" But I love you so much more than just to the moon and back."
- Unknown
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To say the least, watching the wedding rehearsal occur had to be absolute chaos if anything.
For one, George and Tab side by side, could not stop making the other laugh, and each time they began laughing harder and harder. Joe looked ready to slap them just about every time George let a chuckle past his lips.
But Lizzie swore she was just being a baby, but seeing Hazel walk so gracefully beside Captain Speirs, a smile on her pink cheeks as she glanced shyly up towards him made Lizzie's heart burst. Little Hazel getting married was just...emotional.
Even at some points she saw Speirs squeezing her hand just a bit tighter like he, himself, couldn't believe it either.
Seeing Joe's eyes glow as he watched Hazel, at the rehearsal looked equally as adorable, as she skipped a bit up the steps and stopped in front of Joe. It seemed like half the time she was trying not to laugh at Joe and the other times it was vice versa.
Lizzie found it hilarious as Catherine would snicker from beside her.
But in the end, knowing that within a day the two would be married, Hazel and Joe would finally get the happiness they had deserved all through war.
The night out on the town had been the 3 couples, away from the chaos of the wedding for a moment as Ms Parker and Mrs Liebgott finished last minute preparations. The rest of the boys whether unmarried or escaping their families for the night, went out to some of the local bars. But the group of 6 resorted to some of the local bay-side restaurants that sat along the water, with a view of the infamous Alcatraz across it.
The mood was cheerful yet so wonderfully peaceful, with the dimmed lights of the warm atmosphere, laughs rising up from their chairs and bright eyes - such love and joy at a tiny little table in the middle of San Francisco - who knew joy could be found in a little place like this? Even after a war....who knew it could be this....this... this beautiful.
Just seeing people happy again was what Lizzie needed, seeing the joy on peoples' faces and in their eyes, quiet laughter and relaxed faces.
The war was with them and a part of them, but it simply was not them.
Lizzie smiled more than she ever thought she would that night, the corners of her cheeks hurt more than she thought they would. She hoped to remember this moment years from now, when she would look back and think of who she served a war with - the brave men and women of Easy Company and of Operation Virago. She'd think of them, everyday.
By the following morning, it was wedding day - Lizzie felt butterflies in her chest and she wasn't even getting married. Lizzie slipped down the church's hallway and towards where she knew the boys would be. She anticipated chaos when she opened the door, but at the same time did she expect anything less?
Nope.
Lizzie adorned the bridesmaid dress that her and Catherine had gotten a few days previous with Hazel - they were soft yellow dresses, with a bit of lace, but the softest material that hugged their curves, leaving at just about the collarbone exposed. It was gorgeous.
" Knock, knock." Lizzie called through the door, where she heard a bit of music, evident cheering - complete chaos more likely.
" Hey!" she called, pounding her first on the door again," Can you douchebags here me?" There was no answer - if anything she was sure the voices just grew louder.
" Hey, guys!" she called again. Just then the door swung open and Lizzie was faced with Floyd on the other side, his tie loose around his neck, his white shirt half unbuttoned, untucked and his shoe laces not even tied.
" Floyd?" she asked him and Floyd chuckled at her.
" Hey, love." he said, leaning forward to press a kiss to her cheek as she watched him, still in a bit of shock admittedly, a smirk rising on her features as she stared at him.
" You dressed?" she asked sarcastically and Floyd scoffed as he opened the door a bit more, leaning up against the frame as Lizzie watched him, crossing her arms with a raised brow.
" You look nice." he said and Lizzie grinned softly," You know I love it when your hair's like that." Lizzie giggled, putting a hand softly over her lips.
" My hair's always like this." she countered him as he reached up, sticking his tongue out of his mouth a bit as if it were of importance and twirled a piece of blonde hair around his finger, admiring it with soft eyes before tucking it behind her ear. Lizzie softly watched him, her heart pounding a bit faster than she would've wished.
To say her heart might've skipped a beat at the shy look her gave her next nearly made her blush. She didn't blush much though - of course Floyd made her blush more than she'd like but this...yeah she would've blushed if she didn't have to go back and try and act like Floyd hadn't just made her heart all mushy.
