just
to be sure he was awake.
The scents and sounds were all too real.
This was his wedding.
They made their way down the boardwalk and out to the beach.
Sammi’s head spun as he took it all in.
A short distance from the resort, set up on the sand with
the sun in the background, was a chuppah swathed in billowing fabric
that looked an awful lot like the curtains hanging in his room. The legs of the chuppah were decorated with the same orange blossoms as his boutonniere.
Nerves, adrenaline and the sense of standing on the ledge of
something big formed a swirling vortex inside him.
“Oh man.” He stopped and rubbed the side of his face, taking
in the scene.
On second glance, he could see little glass containers with
flickering candles in the sand. Hotel staff stood discreetly aside and a few
vacationers had pulled up seats along the boardwalk to watch. He was vaguely
aware of the photographer, Lou, snapping candid pictures as he took it all in.
“They did a beautiful job,” Rebekah said in her reserved
manner.
“Yeah, it’s way more than I expected.” He stepped off the
wooden platform and wiggled his toes in the sand.
If his mother could see him now, attending his wedding in
gray slacks, a plain white shirt and an orange tie, she’d have another feigned
heart attack. On second thought, it was better she didn’t know. In fact, if he
could keep the whole wedding from her for a while, they’d all probably be
happier.
David clapped his shoulder before taking his wife’s arm and
together they went out to the chuppah .
It’s really happening.
Eleri and another graceful black woman approached the chuppah and began creating a path through the sand with orange and yellow petals. They
lined the path with green leaves, probably leftovers from the same plants.
Sammi wiped the dampness from his palms on his pants. David
glanced up and gestured for him to approach.
It was time.
His heart beat twice as fast.
He’d dreamed of this for years, corny as it sounded.
The sand squished between his toes and cooled the soles of
his feet from walking over the sun-warmed concrete. He felt every gaze of the
curious onlookers as he crossed, skirting the flower-lined path, to stand next to
David.
Lou continued to snap away, capturing every tiny detail.
“It’s a beautiful day to get married.” David tipped his head
back and inhaled the fresh breeze. He wasn’t what Sammi was used to in a rabbi.
For one, David had to be near Sammi’s age and he’d bent tradition. The rabbis
Sammi was accustomed to would never have performed this ceremony.
“Perfect weather. Should I take that as a blessing, Rabbi?”
Sammi asked him.
David merely smiled. “Who am I to diminish the good things
our Creator has given us?”
Sammi glanced toward the boardwalk and his breath stopped.
The world narrowed to one person.
Sunlight bathed Autumn’s face in a glow. She met his gaze
and smiled through a white birdcage veil. Music slowly rose to wrap them in the
moment, this instant in time where the only important things were him and
Autumn.
Autumn began her walk down the sand, picking her way to the
path of petals. Her short, off-white dress swirled around her knees in the
breeze, and the rainbow-colored ruffle running from bust to the wrap skirt tied
in her love of color. The streaks in her hair were brighter, her makeup a
shimmering of golds and pinks.
She was, in a word, beautiful.
He was a lucky bastard.
Sammi’s heart swelled as Autumn proceeded down the
flower-strewn path, her gaze locked on him. His cheeks hurt, and it took him a
second to realize it was because he was grinning at her. And she was smiling at
him.
Autumn came to a stop, facing him.
“Hi,” he said, still taking her in. How the sun glinted off
her hair, how she glowed.
“Hi.” She laughed nervously and he grinned bigger.
“You look beautiful.” It was an understatement. She wasn’t a
traditional bride, but a quality that was uniquely her shone through
to be sure he was awake.
The scents and sounds were all too real.
This was his wedding.
They made their way down the boardwalk and out to the beach.
Sammi’s head spun as he took it all in.
A short distance from the resort, set up on the sand with
the sun in the background, was a chuppah swathed in billowing fabric
that looked an awful lot like the curtains hanging in his room. The legs of the chuppah were decorated with the same orange blossoms as his boutonniere.
Nerves, adrenaline and the sense of standing on the ledge of
something big formed a swirling vortex inside him.
“Oh man.” He stopped and rubbed the side of his face, taking
in the scene.
On second glance, he could see little glass containers with
flickering candles in the sand. Hotel staff stood discreetly aside and a few
vacationers had pulled up seats along the boardwalk to watch. He was vaguely
aware of the photographer, Lou, snapping candid pictures as he took it all in.
“They did a beautiful job,” Rebekah said in her reserved
manner.
“Yeah, it’s way more than I expected.” He stepped off the
wooden platform and wiggled his toes in the sand.
If his mother could see him now, attending his wedding in
gray slacks, a plain white shirt and an orange tie, she’d have another feigned
heart attack. On second thought, it was better she didn’t know. In fact, if he
could keep the whole wedding from her for a while, they’d all probably be
happier.
David clapped his shoulder before taking his wife’s arm and
together they went out to the chuppah .
It’s really happening.
Eleri and another graceful black woman approached the chuppah and began creating a path through the sand with orange and yellow petals. They
lined the path with green leaves, probably leftovers from the same plants.
Sammi wiped the dampness from his palms on his pants. David
glanced up and gestured for him to approach.
It was time.
His heart beat twice as fast.
He’d dreamed of this for years, corny as it sounded.
The sand squished between his toes and cooled the soles of
his feet from walking over the sun-warmed concrete. He felt every gaze of the
curious onlookers as he crossed, skirting the flower-lined path, to stand next to
David.
Lou continued to snap away, capturing every tiny detail.
“It’s a beautiful day to get married.” David tipped his head
back and inhaled the fresh breeze. He wasn’t what Sammi was used to in a rabbi.
For one, David had to be near Sammi’s age and he’d bent tradition. The rabbis
Sammi was accustomed to would never have performed this ceremony.
“Perfect weather. Should I take that as a blessing, Rabbi?”
Sammi asked him.
David merely smiled. “Who am I to diminish the good things
our Creator has given us?”
Sammi glanced toward the boardwalk and his breath stopped.
The world narrowed to one person.
Sunlight bathed Autumn’s face in a glow. She met his gaze
and smiled through a white birdcage veil. Music slowly rose to wrap them in the
moment, this instant in time where the only important things were him and
Autumn.
Autumn began her walk down the sand, picking her way to the
path of petals. Her short, off-white dress swirled around her knees in the
breeze, and the rainbow-colored ruffle running from bust to the wrap skirt tied
in her love of color. The streaks in her hair were brighter, her makeup a
shimmering of golds and pinks.
She was, in a word, beautiful.
He was a lucky bastard.
Sammi’s heart swelled as Autumn proceeded down the
flower-strewn path, her gaze locked on him. His cheeks hurt, and it took him a
second to realize it was because he was grinning at her. And she was smiling at
him.
Autumn came to a stop, facing him.
“Hi,” he said, still taking her in. How the sun glinted off
her hair, how she glowed.
“Hi.” She laughed nervously and he grinned bigger.
“You look beautiful.” It was an understatement. She wasn’t a
traditional bride, but a quality that was uniquely her shone through
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