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Well, it’s too late now.
All the bridesmaids are in place. Jackson, our ring bearer, has finished his walk. Even our tiny flower girl, Billie, has made her way down the aisle in her mother’s arms. Granted, she was dead-ass asleep. But her dress was cute.
We’re standing on a clifftop in Kuai for our wedding, which honestly blows my mind. When I attended Kat Morgan’s weeklong destination wedding in Hawaii years ago, I remember thinking, “If I ever find someone I want to marry, and if our band hits it big enough that I’ve got some money to burn, I’d want to get married just like this.” And now, here we are. What a mindfuck. Sure, I imagined it. But I never believed it would happen. And I certainly never thought, not in a million years, the hypothetical bride in that scenario would be Amy O’Brien!
Speaking of which, the strings quartet just started playing their kickass arrangement of “Swoon,” which means my bride should be appearing at the top of that aisle, any second now, probably looking flabbergasted by my surprise.
Our officiant for the wedding—Ryan Morgan, who got all necessary paperwork completed to be able to do this for us today—instructs the assembled audience to stand, which they do. All eyes turn to the top of the aisle as “Swoon” swirls through the golden air . . . But Amy doesn’t appear.
There’s a wall of flowers behind our seated guests, so it’s possible Amy is standing mere inches from that opening, pulling herself together. Knowing her, that’s exactly what’s happening. I’m sure she’s identified the song’s distinctive melody and now needs a second to gather herself, so she won’t sob while walking down the aisle.
[To hear what Amy is hearing—a snippet of the strings version of “Swoon”—click here.]
Just as I’m starting to worry a bit, Amy finally appears at the top of the aisle on her father’s arm, looking more beautiful in Violet’s creation for her than I’ve ever seen her. She’s an angel. Ethereal. Glorious. Glowing. Perfect.
Luckily, Amy isn’t crying too hard on her father’s arm. And even better, it’s immediately clear, thanks to her beaming smile, whatever tears she’s been shedding are borne of pure joy.
As she floats down the aisle, her eyes latch onto mine, and I feel the smile she beams me all the way down in my soul.
Amy mouths, “Thank you.” Clearly referencing the song. And in reply, I mouth “I love you” and “You look beautiful.”
Finally, I’m taking my bride’s hand from her father’s. Leading her to our assigned spot. Whispering to her that she’s gorgeous and I love her.
“Thank you for the song,” she whispers back. “It’s incredible.”
“You always say you love surprises.” I wipe a tear from Amy’s cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
We settle into our spots and Ryan launches into our extremely short ceremony. As short as it is, though, it’s still a blur to me, until Ryan says it’s time for our vows.
At Ryan’s prompting, I turn to Amy, take her hands in mine, and gaze into her gorgeous emerald eyes. “Amy, I promise to love you till I’m old and gray. From beyond the grave. Forever and a day. Amy, I love you more than words could ever say. But let me try to say it, anyway.”
Everyone watching us chuckles.
“I promise to always be faithful to you. I promise to always protect and love you. To listen to you and make you feel safe enough to always speak your mind with me.” My chest heaves. “I promise, Amy, I’ll always swoon for you, and only you, forever.”
Amy bites her lip, like she’s trying her damnedest not to weep.
“Amy?” Ryan prompts.
“I need a minute,” Amy squeaks out, making everyone, including me, laugh. But soon enough, she takes a few breaths, gathers herself, squeezes my hands, and says, “Colin, I promise to always be the creeper who’s totally obsessed with you.” Everyone laughs uproariously, even though they have no idea how truly hilarious Amy’s comment is. She continues, “I promise to be the best wife and friend to you as I can possibly be, always, and the best mother to all our future babies, should we be so lucky.” We share a secret smile, acknowledging the little bean growing inside her—the beautiful surprise Amy told me about only two weeks ago. “I promise to always love you,” Amy continues, “not because you’re perfect, but because you’re perfect for me. And I also promise to swoon for you, always and forever. That won’t be hard to do. I’ve been doing it my whole life.”
