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“Yeah, right,” Jo replies, rolling her eyes.
We watch them walk away and take their positions as indicated by the wedding planner.
“Teenagers really have no clue what they’re doing, do they?” Larisa laughs.
“I don’t know. I think they’re kind of cute. They remind me of myself and Evan at that age. Of course, we were never boyfriend and girlfriend but, who knows, they might be soulmates and end up married in the future.”
The girls put their arms around me, and we spend a few moments in the silence of the small room.
“This is it, guys. I’m the last of us to get married. Once that ceremony is over, we’ll all be Mrs. Carlton, Mrs. Ferraro, and Mrs. Davis. Oh, that’s a lot when you think about it, isn’t it?” I ask.
“We’ll always be Jo, Larisa, and Emmy. Like we used to be. These are just new chapters in our lives, wonderful adventures that we’ve embarked on with these incredible men. But, at the core, it’s still us, honey.” Jo assures me.
“Do you promise we’ll be friends forever?” I ask them.
“Even when we’re eighty and old ladies with white hair and thick glasses, I promise we’ll still be best friends, just like we are now!” Larisa says.
“Guys, how about this? Let’s make a pact!” I tell them.
“A marriage pact?” Jo laughs.
“No, no. A friendship pact. How about, when we’re eighty, we all come back here, to the top of the Eiffel Tower with our husbands, our children, and grandchildren, and have champagne?”
“That sounds like an incredible idea!” the girls agree.
We hug for a moment more before the wedding planner walks inside the room. “Emmy? It’s time.”
My heart starts to beat madly.
As soon as I step outside into the bright light of the Parisian April day, all I can see is Evan. It’s as if everything else has been deleted from my mind and he’s the only thing that matters.
He grins from ear to ear and waits for me at the end of the aisle. Only a few steps, but what a long way to go. While I walk down the aisle, I realize that it’s exactly the way our relationship has been.
Evan was always only a few steps away from me, but it took me seventeen years to get to him. The ways of the heart are intricate and difficult to understand.
He reaches out for me, and our hands meet.
Finally, we’re face to face at the end of this long journey, happier than ever.
“Dearly beloved, we’re gathered here today to witness the marriage of Emmy and Evan. Two people who have spent their lives together in friendship, harmony, trust, loyalty and now … love. There is nothing better and nothing more glorious than seeing two souls who truly love each other come together. Emmy and Evan have prepared vows. Let’s hear them!”
Evan clears his throat and looks into my eyes.
“Emmy, over a decade ago, when we were nothing but teenagers, I asked you to be mine. That was a childish game we were playing, but my heart did not understand the meaning of games. My heart was falling in love with you. Fast forward seventeen years, just as our marriage pact was coming to a close, and I stood again before you and asked you to be mine. Luckily for me, you said yes, with all your heart. Emmy, this I vow to you. I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy. I’ll continue being your best friend as I have always been, protecting you, cherishing and honoring you, loving you, adoring you. The first seventeen years have been nothing but the beginning, this I promise you. Our happiness starts here and now, a thousand feet above Paris, among the clouds!”
Tears are falling down my cheeks, tears of elation and joy.
The small gathering that represents our wedding party, our friends and families, cannot stop themselves from clapping and hooting while listening to Evan’s speech, no doubt moved by his words just like I am.
When the appreciation dies down, it’s my turn.
“Goodness, that was … incredible. You are incredible!” I smile and look deeply into his eyes. “Evan, I met you when I was just eleven years old. And you’ve been my best friend ever since. You know everything there is to know about me. All my secrets and all my thoughts. But there’s one thing you don’t know—which is why I approached you that first day, in the schoolyard.”
The wedding party gasps as if they’re watching a movie.
I smile and continue my wedding vow to Evan. “That day, when I looked at you, I didn’t see a boy lost and in need of a friend. That day, I saw my best friend. I approached you because I knew, in my heart, that you were the person I wanted to be with. Something drew me to you that day, an invisible force—love. I knew that we were destined to grow old together as friends, as lovers, as husband and wife. Perhaps, over the years, I got a little lost along the way. But you were always there to pull me back, to bring me to shore, and to keep me afloat. And for that, Evan, I promise that I will dedicate my life to loving you. To making you happy, to honoring every gift that you’ve given me, and try to give it back—all the love, the friendship, the support, and the respect. Evan, you’re my best friend, my soul mate, and my one true love. I love you!”
Once again, the little crowd gathered at the top of the Eiffel Tower starts to clap.
