“Kelly, you are fine! I better watch out for you and Justin...” She said with a laugh.
“Oh Alex, you are so funny!” I sarcastically said.
There was a knock on the door. “Come on in,” I called.
“Kelly?” Justin asked, stepping inside. “Nick’s about to sing.” He stopped when he saw me. “You are beautiful. If you weren’t my best friend, I might have to dump Alex for you.”
“Hey!” She exclaimed.
“I’m kidding!” He gave me a hug. “We’re lining up too.”
I nervously nodded and followed him out the door. I stepped to my place in line as the song began.
I will take a heart who’s nature is to beat for me alone
And fill it up with you make all your joy and pain my own
No matter how deep a valley you go through
I will go there with you
And I will give myself to love the way love gave itself for me
And climb with you to mountaintops or swim a raging sea
To the place where one heart is made from two
I will go there with you
I see it in your tears you wonder where you are
The wind is growing colder and the sky is growing dark
Though it’s something neither of us understands
We can walk through this together if we hold each other’s hand
I said for better or worse I’d be with you
So no matter where you’re going I will go there too
I will take a heart who’s nature is to beat for me alone
And fill it up with you make all your joy and pain my own
No matter how deep a valley you go through
I will go there with you
I know sometimes I let you down
But I won’t let you go, we’ll always be together
I will take a heart who’s nature is to beat for me alone
And fill it up with you make all your joy and pain my own
No matter how deep a valley you go through
I will go there with you
I do cherish you
For the rest of my life
You don’t have to think twice
I will love you still
From he depths of my soul
It’s beyond my control
I’ve waited so long to say this to you
If you’re asking do I love you this much
I do
In this world before you
I lived outside my emotions
Didn’t know where I was going
‘Til that day I found you
How you opened my life
To a new paradise
In a world torn by change
Still with all of my heart
‘Til my dying day
I do cherish you
For the rest of your life
You don’t have to think twice
I will love you still
From the depths of my soul it’s beyond my control
I’ve waited so long to say this to you
If your asking do I love you this much
I do
We were at the alter all too soon. My dad willingly let go of my arm and gave my hand to Lance who took it.
The rest of the wedding went by in a blur. I realized I had been waiting since I was fifteen years old for this one specific moment. The minister asked for the rings and Jon handed them over. He gave one to me and one to Lance, the minister asking us to repeat after him.
“With this ring, I thee wed,” I said as I slipped the silver band on his ring finger, tears flowing freely down my face.
“With this ring, I thee wed,” Lance softly repeated as he lifted my left hand and carefully removed my True Love Waits ring, replacing it with the wedding ring.
“By the power of God invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife.” The minister paused. “You may kiss your bride.”
Lance grinned, pulled a small container of mouth spray from his pocket and making sure everyone in the audience saw, spiritzed it into his mouth twice before taking me into his arms.
Lance looked at me and shrugged, both of us picking up our wine glasses and entertwining our arms before taking a drink.
I stopped with the glass at my lips. “If you even make me spill this...”
The two of us drank the red liquid, me downing it slower than him. “Lance!” Someone called out. He turned for a picture.
Just as I finished my share, something else caught his attention and he turned even more, jerking my arm and glass from my lips. A couple drops remained in the glass and it tipped slightly in my hand. The last few drops slid out of the glass and fell... landing on he grass and narrowly missing the hem of my dress.
I breathed a sigh of relief to find the dress still was pure white after the brush with the clumsiness of the two of us. Lance was oblivious to what had just happened. The two of us untangled our arms and set the glasses down.
We were then forced over to the cake to cut it. Chris appeared beside me and handed me a huge knife. My eyes widened at the blade as Lance snatched it out of my hand.
“What are you thinking? Chris, do you want her to kill us all? You have heard about her science classes, haven’t you?”
“Lance, give me a chance... besides, I’m not the only one who uses it.” I placed my hand above his on the knife and brought it towards the cake. We cut two small pieces, then, I picked one up as he did the same. At the same time, we were ready to feed each other, however, I was the only one who succeeded in this endeavor. The piece of cake Lance held in his hand fell apart. The piece that didn’t stay in his hand fell, landing on my chest, proceeding to fall, and leaving a trail of icing down my dress before coming to a stop on the ground.
“Uh-oh,” someone mumbled as the flash of a camera forever captured our shocked expressions.
“I think I gotta go do something,” I said, wiping icing off my chest.
I went to the kitchen and was wondering how to clean the icing off when Lynn came in. “Here, let me help.” She took a clean dishtowel form a cabinet and softy began rubbing the icing off the bottom of the dress. “Kelly, I know it seems like a disaster now, but in a few more years, you’ll look back on today and laugh.”
“Oh Lynn... I already am! This is great! Not necessarily all the bad things that have gone wrong, but it’s these imperfections that is making all this really memorable.”
Lynn smiled at me. “At least your seeing the positive.” She finished helping with the icing. “Okay, your done.” We went back outside, where the dancing had begun.
An hour later, I had danced with Lance, his dad, my dad, my brother Tyler, Justin, JC, and Jon. As the song ‘I’ll Make Love To You’ by Boyz II Men was played, I caught Lance’s gaze across the yard. I gave him a smile, and he quickly filled the distance between us. Upon reaching my side, he encircled my waist with his arms and softly kissed me.
The song ended and Briley stood at the front of the yard, softly tapping a spoon on a wine glass. Everyone got quiet, giving her their attention. “I understand it’s almost time for our newlyweds to leave, so could I have Lance and Kelly come up here please?”
Lance took my hand and the two of us walked to the front of the yard to Briley’s side. Justin set up a folding chair. “We have a little wedding tradition we have to uphold here,” Briley said, giving me a smile and a wink. I sat in the chair as JC approached with a red and white bandanna. “Okay, here’s the thing. Lance, we blindfold you and you pull the garter off Kelly’s leg...” Lance just shrugged, as if it was no big deal. “With your teeth.” Lance just gave me a surprised look, while I gave him a little smile. JC blindfolded Lance and I quickly pulled the garter off, handing it to JC. He then took my place in the chair, sliding the garter on up above his knee.
“Okay Lance sweetie,” I said smiling.
Lance did as instructed, pulling the garter off “my” leg with his teeth. Then, he untied the blindfold, looking up to find JC. “Hey sexy,” JC said in a low voice. The yard erupted into laughter.
After the laughter subsided, and all the pictures of Lance, JC, and I in the compromising situation had been taken, Lance and I were shown into the house so we could change before leaving for the airport.
I changed into a white pantsuit with daisies on the halter style top. Lance now wore khakis, a white shirt, and a light green and white button up shirt over that. As we stepped out of the house onto the front stoop, we were greeted with our friends cheering.
“Should I throw it?” I held up the bouquet. I turned my back, covered my eyes, and tossed it over my head.
A cheer went up and I turned to see little Carly holding the bouquet in her arms. Lance took my hand and began walking toward the limo, amongst the guests who were blowing bubbles instead of throwing rice. Lance opened the door for me, and before I got in, I turned and blew a farewell kiss to the crowd.
