"You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore."

Kahlil Gibran

THE WEDDING

A bright sun entered the church's window, a crowded church (no surprising it was so crowded), as Enos stood by the altar in his tight, thinking he was there, in that same church, all eyes on him, nearly two months before for a totally different circumstance. He took a deep breath and he erased that thought from his mind.

Luke patted gently on Enos' back, as he understood what his friend was thinking of, and Enos turned to the groomsmen, smiling shyly, Bo and Luke smiling at him.

He wanted that day was going to be the best day of his life, so he HAD to erase every pesky thought from his mind.

A grumble rose from the people as Daisy entered the church, and every pesky thought disappeared from Enos' mind, his eyes on the bride walking along the aisle in her beautiful white dress (aunt Lavinia's wedding dress, the same dress Daisy wore so many months before, when they tried to get married in that confused and quick way… the wrong way), and he held his breath.

Uncle Jesse walked by Daisy's side, in his best dress, and he was clearly moved.

"Who gives this woman to this man in marriage?" Pastor voice's stopped the grumble, so a deep silence filled the church, a silence full of expectation.

"I do", a strong emotion in uncle Jesse's voice, and Enos could see the man's joy and at the same time his sadness, a joyful sadness, in his eyes. He remembered uncle Jesse's words to Daisy, only few days before, "I know Enos will be the most important man in your life by now and I accept it. I can't interfere in your family, and I know there'll be things you'll talk to Enos before than to me, and it's right since he'll be your husband"; Enos perfectly understood the pain in that man, who's giving his niece to another man, passing on the baton, but at the same time there was joy in uncle Jesse's eyes, and Enos knew that joy meant uncle Jesse respected him and he was happy to give Daisy to him. Uncle Jesse's respect was a gift for Enos: he'd have never married Daisy if he hadn't known uncle Jesse respected him, and it was one of the reasons (beside his doubts about Daisy's feelings for him) why he stopped the wedding months before, using the hives as an excuse.

He took a step forward and uncle Jesse placed Daisy's right hand in his left hand; how many times did they hold their hands, along the last months? Enos thought that there was nothing better than holding Daisy's hand, better than any other physical touch, even better than sleep together. Her touch saved him from drowning that day at the Institute, her hand warmed him during his mother's funeral.

Daisy's smile was beautiful and Enos, for a moment, forgot where he was and why, but the Pastor's voice woke him up.

"Dear friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Enos Strate and Daisy Duke in marriage. In the years they have been together, their love and understanding of each other has grown and matured, and now they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife."

Hands in hands, Daisy and Enos looked at each other, the Pastor's words echoing in the church: nothing could be more true about their love and how it grew and matured, in a continuous push and pull along their lives, in a continuous hide feelings to people and to themselves.

"True marriage is more than joining the bonds of marriage of two persons; it is the union of two hearts. It lives on the love you give each other and never grows old, but thrives on the joy of each new day. Marriage is love. May you always be able to talk things over, to confide in each other, to laugh with each other, to enjoy life together, and to share moments of quiet and peace, when the day is done. May you be blessed with a lifetime of happiness and a home of warmth and understanding."

He squeezed Daisy's hands, winking, and she smiled, a gentle red on her cheeks, in their minds their time spent together in the last months, confiding each other and sharing their emotions, in their mind a path surrounded by high trees as they walked hand in hand.

"Enos and Daisy, remember to treat yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Take responsibility for making the other feel safe, and give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficulty and fear assail your relationship, as they threaten all relationships at some time or another, remember to focus on what is right between you, not just the part that seems wrong. In this way, you can survive the times when clouds drift across the face of the sun in your lives, remembering that, just because you may lose sight of it for a moment, does not mean the sun has gone away. And, if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight."

