Please Remember Me

I sat at my vanity doing my makeup as Brittany curled my hair. In an hour I would be meeting Patrice at the court house and we would be married. We had decided to keep things small so that we would be able to fit it in before our babies were born. I remember the conversation like it was yesterday.

I sat on the couch curled up next to Patrice as we went over each detail of the wedding trying to decide on things. Sadly we were getting nowhere.

Frustrated I threw my hands up in the air, “Let’s just elope. We can do that right?”

“No, no we can’t, I won’t let you skip out on your own wedding. You deserve a real wedding.” Patrice said rubbing my tight back.

“I don’t want to plan this anymore.” I said relaxing back into his skilled hands.

“I think maybe we should take a break.” He said closing my laptop.

“No, because if we don’t keep at it we will never have the wedding before the babies are born.” I whined.

“So what if we have a wedding after the babies are born?” Patrice said laughing.

“Who cares???” I asked turning to face him, “No child of mine will be born without married parents! They deserve a real family Patrice.”

He sat there thinking for a moment before he spoke, “You’re right, what if we just went down to city hall and then after the babies are born have a formal wedding”

“When though?” I asked still unsure if this would ever work out.

“When I get back from our road trip, that way you can do whatever you need to do and I’ll have a few days off after so we could have a small honeymoon.” Patrice said kissing me softly on the lips. “Okay?” He asked looking me in the eyes tenderly.

“Okay.” I said pushing him back on the couch as I kissed him happily.

I smiled in the mirror as I examined myself. Today was the day. I walked over to my bed as I ran my hand over my simple white dress. Everything I needed was laid out over my bedspread just waiting for me to get dressed.

“Feeling anxious?” Brittany asked coming out from the bathroom in a dress.

“Not really, I think the babies might be though. They haven’t stopped moving all morning.” I said laughing.

“I can’t believe Patrice actually agreed to this though he’s usually so stuck on traditions.” Brittany said smiling as she helped me into my dress.

“Yea he’s so stuck on tradition that I’m a pregnant bride.” I said giggling along with Brittany.

“Well maybe not that stuck on them.” She said winking at me. “So do you have everything, something old, something blue, something borrowed?” She asked as I examined the dress in the mirror.

“Something old, I’m wearing my great-great grandmother’s veil; something blue, the heels of my shoes are blue; something borrowed I have…” I sat there going over my outfit trying to remember, “Honestly I totally forgot that one.” I said shrugging.

“Perfect, here you can borrow my garter I wore in my wedding.” She said excitedly digging through her purse. “Here, it even matches the clip on your veil.” She said happily clapping.

“Thanks Britt.” I said hugging her, “I mean really thank you for everything. I don’t think Patrice and I would be getting married today if it wasn’t for you and Looche”

“Don’t worry about it you’re my best friend that’s what friends do, but we should start heading out, I just got a text from Milan saying they were getting ready to leave.” Brittany said hugging me back.

