Our Way

I beam with happiness, and we turn toward the priest.

“We are gathered here today…,” the priest begins.

Nathan’s eyes never leave mine, and he has this mischievous grin on his face.

He can’t believe this is happening. Me neither, actually.

I hunch my shoulders together in excitement, and Nathan chuckles.

It’s like we are in our own little world, oblivious to what is being said around us.

We are interrupted from our little daydream with the words, “Do you, Eliza, take Nathan Mercer to be your lawful wedded husband, from this day forward, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?”

I smile at my beautiful man as his eyes fill with tears. “I do.” I slide the wedding ring on his finger.

“And do you, Nathan, take Eliza Bennet to be your lawful wedded wife, from this day forward, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.” He smiles as he slides the wedding ring on my finger.

I giggle in excitement and he bites his bottom lip to stop himself from laughing.

“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

Nathan lifts my veil back, and to the cheers of our family and friends, his lips slowly take mine as we smile against each other.

We made it…

Our way.

Five years later

I stir the gravy on the hotplate, and a text comes through on my phone:

I smile and text back.

Please!

I put my phone down and continue with dinner. Twenty minutes later, I hear the key in the door.

“Daddy!” I hear Ashton cry.

“Dada.” Gracie struggles to get down from my arms, but she toddles in a run toward the front door. I smile as I turn back to my stirring.

Daddy is the favorite person in the house. His homecoming is a huge deal every night. Ashton is four, and Gracie is eighteen months old. We live in our apartment through the week, so that we are close to the hospital for Nathan. For the weekends, we bought a farm an hour outside the city. Life, for us, is hectic… and so happy.

I hear Nathan laugh out loud, and then I hear Ash scream in excitement.

He’s getting tipped upside down by his feet out there like he does every night.

I hear Gracie squeal in excitement. She’s getting tipped back and kissed on her neck right now. Ha, no wonder him getting home is so exciting.

He’s the fun one.

“Snoopy, no.” I hear Nathan gasp.

I smile as I stir, every single night without fail, Snoopy, our cat, likes to brush up against Nathan’s dark suit pants, leaving the evidence of fur for his affection, much to Nathan’s horror.

“Snoopy, no.” Ashton says as he steps in to be dad’s bouncer.