
However, he felt someone staring at him. He knew who it was without opening his eyes.
"Just let it rest, Devon. You'll be happy to know I'm just as miserable as you are." Seth said through clenched teeth.
His brother smirked, "Glad to hear it, bro. As they say, misery does love company."
Devon was in a similar suit and not one bit happy about it. However, what made it worth his while was he had the pleasure of doing his soon-to-be-married brother's noose. It was a fitting gesture, considering how much complaining Devon did trying to get out of wearing the tuxedo. Getting his tie done first by Seth gave Devon the advantage to turn the tables on his brother. Having the last word – or tug on the tie, as it were – gave him an outlet for his irritability.
Seth and Devon stood in the room that was just next door to where the chapel was. They were momentarily by themselves. Don had gone to check on Gabby to see when she would be ready. Mike with Leo tagging along went to make sure the pre-recorded music would perform the way it should. And Raph was with the professor to assist the man in getting dressed for the wedding.
Now the two brothers waited; perspiring and choking to death – as far as they were concerned.
Seth opened one eye to see what his brother was doing. He saw that Devon was grimacing as he tried unsuccessfully, again, to loosen his collar. Maybe the idea of wearing tuxedos was a bad one? Either way, Seth decided it would all be worth it once he and Gabby were married.
"How much longer will it be, Devon?" Seth asked impatiently. With his eyes closed, he focused on relaxing. Thinking about being in completely different clothes didn't help, of course. But thinking of other things made him too frustrated. So, he just tried to think of nothing.
"About two, maybe three hours." Devon replied mischievously. He was working at his collar, again, trying to make some room where there was none.
"NO, dimwit, not the honeymoon. I mean the wedding." Seth replied tersely as he opened his eyes to glare at his older brother.
"Oh, that. Well, you get sentenced in about …" and he looked at his watch, "Ten minutes. Thereabouts. I may be off by an hour or two, but…" Devon grinned.
Seth just sighed and shook his head. He took the first time offered and closed his eyes again.
Ten minutes or one-sixth of an hour. Six hundred seconds until the ceremony where he'd say the words "I do." He was nervous and he couldn't understand why. Seth had been looking forward to this day. In fact, he and Gabby had planned on a two week honeymoon to an island Don owned in the south Pacific. But, that plan had changed when the professor had his heart attack. Where they had their honeymoon didn't matter, anymore. He and Gabby would still be married and that meant more to Seth than some island in the middle of nowhere.
The hospital chapel was already earmarked for their wedding. The administration was delighted that something joyful was taking place in a room where many went to grieve or to say heartfelt prayers. It was highly unusual, but given the circumstances regarding the professor the ceremony was unanimously approved of. It also helped that Don gave generously to the hospital.
Seth's pastor had made several visits to the facility to look in on the family and to talk with the professor. The Pastor Brown was a genteel man whose warm personality fit in rather nicely with everyone.
Don certainly appreciated the non-confrontational way Pastor Brown took to addressing certain spiritual issues. Pastor Brown never insulted Don's positon on these matters, but showed considerable respect. Still, Seth knew the pastor's passion about the word and his unabashed love of sharing the gospel. He admired the man's ability to know when to push it and when to pull back and let the cards fall where they may. Spiritual seed can't germinate when it's been stomped into the ground. It was a bit of wisdom that helped Seth see that sometimes all one can do is share the Truth and then let the recipient sort it all out.
It helped immeasurably where it concerned his family. Too many of them practiced what his Christian faith called false doctrines. Yet they were his family and he loved them. He understood their belief systems only because he himself had been raised in it. Though his fellow Christian brothers and sisters had a hard time understanding Buddhism, Zen, or Bushido, with Seth's knowledge and his own Christian faith it helped the congregation be more accepting. Not so much regarding the different religions but towards those that followed them. It was a big step towards his goal of seeing everyone in his family eventually come to know the Lord.
Seth was starting to chaff more at his clothing and finding it all to confining. He began to feel an intense impatience. Where was Gabby? Why was she taking so long? He was starting to grumble to himself.
"Fine way to be on your wedding day, dummy!" he mused irritably.
"Oh you look lovely, Gabs!" Gaele gushed. She was adjusting the garland of white roses on her cousin's head that Cassandra had just brought in from the florist. The dyed light blue baby's breath gave the entire floral garland an airy look. It complimented the simplicity of the blue dress that Gabby was now wearing.
The dress itself was purely understated and accentuated the girl's figure nicely. It was nothing too obvious but was certainly enough to warrant 'ahs' from her female attendants.