He remembered Daisy's words that day at the lake, when she asked him to marry her: "Now Enos, when people plan to get married, they figure they're gonna share the good and the bad. That's what marriage is all about: sharin'. Okay, I figure we're just gonna start off with the bad here, and get to the good a little later." Her smiling face mixed with her face that day, and he understood, with no doubt, that Daisy loved him since then, no pity but love. NOW he was totally sure about it, all doubts he had in the past melting as snow under a sparkling sun. Along the last months he learnt to trust Daisy's love, but only in that moment he realized so completely her love since that day, and her being a sun for him.

"Do you Enos Strate, take Daisy Mae Duke to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?"

"I do", he whispered, not able to use his voice more properly, his mouth dry.

"Do you Daisy Mae Duke, take Enos Strate to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?"

"I do", her voice more clear than Enos' one, but at the same time cracking a bit.

A brief sniveling came from people in the church, and Enos and Daisy smiled looking at Lulu Hogg wiping her eyes as Boss Hogg rolled his eyes up, ashamed of his wife's emotionality. But Lulu Hogg wasn't the only one who's wiping her eyes, and Pastor's voice had to cover various sniveling from various spots inside the church as the ceremony went on.

"Wedding rings are made precious by our wearing them. Your rings say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bound together. Let these rings also be a sign that love has substance as well as soul, a present as well as a past, and that, despite its occasional sorrows, love is a circle of happiness, wonder, and delight. May these rings remind you always of the vows you have taken here today."

With trembling hands, Enos managed to place the ring on Daisy's finger, "With this ring, I thee wed." The ring perfectly fitted on Daisy's tapered finger, and Enos looked at that ring, as it was something magic. Was it real? Was it really happening?

There was an apparent calm in Daisy's gestures, but the trembling in her voice betrayed her emotion, "With this ring, I thee wed."

Enos felt the ring sliding along his finger, fitting perfectly on it. He looked at his left hand and then at Daisy's one. The sun entering the window sparkled on their rings: was it real? Was it really happening?

"And now, by the power vested in me by the State of Georgia, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss."

Yes, it was happening. He gently kissed Daisy, her soft lips on his ones so real he couldn't have doubts about the reality of it.

"Family and Friends, I present to you Mr and Mrs Enos Strate."

The sound of clapping mixing with greetings exploded inside the church as Enos and Daisy stopped their kiss, their friends coming closer them, hugging them, shaking hands and patting on their back.

But someone remained distant from the couple, confused and not used to that crowding.

Enos walked away from Daisy and his friends, heading to the woman and the man who remained still, away from the crowd, "Thank you for coming. I really appreciate it. It's a great gift for me", he hugged the small woman and he gently kissed her cheek and then her forehead, with the same kindness he could kiss a mother, indifferent to people looking at him, a genuine surprise on their face as they looked at Enos Strate kissing so sweetly, and publicly, a woman nobody there knew. Some other rumors for the next days, but Enos didn't care about it.

"Thank you for inviting me, Enos, I'm happy to be here", Miss Kate hugged him, and they both knew the importance of Miss Kate's being there, her first time in the "outer" world after so many years spent inside the Institute, the first time she found the courage to go out, just for Enos, and thanks to her companion too, Doc Martin, who shook hands with Enos.

Dukes approached Miss Kate and Doc Martin, and Daisy took her husband's hand in hers, her eyes sparkling for joy, 'cause she knew how much important Miss Kate was for Enos, and she was very glad she managed to convince Miss Kate to come for the wedding, her gift for Enos, despite her initial resistances.

"And now… go to the party at the Boar's Nest!", Bo's joyful voice resounded in the church, and another explosion of clapping filled the building as everybody walked outside, in the sun.

"Enos, sugar, avoid the rhubarb cake, OK?", Daisy sniggered, whispering into Enos' ear, and Enos burst out laughing.

"And you, don't drink… the baby wouldn't like it", he smirked and he kissed her blushing cheek.

Walking in the dim light of the aisle, they finally came out the church, a sparkling sun bathing them.

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.

You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

Kahlil Gibran