That Wedding (68 page)

It's almost time!!!

The girls just left to get lined up for the walk down the aisle. I'm getting my makeup touched up when Danny strolls in.

He always looks so handsome in a suit. "You look handsome, Danny."

"I had to come tell you how beautiful you look. Really, Jay, you look amazing. Hard to believe the raggedy little girl who punched me in the face could grow up to look like this."

He gives me a big hug and gets misty-eyed. "I love you."

My eyes tear up too. "I love you too."

The makeup artist says, "Don't cry. We just got your makeup all fixed."

Danny gives the makeup artist his dazzling grin, probably because he knows any girl will let him do anything he wants in hopes of seeing that grin just one more time. Then he says to her, "Mind if we have some privacy?"

The makeup artist flashes me an irritated look. Like it's my fault. She probably thinks I'm getting ready to have a pre-wedding romp with him. Or at least I know that's what she's fantasizing about. Only she'd be the bride.

Danny shuts the door, raises his eyebrows up and down at me, and gives me his Devil Danny grin.

"What? What'd you do?"

"Nothing." He points his thumb toward the door. "You know, she probably thinks we're having sex."

I giggle. "Well, you are the best man."

"Come on, baby, just one last time? He'll never know," he says loudly to the door. The makeup artist probably has her ear up to it.

He whispers in my ear. "Maybe you should make some appropriate noises, then we'll walk back out, and I'll be zipping up my pants."

I laugh and smack his shoulder. "You're so bad."

He laughs with me, but then his face gets serious. "So, I have something to give you." His voice gets that
aw shucks
sound to it. The sound that has drawn so many people to adore him. That slight southern twang he can't seem to get rid of. "I want you to have good luck today. Anyone else would laugh me out of the room if I gave them this, but I know you'll understand."

I nod my head as he reaches in his pocket. "I'm only letting you borrow this. Like you CANNOT lose it. But I wanted you to have it for today."

He hands me a black Adidas bicep band.

"Really!!!? Your bicep band?! This is practically a state treasure!" In my hand is the sweat band that Danny has worn for every game since he won his first collegiate game.

"Today's your big game, Jay. I thought you should wear it."

"Danny...." I can't even say anything. You'd think Danny just gave me the Queen of England's heirloom tiara. I know how Danny is with his luck. The year they went undefeated and won the national championship, he wouldn't let anyone wash his game socks. "I promise to take good care of it." I wrap it around the base of my bouquet. "The black even goes with my wedding colors."

I throw my arms around him and give him another hug.

"I can't believe my two best friends are getting married today. You really are good, aren't you. You don't seem the slightest bit nervous."

"I'm not. I love him, Danny."

"And it's thanks to me that you're together. You know that, right?"

"No, it's not."

"Jay, we'll be sitting in rocking chairs at the old folks home, and I'm still going to be reminding you of how I told you he was getting serious with that Moaning Monica chick. It was Lori's idea, but I'm the one that pulled it off. I know that's what made you attack him. Admit it."

"You're right. Although, I'm pretty sure it's the first time you've been right about anything."

He opens the door, looks up and down the hall, and pretends to see if the coast is clear. He says, "S'up," to the makeup artist then looks down at his fly. "Shit, that'd be bad," he says and pretends to zip his pants.

I follow him into the hallway. He smacks my butt, like I'm getting ready to do the tunnel walk. "Go get 'em, Jay."

I'm holding Mr. Diamond's arm while waiting to walk down the aisle. The ceremony is decorated so perfectly. Guests are sitting in white chiavari chairs. There are huge glass hurricanes placed down the aisle with pale candles flickering inside them. The aisle runner is black and white damask. Even Pastor John, who I wanted to burn in effigy just a few short weeks ago, looks perfect standing at the end of the aisle.

My bridesmaids look beautiful wearing their icy purple dresses and carrying pale pink and purple bouquets. The groomsmen look handsome in their black tuxedos. Their deep purple boutonnieres and custom Nikes add pops of color.

One by one, the bridesmaids walk down the aisle.

When it's time for the flower girls, I can't help but tear up. The flower girls are wearing the most adorable blush colored dresses with tutu skirts. Their hair is done up in curly little buns. They're each carrying a floral covered magic wand, but it's what's on their backs that makes me cry.

Each girl is wearing white feather angel wings. The wings are decorated with a halos of pale roses and purple lavender. Our way to honor my parents. Phillip had tried to find some way to incorporate angels into our ceremony. We looked and looked and couldn't find anything but cheap angel charms. Mr. Mac did some kind of magic google search and found a photo of an angel flower girl. He printed it out, rolled it up, and put it in my Christmas stocking. I cried then too because I knew it was just so perfect.