"You don't think I 'show' too much, do you?" Gabby asked in concern as she looked down at her stomach.
"No, dear. Don't worry about it. Only our family will be there and no one else. You know that we love you. Just keep that in mind, okay?" Rahab said as she tried to encourage her.
Gaele would be the only one to stand with Gabby as a counterpart to Devon while her cousin and half brother said their vows. She wore a pale yellow dress that complimented her complexion and skin tones. Gaele was nearly bursting with excitement as she helped Gabby get ready.
Riahna had the pleasure of doing up two floral displays. She was very excited to have so many flowers to 'play' with when Rahab had brought them home the night before. In no time at all the youngest Angelo daughter had the wedding flowers arranged and set into their containers. Now they sat on each side of the pulpit back in the chapel; waiting for the wedding to commence.
Cassandra was with them in the hospital room that was serving as a make-shift dressing area. She seemed a little anxious, though. Her arm was in a cast and was held close across her chest with a full-shoulder sling. Considering her injuries she was doing rather well.
"Are you all right, Mom?" Gabby asked as she saw her mother's eyes flit to the door every now and then.
"What? Oh, yes, I am fine. I'm just waiting for someone." She replied.
"Who are you waiting for?" Rahab asked as she helped Riahna put the final touches on the bridal bouquet.
"A friend. It'll be a surprise, so please don't ask me any more questions!" Cassie smiled. She then went about making herself useful by going over the selected songs that her daughter had picked out.
In Cassandra's opinion, the three that Gabby had chosen were quite nice. She knew that the professor was Catholic and out of respect for his faith her daughter had chosen Ave Maria. The other two were very familiar, as well. "All I Ask of You" and "Love Changes Everything" were Broadway numbers that she had performed just a couple of months earlier at the Repertory Theater in Carmel. They made very nice songs for weddings.
The words to All I Ask of You, however, fit like a glove concerning Gabby. It was written originally for the pairing of male and female singers in Phantom of the Opera. However, Cassandra had changed some of the wording so that it could easily be sung as a solo or as a female duet.
There was a knock at the door so Cassandra went to see who it was.
"Hi." Don said as the door cracked open. "Is she ready? Seth's anxious to get this show on the road. I think Devon yanked his tie too snugly."
Cassie smiled and then commented, "Well, he picked the tuxes out so maybe it's well deserved!" Then she said more seriously, "Gabby's just about ready. Riahna almost has the bouquet done. Give us another five minutes and I think we can start our way down to the chapel."
Don looked at her and noticed that she was dressed rather nicely, too.
"You look lovely today, Cass." He said brightly.
Cassandra was dressed in a mint green chiffon sheath that ended just above the knees. It had three-quarter length sleeves that hugged her one arm. The other arm had the cast so she had to do some make shift adjustments on the dress in order to wear it. The neckline was a scoop neck that was high in the back – which suited Cassie just fine. Then, a smattering of glitter accented the form-fitting dress, giving it a special illumination all its own. She had her hair up and accented with rhinestone clips. She wasn't one for wearing too much make-up, but for her daughter's wedding she decided to put on a little extra. She glowed radiantly.
"Thank you, Don. I see you're wearing a new coat!" she smiled, knowing that none of the turtles needed to wear anything.
"I'll have you know that all of my brothers are dressed for the occasion today!" he quipped back and grinned.
"No way?" Cassandra smiled back in amusement.
"Whatever you do, though, don't make any comments to Raph. He's in a surly mood and it's only because of Gabby that he even put the coat on." Don explained cautiously.
"Oh, I won't – not until after everything is done!" Cassie laughed.
"It'll be your funeral, my lady!" Don chuckled and then left to pass the word among his brothers and nephew about how much longer it would be for Gabriella's appearance.
As he walked carefully up the hallway towards the room where his nephews were waiting, Don was in a particularly good mood. Though the cast on his leg was bothersome, it did not slow him down much. He was too stoked with what happened the day before.
Jason had come through with flying colors Monday with the much anticipated list of dojos. Though Jason was terrified of being discovered, he found the 'management' at the Foot headquarters to be a little distracted. It seemed that those in authority were concerned with other things besides security.
The senior members of the organization were worried when twenty-four of their comrades turned up missing. Jason had been questioned but he had successfully convinced them that he had been busy with his mother over the weekend. That was partially true. When he wasn't at his dojo, he had spent Saturday and Sunday with her. It was deliberate so he would have just such an alibi. If any of his fellow Foot soldiers decided to call her to verify Jason's story, she would have told them where he had been.