" I know." Floyd said," You just.....it's you." Floyd cocked his head a bit at her as she shyly smiled at him.
" Are you sweet talking me? Are you trying to hide that Lieb's got a stain on his shirt or something - someone missing a shoe?" she said as Floyd let out a laugh towards her softly kissing her forehead.
" Everything's fine, wanna see for yourself? Lieb's been practicing his vows for over an hour."
" How's he doing? He okay?" Lizzie asked him, slightly worried - Lieb nervous? Well, for this, she could definitely see that he'd be. Floyd glanced over his shoulder and then gently pushed the door open as Lizzie saw George, god bless his heart, attempting to console a red-cheeked Joe Liebgott who held a paper in his head trying his best to read off the paper and memorize it?
Whatever he was doing, it looked like it was only making him more of a nervous wreck if anything.
" Aw Lieb..." Lizzie said stepping forward as Joe looked up towards her - a complete sheer plate of panic was what he seemed to wear shyly.
" Oh Lizzie thank God you're here, these two haven't been any help." Joe said and Lizzie smirked sadly at him as she let him gratefully hug her, letting out a soft sigh at her comforting embrace.
" I thought everything was under control Floyd Talbert." she called gently as she pulled back from Joe and glanced towards Floyd who stood smirking beside George who grinned.
" Yeah well, before you came Elizabeth." he said and Lizzie chuckled softly, before looking back up at Joe.
" You okay?" Lizzie asked him softly watching as Joe's eyes traced on the vowels again.
" I'm gonna forget every word, Lizzie. I mean I've been looking at this ever since I got down on 1 knee and I feel I'm just gonna freeze the second I get up there." he said, tripping over words, as his hands shook a bit.
" Hey, Joe, sit down okay, sit down." Lizzie said as Joe, with an exhausted hmph, sat down on the bed and sighed, running a hand through his hair - which looked as if it had been perfectly killed. Judging by George's reaction like a knife to the heart, it seemed it had taken a while.
" Hey," Lizzie said pulling a chair up in front of him, meeting his eyes softly," what's got you shaken up? You're marrying the love of your life - you're marrying Hazel."
" I know, it's just....I don't want to mess up, for her, she deserves this, and I just..." Joe shook his head," I'm gonna forget everything. Lizzie watched with a soft smile.
" What do you love about her?" Lizzie asked him, softly leaning forward on her crossed leg and watching him," What, you know, makes your heart skip a beat?" Joe watched her and softly bit back his lip. Then a dorky grin grew on his face as he scratched the back of his head.
" She looks at the stars, these tiny little glowing things in the sky, like they're the most beautiful thing in this world. The fact she loves something so far away, so distant, so tiny, yet so beautiful - one of the littlest things in the world....." Joe smiled wider, chuckling to himself," she loves the stars." Lizzie softly smiled at Joe, inching her chair closer to see the look in his eyes as they grew with such love.
" And you know, she just...she knows what to say, in any situation and whatever she's been through - she took that, and she's only ever been kind because of it." Joe's eyes grew teary, as her laced his fingers between each other and unlaced them and sighed," It's the little things - we took a walk the other day and she got a little bird on her finger. It was just one bird in thousands of birds yet she crouched beside him, talking to him in that little voice she does, and he watched her back like she was the most precious thing. God." Lizzie chuckled quietly as Joe wiped at his eyes for a moment.
" She's so strong....strongest woman I know." Joe whispered softly, sniffling a bit again," I don't know where I would've been in I didn't have a woman like that to be by after this war, to be able to be by her side." Lizzie smiled softly.
" How'd you know you loved her, Lieb?" she asked him softly, watching as Joe looked up at her.
" Paris....Paris 1944." Joe said quickly, a grin spreading on his lips," I mean, Hazel framed against the night sky...all those stars. Man, it'll never get old. No matter as long as I live."
