The train follows behind her with each step she takes, her arm tightly clutching Reed’s as they walk toward me. Each step closer, my heart seems to pound against my chest erratically, frantically. My thumb flicks away the tears on my cheeks, as I take a deep, ragged breath.
I’m standing in front of everyone in my life that I love, everyone that means anything to me, sobbing like the world’s biggest baby, and I don’t give a shit. I’ve never been happier. This woman is my dream.
Finally, she and Reed make it to where I’m standing under the massive oak tree. He extends his hand, and I shake it. The both of us share a look that goes beyond words. He nods slightly, and I do the same.
Take care of Emery. Be good to her.
He doesn’t need to tell me. There’s nothing in the world I wouldn’t do for her. Wouldn’t give her.
I shake as I pull back her veil, and put it behind her. My fingers slide into hers, grasping them tightly as we stand before the preacher. She reaches out and swipes tears from my cheeks, her own eyes shining and matching mine with tears. I catch her hand before she’s able to pull it back and plant my lips against her knuckles, gently, tenderly.
Pastor Anderson begins speaking, “We’re gathered here on this beautiful evening to witness the union of Emery and Graham. Tonight, they will dedicate their lives to each other, in love, honor and respect. They will embark on the most important journey of their lives together. From this moment on, they will navigate the journey of life with each other, through good and bad, through love and laughter, through tears and joy, they will become one. This moment is even more special for them as they stand right where Graham’s mother and father stood years ago and recited their vows. Graham, you may now recite your vows to Emery.”
My hands tremble as I pull the paper from my pants pocket. It’s already creased to the point of tearing, from the amount of times that I’ve reread the words on it. Each time I did, what I wrote felt inadequate for this moment. To try and express what Emery means to me, what our love truly means.
I clear my throat before I begin reading off the paper. I glance back at Emery and she gives me an encouraging smile.
“I’ve always heard people talk about love at first sight and I never thought it was true, not until I saw you. I knew the moment I saw you, Emery Davidson, I wanted to be a part of your world. In whatever way that I could. You were sitting in the bleachers, laughing with Holland. I had just had my ass handed to me, eating complete shit on the ice, and I didn’t even feel it. Broken rib and all. All I saw was you. I thought you were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, and I decided right in that moment, that I would do anything to have you. Looking back, I realize that I knew even then that you were it for me. You make me whole.”
I glance up at Emery and pause, swiping away the tears on her cheeks. She steps closer to me, threading a hand in mine as I continue. Somewhere along the way, my own tears have formed in my eyes, making the words on the paper blur together.
I can’t believe I’m standing here reading these to Emery. I can’t fucking believe I’m going to be her husband.
“You make me the kind of man I have always wanted to be, the man I’ve always strived to be. The kind of man that would’ve made my dad proud. It’s you. Charlotte. Quinn. You and my girls are everything to me, and for the rest of my life, I will put you first. I promise to love you when we’re angry, and I promise to never let you go to bed without telling you how much I love you, even if I have to sleep on the couch.”
Emery laughs, and so does our family. I have a feeling there will be lots of making up with my strong-willed wife, and I can’t wait.
“I promise to support you and be your biggest fan. To help you chase your dreams, to encourage you and challenge you. To never let the fire that burns so brightly dim. I love you, baby, with everything inside me, and I promise that in sickness and in health, for better or worse, I will honor you. I will dedicate the rest of my days to making you laugh, and to loving you long after the sun has set. I love you hopelessly, Davidson, and I can’t wait another second to be your husband.”
When I’m done, I carefully fold the worn paper and stuff it back into my pocket, clearing my throat again, trying to hold on to any resemblance of composure. Right now, standing here with Emery feels like the rest of my life is starting.
I look up at my beautiful girl, and laugh as we both stand here crying like fools, so hopelessly in love.
“I love you.” She mouths.
“Emery… you may now recite your vows to Graham.”
She drops my hands and turns toward Holland, grabbing the piece of paper with her vows. From here, I can see the feminine scrawl of her handwriting, and the way that her hands tremble just the same as mine.
It hardly seems real that after everything… we’re standing here, together.
“I’ve rewritten these words at least a dozen times. Maybe even more. It’s a daunting task to somehow put my love for you into a paragraph on such a small piece of paper. I remember a time when I was too afraid to admit that I loved you, and I remember I was someone else then. Someone entirely different from the person who stands before you today. I learned along the way that growth… It's not easy. It’s messy, complicated chaos that isn’t linear. In some ways, I’m still the same girl I was in the beginning. But in others, I’m different. Because of you.” She pauses, exhaling shakily, tears dripping from her ocean blue eyes onto the paper below. Then crinkles it up, surprising me.
She looks up at me through tear-filled eyes. “You took me by surprise, Graham, and you knocked the floor out from beneath my feet. I thought I had it all figured out, my life, my career… my future. Then you walked into my life and proved to me that all of those things I thought I wanted didn’t hold a candle to what it was like to be loved by you. You're the number one man on any list I’ll ever write. You’re my anchor in a storm, my calm as chaos surrounds me, and I vow to love you, unconditionally, for the rest of my life. To be your best friend and your confidant. I tether my life to yours, for better or worse. It’s you and me. Forever.”
My girl, my fucking world.
Even if we didn’t stand here, right now, reciting these vows to each other, if Emery never said the words out loud, I’d know.
I’d know because I can feel them.
I can feel them every time her lips are on mine, every time she looks up at me with so much love that it makes my heart ache. What I share with Emery is beyond words, beyond everything.
It’s love that’s one of a kind.
When I slide the wedding band that matches her engagement ring onto her finger, I can feel the tremble of her hand, and I squeeze it gently in mine. She doesn’t have to say it because I feel it. This moment is everything.
She slides the simple black band onto my finger and smiles, a slow sultry smile that I feel square in my chest.