Since some of the missing had been involved with records and computers, Sunday night Jason was given the task to man the stations, as it were. It couldn't have been any easier to get the much needed list for Don. It was a major relief for the young man. Though he was tempted to tell his comrades about his personal assault on Mike's property, he thought better of it. Because such a large number of Foot recruits were unaccounted for, it was openly feared that these missing soldiers were involved in a non-sanctioned job. The comments from the senior members about the penalties these missing men would have to suffer confirmed to Jason that Don was telling the truth. Doing a hit outside of the organization's approval meant certain execution if caught. So far the one soldier who had been killed was not yet discovered. When that happened, Jason was hoping to already be out of the country.
Once the list of martial arts schools was verified on Don's laptop, he forwarded the information to Thomas. Then Jason was blindfolded and put into a sedan. The windows were darkly tinted so that anyone inside would be kept hidden from curious eyes. The driver carefully drove the car out of the warehouse where the meeting took place. From there, he was taken to San Jose Airport where he was escorted onto Don's jet and then whisked out of the country.
Don never went back on his word when he gaveit; even with one so undeserving as Jason. The turtle was still hoping that the boy could be salvaged - but he had his doubts.
To Don, the only regrettable part of this whole deal was Jason's mother. He would have preferred letting Jason alert her to his trip to Australia. However, there would have been questions that couldn't be answered. Don knew she would have probably said something to one of Jason's friends from the dojo. That would have created suspicions and then trigger an all out hunt for him. Don knew the boy would be dead within a week. Once he and his men disbanded and eradicated the key-members of the Foot Clan, Jason could then contact his family. Until then, the only way to keep him alive is to make it seem like he had 'fallen off the face of the earth'.
"Well, this is it!" Gabby exclaimed excitedly as they left the room. She looked over at Cassie and smiled, saying, "I would still pick you as my mom, if I didn't already have one."
Cassie laughed and replied, "And, of course, I would be honored. But, I think we need to get going, dear." She kissed her daughter on the cheek affectionately.
Then Cassandra, Rahab, and Riahna went on ahead as Gabby waited for the professor. Soon, she saw him as he was wheeled out of his room by Raphael. Since Gabby had two fathers she thought it fitting that both escort her down the aisle.
Raph looked … well… different with his tux on. It was only the coat part and it had to be custom made in order to fit over his shell. One sleeve was tucked under his arm with the cast. He looked dressed up which was totally out of character for him.
As he wheeled the professor up to her, the only comment Raph made to Gabby was, "I look like some freak'n hunchback. Better appreciate this, Gabs!" He smirked but Gabby did notice how uncomfortable he was.
"I thought you used to wear coats all the time years ago whenever you'd have to go out in public?" Gabby asked him.
"Yeah? Well, this one's different. It's … too clean!" Raph quipped.
She chuckled at her reptilain father's comment and even the professor laughed.
Perry was visibly weak and it concerned Gabby as she watched him. She took his hand in hers and held it as she walked along beside him.
"I'm so happy you're able to do this, Father." She commented to him.
Gabby felt her face flush with emotion as she recalled not too long ago how frightened and angry she had been to be sent so far from her Connecticut home. So much had happened in so little time and, now, here she was preparing to get married.
She wondered if she would ever see her house again. Looking at her human father Gabby knew he didn't have much time left. She wanted to stop the clock, stop everything that was taking his life; but she couldn't. All Gabby could do was to appreciate what time she had left with him.
This moment would have to last her the rest of her life. Even his living to the next day was uncertain.
The day before, Gabby managed to overhear the doctor instructing the professor's nurse about making him as comfortable as possible "until his time comes." Gabby wasn't supposed to hear that comment. However, she had been waiting outside her father's hospital room while he was involved with yet another test. The subject was abruptly changed the moment she walked into the room, though. She did not indicate that she heard anything, choosing instead to appear ignorant of what the doctor and the nurse already knew.
Now she allowed herself to be happy. It was her gift to her father. He looked up at her with the usual spark in his eyes. Smiling at him, she bent down and kissed the top of his head affectionately. Then she straightened up and continued on towards the chapel with her two fathers and Gaele.
Pastor Brown looked up at the double doors of the chapel as Mike and Leo pulled them open. Don was sitting in the front pew with Cassandra, Rahab, Riahna, and Thomas. Seth and Devon were standing off to one side from where the pastor was and they, too, looked towards the doors.
