Promise Me Forever

by Sarah Ashley Jones

Dad and I paused by the back door. Tears already threatened to spill down my cheeks and I hadn’t even made it outside yet. All of my emotions were heightened. My brain didn’t know how to process any other thoughts other than ‘You’re getting married,’ which I repeated over and over in an attempt to concentrate on anything other than the pending waterworks and the need to throw up at the same time. That wasn’t how I imagined most women felt before getting ready to walk down the aisle.

  I gave my father one last smile before he reached forward and opened the door. Sunlight blasted through the opening and instantly warming my skin and soul. With my heart pounding in my chest, I slipped one bare foot out onto the warmed wood of the patio, looking down to make sure I made it safely without tripping over the threshold. When my father was back at my side, I looked up and took in the moment as time paused around me.

  The backyard was simple, gorgeous and absolutely perfect. There was an immeasurable amount of lights strung above us in rows, going back and forth over the entire yard. The sun was about to set, but within the hour they would light up the entire backyard. Tables and chairs were arranged around the perimeter of the yard, leaving an empty middle, until the very end of the grass where our small, but very much loved group of family and friends stood.

  My eyes followed the aisle of flower petals that parted our guests and I saw him - my groom - standing in front of a beautiful arch, overrun with twine and all shades of gorgeous flowers. My lip quivered and I inwardly begged myself not to lose control. He waited for me with the widest, most gut wrenching grin; his hands shoved into the pocket of his dark grey pants as he rocked on his toes and watched me. The sleeves of his light blue shirt were rolled up just enough to let his colorful, inked arms peek out from under the button down and grey vest that matched his pants. He looked so…incredibly handsome. And he was waiting for me to walk down the aisle.

  My life changed as soon as Charlie stepped out into the backyard. I thought the moment I would always remember would be our vows, or even the kiss, but it wasn’t. It was the image of her standing on our porch, barefoot, with flowers in her hair and her cream colored dress falling over all of her curves that would be forever burned into my memory. She was perfect in every way and she was about to become my wife.

  I was right. Everything in my past did lead me to that very moment when the woman I loved more than anything else in the world walked past our friends and family and straight to me. Swallowing proved difficult as Charlie and her father approached me. In reality it only took seconds for her to hug her father, but it felt like an eternity. I was ready for my turn.

  But Charlie’s dad surprised me. Before turning to find a spot among the small crowd, he held his hand out towards me. When I shook it, he embraced me; patting my back a few times before whispering in my ear, “Even though today she takes your last name, you two will always be my family. I love you, son.”

  He pulled back with a nod and left me speechless. I’m not sure if he knew at the time how much those words meant to me, but they impacted me more than I expected. I wasn’t just gaining a wife, I gained a dad as well - something I’d never had before.

  Charlie’s small hand slipped into mine as the officiant began to talk. I only half listened; the two of us were too busy exchanging private glances and smiles. The rest of the world didn’t exist. I wasn’t a traditionalist; I didn’t need a long, elaborate wedding. Just give me the chance to promise myself to her and let me kiss her to seal the deal.

  As I pulled her ring from my pocket, that’s exactly what I did.

  “Charlie, as I stand before you, looking into your eyes, I see all the things that made me fall so deeply in love with you - your beauty, your intelligence, your kindness, and even that giggle you do when you’re nervous.” As if on cue, she covered her mouth and proved my point with her laughter. “Since the day you came tumbling down the stairs and then refused to let me help you up, I have loved you more than I ever thought was possible. You have made me a better person because our love for one another is reflected in the way I now live my life. When I am with you I am whole, full, and most importantly, I am alive.

  “You make me laugh and you let me cry. You have already given me a sense of family unlike I’ve ever known before, and I look forward to the days when our house is full of tiny footsteps and even more beautiful laughter. You continue to amaze me with your compassion and how you can make me feel so special in such a big world. It’s what makes you unique and wonderful, and I am blessed to have you as my partner for life.”

