Chapter 232
The sun was hanging low over the lake as Sara stepped onto the wide porch. The beauty of the afternoon suddenly took her breath away and she stared in awe.
"You look gorgeous sweet pea" said Stephen and hugged his daughter.
"Thank you dad" Sara smiled and blushed. She was radiant in an off white casual pant suit, her hair casually tousled.
"You really do Sara. Absolutely gorgeous. I'm so incredibly proud of you right now" Tegan smiled.
"Thank you Tegan… I'm not going to talk too much right now because I know I'm going to cry" said Sara, tears already starting to escape her eyelids.
"Understandable. Please don't ruin my hard work" said Tegan fixing some of Sara's makeup.
"You're being such a girl right now" laughed Sara.
"Meh, sometimes I like doing girly things" said Tegan.
"Me too, don't tell anyone" Sara winked.
"Alright! Let's do this! I think your bride is already waiting for you" said Tegan and squeezed Sara's hand.
There was no music, just a myriad of birds and sun beetles singing as Sara walked, arms linked with her dad, down towards the lake where her bride was waiting for her under a large oak tree.
Kate felt a rush of emotion overcoming her when she saw Sara walking towards her. She was more beautiful than she'd ever seen her. Everything, in that moment just fell into place and peace like she'd never known it came over her.
Sara looked at her family standing in a small circle and smiled as tears started coming again. Kate stood holding her father's hand and mouthed a "wow" before flashing Sara a dazzling smile. Sara kissed her father on the cheek, so did Kate and the gentlemen each kissed their daughter's bride.
"Take care of my little girl" whispered John and abruptly started crying. "I will sir… I promise" Sara smiled and hugged her new father in law. She looked over at Kate and her dad. Stephen had Kate's hands in hers. They were talking softly and both had tears rolling down their cheeks. Kate's suit was similar but not quite the same as Sara's. A slightly more masculine cut. It made her tall, lean body look even more gorgeous than usual. Kate looked down and nodded and wiped the tears off her cheeks before turning to Sara.
"Hi, You look incredible" she whispered into Sara's ear.
"So do you, so dashing" Sara smiled and ran her fingers through Kate's hair.
Kate moved in to kiss Sara. Erin, the newly certified marriage officiator allowed a brief kiss before clearing her throat. Sara blushed and let out an awkward giggle.
"Family, we're here today to celebrate the love between our beloved Sara and Kate.
Today is a celebration. A celebration of love, of commitment, of friendship, of family, and of two people who are in it for the long run.
Despite all our differences, love is what we all share. It's the great unifier — our one universal truth. That no matter who we are, where we've come from, what we believe, we know this one thing: love is what we're doing right. That's why you both are standing here. That's why you all are here today with you. We have all loved in our lifetimes, and in this moment, we're reminded that the ability to love is the very best part of our humanity.
Sara and Kate, today is a time to pause, look back, and smile at all the moments that brought you here. And a time to look ahead at all the moments that are still to come. We as your family are here because we want these incredible, memorable, moments for you. We're here to hope with you, to support you, to be proud of you, and to remind you that love isn't happily ever after, love is the experience of writing your story. It's not one moment — not even this moment. It's every moment. Big ones like saying "I love you," moving in together, having a child together, getting engaged — but mostly a million little ones that come in between the big moments. Falling asleep next to one another, making dinner together, spending holidays with your families, binge-watching Netflix shows, getting a big hug when you get home from a rough day in the OR or a night on stage… These everyday moments fuse together into one big experience.
And even though this experience is so incredible, words fail us when we try and explain it. That's just the way it is with love — it's meant to be felt, not described." said Erin.
Kate and Sara glanced at each other when there was a moment of silence. Both smiled and squeezed each other's hands before Erin continued.
"You fell in love by chance, but you're here today because you're making a choice. You both are choosing each other. You've chosen to be with someone who enhances you, who makes you think, makes you laugh, makes you feel safe and makes every day brighter."
Amelia was at Kate's feet with her arms stretched up, begging to be picked up. Sonia moved forward to get her.
"It's okay, I've got her" Kate smiled. She crouched down and picked Amelia up with her healthy arm.
Amelia was immediately quiet and sat happily in her mother's arms.
"You're about to make promises to each other that you intend to keep. You're going to vow to take care of each other, to stand up for one another, and find happiness in the other. There's a simple premise to each of these promises: you're vowing to be there. You're teaming up and saying to the other, "Every experience I am going to have, I want you to be a part of."
Sara couldn't wipe the silly grin off her face.
Sara and Kate have chosen to write their own vows, together. Please share them now, Kate." Kate took both Sara's hands. She held one tight and weaved the fingers on her casted hand through Sara's.
