There's Things That Aren't Worth Giving Up

Natalia smiled as she stared out the car window, seeing the sign welcoming them to Wisconsin. Having already done her research on marriage licenses, she knew that she and Marty were unable to obtain one in Minnesota without a five day waiting period. So, she had suggested that they drive to Wisconsin, hoping they would waive that waiting period for them when the County Clerk saw how in love the two of them were.

Her mind couldn’t help but go to John, wondering how he was going to react when he found out that she and Marty had gotten married without so much as a warning. In all fairness, she had been telling him all along that she was going to marry Marty, she just hadn’t mentioned that it was going to be so soon.

And, then there was Summer and Olivia, and how they were going to react. She knew that they would be happy for her and Marty no matter what. But, she couldn’t help but think that they were going to be a little bit disappointed that they weren’t going to be a part of the wedding, or at the very least see their two friends get married.

But, all of those thoughts disappeared as Marty pulled into a parking spot outside of the Country Clerk’s Office. Marty gave Natalia a smile, which she quickly returned before the two of them walked inside. Once they were able to talk to the County Clerk, they explained their situation and why they wanted to get married right away, begging him to waive the waiting period.

After some contemplation, he finally agreed and told them that not only would he give them a marriage license, but he would also perform their wedding ceremony in his office within the next hour. “Thank you so much,” Natalia told him, and he simply nodded his head, telling them that they needed to find two people to be witnesses before he could perform the ceremony.

Natalia and Marty walked out of his office, trying to figure out where exactly they were going to find these two witnesses. “I don’t know anyone from Wisconsin who would be able to get here right now,” Natalia told Marty, looking up at him, wondering if he had a solution.

“Me either,” he replied. “I don’t know what to do. I mean, if all else fails, I guess we can get two random people off of the streets,” he said with a small laugh.

“I think that’s what we’re going to have to do,” Natalia said seriously with a sigh. “I mean, we have no other option.”

“Nat,” Marty began. “Is that what you really want? To have two random people standing next to us as our witnesses?”

“Marty, what else are we going to do? It’s not like I can call up Summer or Liv, or you can call up one of your friends and have them fly out to Wisconsin in the next half an hour to be here with us,” Natalia spoke. “We really don’t have any other choice.”

“If this is what you want, Nat, I’m okay with it,” Marty told her.

“I want to marry you now,” Natalia replied. “If that means I have to have some stranger standing next to me while doing it, then that’s fine with me. I just want to be able to call you my husband within the next hour,” she explained.

“Okay, let’s go find some witnesses, then,” Marty told her, and Natalia smiled up at him.

Fortunately for them, twenty minutes later, another couple came into the County Clerk’s Office wanting to get a marriage license. Seeming like a lovely couple, Natalia struck up a conversation with the woman, Candice. “So, how long have you and Jerry been together?” she asked, referring to Candice’s fiancé.

“Just over two years,” Candice beamed. “We’re so excited to get married.”

“Candice, I know this is going to sound really odd, but Marty and I are kind of desperate right now. Would you and Jerry be willing to stay here a little while longer and be Marty and my witnesses to our wedding? We need two witnesses, and obviously since we’re eloping, none of our friends are here,” Natalia explained.

“Sure,” Candice nodded her head. “We’d love to. Right, Jerry?” she asked, looking up at her fiancé, who was chatting with Marty.

“What?” Jerry asked, not having listened to Candice and Natalia’s conversation.

“We can stay here a few more minutes to be witnesses for Natalia and Marty’s wedding, right?” Candice clarified.

“Sure we can,” Jerry told her, and Natalia quickly thanked the two of them, grateful to have found witnesses for her wedding.

The County Clerk came out of his office five minutes later, asking Natalia and Marty, “So, are you ready to be married? Did you find witnesses?”

“Yep,” Natalia nodded her head. “Candice and Jerry are going to be our witnesses,” she told him. He looked at her curiously, not knowing how the two couples knew each other, but he didn’t question it, instead telling the two couples that they could come into his office.

The four of them followed him in there, Marty and Natalia standing across from him, with Candice and Jerry on either side of them. As the County Clerk began the ceremony, Marty looked over at Natalia, looking at the clothes she was wearing. He knew she had always dreamed of having a big, fancy, white wedding dress, and instead, she was currently standing in a pair of jeans with a black t-shirt. He then looked over at Candice, unable to believe that he was having two strangers standing next to him and Natalia at their wedding. This wasn’t how either one of them had pictured it at all.

“If anyone has a reason to object to these two people getting married, speak now or forever hold your peace,” the County Clerk spoke, and Marty suddenly snapped out of whatever daze he had been in.

“We can’t do this,” he suddenly said, causing Natalia to look up at him with wide-eyes, as the three others in the room wondered what was going on. “Natalia, you know I love you and I want to marry you, but we can’t do this. Not here, not now, not this way.”

“What are you talking about, Marty?” Natalia asked.

“Nat, look at us. We’re standing in a County Clerk’s office in Wisconsin, with two people we don’t know as our witnesses. We’re both in jeans, and I don’t even have a wedding ring for you,” he pointed out.

“Marty, I don’t care about a wedding ring. I just want to marry you,” Natalia said, barely above a whisper.

“This isn’t how either of us imagined this, and we both know that. I know that you wanted a fancy wedding dress with Summer and Olivia standing next to you. You wanted the ceremony in a church, not in a County Clerk office. I wanted my parents to be there and my teammates. Natalia, this isn’t how it’s supposed to be.”

“You don’t want to marry me?” Natalia asked quietly.

“Natalia,” Marty began, putting a hand on either side of her face. “I love you, and I want to marry you. You know that,” he said, and Natalia nodded her head, knowing he was speaking the truth. “But, not this way. I want you to have the wedding you’ve always dreamed of, and I know this isn’t it.”

“Marty, I want to marry you,” she began, and Marty nodded his head, silently telling her that he knew that already. “But, I think you’re right. This isn’t the way to do it. Not by eloping in Wisconsin. I want my friends to be there, and your family. And, I want to have a wedding dress and for you to have a tux. I’m sorry,” she apologized.

“Don’t say you’re sorry. It’s fine. Let’s just go home and plan a proper wedding, okay? Your dream wedding,” he said.

“Yeah, let’s do that,” Natalia agreed. “I’m sorry for everything,” she told the County Clerk, Candice and Jerry.

“That’s okay,” Candice assured her. “I wish you two the best of luck with everything,” she added.

“You, too,” Natalia said, before bidding everyone a last goodbye and walking out of the building, resting her head on Marty’s shoulder. “Thank you,” she said, looking up at him. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he said, kissing her, before the two of them got back into the car and drove back to Minnesota.