He grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “Are you ready to become Mrs. Dex Foray?”
I nodded. “I always have been.”
I linked my arm through his and we stepped out into the hallway and waited for Dean and Ada to go ahead, followed by Seb and Rebecca. We walked down the stairs to the doors which opened out into the yard and waited for the cue. My father and I stayed out of sight of the guests, tucked around the corner.
As soon as the first notes of the music started – a pretty piano piece – Rebecca and Seb went out, walking down the aisle. Then Dean and Ada, Ada giving my dad and I and exaggerated smile before they walked off.
I counted the beats in my head, waiting for the music to get louder, lusher, and when it did, it was time.
My dad kissed me on the head and whispered. “Let’s go.”
We turned the corner and I was met with a rush of emotions. Everyone I knew in the world was standing up, staring at me, smiles on their faces, cameras out, whispering to each other about how pretty I looked. But as I walked past them, none of that mattered. I wasn’t aware of anything except the man at the end of the aisle, the man I was walking toward.
My eyes were glued to Dex’s as his were glued to mine. I beamed at him – he grinned right back. Though I had just seen him earlier, he still managed to take my breath away. He was the most handsome man I’d ever seen and it hit me in the gut, a wonderful blow, to know he was going to be mine forever.
Everything rushed past me in a blur and suddenly I was in front of the officiant and Dex, my father handing me off to him and placing my hands in his.
“Do you, Daniel Palomino, give your daughter Perry away to this man, Dex Foray?” the officiant asked.
My father nodded, smiling at Dex for what seemed like the first time ever. “That I do.” Then he quickly pulled Dex into a tight embrace. I looked behind me at Rebecca and Ada and they both looked like they wanted to cry. My god, who knew weddings were such a tearjerker.
There were a few claps and my father went and sat down in the front row next to my uncle Al and his sons, Matt and Tony, all of them looking content. Uncle Al winked at me before I turned back to Dex and the officiant.
The man started speaking, a deep but jovial voice that immediately put Dex and I at ease. That said, I was holding onto Dex’s hands for dear life, as if I’d disappear if I let go. When I wasn’t listening to the officiant, I was staring at Dex, as deep as I could, and nothing else out there mattered.
I wished it hadn’t all passed by in a blur, but it did. We said our vows. Dex looked teary-eyed. When I looked at my father, I got teary-eyed. When it came time to put the rings on each other’s fingers, Dex dropped mine and it rolled under the gazebo. Thank god for Matt and his skinny alien-like arms that managed to reach under and pull it out.
He gave it back to Dex who blew on it and then, after a shrug to the crowd, proceeded to put the sparkling diamond band on my finger. It settled next to my vintage engagement perfectly.
Then came the kiss. Dex put his hands behind my neck and head and pulled me in close and tight. The kiss was deep, sweet, and hot. And more than that, it meant something. It meant everything. This was just the start. After everything, this was just the start.
I couldn’t wait to begin.
After we signed all the right papers and were pronounced husband and wife, we joined hands and walked down the aisle. I made note to look at every single person that I passed, to take them in, to appreciate what they were in my life and to silently thank them for coming.
To my surprise I found myself looking into the eye of Curtis O’Shea, his wife Margaret sitting beside him in the back row. I smiled at him, just in case Dex didn’t see him, to let him know it meant something for him to come.
We were immediately whisked off to have photographs taken. Our photographer was a goof, which was great since we were too. After our sessions were done with ourselves, my dad and my uncle and cousins got involved, as did the bridal party. I briefly brought up to Dex that I had seen his father. It was his call if he wanted to involve him.
Of course it was all too soon and too much for Dex to include him in something like this, but Dex at least seemed happy about his presence. Baby steps, it was all about the baby steps.
The reception was an absolute blast. There were roast-like speeches done by Dean and Rebecca and my uncle told one that had people laughing until they were crying. Then, people actually were crying. My dad got up and said his speech. By the end, when he’d finished telling me how proud my mother would be of me, he broke down in tears. Everyone in the house followed.
But it was okay, because the tears meant she was loved and wouldn’t be forgotten. I leaned into Dex while holding Ada’s hand under the table. We all felt her there, even if we couldn’t see her. We felt loved and we felt pride. It was beautiful.