"There is something not quite right about a groom being that calm on his wedding day," Lucas commented, standing in the doorway of his office. Out in the main room, Fiona was floating around making sure guests were finding their seats. The wedding had gotten a little bigger since last Saturday as Gabriel and Lillian had suggested that Faith and Carson's union be celebrated during the reception as well.

In Lucas' office, Gabriel was seated comfortably on the settee. The Mountie had his feet stretched out in front of him, as he relaxed back against the settee. He had his fingers laced behind his head.

Billy was seated next to Gabriel. Once Lillian and Grace were ready, the boy would go upstairs so that he could escort Lillian down the steps. The boy wore black dress shoes, black slacks, a shirt the color of the red serge that Gabriel wore and a gold tie that matched the stripe on Gabriel's jodhpurs.

Nathan, seated in one of the armchairs, chuckled at the comment. His friend did seem quite relaxed. A feeling that he had definitely not felt on his wedding day. Part of him had been worried about Elizabeth telling him at the last minute that she couldn't marry him after all. More than once, he had felt relief knowing that Lucas had been in Hope Valley while they had said 'I dos' in Spruce Grove despite how much things had changed already.

"What do I have to be nervous about?" Gabriel asked, having not moved from his relaxed position. "The woman I love is about to say I do to me and we can truly start our life together. I have a boy who is just like a son to me and I get to move into a house already full of love and laughter."

Lucas opened his mouth but did not say anything as a hand clamped down on his shoulder. "That was a rhetorical question, Bouchard. Do not say anything that will disrupt his calm," Bill instructed as the judge made his way into the office.

Bill looked to Gabriel before he spoke again. "Everyone is set out there. Carson has staked out a position to get a picture of Lillian at the top of the steps and be able to take pictures during the ceremony. We are just waiting for word that the women are ready. Pastor Zeke said you can come join us whenever you are ready."

Gabriel unlaced his fingers and sat up. Before he could stand though, another voice spoke up.

"Actually, I would like a few moments alone with my son if it is, okay?" Arthur Kinslow said, standing just outside of the office.

Nathan, Bill and Lucas all looked to Gabriel. It was clear to Gabriel that none of them were going anywhere without his consent, even if it was his own father asking to speak with him. Gabriel was grateful to have such supportive people in his corner.

Gabriel nodded. Bill and Lucas turned to leave the office. Gabriel looked to Billy. "Go ahead with Constable Grant. I will be out shortly."

"Yes, sir," Billy said, sliding down off of the settee.

Nathan held out a hand to Billy. The boy took it and followed Nathan out of the office, pulling the door shut behind him.

Alone with his father, Gabriel looked up at the man. "Have a seat," Gabriel suggested, motioning to the armchair facing the settee.

Arthur took the seat. "This feels familiar," he commented, trying to ease some of the tension in the room.

Gabriel smiled at the comment.

"Look Son, some things were said yesterday that got me thinking. I already had a talk with your brother last night and apologized. I have not been fair to him trying to control his interactions with you."

Gabriel nodded his consent to the statement.

"I also have been unfair to you, Gabriel," Arthur continued. "Yes, I was disappointed when you chose your own path. After four daughters, when you came along, I had hoped I had a son who would take over the ranch I had built up. However, I was also proud of you for having the courage to make your own choice. I am proud of the work you do as a Mountie. I am proud of you for stepping up and taking responsibility for that boy who needed a family and for being a role model for those boys at the orphanage. When I mentioned some of that to Nathan yesterday, he asked me if you knew how I felt. After thinking about it, I realized that I have never said those words to you, so I am saying them now. I am proud of the man you have become and the things you have accomplished as a Mountie."

Gabriel swallowed hard as his emotions threatened to overwhelm him. It was what he had longed to hear for many years from his father. The fact that the words came on his wedding day made the day that much more significant.

"Thank-you," Gabriel finally managed to get out as he got to his feet.

Arthur got to his feet as well and held his right hand out to his son. Reaching out, Gabriel shook his father's hand even as Arthur reached out with his left hand and patted his shoulder. It was the most emotion Gabriel had ever seen his father express in front of him.

Lillian pressed her hands together in an effort to keep them from shaking while Rosemary finished pinning up her hair. She and Grace were using the room that Tory and Evelyn were using to get ready. Both of Gabriel's sisters had been on hand to help Rosemary out with getting Lillian and Grace ready. Angela had her two kids in her room getting them ready.

"What if I trip? What if I forget what to say? What if I go to walk down the staircase and Gabriel is not there?"

Lillian's questions came with the quick succession of anxiety and were not the first set. Rosemary, Tory and Evelyn had already assured the bride that nerves were normal. They had all gone through them. Grace had joined in with them in trying to calm some of Lillian's other worries and telling her that little mistakes would not disrupt the ceremony. Knowing that she was probably going to be a basket case herself when her time came, Grace had tried to be supportive and not laugh. She lost the battle with that last question.

