Stand-Ups in New York

Chapter 44 - The Ceremony

Getting ready for Jeanie's wedding was simultaneously the longest and shortest morning of Charlie's life. She had been up since 6:00 AM, holding Jeanie's hair when she had her first bought of morning sickness. She was the first to get her hair and make up done, she helped the other girls get their stuff ready. She watched Jeanie open her wedding gift from Paul, a pair of earrings and a rhinestone covered eyepatch (an inside joke from their first date, as Jeanie tearfully relayed). And now, she was standing next to Emily, eagerly waiting for one of her oldest friends to walk down the aisle.

A million things flashed through Charlie's mind as the music slowly changed into the bridal march. Watching My Best Friend's Wedding together until 3:00 AM in their dorm. Jeanie writing out draft after draft of her half of the guest list before she even had a boyfriend. The girls sending invites to their private Wedding Pinterest boards so their now-exes wouldn't see. And now here she was.

The crowd stood and turned to look at Jeanie. Her dress was pure white, with lace densely clustered from the straps to the waist, then gradually dispersing down the flared skirt. Her veil gently cascaded down her back, blending with the train. She held a bouquet of faux blue hydrangeas and had her arm hooked in her dad's. Her smile grew as she looked at Paul, and Charlie couldn't help but look at Paul and see that the expression was reciprocated.

Charlotte felt a tear gather in the inner corner of her eye as she watched Jeanie practically float down the aisle. The sky was clear and the sun was not quite setting, giving the glow of pre-dusk to the ceremony. It was the closest thing Charlie had ever seen to a real-life fairy tale playing out.

As Charlie's eyes swept over the guests, she saw Pete. He wasn't looking at Jeanie or Paul. He was looking directly at her. She felt herself blush as she grinned at her boyfriend. Pete was wearing a navy blue suit with a loose tie, and she mused that his look was reminiscent of Mulaney. He stood near Victor and fiddled with his sleeves, his eyes glowing like lit coal. He'd shaved before he came, and his face looked smooth. As if Pete could sense where she was looking, he stroked his bare chin with one hand, putting his other hand in his pocket. He mouthed Love you to Charlie, and she mouthed the sentiment back.

Jeanie beamed at her husband-to-be as the Justice of the Peace asked, "Who presents this woman?"

Ted wiped his cheek as he grumbled a soft, "I do," and hugged his daughter. He put her hand in Paul's and leaned in to whisper to his son-in-law, "Take care of her, will ya?" and shook his hand. Ted took his place next to his wife and Jeanie stepped up to stand under the archway, facing Paul.

Jeanie's sister handed her bouquet to Charlie and fixed her sister's train. Charlotte heard Emily sniffle behind her, which was enough to make her snort back her own tears. Kirstie stood back in her spot and took her bouquet back, giving Charlie a small smile.

"You may be seated," the Justice of the Peace said, and everyone followed suit. "We are here today to celebrate the union of these two people. Paul and Jeanie are the picture of love and devotion. They expressed to me upon our first meeting their affection for each other, and seemed not only excited, but completely prepared for the commitment they are about to make."

Charlotte smiled. She agreed with that statement. Jeanie had been her craziest, flightiest friend, but she'd changed so much since she'd been with Paul. She was ready to be a wife. Ready to be a mother. And she was so happy it made Charlie want to stifle another cry.

The crowd listened to the mothers of the bride and groom read poems in lieu of Bible readings, and Charlie remembered the fight that Jeanie had with her mom to read something not religious for the ceremony. They did a sand ceremony where they filled a vase with different colors of sand to show the unity of the two families (which Charlie had thought was kind of dumb at first, but seeing it, it actually was beautiful). Then came the vows.

Paul pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket, carefully unfurling it to reveal his chicken scratch. "Jeanie, you are the most amazing woman I have ever known. You are messy and forgetful and it is somehow still endearing. You are loud and you love to laugh, and it makes me want to join in every time. You bake cookies just like my grandma used to make, and you cook Chicken Parm better than any restaurant I've ever eaten in. Before you, I never thought that I could feel this way about someone. I thought I would meet someone nice enough, get married, have kids, and just kind of float through life. But now, I know what it's like to love someone. To know them entirely and let them know me, and to have them love me anyway. I can't wait to start our life together, and I vow to be your best friend and your number one fan for the rest of our lives."

Paul looked at Jeanie and smiled, folding his paper back up and putting it in his pocket. He sniffled and wiped his cheeks. Charlotte could see in his eyes how happy he was. They were glowing in the setting sun. Jeanie whispered, "That was really good," and Paul laughed.

Jeanie turned to Kirstie, who handed her a paper already unfolded and smoothed. She cleared her throat a little before she began. "Paul, you are the most loving person I've ever been with in my entire life. You make me feel safe and heard. You show me every day that I am your number one priority. You are funny and sarcastic and you get my jokes even when the punchlines are messed up and they make no logical sense. I've known since our first date that you were special, and I've known since a month in that I wanted to marry you. All I want is to make you feel as safe, special, and loved as I have felt every day since I met you. You are the Noah to my Allie, and the Nick to my Jess. I love you so much, and I can't wait to embark on this journey with you."

Jeanie gave the paper back to her sister, and Charlie saw the tears streaming down her cheeks. She glanced at Charlotte, smiled, then turned back to her husband. The Justice of the Peace asked for the rings, and Jeanie and Paul each held the other's in their hand. She began with Paul repeating her words, then moved on to Jeanie.

Charlotte watched her friend, but snuck one last peek at her boyfriend. She watched him dab at a tear that had escaped, and she imagined what it would be like to marry him. Staring into his eyes as she promised to love and cherish him, in sickness and in health, until death. It was a commitment for sure. One that she thought she'd been ready to make years ago. Then his eyes met hers. In that moment, it wasn't scary to think about being with Pete for the rest of her life. In his brown eyes, she felt comfort and love. She smiled at him, and he smiled back.

Charlie turned back just in time to see Jeanie put the ring on Paul's finger. "By the power vested in me, by the state of Vermont, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your spouse." Paul and Jeanie met in the middle, wrapping their arms around each other as they kissed, sealing their union. And Charlotte cried, gentle tears, for what was happening in the present and what she hoped would happen in the future. 

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Author's Note: Hi everyone! I'm back! I've been taking a break from writing lately, as I have started a new relationship myself, hopefully he's the Pete to my Charlotte :). Hope everyone enjoys this update, more to come!