Gaele entered the chapel first. Mike then flipped a switch on the soundboard by the door and started the music. The wedding march began to play as his daughter paced her way up the aisle towards the altar. Then, Gabby strode in next with the professor on her right and Raph behind him, pushing the wheelchair that Perry sat in.
Mike and Leo both had to grin at their brother. Raph had the goofiest smile on his face and seemed quite happy, despite having to wear the jacket.
Seth watched as his bride and fathers-in-law walked in. He sucked in his breath as he saw Gabby in her blue dress and the garland of tiny white roses on her head. His insides did flip flops and his smile widened. He thought how beautiful she looked.
Gabby was showing just a little bit in her pregnancy but it was not all that obvious. She looked radiant as she took each step carefully; making her way slowly towards the front where Seth waited for her. She locked her eyes on his and felt a rush of emotion that almost overwhelmed her. But Gabby pushed back the lump that was forming in her throat, determined not to cry on her wedding day.
Seth felt his insides quiver at the very sight of her. Yes, it was worth it to wait until the ceremony to see the dress. And, much to Seth's relief it wasn't red with purple piping.
Mike and Leo were about to close the doors when someone breezed in rather quickly. They both recognized the person immediately and were quite surprised.
"Sorry; running a bit late. Excuse me." The petit dark-haired woman said softly as she slipped in and over to the side aisle. She moved quickly towards the front and found a seat next to Cassie.
"Oh, you made it! This is so great of you to do this, Serena." Cassie gushed quietly.
Don looked wide-eyed and surprised as he saw Serena Brightwell just easing into the seat next to Cassandra. The woman smiled at him and gave a little wave in his direction. He furrowed his brow questioningly at Cassie, who mouthed the words, "She's my guest."
He managed a smile but Don was still confused just the same. It wasn't that he didn't want Serena there. He was just surprised to see her, was all. Looking at Cassandra and then back to Serena, he squint his eyes in concentration. Licking his lips and then biting the lower one, he began to piece things together. However, before he could go further with his thoughts, he noticed Mike and Leo easing into the seats next to him.
Rahab took Mike's hand and managed a smile. However he could tell she was near to losing it.
"What is it about women crying at weddings?" he asked her and smiled. He turned to grin at Leo and saw, to his surprise, his own brother's eyes were watering.
"Oh, not you, too? Sheesh, Leo, get a grip for cry'n out loud." Mike teased.
"I had something in my eye." Leo explained weakly. Even he didn't believe that one.
"Yeah, right. Just don't embarrass us, okay?" Mike rebuked him and then he turned his attention to the two young men standing and waiting for Gabby to reach them.
As Gabby and her two fathers reached the pulpit, the pastor asked, "And who shall give this young woman away?"
Raphael waited for the professor to start. He heard the man say weakly, "I do." And then Raph added, "Me, too!"
That brought a few chuckles from his family and then it was time for Seth to take Gabby.
Seth stepped down towards her with a smile that could outshine a sunny day. Raph slapped him on the back, causing the young male to wince a little. Seth then led his bride tenderly up the steps and stood beside her as they faced the pastor. Seth could feel her hands tremble, so he squeezed them gently and then glanced in her direction. Gabby managed a slight smile in return and then blushed. Finally the two of them looked towards the pastor.
Raph moved the professor next to the front pew and then he himself sat down on the bench next to him.
The pastor looked at the couple and smiled warmly.
Looking over at the family, he said, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of these two young people in holy matrimony. They have joined their hearts as one in proclaiming their love for one another and are now prepared to commit themselves to each other until the end of their days. We, as witnesses to this joining, express our support and love by being here and in so doing we bless this union before God and all of his creation." He paused and looked over at Devon, "Do you, Devon, give support to your brother in his desire to marry Gabriella?"
Devon nodded and said, "I do." He seemed a little perplexed at being a part of the ceremony this way, but it was something that Seth wanted.
Now turning to Gaele, Pastor Brown asked her a similar question, "Do you, Gaele, support Gabriella as she desires to marry Seth?"
Gaele couldn't reply at first.
Gabby looked over at her and saw that her cousin was struggling to keep from crying. Gabby sucked in a breath and realized that it wasn't doing her any good watching Gaele. She turned her head away, but then she heard other sniffles in the chapel which only made it harder for her to keep from crying. She tried to smile to ward off the tears, but then she heard Rahab stifle a cry.
"Great," Gabby thought, "We're going to all be crying buckets in a moment."
Finally, Gaele squeaked out, "I do."
