by BJ Phillips
“Oh, Kelly, you did a wonderful job on it.” Carrie stood up and stepped away from the rocker. “Shawn, come here and sit in it. Isn’t it amazing?”
Shawn had been standing back. This was Kelly’s moment, after all. She stroked the wood in the back of the chair, the smooth contours begging to be touched. She ran her hand down the slats in the back, and then along both of the curved arms as she sat down.
“Kelly, it truly is amazing. I knew you were talented, but this…this is such a piece of art.”
Kelly stood there, grinning from ear to ear. “I’m so glad you both like it. Once I understood the story of that tree, I knew I had to make something meaningful out of it. This was truly a labor of love. I felt your grandfather would have wanted you to have something like this to remember him by. That’s how I thought of it, as a present from him.”
Carrie felt the tears begin again and put her arms around Kelly. “I’m so grateful to you. I had no idea you would do something this elaborate or wonderful. You are such a dear friend, and I will always love you for doing this for me.”
“You’re welcome. Believe me, this was my pleasure. But there’s something else.” Kelly stepped away from Carrie and looked at both of them. “Wait just a minute, I’ll be right back,” she said as she headed for the door.
“What in the world could she be up to now?” Shawn got up from the rocker and put her arm around Carrie as they watched Kelly go out to the passenger side of the Durango and remove a box wrapped in paper with a big ribbon.
“I know you two are meant for each other,” Kelly said as she handed the box to Shawn. “This is for both of you. It’s your first Christmas together, the first of many to come. You don’t have to wait to open it, though.”
“Before we open it, there’s something we want to tell you.” Shawn put her arm back around Carrie, who smiled back and nodded. “You’re the first to know. We’re getting married this coming spring.”
Kelly’s face lit up as she reached for both of them in a group hug, practically lifting both of them off the floor. “Oh. My. God. I’m so happy for the two of you! If any two people belong together, it’s you two. Well, then, consider this your engagement present. Open it.”
Shawn handed the box to Carrie and proceeded to untie the ribbon and take the pretty paper off the box.
“Oh, for crying out loud, will you get to it? You haven’t changed a bit, have you? You’re still taking forever to open anything. Be forewarned, Carrie, this is what you’ll have to live with.”
They all laughed as Shawn finally got the box opened and pushed aside the paper covering the object inside. Shawn and Carrie both gasped when they realized what they were looking at. They took it out and stared.
A wooden box. Another exquisite piece of woodworking. It appeared to be about twelve inches long by eight inches wide and six inches tall. There were two initials carved into the lid: S and C, intertwined. The box had been pieced together so perfectly, it was as if the wood grew into that shape naturally with all those different colors.
“It’s so beautiful,” Carrie said softly. “Just. Wow.”
“It’s a treasure box,” Kelly explained. “You can put things in it that remind the two of you of things you’ve done together, places you’ve seen. You know, like ticket stubs, tiny sea shells, things like that. Better than a scrapbook, because you can handle the things again.”
Shawn and Carrie each hugged Kelly again.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you something,” Kelly said. “There’s something special about this box.”
“Beside the fact that you made it, you mean?” Shawn said.
Kelly grinned. “Yes, beside that. Part of the wood in this box came from Carrie’s tree, but another part of it came from a tree in Shawn’s yard.”
“Really? What a great idea. How’d you come up with it?” Shawn said.
Kelly grinned and continued, “It’s a combination of the two, like the love you have for each other. I had that bit of leftover wood from Carrie’s tree, and when I started thinking about it, the idea just came to me.”
“You never cease to amaze me,” Shawn said. “I might have to steal this idea for my next novel.”
“Steal away. The treasure box is yours. Now, what was this I heard about country fried steak?”
Chapter Forty-two
SPRING. THE FOLLOWING YEAR. A private beach on Sanibel Island near sunset. A warm breeze wafted off the Gulf of Mexico, lightly ruffling the white gauze draped over a small gazebo on the sand. Carrie and Shawn walked hand in hand, coming down the beach. Carrie’s loose hair and long lavender halter dress moved with the breeze. Shawn was absolutely sure she had never seen anyone look more beautiful. Her own lavender shirt and white pants had been selected to coordinate with Carrie’s dress.
As they approached the gazebo, they waved to the group gathered there and the minister welcomed them. Kelly stood in front, with Greg, AJ, Rich and his wife, and other friends, as well as Carrie’s mom, waiting for them. Shawn looked over at Carrie and squeezed her hand before pressing Carrie’s fingers to her lips for a soft kiss.