  The band slid onto her finger with ease and I felt Charlie’s hands tremble under mine. “With this ring, I give you my heart and soul. I promise to love and protect you, to be with you every chance I get, and to cherish every moment we have together. I promise to nurture your dreams, because through them your soul shines brighter than the sun. I promise to be your partner in all things, never possessing you, but working with you as a part of a whole. I promise you all of this, forever, because one lifetime with you could never be enough.”

  We both sighed in unison as she looked up from our hands and back into my eyes. Tears already stained her pink cheeks. ‘I love you,’ I mouthed to her, and waited for the officiant to announce it was her turn. It was Hannah who handed Charlie my wedding band, giving me a sly wink before returning to her spot off to the side.

  I was eager to hear Charlie’s vows. It was her idea to write our own, and I admit, that surprised me. She was always the first to tell me exactly how she felt, but she was also very private in her feelings. We usually kept everything just between us. But I knew one thing - she was full of surprises and they never disappointed me.

  Holding the ring just before my finger, she looked down at our feet and took a deep breath before tilting her head just enough so I could see the glimmer in her bright blue eyes.

  “Jhett, you are nothing that I ever expected to find in life, but you are everything I ever dreamed of when I imagined the man I would spend the rest of my life with. I could be having the worst day in the world, but the moment I see you that all changes. You loved me, even when I was unlovable. You held my hand through the darkness and it was you that pulled me back into the light. It is because of you that I smile, I laugh, and dare to dream again.”

  Chills ran down my spine at her words. I wished she could see herself through my eyes, because then she would know she did the same for me, too.

  “So today, Jhett Augustus Hudson, I choose you - loving what I know of you and trusting what I don’t know yet - to be my husband, my partner in life, and my one true love. I promise that laughter will always be heard in our house, even when it might not be appropriate to laugh. I promise to celebrate the joys of everyday life with you. I promise to not keep score, even if I really am winning.” The pink in her cheeks deepened as laughter came from all around us.

  “But most of all, I promise to stand by your side through all of life’s moments with a kind, patient and forgiving heart. I pledge to you that from this day forward, I will continue to love you with all that I am and all that I have, and to remain faithful to you for all the days of our lives.”

  She slid the silver ring onto my finger and smiled in a way I would never forget. It was beautiful, full of nothing but excitement and pure happiness; it was a smile meant just for me. The officiant began to speak; tearing our attention from one another and onto him.

  “Before I pronounce you husband and wife, I have one more thing I want to say. Your wedding day is one that seems to fly by. It’s a day filled with many emotions, lots of friends, two rings, and endless dancing. Many people remember how fleeting their own wedding day was. So, Charlie and Jhett, I want you to take a few seconds and look into each others’ eyes. Think about the happiness you feel in this very moment, standing in your backyard before your friends and family and really let that feeling register in your heart and in your mind.”

  Our heads turned and we were once again left to take each other in. It felt like he was trying to torture
me by making me wait as long as possible to kiss her. But in an attempt to maybe do something not so impulsive, I listened and looked at Charlie - I mean really looked at her. Her hair fell in soft waves and she looked even more beautiful than the first moment I saw her. Happiness looked best on her. I wanted to make her that happy for the rest of our lives.

  “Now, I want you to think about your life together in twenty years. Where are you? What are you doing? We all know that your visions of the future are not identical, but they should always be complementary.”

  Charlie’s shoulders rolled forward as she transferred her weight on her bare feet. It made me wonder what she saw in our future as she looked up at me. Was it the same as mine? Her and I tucked somewhere far away from the busy life of the city, with our children playing around us, and music constantly flowing through the house? All I knew was that I wanted to make whatever dreams she had come true and then some. I would follow her anywhere to call her mine.

  “John Lennon once said, ‘A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.’ And for the both of you, that reality starts now.” Turning to me, he held out his hand towards Charlie and presented her to me. “You may now kiss your bride.”

