My dad and I stood at the double doorway leading into the sanctuary.  From where we were, I could see Nick standing proudly at the altar, with Brian standing directly beside him, then Kevin, AJ and Howie behind him.  Jayme, Natalie, Lindy and Kayla were standing on the opposite side, and the minister stood between Jayme and Nick.  All eyes turned toward the doorway and everyone stood as the Wedding March began to play.  Slowly and carefully, my father led me up to the altar, passing all of our friends and family along the way.  We stopped when we reached the front, pausing just in front of the minister.  My mother made her way over to us and took my other arm.
 
    "Who gives this woman to be married?"  The minister smiled over at me and looked at my dad.
 
    "Her mother and I do."  My parents gave me one final reassuring pat on the back and left to sit in their pew.  I stepped up to the altar and pivoted so I was facing Nick.
 
    It seemed as though in that instant when I looked in his twinkling, ocean blue eyes that our entire time together reviewed itself right in front of me.  I saw how awkward we both had been when we'd first met, how vulnerable I had been and how much care and patience he'd shown me.  I saw the moment he'd asked me out, and how special our first kiss had been.  I saw the fights we'd had, and the times I thought I'd never want to speak to him again.  But what shone the brightest was the love he had in his eyes.  As a solitary tear threatened to spill over his eyelid onto his cheek, I reached up and brushed it away.  I turned then to the minister and nodded, signalling him to continue.
 
    "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man, and this woman in Holy matrimony..."
 
    I haven't the faintest clue how we both got through that ceremony without falling over.  Our knees were shaking so badly that I was sure both of us would collapse into a heap on the floor before we could even say our vows.  Maybe it was the fact that Nick's Aunt Violet was sobbing uncontrollably in the second pew, and his Uncle Martin had to lead her out of the sanctuary so she wouldn't disturb anyone further.  That helped ease the tension a bit.
 
    "Nickolas and Samantha have chosen to write their own vows, so we will now start with Nickolas."  He turned to Nick and nodded, and then stepped back a bit so that all the attention was focussed on Nick.
 
    Smooth as silk, he took my hands in his and looked into my eyes.  I knew he was putting on his stage-personality for all the guests, but I could tell with one look that he was still as nervous as I was.  He silently cleared his throat, and with one of his trademark half-smiles (the one that he knows makes me melt every time) he started his speech.
 
    "Samantha, from the moment I met you, I knew you were something special.  The first time you smiled at me, and the first time I heard you laugh, I felt like I was flying.  You've given me so much in the time that we've been together, and I want to promise you now that I am going to make your life so full and complete that you'll never want anything more for as long as you live.  I promise that I'll love you and protect you, through anything we might go through, I'll always be here for you.  I pledge my love to you; for now, for always."
 
    A single tear slid down my cheek as he gently squeezed my fingers.  Taking a shaky breath, I sniffled and started to speak.
 
    "Nick, I've always loved you.  Even before I knew you existed, I loved you with all my heart and soul.  When I finally met you, I felt as though my heart would burst it was so filled with love and happiness.  There are a million things that I could want in this world, but there is only one thing I need. And if you ever decided to leave me, I would go and find you because you would be wrong.  We were meant to be together, you and I, for all eternity.  I promise to you that I'll never leave you, or stop loving you.  I'll be here for you through thick and thin, through the good times, and the not so good times.  You are my one true love, and I'll never let you go.  I pledge my love to you; for now, for always."
 
    Now it was Nick's turn to cry as I finished.  The minister stepped forward again and motioned for Jayme and Brian to come forward with the rings.  As Jayme handed Nick's ring to me, she gave me a little smile and winked at me, then went back to stand in her place.  The minister looked up at Nick and said, "Nick, repeat after me.  ‘With this ring, I thee wed'."
 
    Nick took a shaky breath and, placing the ring on my finger, repeated the sentence.  "With this ring, I thee wed."
 
    The minister turned to me and told me the same.  I slipped the ring on Nick's finger and echoed, "With this ring, I thee wed."
 
    It felt as if the whole room sighed right then.  The minister put his hands on us and looked joyously to the crowd.  "I now pronounce you man and wife.  You may kiss the bride."
 
    Like we even had to be told.  Nick lowered his face to mine, smiled again, and sealed my lips with his.  Even though we'd done it a hundred times before, somehow this kiss was different.  This was filled with all the love, hopes, dreams, fears and joys that we had inside of us, and we knew that forever would be perfect, as long as we had each other.

 
 
    Music filled the air after supper.  After all the dishes had been gathered from the meal, people started getting up to dance.  Nick and I sat at our table with the wedding party and talked amongst ourselves.  After a few songs were played, the DJ came on over the speakers and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.
 
    "Hi everyone, I hope you're all enjoying yourselves tonight.  Once again, congratulations to the happy couple, Nick and Samantha, as they embark on their new life together.  Now, I'd like to play a special song for them, and ask them to come up and share their first dance together as husband and wife."
 
    Nick took my hand and we slowly stood.  The others on the dance floor spread out so that there was a big space for us in the middle.  We walked over and Nick took me in his arms as the DJ started playing Shania Twain's "From This Moment".  I looked up at him and reached to give him a lingering kiss.  "We've never danced together before, have we?"
 
    He thought for a second and replied, "No, I guess this would be our first time."
 
    "I'm glad.  It was worth the wait."  ‘At this point, I wish we'd waited for some other things too' I thought to myself.
 
    ‘I wish I could just relax and enjoy myself, but the possibility of Sam being pregnant seems like a bit of a black cloud that just won't go away' thought Nick.  He pulled me tighter against him as the song faded out and Savage Garden's ‘I Knew I Loved You' floated across the room.  "No regrets" he whispered to me.
 
    "No regrets."
 
 

    "Well everyone, we hate to leave you so soon, but our chariot awaits."  Nick smiled as everyone chuckled at him.  "We'd both like to thank you very much for coming out to share this special day with us.  We hope you had as good a time as we did!"  As he finished, we could hear a faint ‘ting-ting-ting' around the room, growing louder and louder as more people tapped their knives against their wine glasses.  Nick grabbed me and dipped me low for a kiss.  Everyone cheered and laughed and clapped, which only encouraged him further.  Finally, he broke the kiss and returned me to an upright position.  "Ready?" he mouthed.
 
    "Ready." I mouthed back.  As planned, we waved good-bye to the wedding party, and made a dash for the door.  Long after we had exited the building, we could her the hoots and hollers of the party inside.
 
 

Chapter Thirty-Two
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