That Last Little Spark

When Erica and Aaron stepped up to the altar, Erica handed her bouquet to Jess and turned to face Aaron. Jess stooped down to adjust Erica’s dress and train behind her before listening to the ceremony.

The priest waited until every guest in attendance sat down before he began to speak. “We come together on this beautiful summer day to witness the joining of two lives into one. And while these lives have intertwined over the last two years, today they finally come together.” he smiled at Aaron and Erica, and then at their mothers as Jess turned her head a little to look out into the room of semi-familiar faces, a pang of disappointment hitting her when she didn’t see Bam anywhere.

“May I ask both mothers to light the two candles, symbolizing Aaron’s and Erica’s separate lives.” he said as Erica’s mom and Aaron’s mom stood up and walked over to a small table set up to the side of the altar, where two thin candles and one large candle sat, unlit. Both of them lit the two candles and hugged each other before returning to their appropriate seats.

“Now if I can have Aaron and Erica light the unity candle, symbolizing their lives as one from this point on.” he smiled at them. With each of them holding one of the thin candles, they lit the large candle together and stepped back over to the altar.

“Aaron and Erica have written their own vows, which they will now read to each other.” he pulled two cards from his jacket to show the guests.

Aaron spoke first. “To be honest, I had nothing written down. Not because I couldn’t think of anything, but because I don’t think there are any words to describe how I feel about standing here in front of you, in front of these people who already know how much I love you. Sometimes you know me better than I do, and I love that about you. I love everything about you...from the way you laugh, to the light in your eyes when you’re happy or excited. Every piece of jewelry in this room...in the world...can’t compare to you...right now, or ever. I promise to stand with you, support everything you do, and be there for you through every up and down we may have.” he smiled, staring at Erica like she was the only person in the world.

Erica wiped her eyes before she dropped her own card on the floor.

“I didn’t have anything written down, either,” she confessed as a small chuckle ripped through the room again. “A few years ago, back when we were becoming best friends, I had never dreamed I would eventually be standing up in front of our family and friends, becoming your wife. We’ve gone through a lot, and I’ve never gotten tired of seeing your face every day. Now I look at your face today and I know I’ll never get tired of looking at you with that smile I fell in love with from the beginning. And I promise to be there even if that smile fades and a frown takes its place.” she wiped her eyes again.

Meanwhile, Jess was trying her hardest not to cry, and she could hear Kelsey sniffling behind her. With a smile on her face, she watched as the priest reached out and took two rings from Aaron’s brother and gave them to Erica and Aaron, turning to Erica first.

“Do you, Erica, take this man to be your husband, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, to love and to cherish, from this day forward as long as you both shall live?” he asked her.

“I do.” she smiled and slid the ring onto his finger. The priest turned to Aaron.

“Do you, Aaron, take this woman to be your wife, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, to love and to cherish, from this day forward as long as you both shall live?” he asked.

“I do.” he grinned and slid the ring onto her finger.

Smiling, the priest raised his hands over the two of them. “Then by the law invested in me and by the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Aaron, you may kiss your bride.”

Aaron’s lips lightly touched Erica’s before the guests jumped to their feet and began clapping and cheering for the couple. It was then that he put his hands behind her back and literally swept her off of her feet in front of the entire crowd. Jess and Kelsey through in a few wolf whistles, and Chloe was crying, trying to clap, and trying to hold her bouquet all at the same time.

With Erica still in his arms, Aaron walked up the aisle and out through the double doors into the foyer. The order was reversed this time...as Jess and Aaron’s brother followed Katrina, Lia, Jenna, and Aaron’s nephews up the aisle.

*

For the next thirty minutes or so, everyone in the wedding party...with exception of the children...and the parents of the bride and groom were greeting each person in the recieving line. Jess barely knew anybody, yet she smiled at everyone who came by.

“So...I noticed Bam hasn’t made an appearance yet.” Kelsey leaned over and whispered to Jess when there was a short hold up in the guest line.

“Yeah.” Jess sighed.

“He’s going to come, right?” Kelsey asked, momentarily vowing to herself that if Bam didn’t show, she was going to see to it that he had hell to pay. But Jess couldn’t answer right away, because the line had started again.

“He said he would...he even told me he was bringing some extra people so Erica didn’t lose money on the places at that table. I don’t know what’s taking him so long...unless he didn’t want to come to the ceremony and he’s just going to show up at the reception. Erica probably won’t care as long as they show up in time for dinner.” Jess got the chance to reply as the last of the line filtered out onto the lakeside dining deck for cocktails. The staff were going to set up the tables while everyone was outside and the wedding party went for pictures on the other side of the park.

That same white carriage was still waiting out front when they all stepped out into the August sunshine.

“Are we all going to fit in here?” Aaron’s cousin Adam asked skeptically, looking around. Jess remembered it had been a tight squeeze with the bridal party. All of them in one carriage wouldn’t work.

“Don’t worry about that.” Aaron’s father laughed and waved his arm. They all turned to see another carriage...identical to the first one...coming up the path.

“Just what I always wanted: to ride in a white carriage through the park.” Aaron’s other cousin, Ben, chuckled.

“You could always take a canoe and row yourself across the lake, Ben.” Adam shrugged at his brother with a smirk.

“Or a paddleboat.” Chloe suggested.

“Don’t give him any ideas. He might take you up on them.” Aaron laughed. With some careful arranging, they all climbed into the carriages and set off on the winding paths toward the Conservatory Garden.

*

Jess looked around her at the beautiful view and her friends laughing with each other and waving to people passing by, but the entire time, she was wishing that Bam would hurry up...if he was going to show up at all.