With a smile on my face, I turn to get into the bathtub. For a while, I simply sit there in the warm water, allowing my thoughts to wander off to the future I’m looking forward to. When the water turns cool, I start to rinse my body and hair and I’m soon getting out. Within minutes, I’m exiting the bathroom to find the room dimly illuminated with only the side lamp from where I’d placed my items lighting the room. Kelly is already passed out, lightly snoring with her arm thrown over her eyes to ward off the light. The sight makes me giggle as I start to dress in my pajamas.
My phone starts ringing to the lyrics of, Marry You, and I light up inside as I imagine Matt singing the words to me. Ever since his little performance at the Brewhouse, he’s taken it upon himself to sing out lyrics of the songs he’s chosen as my ringtones when we’re alone. The performances are hilarious, but nevertheless special and I love them. It’s the reason why I let him keep changing them every so often.
Answering as the final words of the chorus begin so it doesn’t go to voicemail, I whisper the lyrics into the phone, “Hey handsome, I’m going to marry you.
“You sure you want to?” he asks with a hint of humor as I climb into bed next to Kelly.
“I’m pretty sure,” I quietly reply so not to wake her.
“Good, because even if you’d told me no, I’d have to go all caveman on you and throw you over my shoulder yelling, mine, while thumping my chest down the aisle.”
The thought makes me laugh out loud, making Kelly groan. Stifling my laughter, I reply, “You do that anyways,” still giggling.
“I just wanted to call and tell you I love you before you fell asleep.”
“I love you, too. I can’t wait to marry you.” The other end goes silent, quickly worrying me. “Matt, is something wrong?” I bravely ask.
Silence lingers for another couple of seconds. “I just wish Emily could be here,” he answers, with a crackle in his words, as if he’s holding back tears.
“Oh, Matt, she’ll be there. I promise,” I tell him.
“I’ll let you go now, beautiful. I love you,” he says into the phone, but the words are full of sadness and remorse.
“I love you, more,” I reply right before there’s dead silence, notifying me he’s hung up. Sitting in bed feeling a pang of sadness, the thought of how he must feel from the loss of Emily not being present overtakes my mind. I’d known from the beginning he’d feel this way on our wedding day, which is why I took it all into consideration when planning the wedding. I just hope he loves the details as much as I do.
Plugging the phone into its charger on the nightstand, I grab for Matt’s shirt, bringing it up to my nose to inhale its scent. I may not have him physically next to me tonight, but this is the next best thing. Reaching for the switch to turn out the light, my ring reflects with the gleam of the light making me bring it up so I can take a better look at it. The sight of it always brings a smile to my face. Matt was worried from the moment he’d slipped it on my finger that I wouldn’t like it, insisting that I can always have it exchanged for something I’d prefer, but there was no better ring I would have chosen myself.
Turning the light off to engulf myself in darkness, I fall asleep clutching Matt’s shirt tightly to my chest, my nose deeply nudged into the fabric, praying Matt will keep his promise and will be waiting for me on the beach tomorrow.
THE HAIRDRESSER TUGS at my hair, making me wince while I’m stifling another yawn.
“I’m so sorry,” she apologetically lets out before placing a bobby pin into my hair. “I’m almost done,” she tells me, and I simply answer with a slight nod. Julio is now standing in front of me with a huge can of sugar free Red Bull with a bendy straw already inside, and I instantly smile as I take it from him.
Swallowing the delicious sweet liquid, I look up to him to say, “Thank you.”
As usual, he answers with a quick nod before walking away. Half an hour later, I’m getting my make-up done and it’s off to put my dress on next. As Kelly takes the dress from where it’s currently hanging on one of the doors inside of our bedroom, I fully take it in, smiling from ear to ear. I’d known from the beginning a traditional princess style dress wasn’t for me. What I’d wanted was something form fitting with lace. The back was open and cut low, exposing my back where Matt would be free to roam his hand up and down, and the train was long and elegant. Putting it on, my mind keeps pleading Matt will like it just as much. Kelly brings over my veil and my eyes are already watering from the sight of it, my mind wandering back to the day I’d received it.
