Chapter 29

"Jessica," Vanessa said as she pulled her aside. "Tell me that I'm doing the right thing."

"Nessa, you love him, honey and things are gonna be fine," Jessica reassured her.

"I know," Vanessa said with a smile. "I just needed to hear you say it. Now go on; they need you to walk down the aisle now. Go find Brian."

"I'm right here," Brian said, coming up behind her. "Let's go, baby." Brian and Jessica linked arms and began their slow walk down the aisle. Jessica kept stealing glances at him in his tux.

'I love him so much,' she thought to herself. 'I want to walk down the aisle with him for real.' Brian smiled warmly at her as if he knew what she was thinking.

"You look amazing," he whispered to her as they approached the altar. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she whispered as she kissed her on the cheek before they went their separate ways.

Nick's breath caught in his throat as he saw Vanessa walk down the aisle In her flowing white dress. Brian was surprised when he saw tears of joy come to his best friend's eyes. Nick was normally ashamed to cry in front of so many people, but her was so indescribably happy that he couldn't keep the tears from falling. 'I love you,' he mouthed to her as she stood in front of him. 'I love you, too,' she mouthed back.

"Dearly beloved we are gathered here today…" As the preacher began, Brian's eyes immediately locked with Jessica's. When Nick began to repeat the vows, Brian mouthed them to Jessica as each of the words gave special meaning to their relationship. When they came to the "in sickness and in health" part, both Brian and Jessica faltered a little bit, remembering the tough times they had endured when Brian was in the hospital. By the time the ceremony was over they both had shed their fair share of tears.

After the church had been cleared out and the wedding party had posed for several pictures, everyone headed to the reception hall. Brian and Jessica entered before Nick and Vanessa and took a seat next to the table reserved for the bride and groom. Brian stared at Jessica for a moment.

"What are you thinking about?" he finally asked.

"Us… and them," she replied, referring to Nick and Vanessa who had just entered the room. "I'm so happy for them."

"They deserve it," Brian agreed before looking at her seriously. "Would I make you that happy, Jess?" She leaned across the table and kissed him gently.

"You already do," she whispered with a smile. He smiled, too, as he took her hand and led her towards the door. "Where're we going?"

"Come take a walk with me," he said with a smile.

"What about Nick and Vanessa?" Jessica asked as Brian dragged her past the happy couple who was surrounded with people. "And why are you bringing your Bible?"

"Nick and Nessa will understand and you'll just have to follow me to find out about the Bible," he answered mischievously. She smiled as she followed his out the door behind the reception hall.

"You look beautiful," he whispered as they continued walking through the garden. "But I don't think your dress should be blue; blue just isn't your color." She looked at him strangely.

"What is my color then?" she asked, playing right into his hands.

"White," he answered as he handed her his Bible.

"What?" she asked curiously.

"You'll understand in a second. Just turn to Song of Solomon 8:6-7 and read it out loud." He smiled as she looked at him strangely but obeyed. She began reading in a clear voice that soon became shaken with tears as she neared the end of the passage.

"For love is as strong as death; jealousy is as cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most venement flame. May waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it." Jessica looked up at Brian who was staring lovingly at her. He took the Bible from her hands and gently placed it on the ground.

"I never thought I would find love but you proved me wrong. This love that it's talking about, I always thought it was unattainable, but then I met you. You gave me this love and so much more. Now I want to give you my life and be with you forever." Brian paused and Jessica gasped as he got down on one knee. "Jessica, will you spend forever with me?" Jessica was crying to hard that she couldn't speak. She lowered herself to Brian and threw herself up against his chest, sobbing.

"Is that a yes or a no?" he asked with a chuckle.

"A definite yes," she answered as Brian slid the ring on her finger. "I love you so much Brian."

"I love you, too, baby," he whispered as he held her close. "I love you, too."

"Bri, where have you and Jess been?" Nick asked loudly, hoping to draw attention to the couple that had just returned to the reception hall. It would give them a good chance to announce their engagement.

"No where, Nicky," Jessica answered pointedly. Brian looked at her a little confused and pulled her aside.

"Don't you want to tell everybody?" Brian asked her.

"I do," Jessica answered. "I want to tell the whole world, but I don’t want to take away from Nick and Vanessa's special day. I don't want to come off looking like the jealous friend who had to do something to steal the spotlight."

"You won't," Vanessa interrupted them with Nick at her side. "Announce it, Jess, please. I've been waiting for this to happen for so long. Think of it as a wedding present to me." Jessica looked from Vanessa to Nick and then back again. Both were silently pleading with her.

"All right," she agreed with a smile as Brian wrapped her up in a bear hug.

"Can I have you attention please?" Jessica meekly asked the crowd.

"Hey!" Brian yelled when no one listened to Jessica. The room became silent as everyone stared at them.

"You're crazy," she teased him in a whisper.

"That's why you love me," he replied before turning his attention back to their audience. "I, I mean we, have an announcement to make," he informed them.

"Well, get on with it," AJ insisted.

"Okay, as you know, Jess and I have been dating for, um, a few months now." Jessica laughed as he exact number of months escaped Brian.

"5 months," she supplied and the crowd laughed.

"Typical male," Vanessa teased him.

"Anyway," Brian continued, "We have been dating for a while and all of you that know me know that I knew Jessica was my soul mate from the moment I saw her. I don't know where I would be without her." Brian looked at her lovinlgy, but their stare was interuppted by AJ and Nick.

"What about us?" they whined." If it hadn't been for us then you two would still be trying to sort through your feelings." Jessica rolled her eyes.

"Okay, thanks to Nick and AJ for helping to get us together," she muttered.

"Even though we would have gotten there anyway," Brian said under his breath.

"C'mon, cuz," Kevin called from the back of the room. "Just spill it."

"We're engaged," Brian and Jessica said simultaneously. Thunderous applause and shouts of congratulations greeted them. Seconds later they were also covered with hugs from their family and friends. Though they were separated by a crowd of people, Brian and Jessica's eyes met across the room and they said 'I love you' without having to speak a word.