"I, Katherine, take you Sara, to be my lawful wedded wife. I give to you in the presence of God and these witnesses, my promise to stay by your side, In sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow. As well as through the good times and the bad. I promise to love you without reservation. Comfort you in times of distress. Encourage you to achieve all of your goals. Laugh with you and cry with you. Grow with you in mind and spirit. Always be open and honest with you. Raise our children with love. And cherish you for as long as we both shall live. I love you Sara" said Kate and smiled.
Although they wrote these vows together, Kate's words just about swept Sara's breath away. She smiled and squeezed Kate's hand before she started: "I, Sara, take you Kate, to be my lawful wedded wife. I give to you in the presence of God and these witnesses, my promise to stay by your side. In sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, As well as through the good times and the bad. I promise to love you without reservation. Comfort you in times of distress. Encourage you to achieve all of your goals. Laugh with you and cry with you. Grow with you in mind and spirit. Always be open and honest with you. Raise our children with love and cherish you for as long as we both shall live. I love you Kate" said Sara.
Kate and Sara both briefly wiped their eyes.
"It's time to solidify your vows with your rings. The symbol of eternal love, respect and commitment.
Tegan and Alex stepped forward and handed their sisters the rings.
Sara turned the simple platinum ring with a diamond embedded on the band in her fingers as she stared into Kate's grey eyes that seemed bluer today than usual.
"You've both chosen to wear rings as a reminder of these promises. People often say wedding bands are a perfect circle, with no beginning and no end. But these rings did have a beginning. The stones were formed a long time ago deep with the earth. Eventually, a series of lucky events caused them to rise to the surface, where someone dug them up. Metal was then liquefied in a furnace at a thousand degrees — molded, cooled, and painstakingly polished. Something beautiful was made from raw elements.
Love is like that. It comes from humble beginnings, and through a combination of serendipity and effort, imperfect beings shape it into something extraordinary. It's the process of making something beautiful where there was once nothing at all. As you look at these rings over the years, I hope you remember that. You've created something invaluable, and just as I know you'll protect these rings, I'm confident you'll protect the commitments you've made to one other today"
Sara took Kate's hand. It was still in a cast but her fingers were open.
"My dearest Kate… with this ring I promise my unwavering commitment and my undying love"
Kate smiled and handed Amelia to Sonia.
"My darling Sara… this ring solidifies my promise to you, my eternal love and commitment" Kate said and slid the ring on Sara's finger.
Sara and Kate as you hold hands, may you see the gift that they are to you.
Sara and Kate caressed each other's hands softly before touching each other's faces.
"These are the hands that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever. These are the hands that will countless times wipe tears from your eyes, tears of joy and sorrow. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years. These are the hands that will help hold your family together as one as you overcome adversity. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. These are the hands that will work alongside yours as together you build your future"
Sara and Kate softly put each other's fingers to their lips and kisses them. A gesture so sweet and completely unrehearsed.
"Will you, Sara Quin keep Katherine Morgan as your favorite person — to laugh with her, go on adventures with her, support her through life's tough moments, be proud of her, grow old with her, and find new reasons to love her every day?
"I will" said Sara staring into Kate's eyes.
"Will you, Katherine Morgan keep Sara Quin as your favorite person — to laugh with her, go on adventures with her, support her through life's tough moments, be proud of her, grow old with her, and find new reasons to love her every day?
"Oh yes… I will" Kate smiled.
Sara picked up Amelia again.
"Will you, Sara and Kate, be each other's partners from this day forward? Will you bring out the best in one another, share your happiest moments together, and love each other absolutely, love your family — for the rest of this lifetime and for whatever may come next?" Erin continued.
"We will" said Sara and Kate together, both smiling.
"In front of your families and the power invested in me by God and the state of California, I now pronounce you married. You may seal the deal with a kiss" smiled Erin.
Kate pulled Sara close and kissed her passionately. The family all applauded and Tegan gave a loud hoot. Amelia was squirming to get out of the embrace and pulled at both her parent's faces. Sara laughed and broke the kiss to hand Amelia to Sonia. "Go to grandma honey, mommy needs some lovin'"
"Where were we?" she smiled and fell into Kate's embrace. The kiss was sweet and lingering. Sara never wanted to stop kissing Kate, stop touching her.
"I love you" whispered Kate.
"I absolutely adore you my love" Sara whispered.
"I'd like to end off with a blessing from your families for your marriage" said Erin.
"May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring.
May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you look for things to praise, often say, "I love you!" and take no notice of small faults.
May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy.
May you have love, and may you find it loving one another." Erin concluded.
Together sara and Kate turned back to their families to accept their congratulations. Happy tears were flowing all round.
"I'm going to end with a prayer" Erin said a minute later. Kate specifically requested it and Sara respected her beliefs completely and she had no problem letting her faith be part of the ceremony. In fact, it felt right.