Matt walks into the room with a slim box in his hands, looking nervous as he looks down at me. I’m sitting at our dining room table surrounded by a sea of wedding details all organized in categories where I can find them.
“What’s that?” I ask Matt, watching him nervously swallow before he hands the box to me. Cautiously opening it, I find a mass of tulle neatly folded inside. Perplexed, I look back up to him for further explanation.
“This was my mother’s veil from when she married my father. I remember finding it in Emily’s closet a little time after my parents passed away. I would take it out and wrap myself in it every time I was really sad and missing her. On more than one occasion Emily found me asleep in it,” he says with a chuckle. “When Emily got married she wore it and I swear she looked like a princess as I walked her down the aisle.”
Staring down at it as Matt runs his finger across the delicate material in the box, my vision is starting to become obstructed from the tears now forming in my eyes.
“I don’t know if you’ve already chosen a veil, but if you haven’t I was hoping you wouldn’t mind wearing this one on our wedding day. I know it may seem like a weird request, but somehow it feels like it’s the closest thing to having my mom and Emily there,” he voices just above a whisper.
I can no longer contain the tears as they fall from my eyes while I look at Matt with a smile. “Are you sure?” I doubtfully ask.
“Never mind,” he says already reaching for the box, but I yank it back before he can take it.
“Matt, I’d be honored,” I answer.
“Are you sure?” he asks me.
“I promise.”
My thought is broken when Kelly lets out a gasp. Turning to face the mirror, I’m soon replicating the sound as a single tear cascades down my cheek from the sight now staring back at me. Taking a few moments to run my fingers against the tulle cascading around my body, it reminds me of my present to Matt. Rushing over to the bouquet of flowers that were prepared for my wedding, I grab the box I intended to be delivered to Matt along with the note I’d written days ago.
Stepping into the living room, I hand the small box over to Julio. “Can you please take this to Matt?” I kindly ask, hoping he hasn’t left his room yet. Giving me his usual nod, he takes the box from my hands and is soon heading out of the door.
Kelly is walking into the room to meet me. “He’s going to love it,” she comments, knowing exactly what’s in the box. With a tight smile on my lips, I rapidly blink away the remaining tears.
“You ready?” she asks and the question couldn’t have come soon enough. I’ve been ready since the moment I’d answered Matt with a yes.
She hands me my bouquet and I double check to make sure I have everything needed to walk down the aisle. My hand reaches to touch my bracelet, which is my something old, but with a new addition of a charm from Matt, which is my something new. Just a couple of day ago he’d added a winged charm to represent my running, but I’d told him it looked more like his tattoo. Either way, it was a perfect addition to all the others he’d given me. The veil of course would represent my something borrowed, and the sparkling sapphire studded earrings Matt had given me last night during the rehearsal dinner was my something blue. Looking into the mirror one last time to fully take in my reflection, I stare back at myself with awe.
Kelly steps up behind me, her eyes glassy. “Oh, God, Abigail. You look so beautiful,” she says before she
starts fanning her eyes.
“Do you think Matt will think so, too?”
She lets out a laugh from my question. “Of course he will!” The photographer is snapping away at her camera as I lean in to hug Kelly, grateful she’s my maid of honor today. “Come on girl, lets go get you hitched,” she says into my ear, making me laugh.
“Let’s go,” I happily reply, eager to say I do.
THE KNOCK ON the door brings my rowdy crowd to silence. Trey had just finished commenting how Abigail had me by the balls since the day I’d met her, so a legal paper wasn’t going to change anything. He was right, which is the only reason why I wasn’t currently regretting my decision to choose him as my best man.
David goes to open the door and I see Julio enter with a small box, handing it to me moments later. Everyone is surrounding me as I open up the small envelope to read the note inside.
