Love Conquers All

Chapter Eight

JJ's POV

Ellie was walking around the room, bouncing a fussy Jase. We had sat down to dinner after all of our rehearsing and Ellie was just trying to help us out. She was trying so hard to make this night perfect. She was a good friend to Ivy. Plus, I think she was a little lonely because she didn't want to invite Henry. We had told her that it was fine, but she wanted the rehearsal dinner to be just the wedding party and our parents like we planned. My brother was her partner for the wedding.

"I'm going to take him to the bathroom to change him. I don't think he's very comfortable in this tux." She smiles a little as she comes over to us and Ivy nods her head, handing her the diaper bag.

"Yeah of course. Thanks, Ells." Ivy smiles and looks at me, resting her head against mine. "Tonight has been so full of magic. I can't even imagine what our wedding is going to be like yet." She sighs happily, and I could just see the love that was filling her eyes. I kiss her lips softly.

"It really has been. Our wedding day is going to be perfect. I'll make sure of it." I grin, and she laughs a little. She looks over at Ellie and Jase when they came back from the bathroom. "I'm so in love with our family," I whisper to her and put my hand on her knee gently. She looks over at me and I could tell that she was trying not to cry.

"We'll make it bigger one day. I promise." She tells me, and I sigh. I really wished that day was today, but I couldn't argue with her. "I'm starting my new birth control pills tomorrow, so I'll be very prepared for our week of love." She kisses my lips and I couldn't help but chuckle a bit. I had been prepared for the last couple of months, but it was good to know that she was ready too. It was going to be the best week of my life. Including our actual wedding of course. I had wanted to marry Ivy since the day I met her. This next week would be our dream come true.

Ivy's POV

My hands were shaking as Ellie zipped up my dress. We all had so much fun the night before and even though she didn't drink, Ellie knew the best hangover cures, so I was feeling absolutely amazing.

"What if he gets cold feet and leaves me at the altar?" I ask Ellie and she just laughs a little bit. "It's not funny Elizabeth Athena Meadows. I'm terrified right now." I stomp my foot and she laughs a little harder.

"Ivy, JJ has been waiting for this day for as long as I can remember. You were the one that didn't want to date him near the beginning of your relationship. He loves you and you love him. Everything is going to be fine and perfect." She smiles and hugs me from behind since that's the way we were standing.

"Thank you," I whisper and take a deep breath. "Well, it's time for me to become Mrs. Watt now," I tell her. I was trying to not get all choked up. She nodded her head and grabbed her bouquet and handed me mine. Ellie walked me out to the beach and my dad smiled when he saw me.

"There's my girl." He whispers, kissing my head when I came over to him. Ellie smiles shyly at us. Her fathers moved away to the Mediterranean when Ellie was in college and I knew she really missed them. She heard the music and grabbed Jase's stroller. My dad had taken him for a walk since he had been getting a little fussy, but he seemed happy now. He had his stuffed football which had the rings tied to the pouch on the inside and he loved it. She walked down the aisle first and I took a deep breath as I linked my arm with my dad's. This was my big moment and I was terrified to trip over my own feet. We started walking in sync and the grin on JJ's face completely melted my heart. He looked so happy and proud all at the same time. He also instantly started crying and he looked like he wanted to run up to me instead of staying in his spot at the altar. So, he did. He ran up to me before I could finish walking to him and he hugged me tightly. Everyone started laughing, including me. He put me down and kissed my lips and then held my hand and walked me up to the altar. He held both of my hands in his as the pastor started talking and I tuned him out a little until it was time to speak my vows. I was so nervous but so happy.

"JJ, you have been a rock when I needed to be strong, warm when I needed comfort, and reason when I was insane. While it took a little while for me to come around to the idea of "us," you never stopped pursuing me. You never gave up on the possibility of us which is one of the many reasons why I am so thankful to be marrying you. No matter what life may throw our way, good or bad," I choked up a little and JJ just touched my elbow softly in encouragement "I know you will fight for us and for our marriage. You are so selfless and have always put my needs before your own. You are kind and you are patient with me, even when I push your buttons. You treat me with gentleness and respect. You have made me a better person than I ever knew I could be, and you continue to make me better, and braver, and kinder, every single day. Knowing you and loving you has been the single greatest thing I've gotten to do in my life, and I can't believe that I get to keep knowing you better, and loving you more, every day for the rest of our lives." Tears streamed down my cheeks and I was worried about my makeup, but I knew that I needed to do this. "The strength of our love will be our legacy, and you and I will always come through stronger than before because we have taught each other how to choose love over anger and lean on each other instead. You are my best friend, for the rest of my life. I love you." I smile a bit through the tears and JJ takes a deep breath.

"Ivy, when I first met you I didn't think that you were the girl for me. You were a mess of nerves and I really wanted someone who was confident in themselves but as time went on, I realized that I was wrong. You are one of the most confident and loving people I have ever met in the whole world. You were just nervous the first time I met you but every day after that you have proved to me how hard headed you can be and it's one of the things that I absolutely adore about you." He took a deep breath and I heard him sniffle a little with it. "Every day I get to wake up next you, you and I know that you're the only girl in the whole world that I want that moment with. That moment when your hair is a mess and your mouth is hanging open and your eyes twitch because you're dreaming. At that moment, we're the only two people in the world. Then Jase starts screaming because he's hungry and as much as I want you all to myself, I know that I have to share because our son is the only thing in the world as important to me as you are. And I know that if he didn't exist that we might not be here today because he's the one that brought us together and made us stronger. I promise to be there to catch you if you should stumble, carry you over every threshold, and fall in love with you every day. Jase will never feel alone, and I will make sure that he sees how much his parents love each other so that he knows how to treat a girl one day." JJ started choking up and crying just like I did. "Ivy Elizabeth Taylor, I'm so in love with you and our family. I promise you that becoming Ivy Elizabeth Watt will be the easiest decision you'll ever have to make in your life." He tells me, and I sniffled. I almost couldn't breathe. We put the rings on each other's fingers and looked at the pastor.

"Do you Ivy, take JJ to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, to love and cherish, through sickness and health as long as you both shall live?" He asks me, and I smile, looking at my love.

"I do, I do, I do." I grin, and JJ kisses my hand softly. The pastor asks him the same question and his eyes just lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Hell yes." He whispers automatically, and I laugh a little. "I mean, I do." He says, and everyone laughs a little.

"Well by the power vested in me and the state of Texas, I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may now" JJ pulled me close and kissed me before the pastor could finish his sentence "do that." He says with a slight laugh. JJ held my hand up once we had finished out kiss and everyone stood up to clap. Best. Day. Ever.