My Last(6)

Those two are so cute, Chelle thought to herself. Other people make love look so happy, so easy...what's their secret?

Sophie stepped up beside Chelle and everyone stood when the organist started playing The Bridal March. As the familiar strains of that well-known anthem rang out, Chelle couldn't help but hear the lyrics echoing in her mind, “Here comes the bride, all dressed in white...” and wondering if those words would ever be true for her.

NO, Chelle! Lock it down, she admonished herself.

There was a chorus of “OOOH” and “AWWW” as Katie slowly made her way to the front of the church, strictly adhering to the formal processional march, on the arm of Sophie's grandfather, Grandpa J. Katie had asked Grandpa J, aka The Colonel, to give her away since Katie’s father Craig had been MIA for most of her life – and, as she had found out later, had actually created an entirely new family in his absence!

Katie had just recently found out that she had four siblings - three half-brothers and one half-sister. Her brothers CJ, Caden and Corey were all in attendance today. Katie had briefly met her sister Carrie when she was out in California tying up loose ends, but Carrie was a student at UCLA and couldn’t make it out to Illinois for the wedding.

Grandpa J was technically Sophie and Nick’s grandfather, but he had unofficially adopted Katie as his own, and he loved her just as much as his ‘real’ grandkids. They had become very close over the time that Katie had lived next door to and dated Nick, back in high school.

Also, when Katie had returned to Harper’s Crossing last month for Sophie and Bobby’s wedding, Grandpa J had been the one to take the most drastic action in playing matchmaker – he had let the air out of the tires in Katie’s car so she would be forced to drive with Jason up to Whisper Lake, where the nuptials were being held. He had since said that, even during the years that Katie was dating Nick, he had always suspected that Jason was the right one for “his Katie girl.”

Chelle saw that Grandpa J had tears in his eyes when he leaned down to kiss Katie on the cheek. When the pastor asked, “Who gives this woman to marry this man?”

Grandpa J cleared his throat and smiled proudly as he said, “Well now, young man, I guess that would me.”

Then, when he passed Katie’s hand to Jason’s, he held his gaze and told him, “You take care of our girl, now, son.”

Jason beamed, “I will, Colonel.”

As Grandpa J made his way to his seat, Pam, Katie’s mom, surprised everyone. Seemingly overcome with love, she quickly stood, hugging both Katie and Jason before taking her seat next to her sister, Aunt Wendy. Chelle could see pleased smiles all around the congregation at this show of emotion by Katie's mother. The whole time Katie had been growing up, although Pam had always been a very good Mom and there was no question in anyone's mind about how much she loved Katie and how much she would sacrifice for her, Pam had never been very physically demonstrative or affectionate about that love.

Well, I guess weddings do tend to bring out the mushy side of people, Chelle thought as she turned to face the pastor.

The ceremony began and Chelle did her level best to focus on the pastor and what he was saying, but if she was honest with herself, it was the conversation with David that kept running through her mind as she tried to enjoy the beautiful ceremony. Her brain kept torturing her with the list of things that she should have said, the many questions that she should have asked. She had just been so blindsided by what David had revealed, that it was like her brain had been short-circuited.

Katie and Jason stepped up to the alter and the pastor announced that they were going to exchange vows that they had written themselves. Chelle prepared herself for the onslaught of emotion she was sure to have when they spoke. Of all the times during the day today that she needed to guard against having a breakdown, surely this – during the freaking VOWS, for crying out loud! - was the most important. And yet, because of the inherent emotion that the moment was going to bring, it could also prove to be the hardest. She steeled herself.

Jason brushed a soft curl back from Katie's face and she smiled up at him beaming with love. He took a deep breath and said, “Katie. My angel. I think that from the first moment I laid eyes on you, when we were putting our backpacks in our cubbies on the first day of Kindergarten, I knew that this day was in the cards for us. That it was coming, as surely as a sunrise after a dark night, no matter how far away that light might seem at some points, when you're sitting in the darkness. I never lost faith in you...in us. I know we took a winding road to get here, but this is where we belong. With each other. In each other's arms, and in each other's hearts. My beautiful girl, now that I have you, trust me on one thing – I will never let you go. You are my angel, the light of my life, forever.”