"Stand still will you? I can't tie your tie if you keep movin'." Rafe scolded the anxious groom with a grin.

"I seem to remember you havin' a case of pre-mission jitters not too many years ago." Danny tried to smile at his best friend and best man.

He'd been fine the whole morning and it hadn't been until Evelyn had left for the chapel that Danny developed a bad case of nerves. He'd looked forward to this day for such a long time and now that it was finally here, his stomach had tied itself into knots.

"It's goin' to be all right Danny, trust me." Rafe told him as he knotted Danny's tie. "I remember how nervous I was and you were the one who told me I'd forget all about it when I saw Evelyn comin' up the aisle. And I did."

"What did it feel like? Finally bein' married to her, I mean?" Danny asked.

Rafe looked at him and smiled. "I don't know that it's somethin' I can explain Danny. You and Sandra were lucky because you had time to get to know each other and find out that you didn't want to live without each other. Evelyn and I didn't really get to know each other until after we got married and we were lucky."

"But you wouldn't have done it differently."

He shrugged. "I never really thought about it. When I got to Hawaii, I hadn't seen her in almost a year and I'd missed her somethin' fierce. My one real regret when I was shot down was that I hadn't made love to her that night in New York. When I saw her the night I got here, all I could think about was showin' her how much I'd missed her."

"How has it been since you've been home? We were away so much durin' the war and you didn't get to see her for weeks at a time."

"It was an adjustment for the both of us. I was home everyday for the first time since we'd been married and not only did I have to learn to be the kind of husband Evelyn wanted, but I had to learn to be a real father. It had always bothered me when we had to fly out and I had to leave her to take care of the kids without me. Since I've been home, I've been learnin' what my kids like and what they don't and what Evelyn expects of me as their father."

"I'll admit it now Rafe, but I never saw you as a husband and a father. You were so determined to become an Army pilot that nothin' was goin' to get in your way." Danny grinned.

"Things don't always happen the way we think they will Danny and I'd say that we both ended up pretty lucky."

"I won't argue with that."

"How are you boys doing?" Thomas McCawley asked them from the doorway. "Rafe, your mama has the kids dressed."

"Thanks Daddy, I'll help her get them ready to go." And he walked out of the room.

Tom smiled at Danny. "This is a day that Sarah and I were prayin' for. You've been like a son to us and I can't help but wish that your own daddy could be here today."

"I think about him every once in awhile." Danny admitted. "I think about Mama too and wish I could remember her."

"You're mama was a sweet woman and she was beside herself with worry after your daddy came home from France. He never talked to me about it, but bein' over there myself he didn't need to."

Danny sighed. "How is it then that you were all right and Daddy wasn't?"

"I can't answer that son except to say that Sarah and your mama were two different women. If I had been inclined to imbibe even a little, Sarah would have had me sleepin' in the barn. Make no mistake that your mama loved your daddy, but she wasn't a strong woman like my Sarah."

"That's the thing about Sandra. She's a lot like Mama, but she's a lot like Mrs. McCawley too."

"Then I'd say you've got yourself a keeper." Tom smiled at him as he put a hand on Danny's shoulder. "Let's go get you married."

"Yes sir." And they walked out of the room to meet the other McCawley's in the living room.

"Hold still Sandra." Evelyn said quietly to the jittery bride. "If you keep moving like that, I might burn you with the curling iron."

"I could sure use a belt about now." Martha joked as Barbara finished up a last minute adjustment in the waistline of Sandra's dress that hung on a dress form.

"If anyone deserves a drink, it's Sandra." Barbara answered before she smiled at Sandra. "To take the edge off of those wedding nerves."

"I've dreamed about this for such a long time and now that it's finally here, I really am nervous." Sandra told them.

Evelyn smiled at her. "It's only natural. Starting a life with someone is a big step and your whole life changes. But I can tell you from my own experience that it's a change worth waiting for."

"You didn't wait for five years Ev." Martha observed.

Barbara laughed. "They couldn't wait that long Martha."

"Honestly Barbara." Evelyn smiled at her before she put the iron down. She started to brush out Sandra's hair and caught her eye in the mirror. "My point is, once you walk into that chapel on your father's arm and see Danny waiting for you with a smile on his face, you'll forget how nervous you are."

