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“You don’t look so bad yourself,” I whisper.
Carter chuckles, and together, we turn towards the officiant, our hands joined. Neither one of us lasts more than a second before our eyes are back on each other.
We both opted to write our own vows, and my eyes fill with tears as Carter turns to me.
“Emilia, I swear I’ll love you and cherish you for all eternity, long after I take my last breath. Throughout the growth and changes we’ll face in life, I will always prioritize you and I’ll never take you for granted. I promise to work with you to foster and cherish a relationship of equality, knowing that together we will build a life that will be far better than either of us could imagine or achieve alone. I’ll always provide for you, and I promise to never run out of t-shirts for you to steal.”
My eyes fill with tears as a sharp laugh escapes my lips. Carter smiles at me and tightens his grip on my hands.
“I promise to be your safe space and I promise to always be on your team,” he says. “As your husband, I promise to be faithful and to never give up on you or on us. I know that whatever the future may hold, we’ll face it together, and I vow to stand by you through both good and bad times, in sickness and in health. I love every bit of the version of you standing in front of me right now, and I promise to love the person you are yet to become. I will love you even if you hide fake cockroaches in our bed, I will love you when you inevitably stick post it notes all over my favorite car, and I will love you even if you cause me to lose all my hair – again.”
Our guests burst out laughing, many of them remembering our old antics. Carter raises our joined hands to his lips and presses a soft kiss to the back of my hand. I smile at him, tears in my eyes.
“Carter, before anything else, you are and always will be my best friend. You’ve laughed with me, cried with me and you’ve grown with me throughout the years, and I vow to keep doing that with you for the rest of our lives, even as time and life changes us both. I vow to not only grow old together, but to grow together.”
His eyes fill with tears as he looks at me, his expression telling me that he can barely believe we really made it, that we’re really standing here together.
“I promise to be your family, and as a family, I promise to work with you to create a home filled with love, laughter, and compassion. I promise I’ll always put you first, and for as long as I live, you’ll be the only one for me, through sickness and health, for richer or poorer. No matter what life throws at us, I’ll never leave your side, and I’ll be on your side. I promise to love and cherish you for the rest of time, and I’ll spend every day showing you just how much I love you. I will love you even if you almost get me arrested on account of illegal possession of oregano, and for the rest of our lives, I’ll drink salty coffee with a smile on my face, grateful that it’s you I get to spend my years with.”
Carter’s looks away for a second, gathering his emotions. I smile at him, my heart filled to the brim with happiness. The officiant clears his throat, but I can’t take my eyes off my husband-to-be.
“Emilia Parker, do you take Carter Clarke to be your wedded husband?” he asks.
I look into Carter’s eyes, and for a second he looks nervous. I grin and nod. “I do.”
“Carter Clarke, do you take Emilia Parker to be your wedded —"
“I do,” Carter says, just as the officiant says, “wife.”
Our guests burst out laughing, and so do I.
The priest smiles at us and nods. “Then with the powers vested in me, I proclaim you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Carter grabs my waist and sweeps me off my feet, his lips finding mine. Loud cheering erupts around us, and I smile against his lips.
“Finally,” he murmurs. “At last, you’re Mrs. Emilia Clarke. My wife.”
Carter cups the back of my neck and kisses me properly, deeply. The cheers around us get louder, and so does the beating of my heart.
I smile at him, my arms around his neck. “And you’re finally my husband, Carter Clarke. I knew fate would lead us back to each other. You’re my destiny, Carter. You always have been.”
The End