  Those were the words I waited all day to hear. Dropping Charlie’s hands, I eagerly grabbed her face and pulled her lips to mine. Every emotion I felt since meeting her blasted through me. She made life sweet. She gave my life purpose. She made my future worth living. She was a ray of light when all else was dark - Charlie truly was my sunshine.

  “It is with great joy that I present to you for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Hudson.”

  My lips were still pressed to Charlie’s when the officiant’s voice boomed behind us and applause erupted from our guests, but it was Charlie’s dad’s voice from earlier in the day that echoed through my head. ‘From now on, never be the first one to pull away from an embrace.’ So I listened, although I didn’t mind. I could kiss Charlie for days. When she broke the kiss, her arms stayed clasped around my neck.

  “We did it.” Her voice was soft and delicate, matching the glow that swept over her cheeks.

  “Yes we did.” She kissed me one last time before we turned and faced the hollering audience. Giving her hand a quick squeeze, we raced down the parted sea of people as multicolored flecks rained over us.

  As we passed by our loved ones running hand in hand through the backyard, I was overcome with elated excitement. I felt like a little girl running through the playground. There wasn’t a single worry pulsing through me. At that very moment I was only one thing - happy.

  Jhett and I stopped right before the stairs leading up to the patio; the shower of tiny rainbow pieces continuing over us. The grass tickled my bare feet. Looking down, I noticed what everyone was throwing at us. Another burst of excitement shot through me as I reached up and picked a few pink and yellow pieces out of Jhett’s perfectly placed hair, and held them up between pinched fingers for him to see.

  “It’s sprinkles!” My jaw fell open and more laughter came rolling out. Jhett couldn’t keep his hands off me. It was as if he were afraid to let go, for fear that I may not really be there. I’ll admit, I kind of felt the same way. The entire day was so surreal, and the best part was, I didn’t have to do much of anything except show up. Everyone else took care of the rest.

  Jhett’s inked arms wrapped around my waist, making contact with my bare skin and lighting my body on fire once again. He pulled me close to him as we looked out over the backyard. Saying it had been transformed into a magical wonderland would be an understatement. Our backyard looked like something straight out of a bridal magazine.

  My eyes fell on Hannah; her hands clutched over her chest as she bounced on her toes, her bare feet matching mine. She was the reason everything looked the way it did. When I told her a wedding was in my future, she wasted no time in fulfilling the obligatory maid of honor duties.

  I only had four rules: no fluffy dress, no tuxedos, it had to be in our backyard, and no heels. Everything else was up to her. Sure she gave me choices, and Jhett had some things to say about it too (“Don’t make it too girly”), but overall, Jhett and I agreed on one thing - it didn’t matter what we wore or ate or how elaborate the decorations were, we only cared about getting to say I do and becoming husband and wife. All the other stuff was just added extras.

  Goosebumps ran down my spine as Jhett’s fingers caressed my back. He looked down at me with a hungry smile. We weren’t going to make it the rest of the night if he kept on doing that, especially with the temptation of our bedroom just a few feet away. Leaning down, he wiggled his nose against mine - an Eskimo kiss. Once again, our surroundings began to disappear as my attention focused solely on him and his gorgeous, handsome smirk.

  A sudden pop brought us out of our bubble. My dad stood next to a long rectangular table holding an overflowing champagne bottle in his hand. Danny was already busy filling up flutes, while Ginger passed them out to the rest of our guests. I watched her intently as she smiled politely and even threw in a small laugh every once in a while. Her sweetness wasn’t forced, but her interactions surprised me, given the wide array of people gathered together in our backyard. On top of my dad, Ginger, Danny and Hannah, about fifteen other people were there as well. This included Hannah’s parents and her new boyfriend, my aunt and uncle, and even some new friends from school and the restaurant. All of our little slivers of life came together to celebrate us, and that made everything so much more magical.

