Ever Ever After

I’d always dreamt of an extravagant wedding. I would be wearing a long, off-white dress, classy, but not too over-the-top. My father would walk me down the aisle, where I would meet up with my soon-to-be husband. We would exchange vows that reduced us to tears by the simple words the other used. And all of my family and friends would be there, watching me on my special day.

I expected it to be in the fall, when the leaves had already changed, but had not all fallen off of their branches. The sun would be shining, as it was only 2 o’clock in the afternoon on the given Saturday. And my fiancé would look handsome in his black suit, while smiling at me as I walked down the aisle, not having to say a word to express how happy he was in that moment.

That’s the wedding I dreamed of. The traditional one. One filled with laughter, smiles, tears of joy, and all of my favorite people.

---

“You look absolutely breathtaking,” my mother cooed, trying to suppress the tears I knew were screaming to fall down her blush-covered cheeks. “If only your grandmother could see you. She’d be so proud, Catherine.”

“Thank you, mom. You know I would have really loved it if Grandma could have made it.” I politely smiled at my mother as she gave me a sad look. “Will you go tell dad that I’m ready?”

She took one long, last look at me, before she smiled. “Yes. I’ll go get him now.”

I pulled at my dress, hoping that I wouldn’t trip over it as I was walking down the aisle. It took a little reassurance, but I soon came to realize that the day I had been dreaming of for over 11 years had finally come, and I’d be damned if I let anything ruin it.

“Are you ready, sweetie?” My father walked into the room and held out his hand. “You look absolutely stunning, Catherine. I couldn’t be more proud of you as I am right now.”

I felt a single tear slip down my cheek, and then said, “Dad, please. Save it for the reception. You’re going to ruin my make-up.”

My dad laughed, the laugh I had grown accustomed to over the past 21 years of my life, and I smiled, knowing that later tonight I would be a married woman and not necessarily daddy’s girl anymore. Though it did make me sad to know that I had grown out of that phase, it made me even happier to know that I had done it for a good reason. From here on out, Mark would be my main reason for living. My parents had raised me well, exceptionally well, actually, but it was time for me to let them know that I had moved on in a sense. And the best part? I didn’t even have to say it out loud. Getting married to Mark would say it for me.

As my dad walked me towards the doors of the arch leading into the garden, I saw someone signal the organist and the beginning chords of Here Comes The Bride filled the garden, causing everyone in attendance to stand up and turn to face the arch. Having all of the attention on me made me nervous, but not even remotely as nervous as I felt when I saw Mark. He wasn’t frowning, and he wasn’t simply staring at me; a large grin was plastered his gorgeous face, and for one of the very few times in my life, I could tell that he was truly happy. And knowing that I was the one that made him happy made all of this worth it. Which is why, when my dad handed me off to him, I couldn’t suppress the smile that came onto my face.

When the minister began, it was all I could do to stare at Mark. I didn’t dare look at the audience, for a knew that if I did, I would freak out seeing all of the people that were there. Mark never took his gaze off of me, not even when the minister asked if anyone objected. Just as I imagined, no one did. As the minister announced that it was time for our vows, I realized that I had never felt so nervous in my entire life.

Mark went first, as we had planned. As soon as he opened his mouth, I knew that tears were soon to form, for Mark had always been good with words, unlike me. “I still remember the day we met. It was Freshman year, Honors Biology. Our teacher, Mrs. Stevens, assigned us to be lab partners. Even as I tried to seem cool, all I could think was, ‘Wow. She’s beautiful.’” He took a deep breath, collecting himself, before going on. “On our second date, we went to the arcade. You said that you were a sore loser, so I let you win. Now I realize that I’m always going to be the winner, as long as I have you. I knew from the second we said ‘I love you’ to each other that you were the one. I promise to love you unconditionally until the day one of us passes away. You mean the world to me, Catherine. I hope you know that.”

I tried to stifle my tears quietly, but it was no use. So instead of making it even more awkward, I laughed, wiped my eyes with my hand, and smiled out at the audience. Then I turned back to Mark and said my vows. “Ever since I was ten, I’ve dreamed of the perfect wedding. I had everything planned out, down to the kind of silverware we would use at the reception and the color of flowers we would have. Not all of that came true, obviously, but the important things did. I’m still standing here, in the perfect dress, staring into the eyes of the man that I know I want to spend my life with. And that’s all that counts. Just knowing that you’re here, standing in front of me and saying these things, that’s all that matters. Because I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love you.”

Now, Mark was the one crying, not as hard and noticeable as I did, but I noticed it. I could also hear the quiet sobs of various friends and family of Mark and I, obviously affected by our vows, which, just as I had always wanted, reduced us both to tears.

“May we have the rings, please,” the minister said. My best friend Nora and Mark’s brother David came forward, handing us both rings. Then they stepped back and went back to their places.

I smiled up at Mark as he placed the ring carefully on my finger. “With this ring, I thee wed,” he said.

Then I did the same to Mark, and I replied, “With this ring, I thee wed.”

