FIVE RULES.
Hold your bouquet low.
Shoulders straight. Head high.
Don't forget to walk.
Be careful not to trip on your dress.
Smile at the guests.
Dawn went over these rules, her heart beating a million times faster as she paced the length of the front room with her hands tightly clasped in front of her stomach and her glossy lips drawn into a thin line.
She had spent the last few days of her life rehearsing for this moment — waiting for her time of glamour to reveal itself but now that it was finally here, she felt stuffed and the figure-hugging white wedding dress didn't help lighten her burden.
"Sit down and quit pacing around, you're making me dizzy" her sister, Paula,
who'd been watching her walk back and forth for over ten minutes
scolded with a slight huff of annoyance but Dawn was too apprehensive to notice.
She'd been fidgety all morning and having Paula as the bridesmaid wasn't doing anything to help calm her down. In fact, it made her worse.
"I can't Paula" she chewed on her lip, almost tempted to run a hand through her face but she knew better than to fortify the two hours' worth of makeup baked on her face.
"If you're worried about the dress, I'd say you look stunning in it" she commented, adjusting the straps of her own gown.
"No, it's not the dress" Dawn groaned.
Okay, maybe it was, just a little bit of it, but of course, she couldn't just go about telling her that the dress she'd chosen barely gave her room to breathe.
"Then what is?" At this point, Paula was frustrated.
"I'm just nervous" she sighed out, subconsciously smoothening out the nonexistent wrinkles on her dress.
She had a valid reason to be nervous, for it wasn't every day that one got married to an Argent and the thought of it feared her.
"About what?" Paule raised an eyebrow, searching her eyes.
"It's just - " she paused, stopped, and fully turned to her. "Wh-what if he doesn't show up at the altar, what if he changes his mind?" She stuttered, her brows creasing with worry.
Maybe it was too soon for marriage, they'd only been together for half a year, and thus didn't have enough time to familiarize themselves properly.
What if he just felt rushed and proposed because she promised to leave if he didn't take the first step? What if he'd planned to bail on her as they did in the movies.
She mentally pulled on her hair. She was going crazy.
Paula scoffed. "C'mon, Dawn, this isn't the movies. You and I both know that if he was going to change his mind, he would've done it by now."
Dawn's shoulders drooped, obviously not at all comforted with that statement and Paula must have noticed because she quickly added. " What I mean is... as much as I don't like that blockhead, I have to admit that he's a good man, and if he were to change his mind about marrying you, he wouldn't wait until the ceremony or humiliate you in front of everyone."
Dawn bit inside her cheek. Paula had a point but she still couldn't dust off the uneasy feeling in her gut.
"But what if I trip?" she added on a mumble, looking down. She was always known to be the clumsy sort, especially when she was nervous and apprehensive.
Paula sighed and gently brushed her fingers over her thick curls. "Today happens only once in a lifetime Dawn, stop worrying about the moment and just focus on yourself. Trust me, it will be over quickly and the best parts will come after" she placed a hand on her shoulder. "Whatever happens, good or bad, David isn't going to love you less for it okay? So just drop it all off and enjoy your day"
Dawn took a moment to inhale deeply before breathing out. "Thank you, Paula," she said, finally turning to examine herself in the full-length mirror.
"You're going to do just great," Paula assured with a soft smile gracing her features.
"You think so?"
She nodded vehemently. "I know so. Now come on, we better go before David actually changes his mind"
***
THE CEREMONIAL SONG BEGAN to play, prompting everyone to stand and turn to look toward the back of the chapel.
"Are you ready?" Martha asked, squeezing her daughter's arm lightly and Dawn nodded, sucking in a deep breath before taking the first step into the chapel, and upon her entry, an awe-stricken gasp eluded from the crowd.
She walked the distance, holding her bouquet firm as she followed the slow pace of her mother who joyously governed her into the chapel.
"Nothing else mattered," she told herself, smiling broadly as she made her way to the only man who had managed to capture her heart and make it sink so deep. She kept her eyes on him, only seeing him while the rest of the world around her faded into a perfect illusion.
David stood at the altar, watching in marvel as his soon-to-be wife walked graciously towards him.
"Last chance to bail David" his best man, Tanner teased but he was too far gone to heed his jest.
She looked beautiful — her smile, her blue star eyes, that bashful look on her face -he couldn't believe it was the girl he'd fallen hopelessly for. The dainty little clumsy girl who came unexpectedly into his life and took his heart by surprise, the girl who found parts of him he didn't know existed- it felt like a constant euphoric rush and he was completely at a loss of words.
For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to say or do and before he could blink, she was standing beside him with a smile on her face.
"Good afternoon," said the priest as he took his place between them. "We gather here today to witness the celebration of deep love between David and Dawn and their wish to unite in the bond of marriage. On behalf of them," he paused, and gestured to the crowd, "I welcome all of you"
The priest began the wedding ceremony shortly by giving a short speech about love and how important it was in a relationship but David knew exactly what love was.
Finding someone you couldn't live without, someone you couldn't breathe without, that one person that made your heartbeat rise every second of the day, that was love - that was Dawn, and there was something about her that made him want to fall, or turn to liquid or burst into flames.
"David and Dawn, if you are ready to step into the circle of matrimony, assuming all its rights, obligations, and abundant joys, please so indicate by joining hands."
David turned, his winter grey eyes piercing her blue ones as he took her hand into his and squeezed gently.
The priest smiled. "Do you, Dawn Araceli Montgomery, take this man, David Argent as your husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health. Do you promise with all your heart to honor this vow till death do you part?"
"I do," Dawn promised without hesitation and David's heart thumped with euphoria.
"Do you, David Earl Argent, take this woman, Dawn Montgomery, as your wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health. Do you promise with all your heart and soul to honor this vow till death do you part?"
"I do." He said, his eyes never leaving hers.
The priest continued. "David, place the ring on Dawn's finger and repeat after me," he instructed and as David slipped the silver band onto Dawn's left hand, the priest recited "As this ring..."
"As this ring..." David repeated.
"Has no end..."
"Has no end..."
"Neither shall my love for you."
"Neither shall my love for you."
"Dawn, place the ring on David's finger and repeat after me."
After the process had been repeated and the rings were exchanged, the priest proceeded.
"David and Dawn, now that the two of you have joined hands and placed the rings on each other's fingers in the presence of your family and Yahweh, you have declared your eternal love for each other, therefore, by the power vested in me by the most heavenly Father and the court of law, I hereby on this day pronounce you husband and wife. David, you may now kiss the bride"
The congregation cheered and applauded, but David didn't hear any of it. In the drawn-out moment, it was just him, and nothing else mattered. Dawn was his, and she would always be his.
"You belong to me now Dawn Araceli Argent" he touched her lips, tickling the tender skin with his forefinger "Only me" his warm mouth collided with hers, the intensity of their kiss swimming like wildfire through and around them.
Dawn ran her fingers gently through his soft curls, giggled shyly as he nipped on my bottom lip and a sense of a wicked stratification crawled up her skin as the hungry eyes of jealous women witnessed her claim on her husband.
"I love you" David muttered, pulling away to stare right into her sparkling eyes.
It was beautiful... She was beautiful.
"More than the universe" she smiled, and in that moment did they realized that their world as they knew it changed forever.
For better...or worse.
