Doug Hurtuk spent the whole drive over wondering what would make him feel older, seeing the South School playground changed with the years or having it remain frozen in time. As he exited his car and painted a mental picture of his childhood stomping grounds sans the wedding decorations that had been set up that morning, he could feel his face break into a satisfied smile. A layer of astro-turf had been set down and new swings/jungle gyms had been erected since he last called himself a student, but the kickball field where his best friend exchanged his vows the first time around remained largely preserved.

And here they all were again.

(Doug Hurtuk POV)

The cage around home plate had been adorned with all manner of flowers, a blue tarp had been rolled from the main pathway to the singular giant tree at the farthest end of the field, anywhere between fifty to seventy-five folding chairs had been set up by the aforementioned tarp and a small keyboard stood sentry a stone's throw from it all.

Ida and Mary, Song Lee's Bridesmaids, and their respective families were the next to show up followed by Zuzu and Sid (Harry's Groomsmen of which I was a part of). Mary became the wife of a Rabbi while Ida turned her family story into employment as an actress on Titanic reenactments/exhibits. Sid succeeded his father as a tombstone salesman while Zuzu worked as a translator at the Lebanese embassy.

A cab pulls up to the playground and out steps a man dressed in a polyester jumpsuit with rhinestones.

"…thank ya. Thankyaverymuch."

I find myself unable to suppress a hearty laugh while shaking hands with Dexter Sanchez, the officiant of the ceremony. To the surprise of nobody, he found work at a Vegas Chapel of Love as an Elvis Presley impersonator that marries tourists.

The immediate families of the Bride and Groom shuffle in, as do the Cardini and Flaubert families. Mr. Cardini's hair had become a dignified grey, almost bringing to mind Walt Disney while Mrs. Flaubert hardly aged a day since we last called her our teacher. Her daughter Rose looked almost like the Miss Mackle of our childhood days and made a apropos addition alongside Ida and Mary as Song Lee's bridesmaids.

Anyone looking for that last dramatic hurdle before Harry and Song Lee tied the knot would be disappointed; apart from a slight traffic related day that set the service back five minutes, the future Mr. and Mrs. Spooger arrived happy and ready to take this step in their lives. In lieu of the traditional tuxedo and poofy white dress, Song Lee clothed herself in traditional Korean wedding attire while Harry wore his grandfather's Eisenhower Suit and a black tie.

"Dearly beloved." Dexter began in his best Elvis imitation. "We're gathered here today to join a man and woman near and dear to all of us in the bonds of Holy Matrimony (mama). I understand you have written some vows?"

While we all knew their story, having shared a childhood with them after all, Harry and Song Lee's vows left no dry eye among the crowd; we remembered their first little wedding here at the Kickball field, the deadly skit where we tied together Christ's birth with the danger's of cigarette smoking, going to "sea", and all the fun misadventures we had…of course there was also the lows we shared from dragon wars to overzealous Mother Goose recitals, moves to different cities and countries…but there was also the times they banded together to bring out the best in one another. Song Lee's Valentine helping Harry conquer his fear of climbing the rope while Harry avenged the honor of her damaged origami mantis. Perhaps it was because we were all a little older, but hearing the stories again felt sweet and endearing. All that was left now was to exchange the rings.

Holding a small dish out with two gold bands, I watch as these new bands take the place of a set of plastic spider rings, both with nail polish hourglasses on the lower abdomen.

A final kiss later, and the service is over. Mr. and Mrs. Spooger walk up the aisle in a hail of rice and bubbles as we all make our way to the reception. The old song we wrote back in second grade is sung in lieu of a traditional wedding processional:

Oh, Harry's getting Married to Song Lee.

Oh, Harry's getting Married to Song Lee.

There will be a big, big wedding by the tree where we went sledding.

Oh, Harry's getting Married to Song Lee.

The crowd dwindles until I alone am left to look at the aftermath. Happy though I may be for my friends, it slowly dawns on me…as far as we know, this is the last time the old 2B/3B gang will be together from here on in. It's just life, the choices we make either keep us close to our childhood stomping grounds or cause us to move away and scatter across the country, perhaps even the world.

Sure we're friends, but the nature changes should we chose keep in touch with each other on the regular. But piece by piece we'll all come the natural conclusion that there should be more important things to care about as adults than the highs and lows of elementary school and as we deal with the daily grind that comes with our respective careers/relationships, the friendships and memories we had as kids become stories and mementos.

Regardless, I am left with this solace;

For a kid we called horrible, Harry Spooger managed to leave us with one final and beautiful hurrah.

The End.