The minister smiled at Mark and I and then at the audience, before saying, “Then with the power vested in me, I now declare you, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Mark leaned down and gave me a breathtaking kiss.

---

On the carriage ride down to the reception hall, Mark kept fidgeting and insisted on holding my hand the whole way there. He would whisper sweet nothings into my ear, making me blush and say nothing in reply. Finally, he squeezed my hand, causing me to stop staring ahead of us and look over at him. “Yeah?” I asked.

“How does it feel to be married? Any different that an hour ago?”

I thought about it. In actuality, not much had changed except I had a ring on my finger and a new title for my fiancé. But I really did feel different, at least in some ways. Maybe not much had changed, but it sure felt like it. It was as if, in the brief hour I had just gone through, I had matured in so many ways that it made me have to think twice about all the ways I had. Realizing that I had turned away from Mark to think, and not wanting him to think I was doubting anything, I turned back to him and smiled. “Yeah, definitely. I mean, I don’t think marriage means a lot to some people, but it does to me. I feel transformed, like a whole new person. A whole new me.”

I saw Mark’s grin grow larger before he replied. “It does to me, too.”

And, as odd as it sounds, the rest of the carriage ride was silent.

---

As the carriage pulled to a stop next to the sidewalk, I pulled on Mark’s hand, which I had never let go of throughout the ride, and helped him out of the carriage. My mother was waiting outside to congratulate me, along with Nora and David. My mother told me that my father was inside, and that he would greet me in there. After Mark and I said hello to Nora and David, we proceeded to walk to the doors of the reception hall. When we got there, I took one last look at him and smiled, hoping he would know that this was the happiest day of my life. When he smiled back, I somehow knew that he had gotten the message.

As soon as we walked in, everybody stood up, while my father’s voice boomed over the speakers. “Presenting, for the first time ever, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Dawson!” Thunderous applause erupted throughout the room. Mark squeezed my hand and I squeezed back. I was glad that he was with me through all of this.

As we found our seats in the front of the room and sat down, multiple people came up to us and congratulated us on our big accomplishment. Inside I knew that it was a big step, but it wasn’t that hard to do. I guess when you feel it in your heart, you know that it’s the right thing.

And I felt it before I married Mark. I still feel it today, although everything is surely different.

When it came time for the toasts, the best man, Mark’s brother David, went first. He stood up and clinked his glass, signaling that he was ready. All eyes turned on him, so he began. “Mark is my little brother. He always has been, and he always will be. When he met Catherine, I could tell that he really liked her. As time passed, I watched their relationship grow, and blossom into a beautiful relationship. I honestly couldn’t pick a better person for my brother. He deserves all the happiness in the world and I know he’ll get that with Catherine. Catherine, I love you. You’re the sister I never had, but you’ve quickly become part of my family, and I couldn’t be happier to have you be a part of it. To the happy couple!” Everyone raised there glasses and clinked them together and said, “To the happy couple!”

Then it was Nora’s turn. She stood up in her lavender gown and said, “Catherine and I go way back. So far back that I don’t even remember meeting her. My first memory of her is when we were five. Her mother took us to the Halloween store down the street and let us pick out costumes. We then had a tea party in Catherine’s basement, complete with our ‘boyfriends’. Freddy the frog was Catherine’s and Ben the bear was mine. And although Freddy was the cutest frog, I’m so glad that Catherine moved on, kissed another frog, and found out that his name was Mark. I couldn’t be more happy for you guys. To the bride and groom!” Once again, everyone clinked their glasses together and repeated, “To the bride and groom!”

Twenty minutes later, it was time for the father/daughter dance. The song my father and I had picked out when I was twelve came on, and my father came up to me and held his hand out. I grabbed it, and he led me to the dance floor. As the lyrics came out of the speakers, I looked at my dad and saw that he had a tear in his eye. I contemplated telling him I loved him, but decided that a smile would say everything I wanted to tell him. As the song went on, my father and I swayed to it, and it felt as if every worry I ever had simply flew out the door. Dancing with my father was the final step in realizing just how much things had changed. I was really going to go live with Mark, and hopefully start a family soon. Doing that meant being farther away from my father as I was before today, when I was living in a little apartment. My childhood swept through my mind, almost a blur, but I could still make out certain things: my father playing with dolls with me, helping me learn how to swim, and eventually drive. Or when I cut my knee and he put seven band-aids on it because that was how many I wanted. Or when my goldfish died and he let me bury it in the backyard and invite all of my friends to it’s funeral.

The song ended and my dad gave me a loving smile. The next thing I knew, Mark was grabbing my hands and guiding me to the center of the dance floor for the bride and groom dance. I bit my lip, then stopped, remembering my lipstick. Mark squeezed my hand and as I looked up at him he grinned. “I love you,” he told me.

My heart warmed. “I love you, too,” I said back.

We glided across the dance floor, and for those three and a half minutes it was as if no one else existed in the world. And the funny thing was that if that were to happen, I wouldn’t even mind. Mark was everything I ever wanted, ever needed in life, and as long as he was by my side, nothing could go wrong.

He was my Prince Charming, and I his Cinderella.