Kaine
Todays the day. It took us, 3 weeks to plan this wedding.
I spotted Leigh, in her prenuptial dress, walking the shore.
"Hey, you excited?"
"As excited as any girl can be for her fake marriage and wedding." She said plopping down in the sand, with her head in her hands.
"What's wrong? You're getting your dress dirty."
"I.. hope we are doing the right thing? What if, someone we like comes along? We just let it be? Over some fake love?"
"It's not fake." I gruntled. "It's something there."
"History, but that's not enough for a marriage. You know what I mean. We're going to always love each other Kaine. That's not only three years of my life, but Noa's. We grew up together, yes, perfect. But my son needs a home. Love isn't enough. History isn't enough. Financial stability is not enough..." she repeated.
"For you." I said.
"So, you're telling me, that you see someone you want, you aren't going to be curious."
"Curiosity will always be there but it comes and goes, it's the curiosity that stays forever that you should be worried about. I've been curious about you since the day we met."
I sat down next to her, "Although, this is an agreement. You're going to be my wife, regardless. Noa won't want for nothing for the rest of his life and beyond and Noa will be my son. I will take care of him beyond time. He's mine. The vows are real, the preacher is real, this wedding is really happening. We're getting married. That's that. And if I feel myself being complacent, we will discuss the openness of this agreement. But I'm trying to keep us alive. Alive, Leigh."
"What's your endgame?"
"Destroying it, letting you keep it, something. Nico being dead. Making it out alive, out of his war, in order to save my company and my family."
..
Leigh
I said all of those things.
Thinking about what I've been doing.
I've been meeting up with LeSane, in secret for three weeks straight, and I feel guilty as fuck.
He asked me to come over one night and it started from there.
We fucked that night and the night after that and the night after that.
But the crazy thing is that, 17 year old Kaine vs a 20-something LeSane were on the same wavelength.
I haven't had any kind of sex with 20-something year old Kaine. What if he'd gotten better? Or worse? Was I blinded by being an inexperienced wide eyed teenage girl ?
It was Grant after that and he put a baby in me and left so that says a lot.
I guess we'll never know, about 20-something year old Kaine's motion.
This marriage was not to be consummated.
I watched as Kaine stood waiting for me to meet him. After our talk on the beach I felt much better.
But, I still couldn't shake my feelings of doubt and guilt.
"What do you want Leigh?" I asked myself as I looked in the mirror, I looked at my long curly hair.
Hair carries so much energy and so in order for me to feel good about this and myself, mine had to go.
I grabbed my scissors, hair paint, and gel.
And the deed was done. I was bald with blush pink hair. Crying.
I pulled a Brittney Spears.
And I don't know if my tears are happy or sad.
I quickly got myself together, touched up my makeup and met Kaine at the alter.
As I walked down the aisle, ad our live band played All My Life he was shocked and confused. He had a smell tear roll down his face and he looked as if he was about to pass out.
"Your hair?" He rubbed my head.
"I like it. You look beautiful."
..
Kaine
As I listened to the officiant, I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. She was glowing.
"Today we gather to lift Mr. Kaine Cole and Miss Leigh Christian up in celebration of ever-lasting love. In the presence of their beloved family and friends, Mr. Cole and Ms. Christian will pronounce their love through this ceremony and begin a lifelong journey together."
"This ceremony is a tribute to their most unique love story and a promise of a beautiful future ahead. There are no limits that love cannot surpass, and we see that here today."
"Does anybody object to this union?"
Silence.
Oh aight.
"Kaine and Leigh are you ready to exchange vows?"
"Yes."
"Kaine, you may start the ceremony by stating your vows."
"Leigh, I promise to be your guiding light in the darkness, a warming comfort in the cold, and a shoulder to lean on when life is too much to bear on your own. My life is forever entangled with yours from the beginning, all the way back in 2009, in the hallways of Doug. However, forever with you simply will not be enough, but from this day forward, I vow to make the most of every moment. Do you remember the very first day that we met? I knew the very first moment I saw you. I knew we were meant to be together for all of our days."
That was my first time admitting that to Leigh.
"You have become my companion and my best friend. I didn't see all the ways I grew as a person in real time. But, I look back and can now see the tremendous impact you've had on my life. How you made me a better person, a person I didn't even know I wanted to be. The only way I can think to thank you is to continue to grow, and to continue to show you how much I appreciate you with each day that passes. There's no one else I'd rather build my life with. I am lucky that I get to have you by my side, my love and my rib, for eternity."
She looked at me stunned, with tears streaming down her face,
"That was beautiful, and he actually memorized it. Leigh, you may state your vows."
"I don't know if I can top that, but I will try my best to convey the same message."
"Kaine, you are my every dream come true, and I can't wait for the reality we get to build together. I promise to be your navigator, best friend, and wife. I promise to honor, love, and cherish you through all life's adventures. Wherever we go, we'll go together. In your eyes, I have found my home. In your heart, I have found my love. In your soul, I have found my mate."
She laughed nervously.
"With you, I am whole, protected , unapologetically me and alive. You make me laugh. You let me cry. You let me breathe, you're my every heartbeat. Thank you for standing here with me today as we create the ultimate team for life. I will work hard to understand your wishes, desires, fears, and dreams and will strive to make you happy."
She meant that. A team.
"To promise to love you in sickness and in health, in good and in bad is the easiest promise I've ever made, because vowing to love you was something I decided when I first met you. You are the person I want to spend forever with."
..
Leigh
Is this real life? He had tears swelling in his eyes and there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
"Well, that was amazingly beautiful. There is nothing more romantic and sacred than standing before all those dear to your hearts to declare your love to one another. This time-honored tradition is carried on only by those committed to a true life-long love story. I can feel that desire burning bright today."
"Let's begin. Kaine, please repeat after me to offer your commitment to Leigh."
"I, Kaine Cole take thee, Leigh Christian to be my lawfully wedded wife. I take you just as you are and in every form you may ever be. You are the light in my life and the beat in my heart. I promise to tend to your weakness just as I applaud your strengths. I promise to reach for your hand when I am lost. I promise to show you, day in and day out, that you are my everything. On this day, with this ring,I give you my heart.
He put the band on my finger,
"Leigh.."
"I, Leigh Christian take thee, Kaine Cole to be my lawfully wedded husband. I take you just as you are and in every form you may ever be. You are the light in my life and the beat in my heart. I promise to tend to your weakness just as I applaud your strengths. I promise to reach for your hand when I am lost. I promise to show you, day in and day out, that you are my everything. On this day, with this ring, with this ring, I give you my heart."
I put on his band,
"By the power vested in me by the Universal Life Ministries, before your families and your friends, I now pronounce you lawfully and spiritually united. Please seal your marriage with your first wedded kiss."
We never practiced this part.
"Uh—."
"C'mere." He grabbed me by my waist to pull me close, held my chin softly, and we sealed our deal with a kiss.
Everyone was cheering for now, but I'm sure they were still confused by this moment.
..