Celia's Puppies (46 page)

Sandy pulled out her supplies from her fanny
pack. While Anjelika straightened Jill’s dress, Sandy put the
finishing touches to Jill’s short hair with a comb and a portable
curling iron. Anjelika checked Jill’s makeup, then gave her a lace
handkerchief.

“
My mother gave me this
when I married your Papa,” Jill’s mother said.

Jill moved to hug her, but her mother
stepped back.

“
No mussing,” Anjelika
said. “It’s time.”

Anjelika kissed Jill’s cheek, wiped the
lipstick off with her thumb then turned into the Chapel. Jill and
Sandy stood together.

“
Bend down,” Sandy
said.

Jill bent over so Sandy could a fluff of
tulle with cream roses attached to the comb in her hair.

“
Nervous?” Sandy
asked.

Jill nodded.

“
I’ll be right there. I
love you, Jill.”

“
I love you, Sandy,” Jill
said.

Sandy touched one last curl, then went into
the Chapel. MJ, with Honey on his back, were the last guests
through the door.

Jill stood alone in the little hallway.
Staring at the door, Jill’s mind flashed to standing at the top of
the escalators waiting for the Seawell Ballroom security to notice
her. She met Jacob again that day. Her life, her really good life,
started the moment she stepped off that escalator.

At the time, she only saw the part of her
life that was ending – her soul mate marrying some other girl. Jill
stroked the script ‘Soul Mates’ tattoo on her wrist. She’d asked
Jacob if he’d like her to have the tattoo removed. Of course, Jacob
had just laughed. He said that, like Trevor, the ‘Soul Mates’
tattoo was a part of her. He loved every part of her.

Jacob.

Jill smiled. She touched the button that had
been her friend, life force, and constant companion since she stole
it from Jacob the wizard’s jacket. Jacob had it made into a
bracelet so she could always have it with her. Her finger traced
the barely visible bumps.

Jacob is waiting for me. Her entire face lit
up in a smile.

Mike came through the door with a bouquet of
six cream colored roses wrapped in cream ribbon.

“
You look happy,” Mike
said.

Jill nodded.

“
Ready?” Mike
asked.

Jill nodded.

“
I wondered if you might
want this as well,” Mike said.

He held up the ribbon he’d wrapped around
the rose he’d given her for Trevor’s engagement party. Jill
laughed.

“
Guess not,” Mike said. He
stuffed the ribbon into his pocket. “Here we go.”

Jill placed her hand on his elbow and they
stepped into the Chapel. In the dim early morning light, the chapel
glowed with in the warmth of hundreds of cream colored pillar
candles. On the front table sat an enormous vase filled with the
dozens of cream colored roses Jill had collected in her journey to
the Chapel. Each pew had a large cream colored bow with two cream
colored roses in the center. Standing at the front, Delphie wore a
gorgeous lavender colored dress.

“
Please rise to welcome
our bride,” Delphie said.

The room was filled with everyone she loved.
Her brother and sisters, their partners and children, her precious
mother and her husband, Claire Martins, her husband and all of
their children, Blane, Valerie, Sam and in a row, her best forever
friends – Tanesha, Heather, and Sandy. Sandy was tucked under
Aden’s arm. Noelle and Nash waved to her from beside Aden. Jill’s
eyes went from smiling face to smiling face.

Until she saw him.

Wearing the black tux and tails she’d
purchased for him, Jacob’s entire being radiated with his
happiness. Their eyes caught, and Jill all but floated the rest of
the way to him. She felt the brush across her cheek from Mike’s
kiss, but her mind and soul were focused on the beautiful man in
front of her. Jacob took the bouquet from her and gave it to
Valerie. He took her hands into his own.

“
You may sit down,”
Delphie said. “Who brings this man into this marriage?”

“
We do,” Valerie, Sam,
Blane and Aden said.

“
His mother and I as
well,” Delphie said. “Who brings this woman into this
marriage?”

“
We do,” Megan, Tim,
Steve, Candy, and Mike said in unison. Megan’s kids joined in with
giggles.

“
Her parents do,” Anjelika
and her husband followed her siblings call.

“
Me too!” Katy jumped up
and down in her seat beside Mike.

The crowd chuckled at Katy’s exuberance.

“
Before we begin, who here
is against this marriage?”

Her question was met by silence.

“
Who here is for this
marriage?”

“
We are.” The chapel
resonated with their voices.

“
Yes, it’s about time,”
Delphie laughed. “You may begin Jacob.”

The crowd fell silent. Jill’s entire
attention was held by Jacob’s deep hazel eyes.

“
I dreamed of you,” Jacob
said.

“
When I was a child,” Jill
said.

“
But life had other
plans,” he said.

“
For me,” they said in
unison.

“
And I forgot my perfect
dream.” he said.

Jill’s eyes welled with happy tears. Without
letting go of her hand, his finger tips stroked her cheek. He
nodded to her.

“
I saw you at,” Jill
said.

“
The very moment that,”
Jacob said

“
I was ready,” they said
together.

“
To remember,” she
said.

“
My dream,” he
said.

“
Of you.”

“
And our.”

“
Life together.” They said
at the same time.

“
Now that I’m here,” he
said.

“
I won’t ever,” she
said.

“
Ever.”

“
Forget you,” they said in
unison.

“
Again.”

There was not a dry eye in the Chapel when
Jill finished their poem.

“
Jill, do you come to this
marriage of your own free will?” Delphie asked.

“
I do,” Jill
said.

“
Jacob, do you come to
this marriage of your own free will?”

“
I do,” Jacob
said.

“
Will your love survive
the harsh fires of change?” Delphie asked.

“
It will,” Jill and Jacob
said.

