Chapter 13: The wedding

Drovers Run was in the spirit of happiness. All was prepared for the event that everybody waited for soooo long - Claires and Alexs wedding!

Meg and Terry were welcoming guests. Sun was shining brightly and birds were singing. Everything was just perfect.

Claire stood in front of the mirror looking to her reflexion in the mirror.

There was a soft knock on the door.

Claire turned around, knowing it must be her sister. She smiled.

CLAIRE: "Come in, Tess!"

Doors opened and Tess showed up. Claire looked to Tess, smiling.

Tess stopped on her tracks. here yes filled with tears of joy.

TESS: "Oh, Claire...You look sooooo beautiful!", tess hugged her sister. They stood like that for a while and than Tess looked back at her. and said "And now - the final touch!", Tess picked up white shoes with high heels.

Claire frowned.

CLAIRE: "You gotta be kidding, Tess!", she protested, but Tess hushes her up:

TESS: "Oh, knock it off, Claire McLeod! Its your wedding day, you are marrying the man of your dreams and so you can maxe exception today! Pleaaaseee? For me? For Alex?", finished Tess, giving a huuugeeee grin to Claire.

Claire considered it for a moment and than grumbled:

CLAIRE: "Yeah, whatever."

Tess squealled and jumped from joy and hugged Claire tightly.

Someone knocked on the doors and Meg showed up.

MEG: "It is time", she looked at Claire and her eyes filled with tears of joy "Oh, Claire...Your father would be soooo proud and happy today!"

Claire held her tears back and tried to lighten up the situation:

CLAIRE: "Think that he would like the groom?", she asked with smile.

With those Claires words Meg remembered Jacks last words 'Tell Alex...to take care of Claire.'
MEG: "Oh, yes. He would like him."

Nick was standing next to Alex, pretending that he was helping his brother not to be so nervous. But, as far as Alex was concerned, Nick wasnt helpfull at all. Just one look on Nicks face showed to Alex that he absolutely enjoyed in torturing him.

NICK: "Who would have thought - Claire McLeod and Alex Ryan!"

Nick sighed, covering his heart with his palm. Alex rolled with his eyes.

NICK: "I cant believe that this day has finally came! ", he pretended that he is wiping tears away "Gee, it hit me, I feel like crying now!"

Alex looked at him.

ALEX: "Say one more word, Nick, and I will give ya a reason to cry!"

Nick lightly kicked his brothers back and they both laughed.

And in that moment "Wedding march" started. Bot Alex and Nick looked down the aisle, as well as everybody else did.

Jodi was first that walked down the aisle, followed by Becky and Stevie.

Tess kissed Claire on a cheek and also went down the aisle, carrying Charlotte in her arms. BOM was dressed in little wedding dress as well.

Meg took Claires hand.

MEG: "Are ya ready?"

Claire looked at her and nodded. They started to walk down the aisle.

Alex smiled warmly seeing Charlotte wawing to him and he wawed back with his fingers. And than his eyes went to the beginning of the aisle - to his Claire.

He felt his heart skipped a beat and started to go faster. She was...he couldnt find a right word to describe how the sight of Claire in wedding - dress took his breath away.

She walked down the asile, looking at him, still couldnt believe that it was HER that he was waiting for at the altar...

She dreamed about this soooo many times - and now, it was really happening...Almost there...

CRACK! Something cracked under Claires left foot and for a moment she looked down and saw that high heel of her left shoe broke!

Claire looked at shoe, than to Tess in a way that made her little sister shiver and stop breathing. Claire quietly grumbled to Tess:

CLAIRE: "I knew I shouldnt have listened to you!"

Tess held her laugh she knew that Claire isnt really mad.

After saying that, Claire furiously took her shoes off and continued down the aisle on bare feet!

Noticing Nick barley able not to laugh, Claire whispered through her teeth:

CLAIRE: "What are ya looking at? You walk more on bare feet than I do!", she came toward altar and Meg kissed her cheek, and joined claires and Alexs hand.

CLAIRE: "Besides, its healthy to walk without shoes sometimes."

