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“I’ve done this, and it’s going to be fine.” Cyrus patted his shoulder. “Tell you what’s hard. That first child. Now that made me more nervous. But after the second, and now the third, I can just say ‘whatever’ and take things in stride.”
Levi barely heard him.
“God has given Maggie to you. Rejoice. Cherish her. Look forward to it.”
Now Levi heard every word Cyrus just said.
“Thanks.”
“Let’s pray before we go in or you’ll be a wreck.” Cyrus bowed his head.
Levi prayed along, hearing only every other word. “Amen.”
He drew a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Lord Jesus, forgive me. I can barely pray. I was okay in the changing room. I don’t know what happened between then and now. Give me strength. Give me grace. Give me mercy. In Your holy name, I pray. Amen.
When he opened his eyes, Pastor Kim was standing next to him in a suit and carrying his Bible.
“You only need to do this one time,” he said in his grandfatherly voice—even though Pastor Kim wasn’t a grandfather.
Levi nodded. He was glad that Pastor Kim was officiating the wedding ceremony today. It could’ve been Maggie’s father, Pastor Jacobs, but Levi didn’t need the pressure. It could alsohave been Byron Moss, who was the assistant pastor at Midtown Chapel for some years, but he and his family had moved to pastor a church in Florida, about three hours away from Lakeside Chapel. In fact, Levi should see Byron and his wife, Tina, in the sanctuary.
As the string quartet began playing “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” it was the cue for Levi, his best man, and the pastor to enter the sanctuary.
Levi tried to smile. He looked around and spotted Byron and Tina. Byron nodded, and Levi gained some confidence, knowing he was among friends.
He looked around the pews to find familiar faces. Oh, there was Gus, sitting alone because his wife was the matron of honor this afternoon. After their wedding, Gus had whisked Tally away to the Bahamas, where Tally continued her ministry as a much sought-after speaker in women’s conferences around the world.
All the church warehouse staff sat together and Levi waved to them. He missed them since he’d taken up the new job at Christmastown. They all understood why he decided to help his cousin with the new expansion. They told him that it was a good thing for Cyrus to trust his cousin. Some other families had a hard time working together.
Christmastown workers from their Atlanta warehouse were there too. Cyrus waved to his employees. The holiday decorating company wanted to open a branch office in a high-rise building in Buckhead, but Levi told Cyrus that since they were new in town, he felt that his office should be in the warehouse for now, until the company had a foothold in the metro Atlanta market.
After Christmastown had reached the southeast, then perhaps Cyrus could buy or build a building for his regional headquarters or something.
Cyrus liked Levi’s idea to save cost.
Malachi was seated near his mother, and they were both surrounded by the Fitzpatrick family. They had saved space on the pew for the eldest daughter, Colette, the wedding planner. Pastor Fizz was sitting by his wife, and they were chatting with Mrs. Kim, who was there with her daughter Iseul, who was Maggie’s age.
Before long, the quartet stopped playing.
Levi’s heart skipped a beat.
Slowly, the cellist began to play the notes for “Canon in D,” and the violins and violas joined in for a beautiful rendition of Johann Pachelbel’s masterpiece.
This was Maggie’s favorite wedding music, and hearing it now, Levi’s heart was touched, as the double doors at the back of the hundred-year-old sanctuary opened, revealing Levi’s bride in a long-sleeve winter wedding dress made of white tulle and satin and sequins.
On the arm of her father, retired Pastor Jacobs, Maggie made her way toward Levi, as the wedding guests stood on their feet and clapped and cheered.
Here comes my bride, the love of my life.
Levi thanked God for the best decision he ever made—other than accepting Jesus Christ for the salvation of his soul.
This afternoon, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, eleven months after his first proposal, he was finally marrying Maggie, his best friend who loved him no matter what, with whom he could be himself, who would travel through life with him, and enjoy the blessings of God with him.
Maggie was the lifetime partner he had been longing for, that he had found in no one else—all forsaken for her and her alone.
As Maggie stepped closer, Levi could see the diamond cross pendant on her neckline. It had belonged to his mother, passed on to him after she died. Now he would give it to the love of his life.