I may have the honor to wear such a beautiful veil, but I thought you should also be wearing something of theirs, too. In that same box was a ribbon I’m assuming belonged to them. It was wrapped around what looked to be a bouquet. I’ve taken it and had it wrapped around your corsage. Place it near your heart and know they are with you on this day I plan to marry the man I first dreamt of. The man who I fell in love with on the night that changed my life.– Love, your beautiful, Abigail.
My eyes are now filled with tears as I hand the note over to Trey who is requesting to see it. Opening up the white box that is tied with a bow, inside is a single red rose elegantly wrapped with a ribbon I’m all too familiar with. It was the ribbon my mother had given Emily that she wore in her hair. Emily had wrapped it around her bouquet for her wedding day, stating it was her something old. It looks worn from age, but nevertheless stunning as it’s elegantly wrapped around the rose.
“Here, let me help you with that.” Trey’s voice breaks me from my memory.
Sniffling through my tears I didn’t realize I’d shed, I hand the corsage over to him. The shuttering of the photographer’s camera overtakes the silence of the room as I force myself to blink away the tears. When done, Trey steps back to look at me and he, too, has traces of tears in his eyes.
“There, now you’re ready to rock and roll,” he quietly says. “Let’s go claim your woman,” he bellows with a fist pump in the air, making us laugh.
Looking around the room, I’m surrounded with the group of guys who have been with me through so much. I consider them more family than friends.
“Let’s go,” I reply, anxious to see Abigail and seconds later we’re all filing out of the room.
Nearing the beach where the wedding ceremony is to be taking place, the first thing I notice is a huge sign announcing our wedding. Taking a moment to read the message, my vision is soon clouding again.
"Ramon, Irene, and Emily Garcia cordially invite you to the wedding of Matthew Garcia to Abigail Alexandria Adams."
The sight of my parents’ and Emily’s name leaves me breathless. I know the invitations didn’t have their names on them, only Abigail’s and mine, and suddenly I remember the exact moment she’d asked me for my parents’ name. She was in the midst of all her planning and at the time she had simply lifted her head up, asked the question, and as soon as I’d answered she’d lowered it back down and continued her scribbling. I pushed her question aside thinking she was having a lapse in her sanity. It was during one of the many times she was on the verge of turning into a bridezilla over details of the wedding. She kept insisting that everything needed to be perfect in such a short amount of time. There were several times I had to drag her away from the piles of notebooks and samples spread across the dining room table before she went insane from stress. Because of those same papers, we’ve been eating out or in the living room because she didn’t want anything misplaced.
“I didn’t know your mom’s name was Irene,” David says, breaking my trance. “It's also my grandma’s name,” he comments. I answer him with a smile since I can’t speak around the lump lodged in my throat.
The event coordinator spots me and is already urging me off into the direction of the beach. Obeying, my bare feet start walking me in the direction I need to go. Walking down the aisle, my eyes take in three empty seats at the very front on my side of guest seats; each with a single white rose sitting on them. The sign nearly had me in tears, but the sight in front of me has made them erupt from my eyes. I have to take a moment to catch my breath as I stare down at the sight.
Trey is already shoving a handkerchief at me, looking as if he needs one as well. “Here, man.”
The event coordinator is once more at my side, this time patiently waiting to catch my attention. “She’s coming,” she says, making me turn to see Abigail off in the distance walking towards the beach.
Her words urge me to take my steps to where I’m needed to stand and soon my eyes are finding Abigail again. When she’s close enough for me to fully take her in, she literally leaves me breathless from how beautiful she looks.
It isn’t long before she reaches me and I’m saying down to her, “Hey, beautiful.”
Her radiant smile greets me in return. “Hey, handsome. How about we get married today?”
“I think that sounds like a great idea,” I tell her, feeling like the luckiest man in the world because I’m about to marry this girl.
The preacher starts off with the usual opening, but when it nears the part where we are asked to speak our vows, I’m a nervous wreck hoping Abigail likes the words I’ve chose. I’d been insistent we write our own vows, but it was only because I’ve had them written for months. Nervously, I pull out the pieces of paper where I’d written them down the day Abigail had run her marathon. The same day she said yes. We’d returned to the hotel room and as usual after a long run, she’d fallen asleep after showering. I was so high on emotions that I couldn’t sleep so I’d taken the notepad on the desk and starting writing out the words I wanted to say on this day. Taking a deep breath, I look into Abigail’s eyes and start speaking.
