Unmistakable (38 page)

We share a meaningful look that speaks of everything I ever want to say about my promise to love Roxy fiercely. Gunny slaps my shoulder one last time and turns to leave while I take a deep breath, and wait for my love to walk toward me.

I’m standing in front of this big antique mirror, moving from side to side checking for wrinkles in my dress. Nervously, I run my hand through the venise lace overlaying my sheer wedding gown. The tank bodice leaves my neck and chest bare, exactly the way Cody likes it. Lifting my dress, I stretch out my left foot to look at my white thong Betsey Johnson Spark bridal sandals.

A knock on the door pulls me back to the present…my present. I see my uncle leaning against the door with a smile on his face. He walks toward me, taking his sweet time drinking me in. He runs his hands on my hair, then cups my face as I see tears threatening to spill over.

“That night you called me, I knew my heart would never be the same again, knowing that my own brother hurt you in a way a child shouldn’t be. But then, I saw you grow up into this strong, courageous woman, and my heart healed then. I knew you were strong enough that I could let you go. Let you spread your wings and fly. Then, my heart hurt a little, knowing that when something hits you hard again, I’d have to allow it to happen so you’d learn to stand on your own. You did, sweetheart. You.did. So, now I’m handing you off to another man’s arms, and my heart’s healed once again, knowing you’re in safe hands. Enjoy life, Roxy, even through the pain, but rejoice greatly through good times. You ready to do this?”

There’s no words to express how much I love this man, and how grateful I am he’s in my life and will continue to be in my life. I let him go, only after I’ve gotten my full share of his welcoming arms around me. Then, in comes my brother, and I’m sure my makeup will need to be retouched after this. He holds both my hands and swings them back and forth.

“I’ve missed so much of your life…mom and I have missed so much of your life. But, I’m glad I’m not missing this. Cody is a good man, Roxy. You know why I know?” I shake my head, and he gifts me with his sexy grin. “When a man is willing to give up his life for yours, he’s a good man in my book. What’s more important than that is, when a man recognizes his faults, corrects them, and isn’t ashamed to admit his mistakes, that’s an even better man. His pride doesn’t and won’t cloud the truth. I know he loves you without asking him, I know he’ll make an ass out of himself without asking you, but I know when life throws a nasty punch at both of you, you’ll be okay without me doing anything other than standing in the wings. I love you, Roxy. I’m ready when you are.”

He kisses both my cheeks and leaves without another glance.

Tami walks in right then, and one look at me, she walks straight to the vanity, points to the chair while tapping her wrist. Hitler is back with a stick up her ass. After a few minutes of re-touching, I’m ready.

“Here, hold this.”

“Tami, you want me to hold a pearl cuff bracelet?” Blowing out a breath, I ask, “Where’s my bouquet? Why did I let Cody be in charge of my bouquet? Tell me, again, why?”

This time she smiles at me, pushing me toward the door. “Because, you love him. You’ll find out soon enough. Besides that pearl cuff bracelet belonged to his mom. It’s your something borrowed and something old; now, let’s go. Don’t ask about Trish. She’s lucky if she can walk without one of the quads crying to be carried.”

One deep breath later, and I’m ready…I’m ready to see my love.

Once I hear
Inside Your Heaven
being played, I know she’s coming to me. I grip the mic as I pray my emotions won’t get the best of me, because there’s so much I want to say…so much I want her to hear, and so much I want her to understand. I need her to know my love for her is the most
unmistakable
love I’ve ever felt, and the one I’d only want to ever feel until the day I die.

We have a wedding party, but not where they walk down the aisle. I have everyone whose ever loved my soon to be wife, standing on the aisle. Each one of them holding three red roses wrapped together with a green silk along the stem, they’ll hand them over to my love as she walks by, and while she listens…I’ll speak.

As soon as I see her standing on the porch, my heart stops and soars at the same time. The sight of her takes my breath away, from her flowing dress that sparkles when the sun hits it, to the magnificent smile that curtains her face. How can I speak now, her radiance is freezing my thoughts and vocal chords.

As she takes her first ten steps, she stops right next to her mom. She hands her the roses and tucks them in the bracelet she’s holding as I say the first three words that represents each rose….

“
You’re my baby,
just as you are to your mother. She hurts when you hurt, exactly as I do. She loved you first, but I’ll love you last.

