He Shoots, She Scores

With Carrie

There’s a knock at the door interrupting the girls quiet moment, Lacey gets up patting Carrie on the shoulder and makes her way to the door opening it to reveal Carrie’s dad.
“You look very nice Lacey. You girls ready?”
“Thanks and yes we are”
“Hi daddy” Carrie says quietly
“Wow my little girl is not so little anymore” he says sadly
“Don’t you dare cry dad! I’ll cry then Lacey will cry and then we’ll be late”
Her dad lets out a chuckle “Okay then let’s go girls”
The girls grab their flowers and head for the door; they make their way through the now empty hallways towards the sanctuary and stop just short of the door. The music starts to play and Lacey turns once more to Carrie giving her a tight hug
“I’ll see you up there, and as always I’m right behind you with everything you do”
“So I take it it’s too late to run?”
“I can’t run in heels so yeah too late to run”
“Then yep, I’ll see you up there”
Lacey gives Carrie a sad smile before turning to walk through the now open doors and down the aisle. As Lacey makes her way to the end Nate’s nieces dropping flowers in front of her and Carrie’s nephew Noah escorting her down the aisle holding the rings the music changes and Carrie holds her breath. The doors swing back open as Carrie’s dad wraps his arm around hers and they move forward slowly.
Carrie’s eyes make contact with Nate’s as he mouths the word “Wow” she lets a soft smile spread across her face. She studies him for a minute so handsome in his black tux with his white shirt silver/ gray vest and pale orange tie. She lets her eyes find Tyler and gives him a small smile he looked nice in his black tux silver/gray shirt white tie and orange vest, she liked the contrast between the guys this being her first time seeing their tux’s.
They reach the end of the aisle and Carrie turns to look at her dad, his orange shirt standing out against his silver/gray tie, white vest and black tux. The pastors voice brings her out of her day dream
“Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”

“Her mother and I do” her father says placing a soft kiss on her cheek
Nate steps off the platform extending his hand to her “You look beautiful, everyone should be jealous”
Carrie’s smile falters but she takes his hand and steps carefully up onto the platform. She hands her flowers over to Lacey and turns back to face Nate getting lost in his soft melted chocolate eyes.
“We are gathered here today in the face of this company, to join together Nathan David Gerbe and Carolyn Michelle Anderson in holy matrimony. If anyone can show just cause why they may not be lawfully joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”
There was silence in the church and Carrie watches as Nate’s eyes harden over scanning the crowd for someone before it hits her that he is looking for Derek, she tugs gently on his hand and he turns his eyes back to her giving a small smile. The pastor reads from 2nd Corinthians chapter 13, the chapter about love while Carrie finds herself zoning out lost in Nate’s eyes.
“Nathan do you take Carolyn for your lawful wedded wife, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honor, comfort, and cherish her from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto her for as long as you both shall live?”
“I do”
He repeats the same thing for Carrie and she says I do quietly. They are then each handed the simple gold rings with small diamonds studded across it
“Nathan repeat after me with this ring I thee wed. Wear it as a symbol of our love and commitment.”
Nate repeats the words sliding the ring effortlessly onto Carrie’s finger then she repeats the same thing
“By the power vested in me by the state of New York before God and all these guests I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride”
Nate’s smile widens as he kisses Carrie gently and the church erupts into applause
“I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Nathan David Gerbe” Carrie lets a full smile spread across her face has Nate’s hand finds her and the make their way back down the aisle and out into the foyer.
Carrie and Nate make their way back to the room where Lacey and her got dressed to wait for everyone to make their way out of the church before they leave. Turning the corner to where no one can see them Nate drops her hand. And Carrie turns to him
“Great show” she says feeling her heart break a little more
“I could say the same for you; you actually looked like you were going to cry”
“Yeah because I was stupid enough to believe those vows”
“Oh please”
“Come on Nate, you can’t believe this really can you? Look at me!”
“What do you want me to say Carrie?”
“I want you to say you know Derek’s lying, I want you to say you love me, I want that entire wedding to not have been a one sided act!”
Nate runs his hands through his hair sadness filling his eyes
“I can’t”
Carrie feels her eyes fill with tears
“Then tell me I’m a screwed up mess, that I never listen, tell me you don’t want my kiss, that you need your distance. Tell me anything just don’t tell me it’s because of Derek, because if he’s the only reason that we are like this then tell me a lie” Nate opens his mouth to speak and Carrie turns from him “On second thought I don’t think I can handle that, knowing whatever comes out of your mouth will only be a lie I can’t do it. I just.. I.. I… just hold me please” she says turning back around to face him surprised to find open arms to step into. He places soft kisses in her hair
“Look at it this way, for one night you have me totally unguarded, tomorrow will be different but for tonight you’ll hear exactly what I’m dying to say”

Carrie nods sniffling “I’ll miss you tomorrow”
“I wish we could stay like this baby”
“We could…”
“Don’t.. Carrie just don’t, okay?” Carrie nods “Alright then come on we have a reception to get to, and you really do look beyond beautiful”