Carrie looked into Shawn’s eyes and mouthed, “I love you, honey.” Shawn smiled, her heart full almost to bursting looking at the love of her life. “I love you, too,” she mouthed back.
Turning toward the gazebo, facing the minister, they gazed out over the Gulf of Mexico as the sun began to set. The swishing of waves breaking gently onto the sugar sand was all the music needed as Kelly lit two torches, one on each side of the gazebo. The minister had been holding the treasure box Kelly made for them. She held the box out to them now, and Shawn and Carrie each placed a small shell into it, and then they closed it and handed the box to Kelly to hold.
The minister began the ceremony. “We are gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of Shawn and Carrie. By your presence, you celebrate with them the love they have discovered in each other and, by being here you support their decision to commit themselves to one another for the rest of their lives. The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved, loved for ourselves. If there is anything better than being loved it is loving. Today we are here to celebrate love. We come together to witness and proclaim the joining of these two persons in marriage. This is the union of two individuals in heart, body, mind, and spirit. Therefore, a marriage is not to be entered into lightly, but reverently, honestly, and deliberately. It is into this union that Shawn and Carrie come now to be joined.”
Shawn looked over and winked at Carrie causing her to blush.
“Remember always that love, loyalty, and trust are the foundations of a lasting and happy union. As you strive to fulfill the commitment that you declare to one another here, your life together can be increasingly full of joy, satisfaction, and peace. I pray that you will hold fast to the vision and the promise of this special day. A Native American marriage poem puts it this way:
Now you will feel no rain,
For each of you will be shelter for each other.
Now you will feel no cold,
For each of you will be warmth for the other.
Now there will be no loneliness,
For each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two bodies,
But there is only one life before you.
Treat yourselves and each other with respect, reminding yourselves often of what brought you together. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness, and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficulty, and fear assail your relationship, as they threaten all relationships at one time or another, remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong. In this way you can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives, remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there. If each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight.”
“Please face each other and join both han
ds.” The minister touched Shawn’s shoulder briefly. “Shawn, what would you like to say to Carrie?”
Shawn swallowed hard and looked into Carrie’s eyes, her knees nearly buckling. “Carrie, you have shown me what real love is. I love you with all my heart and soul, and will spend the rest of my life showing you that you are cherished. I promise to always love and respect you and never give you a reason to doubt my love. I promise to be your lover, companion and friend, ally in conflict, and your student and teacher. I promise to be your comrade in adventure, consolation in disappointment, accomplice in mischief, and your strength in need. I promise to be open and honest with you, to share my life and worldly possessions, my thoughts and feelings. I pledge to stand by and respect you, to rejoice in your growth and always show you honesty and love.”
The minister briefly touched Carrie’s shoulder. “Carrie, what would you like to say to Shawn?”
Carrie looked down at Shawn’s hands, still holding hers, and then into Shawn’s eyes. “Shawn, I thought I knew what I was looking for in a partner. I was holding out for that romantic ideal I read about in stories. Little did I know you would actually walk into my life as far more than I could ever have dreamed. I love you with all my heart and soul, and will spend the rest of my life making sure you know you are cherished. I promise to love and respect you and make sure you never have a reason to doubt my love. I promise to be your lover, companion, and friend, ally in conflict, and your student and teacher. I promise to be your comrade in adventure, consolation in disappointment, accomplice in mischief, and your strength in need. I promise to be open and honest with you, to share my life and worldly possessions, my thoughts and feelings. I pledge to stand by and respect you, to rejoice in your growth, and always show you honesty and love.”
“Shawn and Carrie, we now come to your marriage vows. I remind you that saying your vows to each other is one thing but nothing is more challenging than living them day-by-day. What you promise today must be renewed tomorrow and every day that stretches out before you.”
Shawn felt her stomach clench, and then smiled it away. She knew this was what she wanted with Carrie. This was what she had dreamed of from the time they became lovers. Gazing into Carrie’s eyes, she could see the love reflected there, and felt whole. She swallowed hard. “I, Shawn, take you, Carrie, to be my beloved partner in life. I will stand behind, beside, and with you always, in times of celebration and in times of sorrow, in times of joy and in times of pain, in times of sickness and in times of health. I will live with you, love and cherish you as long as we both shall live.”
