him, and his eyes were watery and red, as well. He lifted her veil and brushed a kiss against each of her cheeks. They embraced; Nikki's father joined her sobbing mother on the front pew.
She turned back to Matt and took his hand, stepping up onto the platform. He took her other hand in his and winked at her. She bit back a giggle. The preacher read through the marriage ceremony. Most of it was directed at the congregation until he reached the vows. He turned to Matt.
"Do you, Matthew Edison Monroe, take Nicole Martha Johnson for your lawfully wedded wife, to love, honour, comfort, and cherish from this day forward, forsaking all others, and keeping only unto her, as long as you both shall live?"
Matt sniffled and blinked furiously. "I do."
"Do you, Nicole Martha Johnson, take Matthew Edison Monroe, for your lawfully wedded husband, to love, honour, comfort, and cherish from this day forward, forsaking all others, and keeping only unto him, as long as you both shall live?"
Nikki choked out a sound somewhere between sigh and laugh. "I do!"
The preacher smiled, and a few chuckles echoed from the friends and family gathered. "Repeat after me, Matthew: I, Matthew Edison Monroe, take thee, Nicole Martha Johnson, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honour, and cherish, until death do us part."
Matt repeated each phrase, while his bride rolled and crossed her eyes and mouthed the parts with him.
"Now, Nicole, repeat after me: I, Nicole Martha Johnson, take thee, Matthew Edison Monroe, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honour, and cherish, until death do us part."
Nikki giggled at the constant repeating of full names, but she repeated everything without incident. The preacher turned to the best man, Matt's brother, and asked for the bride's ring. Matt took the ring and slid it onto Nikki's left ring finger. "With this ring, I thee wed." He smiled down at her, and she bit her lip.
The reality of this moment collided with her glee and brought tears to her eyes. When Christy handed her Matt's ring, she could barely keep her voice steady long enough to speak the words herself. "With this ring, I thee wed." She gasped in a shaky breath once she finished.
The preacher finished speaking his part to the congregation. "...I pronounce them husband and wife. Matthew, you may now kiss your bride."
Matt slid one hand behind Nikki's neck and wrapped his other arm around her waist. She fell back onto his grip as his lips gently brushed over hers. Instead of standing back up, though, he pressed his kiss deeper. She sighed against his taste. Married. They were really, finally, honestly married.
Hand in hand, the couple turned to face their friends and family. Nikki had to blink away her tears to make out the faces beaming up at them.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Monroe."
Impulsively, Nikki threw up her and Matt’s joined hands. The gathering of loved ones laughed at the couple then raced down the aisle and out the auditorium doors.
A reception in the church fellowship hall followed. The mothers cried, and Nikki threw her daisy bouquet. The taller, older women let little Abby catch it, and the joy in her face shone. Christy's dad took wedding pictures, and a few even looked like professional photographs. Guests devoured the simple chocolate cake from a local bakery before sending Matt and Nikki off in a cloud of bubbles. The apartment the couple rented stood on the second floor in an old building within walking distance of Nikki's house.
For the next several months of the pregnancy, a stranger watching the couple would never know their history. They acted like a normal newlywed couple expecting their first child -- and that's what they felt like.
She turned back to Matt and took his hand, stepping up onto the platform. He took her other hand in his and winked at her. She bit back a giggle. The preacher read through the marriage ceremony. Most of it was directed at the congregation until he reached the vows. He turned to Matt.
"Do you, Matthew Edison Monroe, take Nicole Martha Johnson for your lawfully wedded wife, to love, honour, comfort, and cherish from this day forward, forsaking all others, and keeping only unto her, as long as you both shall live?"
Matt sniffled and blinked furiously. "I do."
"Do you, Nicole Martha Johnson, take Matthew Edison Monroe, for your lawfully wedded husband, to love, honour, comfort, and cherish from this day forward, forsaking all others, and keeping only unto him, as long as you both shall live?"
Nikki choked out a sound somewhere between sigh and laugh. "I do!"
The preacher smiled, and a few chuckles echoed from the friends and family gathered. "Repeat after me, Matthew: I, Matthew Edison Monroe, take thee, Nicole Martha Johnson, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honour, and cherish, until death do us part."
Matt repeated each phrase, while his bride rolled and crossed her eyes and mouthed the parts with him.
"Now, Nicole, repeat after me: I, Nicole Martha Johnson, take thee, Matthew Edison Monroe, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honour, and cherish, until death do us part."
Nikki giggled at the constant repeating of full names, but she repeated everything without incident. The preacher turned to the best man, Matt's brother, and asked for the bride's ring. Matt took the ring and slid it onto Nikki's left ring finger. "With this ring, I thee wed." He smiled down at her, and she bit her lip.
The reality of this moment collided with her glee and brought tears to her eyes. When Christy handed her Matt's ring, she could barely keep her voice steady long enough to speak the words herself. "With this ring, I thee wed." She gasped in a shaky breath once she finished.
The preacher finished speaking his part to the congregation. "...I pronounce them husband and wife. Matthew, you may now kiss your bride."
Matt slid one hand behind Nikki's neck and wrapped his other arm around her waist. She fell back onto his grip as his lips gently brushed over hers. Instead of standing back up, though, he pressed his kiss deeper. She sighed against his taste. Married. They were really, finally, honestly married.
Hand in hand, the couple turned to face their friends and family. Nikki had to blink away her tears to make out the faces beaming up at them.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Monroe."
Impulsively, Nikki threw up her and Matt’s joined hands. The gathering of loved ones laughed at the couple then raced down the aisle and out the auditorium doors.
A reception in the church fellowship hall followed. The mothers cried, and Nikki threw her daisy bouquet. The taller, older women let little Abby catch it, and the joy in her face shone. Christy's dad took wedding pictures, and a few even looked like professional photographs. Guests devoured the simple chocolate cake from a local bakery before sending Matt and Nikki off in a cloud of bubbles. The apartment the couple rented stood on the second floor in an old building within walking distance of Nikki's house.
For the next several months of the pregnancy, a stranger watching the couple would never know their history. They acted like a normal newlywed couple expecting their first child -- and that's what they felt like.
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