That brought a chuckle from Mike and everyone else, until it was choked off by a strange sound he started making. Gabby looked back and noticed that her uncle seemed to have caught something in his eye. He was wiping them with a tissue that Rahab had just handed to him.
"Ah, don't tell me he's crying, now?" Gabby asked herself.
She looked at Seth and noticed that he was doing an admirable job of not laughing. That had her smiling and she finally retrieved back some of her self control.
Never in his wildest dreams did Seth ever think his family would react this way. Wasn't this supposed to be a happy time? He glanced at Gabby and winked in her direction, squeezing her hand again to bolster her resolve.
The pastor continued, "Then let us begin, now. Marriage and the joining of two people in love have been around for thousands of years. Marriage is not something to venture into lightly, nor is it something to be considered for a time. Marriage is and always shall be an expression of a love that should last the lifespan of the two who commit themselves to it. It has always been a sanctified union between a man and a woman who have come together in love, before witnesses and before God to promise themselves to each other and only to each other."
Then, Cassie and Serena stood up and walked to the front of the pew. Mike had the pre-recorded music set to go and as soon as he worked the CD remote, the instrumental began to play. It filled the room with the sound of a full orchestra. At the appropriate time, Cassie began to sing the first verse of the song, 'All I Ask of You'. She took the first part, looking at the couple as she sang. She noticed that both of them were staring at her in complete surprise. It wasn't her, of course, that they were looking at. They were looking at Serena. She was not expected to be there.
Then, Serena began to sing the second part and filled the chapel with her beautiful voice. Eventually the two of them sang together. Their voices blended wonderfully, which only intensified the tears that some family members were still struggling with.
During the duet, Raph was working his snout around as he tried to ward off an itch. He was doing just fine compared to the way Leo and Mike were carrying on. What was with them anyway? Looking over at the professor he saw that the man had tears in his eyes, too. Well, that's excusable. Perry was human, after all. Plus he was ill and quite old and had put a lot of time into caring for Gabby.
Raph's nose just kept itching though. Finally he couldn't stand it any more. He had to scratch it. That was when both Leo and Mike looked over at him. They nodded understandably at their brother and smiled sheepishly.
"What? Huh? No, I am NOT crying. For cry'n out loud, I wasn't." Raph whispered irritably. However, his brothers just grinned knowingly and turned back around to watch Cassie and Serena finish out the song.
Raph slouched in his seat in frustration and noticed that Don was now looking at him. "What're you look'n at, Don?" he said quietly but tersely.
Don just smiled.
After the duet was over, Cassandra remained on stage while Serena returned to her seat. She smiled at Don and giggled a little out of sheer excitement for her part in the ceremony.
The next song that was sung was Ave Maria. Cassie did a wonderful job of it as she dipped into her more classical style. It was quite impressive as she sang the song with her rich full voice. Her audience was quite surprised and, by their smiles, approving. Cassandra looked as if she was thoroughly enjoying herself. She noticed the professor was very alert while she sang and it pleased her. It was her gift to him.
Finally, after the song had ended, Cassandra returned to her seat. She was hugged by Serena who leaned in and whispered something to her. Don had caught only the faintest of words, but all he could make out was "Are you going to tell her?"
Clearly he heard Cassandra say, "Once we return to the house. I hope you can join us, dear."
Don was now distracted with Gabby's mom and Serena. There was something that was very obvious about them and yet Don could not put his finger on it. He tried to figure it out, mulling over past encounters and the like. But then he heard the pastor speak again so he momentarily dismissed it.
Looking at Seth, the pastor began, "Seth, taking a wife is a huge step for any young man. You will be required to understand what she wants of you without the expression of words. "
Mike sniggered at that comment, but Rahab elbowed him one in his side.
The pastor continued, "Seth, you will be the head of the household but only because Gabriella will let you. If she is wise she will let you lead her. If you are wise you will ask for her opinion on how to do this."
More laughter came from the family members in the pews.
The pastor then said, "You will be expected to protect her and guide her and to love her unconditionally, even when she makes you mad or angry or if she hurts you. Do not fear laughter and do not fear tears. Also, do not fear the words, 'I'm sorry' where warranted. For without those words your marriage will become bitter and unhappy. "
Turning to Gabby, Pastor Brown then said, "Gabriella, you will be expected to understand your husband despite what he might tell you. You may disagree with him but the sole responsibility of your marriage will be upon his shoulders. Use it to your advantage!"
This time Rahab let out a hoot and Gaele had to stifle her own amusement.