“Today I stand before the girl who I know without a doubt was sent by an angel. You showed up at my door with a part of my soul I feared I’d lost forever. You came with part of that angel to save me from the darkness that had me trapped until you arrived. From the moment you told me why you came to me, I knew without a doubt you’d be in my life forever, because I was never letting you go. I wasn’t letting my angel go. At first, I fought so hard to ignore my love for you, but with your own love and perseverance, you opened up my heart and showed me what true love is. I once promised I would protect you forever, and in front of our friends and family, I make that promise to you once again. Through sickness and in health, all our riches and a faithfulness to you from this day forward, I promise to never leave your side until death do us part.”
When finished, I’m swallowing around the lump of tears I’m holding back. But Abigail wasn’t strong enough as tears cascade down her cheeks. Finding the handkerchief I used earlier, I hand it to her. She gladly takes it from me and blows her nose into it, making me chuckle.
When done, she takes a deep breath before saying, “Wow, I don’t know if I can top that,” she jokes and everyone begins laughing. Her eyes lock with mine for a brief moment as she smiles, but breaks contact when she looks down into the paper in her hands.
“It all began with a dream. The same dream that lead me to my future. I knew it in my heart the moment I saw you that you’d forever be in my life. They were not my memories to claim, but every memory since then has shown me a piece of who you are and with every day that passes, you’ve given me memories of my own. I don’t need to know my past to know that my future is with you. As much as I belong to you, you belong to me. My heart is yours, and your heart is mine. I made a promise one night, which I will forever be grateful for. With that promise, I also vow to love and cherish you for all the days of my life.”
I stare down at Abigail and her eyes are full of tears. Lifting my hand, I push them away as best as I can without smeari
ng her make-up, mouthing the words I love you and receiving in them return.
“The rings,” the preacher orders and we’re both turning to take them from their holders.
Several minutes later, the rings are on and I’m now kissing my wife, making sure our lips linger longer than needed as we both cherish this moment. She smiles against my lips and I can’t resist doing the same. The preacher clears his throat, telling us we’ve taken long enough, causing us to laugh into each other’s mouths.
Pulling apart, I see her eyes smiling back at me. “I love you,” she says up to me and my heart feels as if it may burst from happiness. Giving her another quick kiss, I let her go so we can face the crowd. They’re already cheering back at us before I lead my wife back down the aisle to begin our future.
I’M HESITANT, YET anxious to know which song Matt has chosen for our first dance. He kept reassuring me it would be one that both of us would love, but I can’t help but be nervous—no matter how much I trust him.
The D.J. announces our first dance and it takes every ounce of energy to make me stand up. I’d much rather hide at this point. Grabbing my hand, Matt slowly leads us onto the dance floor, my stomach is in knots the entire time. Reaching the center of the floor, I feel like I can barely breathe.
“Nervous?” he asks with a hint of laughter in his eyes that are staring back at me. Shaking my head in response, Matt’s lips go up to one side. “Liar.”
I let out the breath I must have been holding. “I’m scared I’m going to make a fool out of myself,” I truthfully tell him. “You do realize this is the first time we’ve ever danced with each other, don’t you?”
Realizing the truth in my words, he nods. “Which is why is makes it even more special, beautiful. Another memory we can add to the list, and I promise many more to come.”
His words are all I need to make me smile, but just as quickly the nerves return when the music starts. Matt wraps his arms around my waist, tugging me tightly against his body. Instantly, every ounce of nervousness disappears and is replaced with giddiness. My body is blissfully filled with sparks as his dark eyes gaze back at me, my body lighting up from head to toe. My mind hasn’t registered the song or the words. Instead, I’m completely focused on the man currently holding my heart.
Unspoken Endings Page 27