She saw the smile on Carrie’s lips as she repeated the same words back to her, then squeezed both her hands briefly.
The minister asked, “May I have the rings please?”
Kelly handed over the simple matching gold bands, then the minister continued.
“Now we will have the blessing of the rings: May these rings be blessed as the symbol of this affectionate unity. These two lives are now joined in one unbroken circle. Wherever they go, they will always return to one another in their togetherness. These two find in each other the love for which all men and women yearn, promising to grow in understanding and in compassion. The home they establish together will be such a place of sanctuary that many will find there a friend. These rings, on their fingers, symbolize the touch of the Spirit of Love in their hearts. Shawn, please place this ring on Carrie’s finger and repeat after me.”
Shawn’s hand trembled slightly as she placed the band on Carrie’s ring finger. She was suddenly grateful she hadn’t had to memorize these vows. Her mind went blank as she looked into the face of her forever love. In the deepening dusk, torchlights dancing in the Gulf breeze, she said, “I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. As it encircles your finger, may it remind you always that you are surrounded by my enduring love. I pledge you my love, my respect, my laughter and my tears. With all that I am, I honor you.”
Carrie slid an identical gold band onto Shawn’s finger. “I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. As it encircles your finger, may it remind you always that you are surrounded by my enduring love.” She paused and looked at the ring she had just placed on Shawn’s finger, a little tear forming in the corner of her eye and finding its way down her cheek, followed by another. Her voice trembled as she continued, “I pledge you my love, my respect, my laughter and my tears. With all that I am, I honor you.”
Shawn squeezed Carrie’s hand, tears forming in her eyes as well. She reached over to gently wipe Carrie’s tears with her thumb and she blinked her own away as the minister continued.
“Now may those who wear these rings live in love all their days. May the love which has brought you together continue to grow and enrich your lives. May you continue to meet with courage the problems which may arise to challenge you. May your marriage always be one of love and trust. May the happiness you share today be with you always, and may everything you have said and done here today become a living truth in your lives.
“Shawn and Carrie, we have heard your promise to share your lives in matrimony. We recognize and respect the covenant you have made here this day before each one of us as witnesses. Therefore in honesty and sincerity of what you have said and done here today, and by the power vested in me by the State of Florida, it is now my personal privilege and great joy to be the first to introduce Shawn and Carrie as partners in life…for life…wife and wife…spouse and spouse. May beauty surround you both on the journey ahead and through all the years, and may happiness be your companion always. Go now to enter into the days of your life together, and may your days be good and long upon the earth. You may kiss your spouse.”
Shawn grinned and looked into Carrie’s eyes, wrapped her in her arms, and kissed her wife for the first of many times to come.
The End
About BJ Phillips
I’ve been writing practically since I’ve been reading. People who knew me well knew my biggest dream and biggest fear was writing a whole book. That fear of failure. I had poetry published in my school literary magazine and a funny story in my work professional magazine. I wrote training materials for work and helped friends write their resumes, feeling that was at least writing. I had the beginnings of fantasy stories, mysteries, and love stories all sitting in folders and notebooks.
In the summer of 2013 I saw the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) challenge. If you’re not familiar with it, the challenge is to write 50,000 words in 30 days. The day after Thanksgiving that year, I posted 51,000 words and a complete story was born. It needed a lot of work, but it was there. That story was the bones of Hurricane Season, my debut novel, which will be out in spring 2016.
Early in 2014, I heard about a new program through the Golden Crown Literary Society (GCLS) called the Writing Academy. It’s a one year program aimed at new writers or writers who want to improve their skills. I’m proud to be part of the very first graduating class.
The Writing Academy was life-changing. I started looking at myself as an author, not just as someone who happens to write. I retired the beginning of 2015. I became a full time writer of stories and finally finished my first book the end of July, 2015.
I live in Florida with my partner, a retired police officer, Maya the Yorkie, and Piper the Chihuahua in an honest-to-goodness resort—it says so on the sign out front. When I’m not writing, we love sitting out on the front porch with the “kids” and chatting with neighbors and friends who like to come by and visit. I’m an avid reader of anything that strikes my fancy and I love puzzles – like logic problems, Sudoku or word finds. I also like to take walks, go to flea markets, sketch, and crochet. Okay, I’m also addicted to several TV shows, mostly mysteries and cop shows. Thank goodness for the DVR!
I’m very excited about becoming part of the Desert Palm Press family. I have two more books
in the pipeline right now, a murder mystery and another romance.
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