Not Yet

Last Chapter!!!

When Cassidy turned thirty...

"I believe in you, the person you will grow to be and the couple we will be together.With my whole heart, I take you as my wife, acknowledging and accepting your faults and strengths, as you do mine.
I promise to be faithful and supportive and to always make our family's love and happiness my priority. I will be yours in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in failure and in triumph.
I will dream with you, celebrate with you and walk beside you through whatever our lives may bring. You are my one and only, my love, and my life, today and always."

Alex vows to me, we look at each other, holding our hands. We look at the priest who asks me to read my vows.

"With this ring, I give you my promisethat from this day forwardI will give you all my love,and you shall not walk alone. I have no greater gift to give. As your love is my anchor,and your trust is my strength.
May my heart be your shelter and my arms be your home. As this ring has no end nor beginning, so shall my love for you be. As I place it on your finger, I give you all that I am, and all that I shall become."

I take a deep breath.

"Dear beloveds, we gather here to unite these two people in marriage. The essence of this commitment is the acceptance of each other in entirety, as lover, companion, and friend. A good and balanced relationship is one in which neither person is overpowered nor absorbed by the other, one in which neither person is possessive of the other, one in which both give their love freely and without jealousy.

Marriage, ideally, is a sharing of responsibilities, hopes, and dreams. It takes a special effort to grow together, survive hard times, and be loving and unselfish.

Do you both pledge to share your lives openly with one another, and to speak the truth in love? Do you promise to honor and tenderly care for one another, cherish and encourage each other, stand together, through sorrows and joys, hardships and triumphs for all the days of your lives?"

Alex and I agree in harmony, "We do."

"Do you pledge to share your love and the joys of your marriage with all those around you, so that they may learn from your love and be encouraged to grow in their own lives?"

Alex and I sync, "We do."

"With the power invested in me, I shall pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." The priest closes his holy book.

"I'm so glad this moment has come... It's been long, eh?" I say wile looking into his eyes.

"And I'm so glad that I'm finally having the rest of my life with you. Starting with the long awaited special first kiss."

"As his lips melted through mine. As the fireworks started to lite up. And as the audience started to clap. I then saw our whole future together." I sip on the hot chocolate, meanwhile I'm recalling every detail of this special day. Our wedding.

"Okay, everyone let's head to bed. Starting with you, Steve. Daddy must be in the clinic tomorrow morning." Avery directs her single five-year-old son. "Where is his daddy anyway?" Alex asks her laying one arm on my shoulder. "Jake must be in the garden playing with Audery and Crawyn."

I head out to the garden and spot four children playing in the sandbox including my children, Audrey and Crawyn, Stephanie's child Amanda, and Jake. Stephanie and Shawn are being good parents watching their kid from afar. "Jake." I shake my head towards the inside of the house, pointing that Avery asked to pass on our small reunion. He gets up quickly, says goodbye to the children and friends, then heads out.

"We should go, too. Goodbye, God-sons" Stephanie holds Audrey and Crwyn in each arm. She gives them butterfly kisses and they give her real kisses. Then she hand Amanda to Shawn while she holds her big purse and head out as well.

I follow the couples to the door, wave them goodbye after giving the children some to-go candy.

"Daddy and I have to be at work early tomorrow, too. Go to bed." I pick Audrey's nose and give Crawyn a nuggie. It's so funny because he hates it.

"But moooom." They pout in harmony.

"Well, you could stay up with us while we cuddle and -" Alex stopped his sentence when he saw the feeling children. "Alex! I want them in bed, not scarred for life!" He kisses by forehead,"It worked, didnt it?" He smirks.

The end.