AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Me too.”
Uncle Charlie was officiating. “Are you two ready, or should we wait so you can chat a while longer?”
The guests laughed after they announced they were ready. Charlie went through the normal question about who giveth this woman in matrimony, and Emmett and Alice said they did and went to their seats.
The next minutes went by in a blur. They recited the traditional vows since neither had had the time to think up something, and besides, what they felt for each other was there for the world to see. They didn’t need to put it into words.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” Charlie said.
Tony grabbed her, weeping of course, and dipped her while they kissed, her hand holding the bouquet off to her side, sweeping the floor in a posture of complete surrender. The audience gasped and sighed; it was breathtaking to witness.
“They are really something,” Big Mike whispered. “They remind me of us.”
“Aw, Mikey, you are so sweet,” Roberta said, leaning over to kiss him. “Our thirty-fifth anniversary is coming up. We should really celebrate.”
“We will. A big party, in honor of us.”
After the ceremony, the guests helped bring the tables in for dining and cleared a space for dancing. Bridget and Tony stood together at the front of the receiving line, accepting everyone’s blessings and well-wishes. Finally, after half an hour, Tony had had enough.
“How long do we have to stay? I want to take the babies and leave.”
Bridget took his face in her hands, smoothing his brow. “Take a deep breath, sweetheart. You need to eat. Then we’ll do our dance, and maybe we can sneak out afterward. If we leave now, it will seem like something’s wrong.” She looked at him carefully. “Nothing’s wrong, is it?”
“No, I guess not. I just want to be alone with you.”
“Have some champagne. I’ll tell Big Mike to do a toast.”
Hating to use alcohol to placate her now-husband, she had witnessed this side of Tony from time to time, where crowds got under his skin and all he wanted to do was to retreat to a safe, quiet place.
The next hour went by smoothly, with a delicious meal, prepared by Roberta and the church ladies, then dancing, where they did the requisite first dance as a married couple.
“My brother and his bride are breathtaking,” Mike Saint said. “Look at them. They’re perfect together.”
“Yeah, but those two kids and that shabby ranch house in the hood, sorry, but that’s not my idea of bliss,” Rick Jackson said.
“Who said that? Patty? You’re a dork, Jackson.”
“And you’re also jealous,” Devon Lyon added. “You’ll never have anything close to what they have.”
After Tony and Bridget separated amid applause, they did the daddy-daughter dance and mother-son dance, and then the free-for-all began. It was at that point that Tony had truly had enough, but he laughed about it.
“Okay, wife, we’re leaving on our honeymoon. Let’s get our kids and get out of here.”
“How exciting. I can’t wait to get home and get out of this dress.”
“Me either,” he said, working his eyebrows up and down. “It’s about time for these two to go night night.”
“Yes! And then the night is ours. Until Princess Isabella decides she wants to party with us.”
“I can’t think of three other people I’d rather spend the evening with,” Tony replied as they strapped babies into car seats. “Hurry before someone tries to stop us.”
“Roberta knows. She’ll make an announcement that we’re on our way home.”
Tony took a moment to embrace his beautiful wife. “I love you so much.”
“Tony, I love you, too. Thank you for my beautiful life. Now let’s get home.”
“We’re on our way.”
Guests watched as the big white truck with two occupied car seats and the beautiful couple talking animatedly made its way down the road, headed to paradise.
The End