“
May your home be filled
with warmth,” Delphie led their audience in saying.

“
Will you love survive the
ebb and flow of feeling?” Delphie asked,

“
It will,” Jill and Jacob
said.

“
May your life together be
filled with love.” Delphie led their audience in saying.

“
Will your love survive
the times of stillness and restriction?” Delphie asked.

“
It will,” Jill and Jacob
said.

“
May your union be
strong,” the audience said with Delphie.

“
Will your love survive
the clear light of day?”

“
It will,” Jill and Jacob
said.

“
May your marriage be
blessed by the light of every new dawn.”

“
Katy? You may come
forward now,” Delphie asked. Instructing the audience, she said,
“Please take each other’s hands.”

Katy ran to Jill and Jacob and held out her
hands for them to take. Without letting go of each other, they
reached out one hand to form a circle with Katy. Their friends and
family held hands. When Katy jumped up and down and Jill picked her
up. Jacob retook Katy’s hand.

“
The Rings of Marriage
serve many purposes,” Delphie said. “As rings are never-ending
circles, they are a symbol of the never-ending commitment of
marriage. As permanent fixtures on your left hand, they are a
reminder of the one person to which you have sworn your devotion.
And as jewelry, they enhance the hand, just as one life, through
the joining of marriage, enhances another. Jill, Jacob and Katy,
did you bring rings?”

“
We did,” Jill and Jacob
said.

When Jill bounced Katy on her hip, Katy
said, “Oh, me too.”

“
Jill and Katy, will you
repeat after me?” Delphie said, “We give you this ring as a symbol
of our love for you. As it circles your finger, let it always
remind you of our eternal love, surrounding and enfolding you day
and night.”

Katy dug around the pocket in her dress
until she found Jacob’s ring. She gave the ring to Jill. While her
eyes held his, Jill slipped a satin finished titanium wedding band
onto Jacob’s finger.

“
Jacob, please repeat
after me,” Delphie said. “I give you this ring as a symbol of my
love for you. As it circles your finger, let it always remind you
of our eternal love, surrounding and enfolding you day and
night.”

Jacob slipped a band onto Katy’s right
middle finger. With tears in his eyes, he slipped a thin gold band
on Jill’s ring finger. The wedding band set perfectly against the
Marlow beauty.

“
These rings are circles,”
Delphie said. “Each represents the full circle of a life, as one is
given into the care of the other.”

Jacob took Jill’s hand and Katy’s hand
again.

“
Friends and family,”
Delphie continued. “You represent the community that will surround
and support this marriage with love and friendship. No partnership
exists in a vacuum. It is beholden upon each of you to honor and
respect this union. Will you support this union?”

“
We will,” the chapel
echoed with their voices.

“
Anjelika?
Sam?”

Jill’s mother and Jacob’s father came to the
front of the room. With Delphie’s help, Anjelika and Sam lit cream
colored taper candles.

“
Jill? Jacob?”

Delphie motioned for Jill, with Katy on her
hip, to stand on her left side. She motioned for Jacob to stand on
her right.

“
Anjelika?”

Anjelika gave Jill her taper candle.

“
Sam?”

Sam gave Jacob his taper candle.

“
Jill?”

“
I bring you the warmth of
my heart,” Jill said.

“
And mine too,” Katy said.
Whispering to Jill, she added , “I forgot what I was ‘sposed to
say.”

Jill kissed her cheek.

“
I bring the light of my
love,” Jacob said.

Jill and Jacob lit a large cream colored
pillar candle set in front of the roses on the table. While they
lit the candle, Delphie said:

“
Above you is the vast
universe, below you is the deep soil and stones. Remember always,
like the universe, your love should be vast and constant. Like the
Earth, your love should be solid and deep. Be understanding and
patient, for storms may come and go. Be free always in giving
affection and warmth, for it is the currency of a happy
marriage.”

Jill, Katy and Jacob returned to their
positions in front of Delphie.

“
May the warmth and light
of your union be blessed. May you know the best of fortune, and
your life together be one of joy and prosperity. Do you swear to
keep sacred your vows?”

“
We do,” Jill, Katy and
Jacob said.

“
Please seal your promise
with a kiss,” Delphie said.

Jill set Katy down. While they had promised
no grand gestures and no tongue, Jacob took her breath away by
leaning her back into his arms. His kiss was hard, insistent and
left her lips tingling. Jill and Jacob bent to kiss either side of
Katy’s cheeks.

“
I now pronounce you –
husband, wife and family.”

At that moment, the sun flashed through the
stained glass windows. The Chapel lit up in the morning sun.

Their friends and family cheers and hooted.
With Katy between them, Jill and Jacob ran out of the Chapel. They
were pelted with rice from the Lipson employees waiting for them in
the tunnel. Jacob picked up Katy and they ran up the stairs into
the Castle. They were pelted with more rice by everyone waiting in
the kitchen. Jacob continued toward a hallway off the main Castle
living room. Leaning against a panel, he clicked the hidden sliding
door and they were in a private sitting room. There was a bottle of
champagne, roses, chocolates and candles.

Katy bounced up and down for him to let her
get the chocolates. He set Katy down and she ran to the table.
Turning to Jill, he encircled her in his arms.

“
This is the best day of
my entire life,” he said.

“
I love you.” They
whispered at the same time.

“
Any regrets?” Jacob
asked.

“
Only that we didn’t do
this sooner.”

Jacob laughed.

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Jill and Jacob

I dreamed of you,

When I was a child,

But life had other plans,

For me.

And I forgot my perfect dream.

I saw you at,

The very moment that,

I was ready,

To remember,

My dream,

Of you.

And our life together.

Now that I’m here,