The ceremony

You take a deep breath, uncomfortable in your dress clothes. You were never one for fancy clothing, but if you don’t wear something nice on your wedding day, you may not survive to the honeymoon. You pace back and forth in the hallway, butterflies in your stomach. Somehow, you’re more nervous now than before any event in your life.

You glance out the window, into the yard. There’s a few chairs set out in front of the gazebo, which is decorated with flowers and white cloth. You can see people finding their seats. It’s a small gathering, some of your former colleagues, the people from Sam’s clinic, the household staff, and a few select others.

As you watch, Emi emerges from another door, making her way to a chair. You see her visibly sigh as she sits, her advanced pregnancy making everything an effort. She was helping Sam, along with Lili and Alice. Her arrival must mean things are about to begin. You wipe nervous sweat from your forehead as you hear footsteps approaching.

Turning, you see Mark walking towards you, a smile on his face. “You look nervous, Andy. You okay?”

You chuckle. “Never better. But yeah, very nervous.”

He laughs, and claps you on the shoulder. “Well, the hard part is over. It’s showtime.”

You nod, taking a deep breath, as Mark opens the door. You feel all eyes on you as you walk into the yard, and you see nothing but smiles. As you walk out, though, you stop in surprise. Sitting in the back row are four people who you never expected to see. Devin sits beside Abby, the two of them holding hands and smiling. Even more surprising, however, is that beside them are Harold and Sylvia! You stop short, staring, but Devin shakes his head, gesturing towards the gazebo. Harold chuckles, simply saying, “We’ll chat later.”

In a bit of a daze, you make your way to the front, pausing to give Emi a kiss. The cat girl beams at you as you take your place on the gazebo, nodding to the officiant, a member of the household staff who volunteered to handle the official marriage ceremony. Taking a deep breath, you turn to face the house, just as Sam emerges, flanked by Lili and Alice. You hardly notice them however, as all you can see is Sam in her dress, looking as nervous as you feel, but radiantly beautiful all the same.

She makes her way to stand by you, and you gently take her hand. You can feel her trembling, and you share a smile before facing the officiant. You barely hear what’s said, until he asks for the rings. Giggling, Lili bounces up and hands them to him, winking at you and Sam before going back to her chair. The officiant nods, handing over the rings, and you turn to Sam. You don’t have vows planned, but you speak from your heart.

“Sam. What more can we say. It’s been an incredible journey, and it’s only just begun. Knowing I’ll have you at my side, and I’ll be by yours, makes every step of this journey a dream come true.”

You slip the ring on her finger. She looks at you, and you’re surprised to see a tear running down her cheek as she speaks. “You came into my life as a surprise, and every day together has been a new adventure. I never in a billion years thought that I could be as happy as I am in this moment. And I know that it can only get better. I look forward to every moment with you, forever.”

She slips her ring on your finger, and the two of you smile at each other, holding hands. You don’t hear much else until ‘you may kiss the bride’ reaches your ears. Pulling Sam into an embrace, you kiss her deeply. The gathered crowd whoops and cheers, but you can’t hear them. All you know is how happy you feel in this moment.