I turned to see Paul, my father, looking dashing as ever in his black suit. “Hi, Dad.”
“Hi, sweetheart. First of all, Jamie is a lucky man. You’re beautiful and smart and you deserve to be cherished for the rest of your life. If you don’t think with a hundred percent certainty that Jamie will be able to do that, then I will bust you out of here in ten seconds flat. Just say the words. There’s still time,” he said in the most pragmatic tone.
We both laughed. “I’m sure, Dad.”
“Okay, fine. The next thing is that if you don’t know with one hundred percent certainty that you will be head-over-heels in love with Jamie forever and a day, then I will do the same—I will bust you out of here. That’s my job, if the need arises.”
“You won’t need to do that. I know what Jamie and I have.”
He nodded. “Okay, now, as for you and me, I want to make a promise to you that I will be here for you, no matter what, until the day I die. Even though you met your husband before your father, it doesn’t mean that you’re not still my baby, and I would do anything to protect you.”
“I know,” I said and then kissed him on the cheek.
“You have to promise me something.”
“Yes.”
“When you finish polishing that manuscript, you’ll send it to me first.”
“I promise.”
“Good, now we have a wedding to attend.” He stuck his elbow out to me, and without hesitation I took his arm. I watched Jamie the moment I turned the corner. There was a magical light in his eye as I came walking down the aisle. He watched me with wonder and amazement until I reached him, and then he smiled at me so beautifully it made my legs shaky. There were no words, just a knowing exchange from my father to Jamie, two cordial smiles and a handshake.
He took my hand in his as we turned to face the officiant. Under his breath, Jamie said, “You’re even more beautiful than I imagined. How is that possible?”
It took everything in me not to lean up and kiss him. Instead, I squeezed his arm and quietly said, “Thank you.”
Our ceremony was like being in a bubble. I knew our loved ones were watching, but we were able to tune out the world and take each other in. I could tell when we read each other our vows that Jamie felt the same way, like we were the only people in the world.
“Katy, my angel. Since the day I met you, I’ve been falling in love with you, and I vow to never stop. There is nowhere else in the world I would rather be than by your side. Nowhere but here do I feel as whole and most genuinely me. I promise I will do the best by you and our children.” He swallowed and his eyes began to water. “I promise that these hands will hold you with passion and thoughtfulness and warmth and respect every day for the rest of my life.” I had never seen a man look so equally strong and sensitive. My lip began to quiver and my eyes filled with tears. He squeezed my hands, encouraging me to say my vows.
“Jamie, you are my light. When I found you I could finally see the leaves on the trees and the intricate details in fabric. I could finally hear the birds calling to each other. I finally felt alive. I woke up when I met you, and you’ve given me more than you can imagine. I promise to never take the love that exists within us for granted. I will stand by you no matter what, and I will be grateful. I will give you everything that I have inside of me for all the days of my life.”
Without permission, we kissed. There were a few moments in that kiss where I lost track of where we were. His lips were so gentle but determined. When he finally broke away, he said, “I love you,” as if it were the first time he had said it.
I smiled. “I love you, too.” In that moment, I finally became aware of the guests as they started to clap. My sister Skylar hit the first note on the piano, which cued us to walk back down the aisle and toward the tent. We walked hand in hand, saying hi to everyone and smiling. There was thrilling energy running between me and Jamie.
Our reception was intimate and romantic. The tent was lined with white lights. Each of the long farmhouse tables had sunflowers and other wildflowers in vases running down the center. The food was impeccable, of course, thanks to Chef Mark, who had hired the best. I left the entertainment up to Jamie, so I was a little surprised that I didn’t see a DJ set up. Skylar played to us through dinner, and then just before it was time to cut the cake, I turned to Jamie. “What’s the entertainment?”
With no trace of humor, he said, “Karaoke, of course.”
“You’re kidding?” I was actually a little peeved.
“I am kidding. I wouldn’t do that to you. The entertainment is my wedding gift, and it’s a surprise.” He smirked.
“Oh, I’ll give you your gift later.” I winked.
“You better. We have to consummate this marriage, you know.”
“Oh, I think we’ve covered that.”
He frowned. “You mean we’re not going to . . . on our wedding night?”
“We can, but that’s not my gift to you.”