When I saw Nick through my veil I felt the tears in my eyes again. He looked so beautiful as he stood waiting for me. His hair had just been cut to the short style that had changed his entire image and his tuxedo had been made to fit him alone. He looked like every dream I had ever dreamt and every hope I had ever hoped.
As A.J. walked me to him I felt my heart swell with the love I shared with him. He was my magic, my star, my faith, and my forever.
The ceremony was beautiful. We said our vows, we exchanged our rings and then Nick surprised me as he and the guys stood together and sang “Open Arms” to me. I had never cried with such joy or happiness in all my life. When he lifted my veil I lost myself in his kiss, our first kiss as husband and wife.
“You won’t ever leave me will you, Riley?” Nick whispered as he looked down at me.
“Never, Nick. I’ll love you forever,” I promised, smiling at him.
We ran back up the aisle hand in hand laughing as we dodged birdseed. The crowd followed us back up to the house for the reception. I slipped upstairs to change out of my dress so it wasn’t ruined and then made my way back downstairs.
Howie caught me just as I reappeared.
“Congratulations, Riley,” he said, hugging me.
“Oh thank you, Howie. This means so much to me,” I said, kissing his cheek.
“I want you to meet someone. Riley Carter, this is my sister Pollyanna,” he said, tugging his sister forward.
“Oh my God, you’re Pollyanna! I’ve heard so much about you. I’m so happy to meet you,” I said, hugging her.
“Wow. I’ve never been greeted like that before,” she said, smiling as she returned my hug.
“I told you Riley was special,” Howie said, grinning.
“No more than the rest of the word,” I said, smiling. “Howie thinks the world of you, Polly. He’s so proud of you. And your voice! I have to hear you sing. He says you sound like an angel.”
“That’s why they call him Sweet D,” she said, smiling at her brother.
“Goldie locks, your sunshine is looking for you,” Brian called out.
I laughed and, smiling at the two Doroughs made my way towards my husband.
My husband. I never thought I would ever say those words or even be able to just think them. Nick had given me a dream come true, a dream I thought would never be realized because of my tumor.
And then there was my tumor. He made me forget about it sometimes. Days even when there were no symptoms, he loved me so completely that I could actually forget that I was going to die at any moment.
“Trying to leave me already?” he asked, wrapping his arms around me
“Well you know you aren’t exactly the easiest man to live with. You’re messy and smelly and you can’t cook and–” but my sentence was cut off by his kiss.
“What was that?” he asked, pulling away.
“I love you, sunshine,” I answered, smiling.
“Love you more, goldie locks.”
I looked up at the flash of a camera and saw the photographer smiling at us.
“You can show that one to your kids,” he said, walking away.
As he faded into the crowd I looked up at Nick with questioning eyes.
“Will you show that to our child, Nick?” I asked my husband.
“Riley, don’t do this. Not here and not now. Please,” he begged.
“Promise me we will talk about this, Nick. Promise me.”
“Promise,” he said, kissing me as we walked toward his family.
I can’t recall a memory I cherished more than the memory of that day. I had every dream that day. Every thing I thought I had lost the day they discovered my tumor was in my hands. I had a home, a family, friends, the man I loved, and I was alive. For all the treasures in the world I wouldn’t have traded that day. The people, the laughter, the smiles, and the tears. That day was filled with a magic that encompassed all of us, it made us believe in love and forever and happily ever after.
“Riley!”
I turned at the sound of my name and smiled when I saw Angel.
“What’s up?” I asked her.
“Time to throw the bouquet,” she answered, smiling.
“Time to discover the next victim of love,” I teased, making my way towards the tiny group of single women.
I smiled, turned my back on them, and tossed the silk flowers. I spun and burst out laughing when I saw who caught it.
“Congratulations, A.J.,” I said, kissing him.
“This is not funny, Riley,” he answered, holding my bouquet.
“A.J., I couldn’t have planned it better if I had tried. You deserve to find a woman who will marry you and love you forever.”
“Man, you got something you want to tell the rest of us?” Brian teased, putting an arm around A.J.
“Well maybe this explains the nylons he’s been wearing,” Kevin added, grinning.
“You guys are just so funny,” A.J. responded, with a good-natured smile.
Slowly, the tiny group of family and friends began to yawn and show signs of exhaustion as the night began to fade into morning. Nick and I kissed, hugged, and thanked everyone as they headed home. We bid his family good night and escaped to our bedroom.
“Hello, Mrs. Carter,” Nick said, pulling me into his arms.
“Hello Mr. Carter,” I answered, smiling up at him.
“We did it. We got married. How do you feel?”
“Like I’ll live forever in our love. Thank you, Nick.”
“For what?”
“For all this magic,” I answered, kissing him.
“You are the magic, Riley. It’s all you.”
We made love till the sun came up as husband and wife. When I fell asleep finally it was with a smile on my face and my fingers intertwined with Nick’s.
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