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It’s only when Troy taps my shoulder, reminding me of my surprise for Meg, that I stop the ceremony just before we say our vows.
It kills me to see the worry flash in Meg’s eyes when I tell her I’m coming right back, but I know this surprise will mean the world to her. Troy knows my plan and I told him to make sure she stays at the altar no matter what.
“Are they ready?” I ask Susan, the front desk clerk who I met on my first day here. She smiles and hands me leashes.
“They better get lots of treats today, maybe some cake too,” she chuckles. I don’t think she thought I was serious when I told her my plan, but now that I can actually carry it out, I know Meg will love it.
It takes a little doing and a lot of help from the staff, but back I come down the aisle with Tigger, Pooh, and Lizaardo, the iguana, in tow - her beloved pets. Tigger and Pooh both have little kitty bow ties on their collars and Lizaardo has a top hat attached to his head like a distinguished wedding guest.
They may not be very happy, but she suddenly has the biggest smile on her face and that makes it all worth the effort. The crowd turns and their smiles blend with laughter as many of them take out their phones, capturing the moment of me holding the cats on leashes with Lizaardo on my arm.
“What’s all this?” Meg giggles. Thankfully, worry has dissipated and joy has returned to her stunning blue eyes.
“They’re family too,” I shrug. “It seemed fitting that they attend as well.”
“They’re definitely dressed for it,” she laughs, kneeling down to pet Tigger and Pooh. They meow, I’m sure complaining to her, but they comply nonetheless. Lizaardo just chills on my arm like he attends weddings every day.
“Okay, now we do the vows,” I say eagerly as I take my place at the altar with her.
Before we start to take our vows, Mia takes the cats and Troy holds Lizaardo so I can finally hold Meg’s hands in mine. Her touch is something I’ve been craving since saying goodnight to her last night. All morning, I kept wondering how she was doing, if she was okay, and if she was getting nervous. But now, standing here with her, I don’t think either of us has felt more ready to step into this new chapter than we do right now.
“Ladies first,” the preacher says. Meg reaches out to Mia, who hands her a folded piece of paper from which she reads aloud.
She takes a deep breath. “I’m going to try to get through this without crying,” she says, prompting laughs from me and our guests.
“It’s okay, I won’t tell anyone.” I wink.
“Drew, when I ran into you in the lobby that first day, literally ran into you, I didn’t expect for that chance encounter to turn into what it did. It turned into a friendship, a relationship, and now a loving partnership that I vow to nurture and grow. I know we still have a lot to learn about each other, but that’s the fun part of our story. We get to write it as we go along.
I vow to be your best friend, to keep taking long walks on the beach long after our honeymoon ends, to help you when you feel lost, and love you when you need it most. I love you more than anything or anyone.”
Out of habit, I lean in to kiss her, but Troy pulls me back by my shirt collar at the last minute. The crowd gasps and the laughs soon follow when I’m brought back to reality.
“You have to say ‘I do’ first,” Troy reminds me.
“Hey, she was leaning in too.” I point to Meg who looks guilty as charged.
“Well, it’s your turn,” she smiles. “Then we can kiss!”
All I want to do right now is leave kisses all over her face. But for now, I pull out my vows, take a deep breath, and hold Meg’s hands in mine. At this moment, it’s as if everyone disappears, and it’s just us two under the sunflowers.
“Meg, when I first met you, my first impression was that you were a chaotic little pixie,” I say, again prompting laughs from everyone. “But like many moments in our time together, you’ve proved me wrong. So much so that I already foresee you proving me wrong for many years to come, but I thought I’d tell you about just a few.”
“I thought I hated and despised the beach because of the sand and all the awful places it gets into. You showed me it’s one of the best places anyone can be and having the right person beside you doesn’t hurt either. “
“The idea of living in a small town was my idea of a nightmare after living in a big city my whole life. You showed me that small towns have the most life, the most personality, and the most quirks—far more than even bigger cities can possess.”
“I thought there wasn’t much more to life than my work, business meetings, and contracts. Just meeting you and watching you bloom threw that assumption right out of the window.”
“I never had a place that truly felt like home, so I figured something like that didn’t exist, but once again, you proved me wrong. You are my home. No matter where we are or what obstacles we face, as long as I have you, I’m home.”
“You’re where my heart is. My sanctuary. You’re where I will run to, and where I want to be for the rest of my life. I vow to be a home for you, to protect you, and love you with everything I have and then some. I love you more than you’ll ever know.”
After the ‘I dos’ the preacher clears his throat. “With the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Now you may kiss your bride.” And he steps aside.
I wrap my arms around Meg as she holds my face in her hands, sealing our promises for forever in the best kiss of my entire life.
“Okay, my little chaos pixie, you ready to take on forever?” I ask, as our guests applaud and the music begins to play. She smiles up at me and just like that, I know I’m finally home.