“Okay.” I said beaming. In a little under an hour I would be the newest Mrs. Gabriella Bergeron.

~~~~

Brittany pulled into a parking space outside city hall before turning the car off. Everything in me wanted to run in there and get married, but there was a small part of me that was scared. I held the door handle but didn’t make any attempt to get out of the car.

“We can pull away right now if you want.” Brittany said placing her hand over mine. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

I looked over at Brittany shocked, “I-I just need a minute.”

“Alright, well I’ll go in and find them and then come back out to you okay?” She asked before hugging me tightly.

“I’ll meet you in there.” I said relaxing my body into the seat. When I opened my eyes again I was alone. I wasn’t sure what I was afraid of this was something I had wanted since I first saw Patrice on the ice. So what was keeping me from getting out of this car? Then it dawned on me, I was afraid of ending up just like my parents. I was afraid that once we were married our lives would fall apart. That we would fall out of love just like my mom and dad did so long ago. I knew what I had to do now.

I got out of the car and walked in the building. I asked the man behind the desk where I should go and he pointed me in the direction of room 601. I rounded the corner and down a long hallway where I could see Patrice standing at the end looking out a window. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw him standing there looking dapper in his tux. We we’re getting married in a court room and he still wore a tux. I knew in that moment that he would never change. He would always be his French little self. I was ready to marry him.

“Hey.” I said softly as I covered his eyes with my hands. I had managed to sneak up behind him undetected this whole time, “Guess who?” I whispered playfully.

“Hmm, well by the round bell pressed against my back I’d have to ask is that you Claude?” Patrice asked laughing.

I couldn’t help but break down into hysterical laughter. I let my hands fall from his eyes as he turned around to see me.

“You look absolutely beautiful.” He said running his hands up my sides causing a little shiver to run up my spine.

“Let’s do this, yea?” I asked leaning my body into him.

“Yea come on.” He said opening the door and leading me inside.

I could feel butterflies rise in my stomach as we stepped through the door. A man stood at the back of the room behind a stand situating papers. Before I could walk ahead with Patrice Brittany grabbed me by the arm.

“Just a few last minute touches.” She said beaming as she adjusted my veil over my eyes and swept a piece of my hair back into place before giving me a tight hug. “Thanks for including me on your special day.” She said getting a little teary eyed.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” I said smiling at her before taking Patrice’s hand and walking with him up to the man.

“Right on time.” The Justice said smiling.

We faced each other at the end of the aisle and I couldn’t help but give Patrice a nervous smile as he took my hands in his. I was suddenly insecure of how sweaty my palms were. Hopefully he didn’t notice, but when he gave my hands a squeeze I knew he did. I couldn’t help but blush bashfully I felt so nervous I thought I was going to be sick.

I didn’t realize that the Justice had been speaking this whole time until Patrice started repeating his vows to me. Lost in outer space I had been staring at Patrice whilst missing my own wedding. The minute I heard him start to speak a calm washed over like no other, I knew this was I was supposed to do with my life.

“I promise to love and cherish you, to stay awake on those first nights back from a long road trip so we can talk, to always treat you like a princess, to carry the load when you feel weak, and to pick you back up when you fall down. I promise that for the rest of your life you will want for nothing, that we’ll fight, but I’ll always make it up to you after. I promise to be the parent to our babies that you always wanted. TO be the best Dad I can be as well as the best husband. I promise that you will always be my number1 best friend until the end of time. I promise to never stop making you smile, to always kiss you good morning and goodnight and when I’m not home to face time kiss you. I promise to never take anything for granted, because if it’s one thing our relationship has taught me is that nothing is ever promised and so many things can go wrong down the road. And that leads me to my last promise; I vow to always fight for you no matter where this life leads us I will never give up on us and what we share.” Patrice said looking me deep into my eyes with the slightest smile on his lips.

Tears had welled up in my eyes as he said his vows, and as much as I tried to blink them back one spilled over my cheek. Wiping it away I nodded when the Justice told me it was my turn to exchange vows. I pulled out a small piece of paper from the pocket of my dress. I opened up the folded piece before looking up at Patrice I started to speak.

“Patrice, I have waited for this day my entire life. The day I start my own family, and prove to myself that I can have the family I never had. I promise not to never argue but to never leave an argument unsettled. I vow to care for you in ways only I can. I promise to give you back rubs and make you dinner after late night games when you come home starving and exhausted. I promise to be the wife you always wanted, to accept you and all that comes with you, your long hours and road trips. I promise to support all of your dreams and everything you aspire to be in this life. I promise to always remember that what we share is a once and a life time love, and to never take it for granted. I promise to even cook big meals when your teammates come over and even enjoy their company.” Patrice started to laugh a little at this and gave me a soft smirk, “I promise to live within the inside of your heart, to always put you first. I promise to always find you as sexy now as when you’re old and wrinkly.” I said giggling softly, “Finally I promise to always love you until my dying day.” I heard a sniffle and looked over at Brittany to see her weeping into Milan’s shoulder and couldn’t help but smile at my softie of a friend.

“Now Gabriella, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?” He asked me.

“I do.” I said softly as happy tears fell down my cheeks. After everything we had been through we had finally arrived at this treasured moment. Everything had led us here when it felt like all it was doing was pulling us apart it actually brought us closer together.

“And Patrice Do you take this woman as your lawfully wedded wife?” The justice asked turning to Patrice.

“I do.” He said smiling widely at me. He could take my breathe away with just a look sometimes.

“Then both of you repeat after me, with this ring,” He paused as we said the lines, “I thee wed.” We each slipped the others ring on our fingers. “With the power invested in me from the great state of Massachusetts I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss the bride.”

Patrice wasted no time as he pulled me in as close as my six month stomach would allow and kissed me hard on the mouth.

“This is without a doubt the happiest day of my life, Mrs. Bergeron.” He whispered softly in my ear before pulling away and walking out of the building to go separate with Brittany and Milan.