TESS: "Though, maybe we could use some different colour of nail - polisher", tes joked, earning herslef look that could kill from Claire. Tess gave her her cheeky smile "Just kidding!"

NICK: "yep, thats our claire!", he joked, expecting that Alex will also give some funny comment.

But, Alex was totally oblivious to Nick and Tess and everybody else around. His eyes were set only on his future wife.

ALEX: "Dont worry, with shoes or without shoes, youre still the most beautiful woman on this world for me. And the only one who has the key to my heart."

Claire felt her eyes got waterened as she gazed to Alexs eyes and whispered:

CLAIRE: "I love you."

During all wedding - talk, Claire and Alex looked at each other, barely hearing the words that priest was saying.

PRIEST: "You may now say your vows. Claire, you can go first."

Claire nodded and looked up to Alexs eyes, holding his hands tighter.

CLAIRE: "Alex...You have always been here for me when I needed you. From today, I want to be there for you whenever you need me. Whenever you feel sad - I will comfort you. Whenever you feel sick - I will watch over you. Whenever you feel lost, well find way back together. I promise that I will always be by your side. I will always love you with all my heart", she sighed, feeling tears in her eyes "This is my vow to you", finished Claire while one single tear rolled down her cheek.

Alex felt his eyes waterened too. he gently wiped her tear away with his thumb.

PRIEST: "Alex, you can say your vow now."

With his palm on Claires cheek, Alex started to speak:

ALEX: " Claire...Youve always been the only one that I wanted to see by my side at the altar. We wasted half of our lives pretending to eb just mates. But, I realised long time ago that you are more than my mate - you are my soulmate, Claire. I promise that I will always be there for you and Charlotte, I promiise that I will take care of you two forever and", he wiped another tear that rolled down Claires cheek and gently added "I promise I wont leave you. Ever."

Hearing that, Claire covered his palm on her cheek with her palm.

ALEX: "I love you, Claire, always have and always will. You fulfill me in every way and I thank to God that Ive got you in my life. This is my vow to you."

PRIEST: "Do you Alexander Marion Ryan take Claire Louise McLeod to be your wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish till death do you part?"

Not breaking away gaze from Claires eyes, Alex replied:

ALEX: "I do."

Priest turned to Claire.

PRIEST: 'Do you Claire Louise McLeod take Alexander Marion Ryan to be your wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish till death do you part?"

Tears of happiness flew down Claires cheeks as she replied:

CLAIRE: "I do."

PRIEST: "Rings, please."

Nick and Tess stepped forward, giving rings to Claire and Alex.

ALEX: "With this ring, Claire, I bond myself to you", he put ring on her ring finger.

Claire took his hand.

CLAIRE: "With this ring, Alex, I bond myslef to you", she put ring on his ring finger.

PRIEST: "I now pronnounce you husband and wife', he turned to Alex "You may now kiss the bride."

Alex cupped Claires face in his palms and kissed her gently, hugging her around her waist. Claire wrapped her arms around Alexs neck, deepening the kiss. Cheers and applausse were heard from everywhere, but Claire and Alex were oblivious to that and they kept on kissing until Terry yelled:

TERRY: "Broken record! This is the longest first marriage kiss ever!"

Claire and Alex laughed to that conclusion and parted. Instantly they got surrounded by million people who wnated to congratulate to them.

As Meg approached them, she took both Claires hand and Alexs hand and quietly asked Alex:

MEG: 'Do you know what youve done today?"

Both Claire and Alex looked confused at her and than Alex smiled and replied:

ALEX: "I married love of my life!"

Claire warmly smiled, lenaing her heda on his shoulder while he hugged her around her waist.

Meg looked directly to Alexs eyes and whispered:

MEG: 'You made Jacks last wish coming true."

Claire and Alex looked at Meg with question in their eyes. Meg s eyes waterened.

MEG: "I was the only one who heard his last words."

CLAIRE: "What did Dad said?", she asked quietly.

Meg felt one tear rolling down her cheek.

MEG: "He said : 'Tell Alex...to take care of Claire.' "

Both Claires and Alexs eyes waterened and they hugged Meg.