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“The servers and kitchen have been briefed about the foods so I can attend you, at least until y’all are hitched,” she teases.
“No, you provided all the food, they can serve,” Mom advises. “The cake is exquisite, Mags, and the food smelled divine. Today, you enjoy. In fact, I think that should be part of your business plan. You’ll provide the food along with instructions on how to best serve it, but it’ll be up to the folks who hire you to have servers and whatnot.”
“I kind of like that idea, Mrs. S.,” Mags says. “Not always a huge fan of people.”
Her comment has us all laughing, because Mags is one of the most outspoken, outgoing people I know. But I understand what she means; she just wants to create it all, she doesn’t want to have to deal with the minutiae once it’s cooked or baked.
“Let’s get you into your dress,” the photographer says. “Mom? Mags? Just act natural as you help her. I’ll move around y’all.”
Within minutes, I’m dressed and once again, fighting off tears. So are Mom and Mags as the photographer does her thing. Christie moves around and fixes my hair, although there’s not one out of place at this point. I think the ozone layer was thinned once again, because she sprayed and curled, pinned and twisted, until I had the most stunning updo I’ve ever seen.
Truthfully, I feel like a princess in a fairytale. While we wait for Mr. Knox to come and get us, we get pics of me and Mom, me and Mags, then me, Mom, and Mags. I know I’m going to treasure these, especially since Mom took some of my Dad’s ashes and had them made into a beautiful filigree locket with a picture of him inside.
“Are you ladies ready?” Mr. Knox calls out as he knocks. “Maureen, Lachlan is waiting to take you to your seat.”
Mom leans in and kisses my cheek and whispers, “Your daddy would be bursting at the seams if he were here, sweetheart.”
“I know he would. He’d probably be cheering that I was finally out of his house,” I tease, trying to keep us from crying once again.
Her laughter follows her out of the room, where I can see Lachlan waiting to take her to the front of the room. Turning, I see Mr. Knox wiping under his eyes.
“Are you okay?” I ask, walking toward him.
“You look beautiful, Cassidy,” he replies, taking my arm as we walk behind Mags.
We stand off to the side as Mags makes her entrance, with the photographer now inside, leaving me and Mr. Knox to wait until the music changes.
Jared and I chose Christina Perri’s Thousand Years because it reflects how we feel for each other. Whether I have one year or sixty years with him, it’ll never be enough. As the beginning melody starts, he looks down at me and asks, “You ready?”
“Absolutely.”
My first glimpse of Jared has tears shimmering as I walk toward my future. As everyone stands, I see that my side is just as full as the groom’s and my heart swells, knowing that somehow, my mom and Mrs. Knox made it happen since it’s just Mom and me. I had worried about that, then put it out of my mind as the myriad of details kept me from dwelling on that fact.
When I’m finally standing next to Jared, the officiant asks, “Who gives this woman away?”
Mr. Knox’s voice rings out when he says, “Her mother and father.” He then places my hand in Jared’s then steps to the side to stand as Jared’s witness.
The beginning of the ceremony is a bit of a blur, not gonna lie, but I finally hear, “Cassidy and Jared chose to write their own vows. Cassidy?”
Clearing my throat, I look up and stare into Jared’s eyes. “Jared, there may be some who think all of this is too soon, too fast, but in reality, the beginning of us began many years ago. We just didn’t know it at the time. You were my best guy friend in high school, and we shared so many things back then, it’s not surprising that as adults, we’d find each other and decide to build a life together. I promise to love you without fail, during the good times and hard times, and always seek to communicate if an issue arises. I will be faithful, loyal, and true, and raise any children we’re blessed to have in such a way that they’ll know they are loved and cherished. Today, I’m giving you the rest of my heart to care for, no matter what happens.”
“Jared?” the officiant asks.
He squeezes my hands while smiling down at me. “Cassidy, you’ll never know just how much each memory we made as kids means to me. When you left for college, I felt my heart break, unsure if we’d ever find our way to each other, but when you came home, I knew I was going to do everything in my power to make you mine. You’re the light in my life, the one I look forward to seeing no matter what kind of day I’ve had. You’re my best friend and soon you’ll be my wife. I promise to love you through all the seasons of our life, from these early years to those where we’ll be raising children, God willing, and after they’ve left the nest. I look forward to spending the rest of my life into eternity with you by my side. I’ll cherish the gift you’ve given me today and want you to know you’re holding my heart as well.”
I mouth ‘I love you’ to him because I’m so overwhelmed with emotion, I’m afraid I’ll break down into a sobbing mess. Hell, I can hear Mags sniffling, and I’m pretty sure my mom is crying, as is Mrs. Knox.
Several minutes later, after we’ve exchanged rings, the officiant says a few more things, which I missed because I was so lost in Jared’s eyes, I hear, “You may kiss your bride.”
Our first kiss as husband and wife is a bit sedate given that we’re in front of family, friends, and business associates, but I can still feel the promise behind it. As we turn, our hands clasped together, he announces, “Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Jared Knox.”
* * *
Hours later, after we’ve cut the cake and had more pictures taken than Carter has liver pills, he’s with me in the room I used earlier so I can change into my travel outfit.
“Here, let me get that,” he says, moving behind me to start undoing the gazillion buttons. He kisses each inch of skin exposed, causing me to shiver. “You’re so beautiful, Cassidy,” he murmurs, turning me around and kissing me.
“Unless you want our first time to be on that couch over there, you might wanna step back, husband,” I tease.
