Happy. Elated. Enchanted. Overjoyed.
Honored. Proud. Humbled.
Protective. Loving.
Captivated.
...faithful...
...words begin to fail me as the distance between us diminishes.
I can't tell who is moving. Is she getting closer to me? Am I to her? It doesn't matter. Nothing matters but the fact that she is here.
The rather large group of people that is witnessing the ceremony doesn't matter. The quiet 'click' of the photographer's camera doesn't matter. The beautiful day that has been made complete with; flawless decorations, heart warming music, sunshine, a gentle breeze, and beautifully blooming life in every direction, does not matter.
The universe is propelling us toward one another, although I'm fairly certain that only one of us is actually moving at the moment. We have been progressing toward each other long before this event, long before we even met. It is our own special brand of gravity, and it has brought us together.
We're so close now.
I see her eyes shining with a million emotions. Every single one of them good. Every single one of them, I am sure, are reflected in my own eyes.
We stand as a couple. It took too long. It happened so fast.
I reach out and take her hands in my own. It feels like I am giving her a piece of my soul and that she is filling the space with a piece of her own.
I run my thumb over the ring that has already been given its permanent home on her finger, and she does the same with mine. Exchanging rings is something we did in private. This symbol of dedication was between only us, for only us. And it was perfect.
The man beside us starts talking and it doesn't matter. If my words cease to be relevant when describing what we have between us, his don't stand a chance.
But it just doesn't matter.
She is here.
She is angelic and she is perfect and she is mine.
His words are like a distant echo. I am looking at her, trying to convey the depth of my loyalty, the depth of my gratitude, without the use of words. I have none that could possible describe the way I feel right now anyway.
I must have lost track of time because he suddenly says my name. I lend him a miniscule amount of my attention. Mostly because I'm pretty sure he will require a response from me soon. And there it is. My cue.
"I do."
Her cheeks flush and her smile nearly brings me to my knees. I am but a humble servant before my divinity.
A few tears fall from her brilliant eyes. Awe, she'll ruin that make-up of hers. And it doesn't matter. Make-up means absolutely nothing to the beauty of this woman.
I bring one set of our conjoined hands up to her face and dab the moisture away with the pad of my thumb.
He says her name now.
I'd have said it better.
Doesn't matter.
She is trembling...or am I? I take a subtle but deliberate breath. The trembling stops; must have been me.
He barely gets done uttering her cue before she answers.
"I do."
I don't wait for his next words. As soon as she responds, I step forward and kiss her. We press our palms together and our fingers interlace. I am giving everything that I am in this contact. I feel her giving everything that she is right back to me. Everything that she is and everything that I am becomes everything that we are.
And that matters.
"...you may...kiss the bride..."
I pull back and barely register the slight chuckling that is coming from our guests.
He announces us and the sea of people in attendance simultaneously erupt in cheers.
I am looking at her and she is smiling.
That smile is the rest of my life.
She is the rest of my life. My forever.
Together, we turn to face our loved ones. Together, we take our first steps as wives.
Our gravity stops pushing us toward one another and begins to simply push us forward as a single, combined entity.
We are walking past friends and family and I feel her squeeze my hand. I look over at her and tears begin to fall from my own eyes.
Dear God...
That smile.
A/N: Okay...so chapter one was the P wave, two was the S wave...this was an aftershock. The earthquake is over. I hope you have not sustained too much damage. Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading and reviewing! I have a smile of my own stuck on my face from the encouragement I have received. I hope you have enjoyed the piece! -SJR