The Proposal
I wrote of a proposal almost a year and a couple of months ago, and they got married a few months after that. They still are happily together and this is a chapter in their story.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Wedding
It was a perfect night – the stars were finally out after four days of incessant rain and typical Cebu October weather -- the moon was full and draped moonbeams across the manicured lawns of the beautiful chateau where he, not so long ago, asked her to marry him.
The past few months were a blur – the preparations and planning all came down to this moment. He looked at his beautiful beaming bride holding his hand and she looked back her eyes twinkling, her smile radiant and felt that nothing could be more beautiful in this world.
“Shall we?” he asked, beaming back.
“Yes.” She managed to say while reaching out to take his hand. He marveled at how her hands fit comfortably into his and took it and led her in to him for a kiss.
He heard the reception host say their names over the sound system and he led her out to a rain of confetti and cheers. He heard her laugh and greet people as they strolled down the carpeted path to their table as he turned and smiled to dozens of familiar faces on his side as well. They came to a stop in front of the applause, smiles, and tears, as there was nary an uplifted heart in that garden of lights.
He stood and faced her, as the constant banter of the host kept the applause going, and held her other hand in his. She was laughing, giggling and effervescently happy as she gazed back into his eyes.
“Wow.” He said to himself, knowing no words could describe everything he felt.
“So this is it?” He said loudly, laughing, to be heard above the applause.
“Haha, yup,” she replied, laughing along with him. They had toyed with the idea of practicing the kiss after a meeting with their host, but it always ended up funny scripting their kiss. Their conversations had ended up with them laughing and hushed questioning of what they needed the practice for.
“Let’s see a 10 second, hot, steamy….kiss!” He heard the host say just above the din of his thoughts, and laughed. She laughed in return, her eyes still sparkling and moved closer to meet him, halfway for the kiss – sweet, tender, and as beautiful as any moment can ever be, while cheers erupted around them in a countdown that he wished wouldn’t stop.
Flashing through 10 seconds were the beautiful moments of the afternoon’s ceremony. The church aisle was adorned with majestic white flowers and balls, and recalled how he caught his breath while watching her come down the aisle. No tears, no sadness – just joy, as he serenaded her passing down the aisle to the silent whispers of admiration until he took her hand to sit and kneel with him in front of the altar. The frequent professions of love, leaning to each other and whispers that she looked every bit the beautiful bride, drew a smile every time. Everything was dreamy as the heartfelt vows were exchanged and the rings went onto each their fingers, and a union sealed with a blessing and a kiss.
They were married! He silently thought, as the count filled up to 10. She opened her eyes, and smiled and gave his hand a squeeze, “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” He replied, knowing nothing more certain or absolute in his life.
The night would go on with great food and music. There was never a dull moment – their host made sure of that. Her nephew had ran up and down the aisles with a big confetti stick in his hand, their friends and family had enjoyed the speeches and the videos and each other’s company, the squeals of delight and laughter filled the air again as the garter and flower exchange was made untraditionally, going to a classmate of theirs from medical school and a nurse from the hospital she worked in.
From their table, he glanced at the scene before him and leaned in to her and said, “Hey.”
“Hey.” She said, flashing him another smile, squeezing his hand.
“We’re married.” He stated, showing her the ring she had placed onto his hand earlier that afternoon. They had picked out their rings and kept it simple – white gold with each half of a heart emblazoned in the center, that it was complete when put together.
“Yup, we are.” She said, showing her own ring and setting her hand on his.
“I love you.” He said, as he leaned in more to kiss her.
“I love you more.” She replied.
He smiled. Normally he would have said most, but just let it pass. The thought that he was with someone who loved him, immeasurably, brought a smile to his face as she kissed him back.
Rain slowly fell from the heavens, just as the program was drawing to a close. It didn’t fall like the relentless downpour in the last few days, but the kind that lightly caressed your skin and felt more like a blessing than precipitation.
As they watched their guests bid their good-night’s and well wishes, they stood together. He placed his arm around her, and she did him one over by turning to face him and put her arms around his neck and kissed him.
It was there on that viewdeck, at that chateau, on that beautiful night, that he remembered the day he asked her to marry him. Now a few months older, he said, “Thank you for marrying me.”
She replied with a smile and that familiar twinkle in her eyes that never got old, “Thanks for asking.”
No comments:
Post a Comment