Ten steps again, and she’s next to Trish. Again three roses, through the bracelet that serves to bind the roses together.

“
My best friend
, that’s what you are to me. I can tell you anything and everything, knowing you’ll listen, and even better still you’ll understand.

Before she takes another step, she wipes her tears, then walks another ten steps stopping in front of Tami.

“
You’re my partner,
in everything. You support my dreams and inspire me to be better…to do better. You believe in me as I believe in you.

Ten steps…three more roses, she stops in front of Patti.

“
You’re my sunshine
, during the darkest days, you made me laugh when I was upset, cheered me up when I was down. I feel so alive when I’m with you, love.

Ten steps…three more roses, she stops in front of Jake.

“
You’re my warrior,
your tenacity moves me, your strength amazes me, but it’s your courage that blows me away.

Ten steps…three more roses, she stops in front of Brian.

“
You’re my peace,
I’ve been searching for; the one that calms my brain and consoles my heart. I surrender to the heaven you give me, because it’s my quiet…it’s our quiet.

Ten steps…she’s handed three roses by LT.

“
You’re my girl,
to have, now and forever.”

Ten steps in, she’s given three roses by Gunny.

“
You are mine,
you used to be his to protect, to love and to hold, but now I’m making you mine. Mine to protect…mine to love, and mine to hold, forever.”

She now stands in front of me, holding her bouquet of what
she is
to me. My mother’s pearl cuff bracelet holds all twenty four red roses snug and secure, just as how my love for her is. Then, she reaches out and thumps my chest twice, and my soul surrenders to her pull, to her words that comes with the simple act she does.

The minister stands in front of us, handing the vase with the blue sand to me and the one with pink sand to Roxy. With my left hand holding the vase, I reach for her left hand intertwining her fingers with my right, just like we always do in anything. It’s my way of sealing our connection.

“We are gathered here to witness and celebrate Cody and Roxy’s love for each other. More importantly, how they’re surrendering their love to Him, who holds them while they set sail in the journey we all call marriage. Your union is symbolized by these individual containers of sand, one blue, one pink, representing a man and a woman. The heart shape vase has white sand in it, representing God, the One that will hold you for all of eternity.” Nodding, we start pouring the sand into the heart shape vase in front of us. “The pouring of these individual containers of sand represents you, Roxanne Grace Oliver, with everything that you were, everything that you are, and everything that you will be.” He looks at me and says, “The other container represents you, Cody James Davis, with everything that you were, everything that you are, and everything that you will be. As you pour each of yourselves into this one solid container that represents Him, you forgo yourself for the other, sharing the same fears, the same hopes, and the same dreams. Feeling the same pain, crying the same tears, laughing about the same joy. You become one united in His love, brought together by fate, and joined as one by faith for all your days.”

We decided to go with the traditional vows. As I slowly put her ring on her left finger, I recite my promise to her, to love and hold her from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish her, ‘til death do us part. As she recites her vows, she adds more to them, holding my hand and placing it on her chest.

“I
promise
to
trust
you
completely
, to
share
my
thoughts
with you,
wholeheartedly
without
fear
, and to embrace life’s
trials
together without
reservations
. I’ll
seek
you first when I’m
afraid
, and
ask
you first when I have
doubts
.”

While waiting for the minister to give me the green light to kiss my wife, we stay gazing at each other, treasuring this moment that we can’t ever replay. We stay still as her love for me, and mine for her flows at a steady pace from her heart to mine.

He finally says, “You may kiss the bride.”

Kiss her, I do. That too, we savor; that act, we treasure; and while everyone’s hooting and hollering like crazy banshees in the wild, I carry my beautiful wife into our master suite to cherish her, before sharing her with everyone else. I gently unzip her, liberating her from her dress, while I stand in awe of her wearing nothing, but white lacy panties. I worship her body reverently, adoring her with my lips intensely, and I make love to her passionately.

Sadly, I have to share her now. As we stand on the porch, our hands intertwined, her back to my front, our arms crossed over her stomach as I breathe her in, I make another declaration, “I love you, wifey. Can you please make me a daddy?”

I excuse myself and tell her to wait until she’s called while I walk to my destination with a smile on my face. A smile that will be forever etched in my memory and will be forever plastered on my face because my love…my wife will always be by my side.