Recap:
The nerves that had been steadily building since that morning skyrocketed. I knew Claire was going to come down next when the cello solo began. I could feel the nervousness—as well as joy—flooding through me. I felt Tori looking at me so I glanced over at her and I saw her mouth the words calm down. She knew me well enough to know I was nervous; she knew the signs. I’m sure she could see it radiating through me. She smiled at me and I, all of a sudden, felt calmer—not much—but still calmer. I guess that is one of the wonderful things about having Tori as a friend; when she wants to, she can have a very calming effect on a person (a.k.a. me). The cello solo began.
I looked up to the back of the aisle and saw Mark approach with a hand in his arm. A hand that I knew was Claire’s and then I saw Claire. Her head was bent and her eyes were cast down. They stopped. Claire lifted her head and I let out a breath that I didn’t even know I was holding. We locked eyes. I could feel a smile spreading across my face as I saw one spread across hers. I felt all of my butterflies vanish. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the audience stand; but I kept my eyes on Claire’s blue, color-changing eyes as she kept hers on my emerald ones.
Aaron was right: she was gorgeous. She was absolutely stunning. I couldn’t wait for Ian to announce us as husband and wife. I couldn’t wait to spend the rest of my life with her, waking up with her by my side each morning. I watched her come down the aisle towards me. She only broke eye contact for a moment when she switched her flowers to her hand in her father’s arm and reached her other hand down to ruffle the hair of little Jamie, who was gawking at her. He blushed furiously and I laughed quietly. She switched her flowers back to her left hand and looked back up at me and winked.
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Levi's POV
“Who gives this woman?” Ian asked when they reached the front of the aisle.
“Linda and I do,” Mark responded with a huge smile on his face. He turned to me. “Take care of her, Levi.”
“I will, sir.”
He held out his hand and I took it. He turned to Claire and lifted her veil just enough to kiss her on the cheek. Mark then took her hand that he was holding and placed it in mine then went to sit down next to an already teary Linda. Her thin fingers were soft and warm. I stroked the back of her hand with my thumb and she smiled at me after handing her flowers to Tori. I leaned over and whispered to her, saying that she looked gorgeous.
“We are gathered today to join this man and woman in the sight of God. If anyone has any objections step forward now.” Ian paused. “None? Good.” Everyone laughed quietly.
“It is comforting to see love in a world such as ours. Now I have been asked to keep my preamble short, so I am only going to read one well-known verse on love.
“First Corinthians thirteen says: ‘Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through everything.’
“Levi, Claire, let your love for each other always be like that. Now,” Ian turned towards me. “Do you Levi James Kacka take Claire Elizabeth Harms to be your wife: in sickness and health, for richer and poorer, during the good and the bad, all the days of your life?”
“I do,” I said, smiling from ear to ear.
“Do you promise to love her and care for her?”
“I do,” I said as I glanced at Claire.
“And now, Levi has his own vows to say . . . Levi.” Ian nodded at me to begin. I pulled out the small piece of paper that held my vows that I finished writing that morning.
“Claire,” I squeezed her hand and she smiled, “to be honest, I don’t know how long I’ve known I’ve loved you,” she laughed quietly. “But I do know I have cared about you and loved you in one way or another for as long as I can remember. Granted, I didn’t always recognize that,” Claire chuckled. “This care has deepened over the years until now, when it has become a love with all of my heart. We have been through so much together and I am looking forward to a lifetime to go through together, although hopefully nothing quite like what we’ve been through in the past year,” she smiled sadly at me and squeezed my hand, reassuring me. I paused for a moment to take a deep breath and focus back on our wedding and not on what happened seven months ago. “I am excited to spend a lifetime loving you. I love you, Claire.” I kept looking into her eyes and I could see tears forming, but I knew they wouldn’t spill over. I continued looking into her eyes: her beautiful blue eyes.
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Claire's POV
“I am excited to spend a lifetime loving you. I love you, Claire.” He kept looking into my eyes and I could feel tears forming, but I wouldn’t let them spill over. I looked into the wonderful emerald eyes that I had fallen in love with.
“That’s really sweet, Levi. Now,” Ian turned to face me, “Claire Elizabeth Harms, do you take Levi James Kacka to be your husband: in sickness and health, for richer and poorer, during the good and the bad, all the days of your life?”
“I do,” I said; already ready to have the ceremony be done with.
“Do you promise to love and care for him?”
“I do.”
“Now, like Levi, Claire has her own vows to say . . . Claire,” Ian said, nodding towards me to begin.
“Levi, I have loved you for a long time. I remember when you moved to our elementary school and quickly became Aaron’s best friend. At first you were just another annoyance around the house: one that drove me nuts to no end,” Levi laughed. “But you also quickly became like another brother, another person I loved. But my junior year of high school I began to realize that you weren’t like a brother to me; you were something very different. I realized I liked you. A lot. And then, one day, you chose me. I became your girlfriend and I loved every minute of it,” I smiled and squeezed his hand.
“The eight months that I was in Europe was so much fun but it was complete torture to not see you or be near you. At first I couldn’t really figure out why and then I gave in and admitted that I had fallen in love with the most wonderful, loving, and caring man. Since I have known you, we have been through so much together. And I cannot wait to go through so much more . . . together. Though, hopefully nothing quite like what we have been through already. Levi, I love you with all of my heart and I always will.”
“That was beautiful Claire. Now it is time for the exchange of rings. May I have the rings, Aaron?” Aaron fumbled in his coat inside pocket and finally pulled the two boxes out and handed them to Ian. Ian took them and opened one for Levi. Levi took the two rings—my engagement ring and the wedding band itself—out as he held my left hand.
“The wedding ring is a symbol of eternity. It is an outward sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two hearts in endless love. Now let us pray.
“Father, bless the giving and receiving of these rings. May Levi and Claire abide in Your peace and grow in their knowledge of Your presence through their loving union. May the seamless circle of these rings become the symbol of their endless love and serve to remind them of the holy union they have entered into today to be faithful, loving, and kind to each other. Dear God, may they live in Your grace and be forever true to this union. Amen.”
“Amen,” the crowd (as well as Levi and I) whispered.
“And now as a token of your love and of your deep desire to be forever united in heart and soul, you, Levi James Kacka may place the rings on the finger of your bride.” Levi looked into my eyes and smiled as he slid the rings onto my finger.
“Claire Elizabeth Harms, receive and wear this ring as a symbol of my trust, respect, and love for you as well as my faithfulness forever to you. With all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, with this ring, I thee wed.”
“By the same token, Claire Elizabeth Harms, you may place the ring on the finger of your groom.” Ian held out and opened the other black box for me. I took the ring and looked into Levi’s eyes as I slid it onto his finger.
“Levi James Kacka, receive and wear this ring as a symbol of my trust, respect, and love for you as well as my faithfulness forever to you. With all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, with this ring, I thee wed.”