The pastor smiled at his own jesting and then continued," But you will also need to love Seth with your whole heart, giving him your unconditional love and respect. Do not fear laughter and do not fear tears. Settle your difference before going to bed, so that you may make amends in the best way that a husband and wife should."
This time Devon and his father and uncles had their turn at chuckling.
Finally, the pastor concluded, "Never forget how much you love each other and never hesitate to say the words, 'I'm sorry'. Otherwise you will build a wall too great to climb over or to tear down."
Then, Pastor Brown nodded towards Gabby.
Seth seemed surprised and then looked her way. "What is she planning, now?" he asked himself silently. He saw a glint of mischievousness in her eyes and, for a moment, he was worried.
Gabby quickly looked over at Don. He nodded approvingly and then he sat back, folding his arms across his plastron. The smile on his face gave Gabby the encouragement that she needed.
Mike pushed a button on the CD remote and then music started to play. Gabby began to sing as she faced Seth. She locked her eyes on to his, gaining courage with each passing second. He was not expecting this and didn't know what she was going to be doing.
The music to Unexpected Song, another number from a Broadway musical, came through the speakers. It was a song that Serena Brightwell had made famous. The fact that she was in the audience thrilled and frightened Gabby to death. But she was determined to sing it for her soon-to-be-husband, no matter what.
Don had given Gabby permission only the night before considering she was still restricted from singing. The fact that it had been months since she had last sung worried her. But after she practiced in her closet for a couple of hours after everyone had gone to bed, Gabby discovered that she could still carry a tune. It was quite a relief for her.
Seth smiled wondrously as he watched Gabby sing. He had not expected her to. He knew she was still on restriction regarding music, despite her curtailed training. He listened to her and watched her as she moved through the song. The love she gave him through her voice and her eyes filled his heart to overflowing. He gulped as he listened to the words and found it increasingly difficult to keep himself from crying.
He had heard her months ago shortly after she had arrived for the first time. But it was completely different to watch her facial expressions and to feel her sweet breath as she sang to him.
After Gabby was done, the commitment part of the ceremony began.
"Seth," Pastor Brown asked, "do you take Gabby to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, whether rich or poor, till death do you part?"
Seth replied, "I most certainly do." And he smiled at Gabby. He received the ring from Devon and placed it on Gabby's finger, gazing longingly into her eyes.
"Gabriella," the pastor said," Do you take Seth to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, whether rich or poor, until death do you part?"
"I do, very much so." She exclaimed as she smiled at Seth. Gaele then handed her the ring. Gabby placed the ring on Seth's finger, lovingly returning his look.
Pastor Brown then said, "As vested in me by the state of California and as ordained before the Holy God of Salvation, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Seth, you may kiss your bride."
Seth wasted no time. He grabbed Gabby gently and kissed her deeply. She returned the effort. They held it for a good long time, eliciting quite a reaction from those in the pews.
Mike 'whoo hooed' and Raph said something similar. Rahab was too busy crying, as was Gaele. Devon yipped and both Cassandra and Serena clapped while they stood up. Their smiles were as big as the world as Cassie involuntarily wiped a tear way from one of her eyes.
Cassandra then walked back up to the pulpit to get ready for the last number. She was obviously working through her tearful, but joyful emotions. But by the time she took her place, her training kicked in. She stood at the ready, preparing for the recessional song.
The pastor then made his proclamation, "I would like to now present to all of you - Mr. and Mrs. Seth Nardo."
And then the music began to play.
Soon Cassandra was singing 'Love Changes Everything' as Seth and Gabby walked down the aisle. But, then they stopped. The decided they would not go on out the doors but met their family instead. They were quickly embraced by them eagerly with hugs and kisses. Gaele joined them and fell into Gabby's arms as she hugged her new sister-in-law.
It was the happiest Gabby had ever been. She looked at her father and saw a joy on his face that she would never forget. She longed to have pictures taken but the rule of 'no photography' even included weddings. Still, that could not dampen the excitement she was feeling.
Taking stock of her family she had to laugh. With Raph and Don in casts and Cassie, too, it really did look like they were getting married in the hospital chapel. Devon's and Mike's injuries were well hidden under their coats, but it was just too funny to see the walking wounded as they gathered around to hug her and Seth.
Gabby looked over at her husband and their eyes met. She was surprised to see that Seth was starting to cry, even though he had a smile on his face. She went to embrace him, but soon she began weeping, too.
This time, though, Gabby was neither sad nor frightened.
This time she cried with tears of pure happiness.
