Someone to Love

Forty-Six

Lucas
17 minutes. Everything starts in 17 minutes.
I was informed by the wedding coordinator that I should enter between minutes 10 and 8. And I am still sitting inside the car with sweaty and shaky hands. I haven't been a nervous wreck like this since my first ever solo surgery. But I think I'm more scared now than that.
Jae Kyung went down a few minutes ago to check on everything, both my parents are there greeting guests I think. Guests are beginning to enter and as this is a live coverage, some celebrities are being interviewed. It really doesn't help that most of the entourage are celebrities.
I looked at the wedding invites.
And I can't help but realize that she used her full name for this, and her middle name is Christine?
Jae Kyung entered the holding room.
"How is it?" I said
"Entering made me tear up a little." He said
"Really?"
"I didn't think of that on my wedding! Also, I didn't think that you'd also be inviting the people from yesterday." He said
"Everyone is there?!"
"And, Ara is related to royalty?" He said
"Yeah, he attended last night's dinner too." I said
"Mother is quite enchanted with him."
I nodded.
9 minutes.
"This is it, brother." Jae Kyung said
"I know." I said
"No second thoughts? We still could leave this place you know?"
"I'm not leaving here without Ara, you know that right?" I said
"I do, and I was just checking on you." He said as he opened the doorz
Minute 8, boy I have to get down now. I opened my door and was greeted by many flashes of cameras. Okay, the way to wedding first has a red carpet photo booth thing wherein guests have their photo taken formally and in the photo booth where they can pose for photos informally. Then afterwards they would receive their copy of the photo and as for our copy, they would write a little bit of dedication on the guest photo booth. So, by minute 8, the red carpet should be cleared out of guests because everyone has to make way for the bridal entourage.
"We're ready for you Dr. Seo." The wedding coordinator said as soon as I finished with some photos.
I breathed.
The officiant entered already. I was next, Ara's parents are behind me.
"You okay?" Alice said
"Yeah, just-"
"You're not getting cold feet are you?" Arch said.
"No, sir. Actually, beyond excited." I said as I entered the hall.
Jae Kyung was right, it looks amazing. And I think Ara would be impressed with the idea that there are no recorded music, everything is live, from an orchestra or a baby orchestra, I don't know but basically the music is being played live by actual instrumentalists.
I didn't expect to have these much guests but they're here anyway, it's probably for the magazine too. And they all woke up very early in the morning just for this. Ara and I are really not a big deal in anywhere but apparently we are huge here so we have what I think is more than 550 guests.
"I'm betting she looks amazing." Jae Kyung said
"She always does."
"No, I caught a whiff of the tulle on her gown."
"Where?"
"Outside. Well, I saw the-"
And then she was there, standing at the opposite end, she was smiling at me and she immediately took my breath away. Hell, if it was physiologically possible, I think my heart and lungs stopped for a few seconds.
"Oh my god brother, you're getting married." Jae Kyung whispered.
I couldn't help but think of what I wrote on that letter that I gave with the necklace.
Ara,
I really thought this day wouldn't come for me, I thought I was fine being by myself, living for myself but then you came along, and made me realize that I am missing so much in life, I didn't realize that I'd be much happier being with someone and believe it or not, you gave my life a deeper meaning. I'm not just getting married to you today, I'm starting a new life with you and honestly, I can't wait. I don't think it's possible for me to run out of love for you, you made me realize that I can love. I'll always love you and you will always be the one who will keep my heart beating, and well, my brain functioning (you can be brain dead and still have your heart beating, we don't want that.)
I can't wait, Miss Hayden.
Love you always.
And then we were standing face to face.
"Hello." I said as I offered my hand.
"Hi." She whispered as she took it, she was shaking and I'm trying so hard to fight the tears.
"You look absolutely beautiful." I whispered to her as we faced the officiant.
And then we proceeded with the ceremony.
We decided to have the wedding in English actually, because it's the language that we both actually understand.
Ara and I just held hands as the ceremony started.
"I really did not think that you could possibly outdo yourself." I whispered
"What?"
"If it was possible, Ara Hayden outdid Ara Hayden." I said
She laughed slightly.
"Well, Ara Hayden-Seo outstaged Ara Hayden."
For a moment we were in our world, looking at probably what's behind the officiant or whatever that is called.
"I actually didn't think a lot of people would show up." Ara whispered
"Me neither."
It was our turn to say a few words to each other. I don't think I could finish mine without even tearing up a little bit. We stood in front of each other, Ara was going first and Kate handed her a microphone and her phone.
"Oh my god, this is happening." She said as she held the mic.
"I uh, really had a hard time thinking of how to do this, love. I am actually still grasping the fact that, oh my god, I am standing here today in front of you, love and in front of everyone-" she breathed and then looked at me.
"Lucas, Lee Kyung-ah, It's unbelieveable that I get the chance to promise myself to the person I consider my greatest friend and loving ally in all things. When I hold your face in my hands or lean into your shoulder to feel you hold me, I know this is the place I am meant to be for all time. This is the person with whom I am meant to share my life.
I love your laugh, I love your spirit, I love that I will spend the rest of my life with you. I love the thought of growing old with you and fighting through challenges, embracing joy, from this moment until the end of time.
I promise to put you ahead of all others, to be by your side through thick and thin, through good times and bad. When the rains fall and the cool breezes blow, you can count on me. You can always count on me.I promise to celebrate you and your achievements and to support you in your times of need. Together we face the world - stronger than the sum of our parts - now beholden only to love and each other.
I make a vow to you today not to be perfect or to expect perfection from you, but to always grow from every experience. I vow to treat everyday with wonder, to never give up on you, and to be your loving wife.
All I ask of you is that you be your best self and I will challenge myself to do the same as your wife and with this as our connection we will never fail. You are my best friend, my confidant. Marrying you is truly my every desire fulfilled. You are my heart, my home, my joy, my every waking moment, my dream of happiness. Let's go grow old together." She said, with tears falling down on her eyes and well, I am teary too.
Now it's my turn.
"I don't think I'd be able to top that off but I will try my best. Here I go-" I breathed.
I looked at her and she was smiling at me.
"Ara, I come here freely and without reservation to give myself to you and so that we may join your life and mine. I know I will not always be what you want me to be. I might forget to listen or forget to share. I might not always agree. I might be stubborn and I might be wrongheaded, but I will always love you. I will always strive to be the man you believe I can be. I can't promise to love you perfectly, but I will love you messily, overwhelmingly, inexorably. When I am with you everything else is moved into the background. You flood my senses. You are my life, my greatest gift, and well now, after my speech, my loving wife.You are the culmination of a dream come true. I can't believe I'm standing here about to start a wonderful life together with my best friend, my greatest miracle, and the person I love most in this world. Let's run away together, let's run to our future, let's run down the path of love and family and friendship, let's run into each other's arms every night, never feeling cold. Let's run and be free together to love." I said
And then the officiant started.
"Lee Kyung, do you take Amara Christine as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worst, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward until the death do you part?" He said
"I do." I said
"And do you, Amara Christine, take Lee Kyung as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worst, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward, till death do you part?"
Ara smiled and said her I do.
Oh my god, we're married.