  Dad walked over to the two of us and handed us each a flute filled with bubbling liquid. The sides of Jhett’s mouth turned down as he looked at the drink in our hands. I’d still never seen Jhett take a sip of alcohol, and since my disastrous first drinking experience, I usually opted out as well. Jhett eyed me with caution and waited for my reaction.

  I shrugged and held my glass up in the air. “Just for today?”

  A slow nod answered me. “Just for today,” he repeated, loud enough so only I could hear him. He pulled me tightly to his side, his arm never leaving my waist, and looked out over the smiling faces that watched our every move.

  “I think I speak for both myself and Charlie when I say it’s really amazing having all of you here tonight. We know how far some of you traveled to join us, and we couldn’t be more blessed to share our special day with you guys. I’m glad all the hours Charlie spent pinning wedding things on the phone with Hannah actually paid off.” Laughter sparked around us. “Each and every one of you contributed in some way to make today absolutely perfect for the both of us, and I can’t even begin to say thank you enough for all your hard work. This is something neither of us will ever forget. Cheers.”

  Glasses went up into the air simultaneously around us. I clinked mine with Jhett’s; his eyes smoldering as he watched me take a sip of the chilly champagne. My nose wrinkled at the dry taste. Apparently I still wasn’t a fan of drinking. I bit my lip and looked out over the large empty space in the middle of our backyard. It was my turn to talk.

  “Well now that all that is out of the way, I just have to say one more thing. Tonight is a celebration, not only for our wedding, and us but also of the future. There’s plenty of food and lots to drink, so I fully intend to witness the best party of my life tonight. Feel free to kick off your shoes and dance, eat, and be merry with us all night long.”

  Someone let out a whistle, followed by cheers that seemed to never end. Jhett tipped my chin up and lightly pressed his lips into mine. I relaxed my entire body in his arms and let his passion consume me. His kiss was like coming home, and I didn’t plan on being anywhere else.

  Our foreheads met as the sun set; the night sky blanketed us with darkness. It was then that the strands of lights really showed what they could do. The entire backyard lit up and the bright balls of white seemingly floated above us. My eyes grew wide in awe. I was Alice in my very own Wonderland.

  Jhett’s hand found mine. “Danny, let’s start the night off right. I
t’s time I got to dance with my wife.”

  Danny tipped his tan fedora towards us and disappeared behind one of the large trees that grew off to the side of the yard. Jhett didn’t wait for the music to start; he led me into the center of open grass and scooped me up just right so my hands automatically went to the perfect dancing position. We were still as we waited for the music to start, pressed so close against each other so that each rise and fall of our chests could be felt against the other.

  The slow strum of a guitar caught my ears - it came from directly behind us. Our first dance was the one thing Jhett was determined to keep a surprise from me. I wasn’t allowed to know which song he chose, and he made sure to tease me about it for months. I was glad to hand that responsibility over to him. It was too much pressure to pick out one song that captured exactly how I felt about him. He was the musician anyway, not me. That was his job.

  Jhett swayed as soon as the music started, giving me no chance to look around and investigate the beautiful sounds. It wasn’t until a woman’s voice, filled with soul and a bit of sorrow, joined in with the guitar that I snapped my head around, only to find Ginger sitting on a barstool next to Danny; a guitar slung over his knee. A gasp escaped my lips as I looked upon them, proudly smiling as Ginger sang, to Jhett. The words of I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You by Elvis filled the backyard.

  “It was their idea. I didn’t have anything to do with this one. I only picked the song,” he whispered into my ear and pressed his cheek against mine.

  He didn’t need to defend them. I wasn’t angry or upset. It was unexpected, but it was just one more thing that made today so special. For one perfect moment our bodies melded seamlessly together. There was no need to think about the dancing or to even talk at all. It was just the two of us, listening to Ginger’s surprisingly sweet voice wrap us up in our love. I really thought I would be able to make it through the entire dance without letting any more tears fall, but when Danny joined in with Ginger, the flood gates opened. There was something about the chemistry of their voices together that was so eerily beautiful; it overwhelmed me completely.