We've left the front row, opposite the Macs, empty on purpose. During the ceremony, we'll pause in silent remembrance. Phillip and I will walk down to their empty seats and place the two dried roses I saved from the funeral on their chairs. I'm so glad we're recording our wedding. I want to remember every detail. Every thought.

Mr. Diamond interrupts those thoughts. "I want you to look at Phillip and tell me why I should let you walk down this aisle. Because I know if your dad were here, and you had even a shred of doubt about marrying him, he would tell you it's okay to walk away."

"I don't wanna walk away."

"Honey, you broke up with him just this week. Gave him back the ring. If you go up there, you'll be married. You won't be able to just break up next week."

I give him a flippant response. "Sure, I can. Isn't that why we had him sign a pre-nup?"

He says, "Not funny. I'm serious. Are you sure?"

"You know, I kinda hated you for it, but thanks for making me go through counseling. I did need it. I wasn't allowing myself to feel. I think it just hurt too much, but I've realized that's no way to live. I want to walk down that aisle because I love Phillip. With every single bit of my heart."

"I'm proud of you, and I'm glad you're finally dealing with it. I also have to tell you that it means a lot to me to walk you down the aisle, to be able to stand in for your dad."

I give him a hug and say seriously, "There's no one else I would've asked."

Lori takes her place at the altar, and I catch another glimpse of Phillip.

God, he looks so handsome.

Our eyes meet, and those eyes make me melt for the millionth time.

He grins just as the wedding processional starts playing.

My emotions swell inside me. Mr. D has to literally hold me back because all I want to do is pick up my skirt and run as fast as I can down the aisle.

I can't wait to marry that boy.

The boy I've loved my whole life.

The boy who knows what a freak I am, and who loves me in spite of it.

I smile and walk slowly down the aisle, like I'm supposed to, and take Phillip's hands. When this is over, I'll be his wife.

Above our head is a hanging altar made of white branches. It's adorned with purple flowers and dripping with crystals. The branches remind me of the trees we used to climb as kids.

Our wedding is a blur of scriptures, songs, and poems. Before I know it, it's time to say our vows. Phillip and I face each other and hold hands. "Phillip David Mackenzie. I love you. I love how you've always been there for me. How you think you need to protect me. How you make me coffee every morning. How you always know exactly what I need. How when I lay my head on your shoulder, I can fall asleep in a heartbeat. I love that you've called me Princess since I was ten, and I love how you can practically read my mind. I love the way you look at me, and how your smile lights up a whole room."

"When I was little, I used to tell my parents I was gonna marry a prince. They told me I was silly, and I should marry you. Little did we know, we were both right. For a long time, I didn't think my prince existed, but then I realized he'd been standing next to me my whole life. Thank you for believing in us, even when I wasn't so sure. Thank you for loving me, even when I'm stubborn and never wrong. Thank you for making me believe true love, the fairytale kind, actually exists. It will be my extreme honor to spend the rest of my life with you. To cherish you, to love you, and to be yours forever."

Danny hands me the ring, and I slide it gently on Phillip's finger. "With this ring, I promise to not freak out over the trivial stuff, to trust in our love, to not be so stubborn, to always listen to you, to always smell the roses with you, to laugh with you, to adore you, to dream with you, and to love you with my whole heart. For as long as I'm lucky enough to have you."

Phillip eyes are glistening, and he's grinning at me. Phillip has always grinned at me, but this is different. The depth of happiness we're both feeling, the things we're saying to each other publicly, make this feel different and very special. I can't wait to hear the vows he wrote for me.

"Jadyn James Reynolds, I love you. I loved growing up with you. I loved fighting you with swords and climbing trees with you. I
really
loved watching you end relationships with all the dumb boys you dated and how you'd always run to me for comfort. I love how I'm the first person you call when you need someone. I love how all our lives, no matter where we are or who we're with, whether we're all alone or in a crowd, when you flash that little grin at me, I know exactly what you're thinking. I love the way you look at me, like I'm the only guy in the world, and how when I hold you, I feel like I could conquer that world. I asked you to marry me when we were ten, and I'm here today making good on that promise. No one has ever compared to you. You've always been my world. You're my best friend, my love, my life. My Princess."

I'm trembling as Danny places my wedding ring in the palm of Phillip's hand.