"Gabriel Kinslow has only had eyes for you since the moment he came back to Brookfield," Grace told her after her small chuckle. Lillian could still see the laughter in Grace's eyes as she continued to speak. "Him not being at the bottom of those steps waiting for you, is as likely to happen as night not giving way to day."

Lillian smiled. He sister made a very good point.

"I know. I am just acting silly," Lillian conceded looking from Grace to her image in the mirror. Though she had not wanted a veil over her face, the cascade of white tulle covering the part of her red hair that was still loose, seemed to soften the brightness of her hair. Rosemary had artfully put white flowers in the portion of her hair that was pinned up. It was much like she had dreamed of as a teenager except that it was Rosemary's face beside her own in the mirror and not her mother.

"You are acting like a nervous bride. You are not the first and you will not be the last, but you do make a lovely bride," Rosemary told her as the older woman gazed into the mirror as well.

Grace, Evelyn and Tory all echoed Rosemary's sentiment about Lillian looking lovely. Gabriel's sisters gave Lillian a hug before saying they would go see if the kids were ready.

Rosemary took a step back, allowing Grace to approach her sister. Lillian turned from the mirror to face Grace, reaching out to take her sister's hand. "Oh, Grace! Did I make a mistake rushing this? I have never rushed anything in my life. Why did I rush this?"

Grace squeezed the hands she held. "You rushed it because you love Gabriel and want to start your life with him. There is nothing wrong with that and everything that matters, got done," she reminded Lillian. "Today does not need to be perfect. All that needs to happen is for you and Gabriel to say 'I do' and the rest is insignificant."

"What if I forget what to say?"

"Then I whisper the words in your ear, dear sister," Grace said without missing a beat. "You are not going to be alone up there."

Lillian nodded even as she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, still holding Grace's hands in her own.

"Alicia and Stephen are ready. Pastor Zeke has the men with him at the foot of the stairs," Evelyn announced coming back into the room. "They are just waiting for the bride to make her entrance."

"Are you ready?" Grace asked Lillian.

Lillian nodded, suddenly unable to find her voice. Oh, what if she could not speak the words she needed to during the ceremony?

She felt Grace let go of her hands. Before Lillian could react to it, Tory was in front of her embracing her soon to be sister-in-law.

"You will be fine," Tory told her softly before releasing her.

Tory stepped back and Evelyn took her place. "Gabriel's always had a special place in my heart. He was my baby brother for thirteen years. I have always wanted him to find that special someone that realizes just how amazing he is. He found that in you, Lillian," Evelyn told her, before hugging Lillian.

"Thank you," Lillian replied, finding her voice as she hugged her sister-in-law.

The women stepped out of the room. Angela was standing with her two kids. Alicia was excitedly moving from side to side, her basket of flower petals in her hands. Stephen held a pillow, the same shade as Grace's dress, with the wedding bands tied on it.

Angela told her kids to listen to Mrs. Coulter and Miss Grace and then she and her two sisters headed downstairs. Rosemary moved the group closer to the staircase while making sure that Lillian stayed out of view.

"We just need, Billy," Rosemary commented with a pout. Gabriel's sisters had said they would send him up but the boy still had not appeared.

They waited a few moments. Rosemary was about to go see what was going on when two sets of footsteps came up the steps. Peeking around the corner, Rosemary saw Nathan escorting Billy down the hall toward them.

"Billy felt a bit nervous walking up the stairs alone," Nathan explained.

"No problem," Rosemary said with a smile. Stepping aside, she let Nathan and Billy pass her, instinctively knowing that the boy would need to be passed from one trusted adult to the other.

"You look like a princess," Billy commented, stopping a few steps away from Lillian.

Lillian smiled. "So I guess that makes you my knight walking me to my prince," she said, going along with Billy's comment. She opened her arms to the lad and Billy closed the rest of the distance to her, tentatively giving her a hug. Lillian hugged the boy close not worried about putting wrinkles in the dress. If it got wrinkled from hugging, then they were wrinkles created out of love.

"I will just head back downstairs," Nathan said, before going back around the corner and down the steps.

Victoria Kinslow sat at the table with her husband, Matthew, Evelyn and Victoria. Arthur had moved his chair away from the table so that he could sit beside his wife. He held her one hand as Victoria already dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief with the other.

"At least with our daughters you waited until the ceremony started to start crying," Arthur commented, though he slipped an arm tenderly across his wife's shoulders.

"This feels different somehow," Victoria replied. "I guess part of me always thought there might still be a chance that Gabriel would come settle close to home at some point. With Lillian and the orphanage, I know that will never happen. It feels like I am truly letting go of him."

Arthur pressed a kiss against his wife's temple. "We have four of our six kids still near us, Victoria. Gabriel and Lillian are less than two days away by train and Lisa and her family is only a bit further away than that. We are luckier than some families whose kids are scattered across this country."

"I know you're right, but my heart still hurts and is happy at the same time."

Arthur did not reply as their grand kids appeared on the landing above them, starting the wedding procession.