I Do

There was a flurry of activity behind the church doors. The giggles of two little girls, the most adorable little girls, were almost lost in the vague murmur of the joyful crowd gathered in the pews of the main part of the church.

"You look beautiful honey." Lucy's gaze focused on her father's reflection in the mirror behind her. She smiled at him. "Are you nervous?"

She shook her head slowly, a small smile upon her face. "Nope. Just taking a moment before I go out there."

"Well, when you're ready, we're all waiting in the foyer," he gives his prepossessing daughter one last glance. Lucy watched her father's aging face disappear behind the heavy, cherry wood double doors. She turned her focus back to her own reflection in the mirror.

Lucy tipped her head to the side as she smoothed the wrinkles out of her wedding gown. She thought back to the night she got engaged to the man she loved, to her best friend.

"-came up with the whole big dick hash tag thing!" Lucy slapped her hand on the table, laughing as she and her boyfriend, Austyn, finished with their dinner at the Cafe' Vermilionville.

"I wondered how that came up! I guess I never really understood that chicks really share everything; I mean, I knew that, but I never expected you and Marilynn to, like, start sharing our dick sizes and their names and all that," Austyn shook his head. He hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Lucy, I have to tell you something."

She waited patiently, nervously.

"You are," he paused, "my best friend. From day one. You know this. For the past five years, you have been my best friend, and for the past four you have been my girlfriend."

Austyn deftly maneuvered from his seat to a kneeling position on the side of their table and Lucy sucked in a breath, clapping her hands over her mouth. He pulled out a ring box, black and gorgeous in its simplicity.

"And I would love it, if you would be my wife for the rest of our lives." He snapped open the small package, revealing a stunning silver engagement ring. Lucy leaped out of her own seat and threw her arms around Austyn's neck. She showered his face with forceful kisses as he laughed.

Am I supposed to take this as a yes?"

"Yes!" Lucy shouted, then whispered a million times over; "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes."

Lucy Williams, the soon-to-be Lucy Thomas, snapped out of her memories and gazed down at the table upon which sat her engagement ring. She had asked that it remain with her until almost the very last moment when her little cousin could run up ahead of the bridal party and take his place, with it, as her ring bearer.

She snapped the lid open and smiled down at the jewelry. Simple, the ring was, but spectacular. Meaningful. It was a Claddagh: silver, a single band until the front of the ring separated into two on either side of the crowned diamond heart, two hands extending to cup the heart as though protecting it and giving it away at the same time.

The Claddagh itself had its own history, its own legends. The hands represented friendship, the heart represented love, and the crown represented loyalty. There were four ways to wear the ring: on the right ring finger with the crown facing the knuckle (a young lady was looking for love); on the right ring finger with the crown facing the fingertip (a young lady was in a relationship); on the left ring finger with the crown facing the knuckle (a young lady was engaged); and on the left ring finger with the crown facing the fingertip (a young lady was married). Lucy knew that the Claddagh was probably one of the most important turning points in her relationship with Austyn - he was her fifth serious relationship, and the only man she had ever turned her ring around for, symbolizing that they were in a relationship.

That he had had the thought to engage her with a such a ring spoke volumes to her how he treated her, how he felt about her, and how he would always feel about her. And she knew that they were ready for anything.

A knock from outside the door woke her from her reverie. Lucy took a deep breath. The time had come. She pulled her chapel train wedding veil over her face, snapped the ring box shut, and exited the room.