" I think what solidified it though, was how long she was gone after her hit. I didn't think you could physically miss someone like that. I mean there were days I didn't want to get up because I knew Hazel wouldn't be there. Because she's who'd I look for in a crowd. You know, the pair of eyes in the chaos. I'd look for her. And I knew she wasn't there. Just having her in my arms again, I just...I knew I never wanted to feel that way again - making myself sick over not knowing if she'd be okay or not." Joe said softly, lacing his fingers together," Never again." By the time Joe had looked up at Lizzie again, her eyes were filled with tears.
" You love her so much." Lizzie whispered, sniffling as she felt her throat clenching, as Joe felt himself get choked up a bit.
" I do." Joe managed out as Lizzie let out something between a laugh and a cry. Lizzie wiped at her eye and let out a quiet whimper past her lips, as she softly took Joe's hand in hers.
" She loves you even more Joe," Lizzie said nodding as her eyes continued to well with tears," So much. And I so moments there, where I saw this little girl scared to love, scared to live...and you showed her what it meant to be loved so purely, so rawly, so emotionally. When she told me...that she loved you, Joe....she's my sister and a sister wants to her sister find the love she's always deserved." Lizzie felt a tear trail down her cheek as Joe softly squeezed her hand as Lizzie let her lip tremble softly.
" These are happy tears I promise." she said as Joe chuckled softly, an extra tear squeaking out of his own eye. Lizzie sniffled and glanced at Floyd and George who stood with glossy eyes themselves. Lizzie felt a smile tremor on her lips as she watched them.
" You two deserve this more than anything, what the war offered, you both deserve this and each other." Lizzie said, squeezing his hand softly and Joe squeezed it back as Lizzie nodded. She watched his eyes fill further with tears and Lizzie knew if she watched his tears anymore she'd break down again.
" Alright, c'mere, c'mere, I can't look at tears anymore." she choked out with a laugh as she softly hugged Joe, rubbing his back softly as Joe held her for a moment, relishing the hug she provided for him, the moment of reassurance from someone who loved Hazel more than anything. Pulling back, Lizzie watched him, clearing her eyes from tears.
" Alright, can anyone get him a beer or something, you'll make everyone cry - and Floyd and I have a bet going that I can't lose."
" Hey!" complained Floyd as the group broke into laughter. Lizzie nodded to Joe who softly nodded back, turning to the paper crumpled at his side. With a sigh, he took the paper into his hands and rolled it up into a ball before throwing it into the nearby basket.
" I'm ready." Joe said, with a nod," I really am." George was the one who went over and started adjusting his tie and shirt and collar, all the meanwhile getting Joe to laugh a bit, and distract him from nerves. Floyd led Lizzie to the door as she stepped into the warm hallway and looked at him. Floyd brushed a stray tear from her cheek and smiled at her. She softly smiled at him and giggled quietly.
Stepping forward, she pulled his tie tighter and he watched her softly the entire time with a little grin.
" Floyd...." she whispered.
" Alright just one." he said, pressing a soft kiss to her cheeks, causing the blush to finally escape up to her ears. Pulling back he smirked at her, that cocky grin coming back to his features.
" Asshole." she grumbled, her cheeks flaming red as she tried to smirk.
" Asshole." he muttered back. Lizzie just shook her head as pressed another kiss to his lips before turning and taking off down the hall towards where the women were. Floyd watched her go, quirking a small smile upon his lips as he watched her go.
" You look cute in that dress!" he called. Lizzie glanced over his shoulder and smirked at him.
" Do I now?" she called back and with a wink disappeared around the corner.
Look who's blushing now.
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THIS TWO CHAPTER UPDATE GAVE ME SO MUCH LIFE I CANT EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE IT - yeah i needed this serotonin - BUT OMG GUYS!! these next two chapters, it's the wedding and reception and wow....i am EMOTIONAL - but you all already know that LOL!!! look out tomorrow for the next two chapters and the epilogue and my closing statement - in no way am i ready for this to end, i don't think it'll ever be over for me - i'll still go back with little scenarios and scenes for this story. it keeps it inside my heat <3 thank you all - i'm bittersweet for tomorrow! :)