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I breathed a sigh and looked up at the preacher, who nodded and dismissed my father with that single gesture. My father looked at me and he lifted the veil covering my face and kissed my cheek. “I love you, Dad,” I said.
“I love you,” he said.
He stepped down and went to sit with Mom. I glanced at Channing and he moved in to take my father’s place. “You look so beautiful,” he whispered.
I smiled. “Thank you! You look very handsome.”
He nodded and chuckled lightly and we turned to face the preacher. He began his sermon by the traditional words of, “We are gathered here today…” and I smiled in thinking that this was my time and I was getting everything I wanted.
Channing and I had opted to say our personal vows, so when the preacher came to that part of the ceremony, I just hoped I wouldn’t fall part. I took a deep breath. “I’m so nervous,” I whispered.
He squeezed my hands. “You’ve got this,” he said, encouraging me.
I smiled, feeling that I could do anything with him encouraging me like that. “Channing…” I started out. “I never knew anyone could be loved as much as you have loved me. We have been through so much to get to this day, but that has made us grow even stronger together. You are the man I want to spend the rest of my life with because you are the person that gets me. You are the person I can laugh with, be myself with, love with all my heart. And nothing can get in our way. You are my everything.”
I smiled to conclude my vows and Channing was directed to say his. “Kemara, when I helped you the day we met by this giving you a car charger for your phone, I never expected that I was looking back at the woman I was destined to be with. You changed me for the good, removed hate from my life and replaced it with love, while showing me how I deserved to be loved. With just your smile, you opened my heart to bigger and better things. I will never be able to show my gratitude to you in the way that I should. I am eternally grateful to you and I will spend my life working off my debts to you. You are my best friend and you make me whole. I love you,” he said, concluding his vows.
So many tears rushed down my cheeks as I glanced up at Channing. I love you more, I mouthed before turning my attention back to the preacher. The sooner we got the wedding over, the sooner we could get to the reception, and the sooner the honeymoon could start.
“May I have the rings?” the preacher asked.
We got the rings and did the part of the ceremony, where the rings were exchanged.
As Channing put my ring on, I was feeling emotional and a couple more tears trickled down my cheeks. He reached up and wiped them away. My eyes went to his and I felt even more love for this man that stood before me.
“By the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.” I looked at Channing and he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a deep and passionate embrace, one that seemed to go on for a while as the crowd cheered behind us. When the kiss ended, he lifted me in his arms and shook his fist in a celebratory fashion. I laughed as he lowered me to the floor.
“I love you, Mrs. Holloway,” he said.
“I love you, Mr. Holloway,” I responded back.
I kissed him softly. We then turned towards the guests as the preacher announced us. We grabbed each other’s hand and walked back down the aisle, for the first time as a married couple.
***
Walking into the reception as a married couple was such a surreal feeling. His arm around me and the crowd excited to see us. On the way to the reception, we rode in a limo. A place that would usually house the wedding party, only carried us to the reception. Tameka and Jeb both agreed we should have the time together alone.
We made a quick decision that the reception was simply a formality. So, when we got into the hall, we looked at one another and agreed that we would dance, mingle, and quickly get out of there to start our honeymoon.
We decided not to even bother eating, because we wanted to make the evening a quick one, which meant getting the mingling out of the way. We first met up with my parents. Channing shook my dad’s hand and it warmed my heart how close they’d become.
“Thanks Mom…Dad…” I said, hugging them as we stayed at their table for a minute to talk.
“It was a beautiful wedding. Not a dry eye in the house,” Mom said.
I smiled and looked at Channing. “That’s because your daughter is breathtaking,” he responded.
I grinned and wrapped my arm around him. “See why I love him so much!”
Mom laughed and nodded. “Yes…I think we do.”
Before we left, Mrs. Holloway came up to the table. We turned to her and Channing spoke to the three parents. “This day wouldn’t have been as special without the three of you,” he said. “It means the world to us both that you all are there in support for us. That goes for everyone. We love you guys so much!”
We stuck around the table for a while and just hung with them. When we walked away, we heard someone starting to clink their glass with their fork, so that we would kiss. I turned to him and he lifted me into his arms and planted a big passionate kiss on me, while the guests went wild.
He lowered me and I looked up at him. “Mr. Holloway, you are giving them their monies’ worth.”
He laughed. “Anything to tide me over until I can get you home, Mrs. Holloway.”
