by L. J. Swartz
I look in the mirror at myself. My hair is perfectly curled into a beachy wave pinned back only on the sides. The dress Vance picked is beyond my dreams come true dress. It's an off white strapless mermaid style dress. The entire dress is layers of fabric making waves down my body. From my knee down is the most exquisite fabric and feather bottom. There is no train. I picked the bird cage veil. I feel like a princess. I can't feel my fingers anymore. I'm so nervous. It's almost 2 o clock. The wedding planner informed me that's when this things fixin to kick off. I think I may puke. I need to see Vance. Rian is out front already. She's my matron of honor, but she's also the size of a house and easily exhausted. She's sitting up front and will be standing next to me, but not making the walk. "Sadie calm down," my mom tells me. "I need to see Vance," I tell her shaking my hands out. "You will do no such thing. This is your wedding day. You have to wait. It won't be long daddy should be up any minute," she tells me. I swallow hard looking out the windows. It looks beautiful our there. I just need one glimpse of him, just one. I don't see him anywhere. I see Declan, but no Vance. There's a knock at the door. My mom walks to it asking, "Who is it?" I hear some one clear their voice then say, "It's Vance." I walk up behind her trying to move her out of the way. "You can't see her in her dress yet. It's bad luck," my mom warns. "I'll close my eyes. Please I just need to hear her voice," he says sounding a bit like I feel. I give her a pleading look. "Ok close um," she yells. She steps back opening the door slowly. He looks beyond gorgeous. He has on the pants and vest bypassing the coat with a grey button up underneath un done at the top. "Oh my god your edible," I blurt without thinking. My mom giggles saying, "I think I better head down to my spot." I step up touching his face. He touches my hips running his hands up and down my dress. The dress he picked for me. "I just needed to hear your voice," he tells me. "I love this dress Vance. It's so much better than I ever dreamed," I tell him. He smiles saying, "I better go down there. I can't wait to actually see you in it." I smile not that he can see me as he steps back letting go of me. My dad comes up the steps saying, "Vance you need to get down there." He nods and turns giving me his back while my dad comes in closing the door. "Wow princess you look gorgeous," my dad says. "Thanks daddy," I tell him as I walk over to slip on my shoes, which are beautiful bright red satin pumps. He totally knew I'd pick the red and black tux. I'm not sure why he even asked. I haven't seen my flowers yet. I walk to the box lifting the lid. It's a basketball sized bouquet of every red flower you could ever think of wrapped in silver ribbon. There's a knock at the door then it opens, "We need the bride," the wedding planner says looking panicked. My dad holds his arm out to me leading me from the room, down the steps into the living room. The planner stops us just steps from the sliding doors. The music changes to a beautiful instrumental piece. How did he know I hate the traditional wedding march. He did some serious research. I take a deep breath as the wedding planner motions us forward. We step up then walk through the sliding doors. There is a lot of people here. I have a feeling I only know about 10 of them. I look up locking eyes with Vance's. We start to walk slowly down the isle. I can't believe this is really happening. I really just wanna run down this damn isle to him. As we get closer I see the look of awe on his face. I feel like the most beautiful woman on the planet with the way he's looking at me right now. I look to Rian. She's crying as she looks from me back to Vance. She looks gorgeous in a black tea length dress that only makes her baby bump more beautiful. My dad stops walking. I look back to Vance. He winks at me. He bounces on his feet a bit as my dad kisses my cheek. This is it. My dad takes my hand in his kissing my fingers before placing my hand in Vance's. I had my flowers to Rian. I face Vance. Tears spring to my eyes. The preacher starts talking. I can't stop looking at my gorgeous husband to be. How the hell did my life end up here? He licks his lips then chuckles at something the preacher says. Shit I better start paying attention. I look down to our joined hands. He's rubbing circles in the back of mine. I look to his left hand. I totally get what he meant when he made the comment about being excited to see a ring in that finger. He will soon be wearing my ring showing the world he's mine. I look up into his eyes again. He mouths "your gorgeous." I smile as the preacher says something about lighting a candle. Vance leads me over to a table. We each take a small candle using it to light a larger one to signify the joining of our families or something. We walk back down in front of the preacher. We announces that we will now say our vowels. I widen my eyes as he tells everyone Vance wrote his own. My heart rate picks up. I know for a fact what he says may very well make me cry. "Vance," the preacher says. He looks in my eyes just holding my gaze a minute. "I'm not ashamed to admit that without you I'm nothing. My life gained a new luster the day you entered it and hit a new level of darkness the day you left it. I know without doubt you are my reason for being on this earth. I'm better because you love me. I'm better because I love you. I'm consumed by the love I feel for you. I never knew it was possible to love someone so deeply. I know what they show in romance movies," he says making me and the guests laugh, "but let me tell you what, nothing compares to the real thing. You own me mind, body, and soul. I'm 100% proud to be your bitch," he says with a smirk. I bust up laughing. I look at him. He winks at me. The preacher looks to me saying, "Sadie would you like to," I cut him off saying, "Yes." Vance chuckles at my impatience shaking his head. He meets my gaze. "I want to tell you I knew the second our eyes met that I knew I was going to marry you, but I didn't. My mind was elsewhere," I saying raising my eye brow. Declan calls out, "Whoo yeah." Vance chuckles. "I did know the second you touched me. I have never felt so instantly drawn to someone EVER. I belonged to you long before you knew it. Even in our time apart I knew you were my home. I will never take for granted one second we get together. Our love is rare and amazing and I wish everyone could feel what I feel for you." He brings my hands to his lips kissing each palm. The preacher asks Declan for our rings. He blesses them then hands mine, which I haven't seen until right now to Vance. It's gorgeous. It's a bad of solid pink diamonds. Vance puts the ring on the tip of my finger and listens to the preacher then says, "Sadie with this ring I thee wed." Tears spring to my eyes as he slides it onto my finger. We move our hands around. The preacher hands me Vance's ring. It's a thick silver band that has my name carved on the inside in black lettering. I look to him meeting his gaze as I say, "Vance with this ring I thee wed." I slide it onto his finger then lean down kissing it. He touches my face bouncing on his feet. The preacher pronounces us husband and wife then says, "Vance you may now kiss your bride." He steps closer to me grazing his lips against mine. I rest my hands on his hips as he slowly slips his lips between mine. Everyone cheers and claps as he presses two more small kisses to my lips. He pulls back saying, "I love you Mrs. Matthews," then turns taking my hand in his. Rian hands me my flowers. The preacher calls out, "It is my great honor to present to you for the first time as husband and wife Mr. and Mrs. Vance Matthews. I close my eyes letting it sink in. I am Mrs. Vance Matthews.