"How long did it take you to get used to being married Ev?" Sandra asked her.

She laughed softly. "I'm the last one to ask about that. It probably took me longer than most brides because my groom was gone so soon after we were married and then he was gone for weeks at a time. You're lucky because you'll be able to adjust to being married together."

"I hadn't thought about it that way. It's just that when you and Rafe got married, everything seemed so perfect for you."

Evelyn put the hairbrush down and put her hands on Sandra's shoulders. "Every marriage has its rough spots and Rafe and I have had ours, but the one thing that we've always done is talk to each other. As long as you keep talking to each other and let each other know how you feel, you can't go wrong."

"Thanks Ev." She smiled because Evelyn's reassurances had helped.

"All right Sandra, if Ev is done with your hair it's time to get you into this dress." Barbara said as she took the dress off the form and had Martha help her get Sandra into the dress with an admonition to watch her hair.

"Calm down Barbara, I'm watching." Martha told her as she began to button the small pearl buttons up the back of the dress. When she was finished, Evelyn put the veil on her head.

Sandra slipped into her shoes and her heart started to beat double time, this was really going to happen.

Evelyn took her hand and walked her over to the tall mirror in the corner of the room. "So what do you think?"

Sandra didn't recognize the girl who looked back at her. The dress was prettier than she remembered when she'd put it on for the final fitting. She'd managed to lose a little more weight since then and was thankful that Barbara had been able to fix it.

Martha smiled at her. "Sandra, that pilot of yours is going to eat his hat."

"I just wish I didn't have to wear my glasses." She sighed and then she laughed. "But I want to be able to see what's going on."

"You're beautiful Sandra." Evelyn smiled at her.

"You don't look so bad yourself Ev, considering you just had a baby." Barbara remarked.

"Thanks Barbara. But no one will be looking at me."

"Except Rafe." Martha grinned.

They laughed together and for Sandra it was a wonderful moment that she would remember as one of the nicest parts of the day.

There was a knock on the door and when it opened, James O'Connell was on the other side. "Well honey, your groom is here and these are for you and for your matron of honor." He told her as he handed a large bouquet to Sandra and a smaller version to Evelyn.

Sandra's heart stopped and she took Evelyn's hand.

"Take a deep breath and relax, the hard part is almost over." She smiled.

James stepped next to his daughter and smiled at her. "I can't think of a young man who's ever made you happier honey and your mother and I hope you'll always be happy."

"I will Dad, don't worry about that." She assured him and took his arm before she kissed his cheek.

Evelyn stepped out into the hallway while Barbara and Martha unfurled the short train behind Sandra's dress.

"We'll see you after the wedding. " Barbara smiled and had a suspicious glimmer in the corners of her eyes as she lowered the veil over Sandra's face.

Martha took her hand and squeezed it. "We're really happy for you Sandra." And the girls were gone.

Evelyn turned around and smiled. "All ready to go?"

"Let's go Ev." Sandra smiled at her. She walked out of the room on her father's arm and they followed Evelyn down the hallway. They stopped in front of the doors to the chapel where Rafe and the children waited for them and he smiled at her. "Make him happy Sandra."

"I'll do my best." She smiled back.

Through the closed doors she heard the organ and waited for the Wedding March to start.

Evelyn and Rafe got Danny and Sarah in front of them and they each whispered a reminder to them of what their jobs were. They each nodded before the doors finally opened and the children started to walk up the aisle when the music began.

Sandra watched as Rafe offered Evelyn his arm and she smiled at him before she took it and they followed their children.

Through her veil she could see Danny as he stood at the altar. He looked so serious until he saw her at the back of the chapel and then a smile broke across his face. Her father tugged gently on her arm and when she looked at him she smiled back.

They began the walk up the aisle and the closer her father brought her to Danny, the calmer she felt. As they reached the altar, Rafe and Evelyn sat the children down next to his parents and he came around to stand next to Danny. Evelyn came to stand next to her and the minister opened his prayer book:

"We are gathered here today to join in Holy Matrimony, Sandra Margaret O'Connell and Daniel Cole Walker."