"Let us bow our heads in prayer. Lord, we thank you for gathering everyone here today. We ask that you help Kate and Sara to remember the strong love that they share. To work that love into practical things so that nothing can divide them. May their love always inspire them to be kind in their words, considerate of the other's feelings, and concerned for the other's needs and wishes. Bless their marriage with peace and happiness and make their Love fruitful for your glory and their joy, both here and in eternity. Amen."
"Amen" Kate whispered and opened her eyes. She grinned and immediately took Sara in her arms and kissed her again with every ounce of passion in her. She eventually broke the kiss, picked Sara up and spun her around with pure joy.
-o-
The happy couple posed for Lindsey to take photos. They were joined first by their little girl and then by their families. Lindsey had to use her remote shutter to include herself in at least a few family photos.
"I'm so happy" Kate smiled contently.
"I'm ecstatic…. I feel ten feet tall. I'm so happy, I'm so in love with you" said Sara and attacked Kate's mouth with her own. Kate stumbled backwards with Sara in her arms, her bum came to rest on a fallen tree trunk. The kiss was becoming quite heated.
"Ahem… how about we get some champagne while they finish up here" said Tegan and spread out her arms to usher the family to the area on a pier where sundowners were set out.
Lindsey turned off her camera. "We're going to give you a few minutes alone" she grinned.
"Hi Mrs Morgan… I love you" said Kate with her forehead against Sara's.
"I love you more Mrs Quin… Dr Quin… Dr Quin, medicine woman" Sara laughed out loud.
"Hey don't joke, I loved that series when I was a kid" laughed Kate and kissed Sara again.
"You're such a dork! Such an incredibly hot dork" Sara laughed.
"Takes one to know one" Kate joked.
"We did it… we're married" Sara smiled through kisses.
"My wife… my lovely wife" Kate whispered.
"You make me so incredibly happy" said Sara.
"And you make me happy. I'm so in love with you" said Kate.
They started kissing again. The make out session lasted at least five minutes. Kate's hands ran up under Sara's shirt. Sara's fingers wove through Kate's dark hair.
"We should stop because I'm about to rip your clothes off" said Sara.
"Soon baby, soon" laughed Kate and backed away.
"I can't wait" said Sara seductively.
"How's that spider bite?"
"What spider bite?" laughed Sara.
"It feels so much better thanks, in fact I haven't even thought about it in hours" said Sara.
"That's fantastic" said Kate and kissed Sara's again.
"Let's go celebrate!" said Sara and grabbed Kate's hand.
-o-
"Here they are, finally! The happy couple" said Tegan as the bridal pair approached the gorgeous area under the trees where a huge table was set, ready for the celebratory dinner.
Sara and Kate were both grinning from ear to ear.
"Don't I have the most gorgeous wife in the universe" smiled Kate.
"No, I do" laughed Sara and gave Kate another kiss.
"Hey baby girl" said Sara and picked up Amelia. "You having fun?" she cooed. Amelia wasn't interested in cuddles and she tried her best to get back down to her cousins.
"Oh alright little miss. Go play" said Sara.
"When's the next one coming?" asked John, Kate's dad.
"Um… soonish" smiled Kate.
"Uh huh" John grinned but he dropped the subject.
The group finally made their way onto the large pier where a waiter was waiting with champagne and canapés.
"Well, there's no further formalities really but Sara and I just want to say thank you so, so much to everyone for being here and for making this day so incredibly special for us" said Kate.
"We really wanted to share this with our families. Kate and I are both so blessed to have amazing families who are also our best friends. Thank you for your unwavering support of our love. We appreciate you all so much and we love you with all our hearts. Cheers to you" said Sara
Everybody raised their glasses.
"My twin and my dear friend… I am so happy for you two I feel like crying with joy. I speak for all of us when I say that you have our undying support and love. When you two got together the first time a lot of people thought it was an odd match. That it was a fling that wouldn't last. But I think I speak for all of us when I say that we, your family, saw the light that went on in both of you. A light we didn't even know was missing until it so brightly started to shine. Your love is an inspiration for us all. You guys are a formidable team and you and are just so good for each other. You complement each other so beautifully. You're the air that lets the fire in each other thrive. I know that you two don't exactly have the easiest jobs in the world but I know that your love is strong enough to overcome any obstacles in your way. You have a gorgeous little girl that you just love to bits. You're such a beautiful family and I'm so proud of you. Please know that as your witnesses today, as your family and also your friends, we're here for you every step of the way. We love you so much" said Tegan.
Sara mouthed "Thank You" while wiping her tears and Kate smiled and nodded.
"A toast to the happy couple, and their gorgeous little girl. We wish you all the happiness in the world" said Tegan and raised her glass.
A/n: sorry for the long wait for this chapter. Hope it was worth it! Promise the next one won't take as long! I really had a bit of writers block with this wedding. Don't worry, I have a lot of drama ready and waiting as soon as we get through the rest of the wedding. Please send me a review, let me know what you thought and let me know you're still out there?