Part 2 of "The Three of Us"

215. And Now Begins Forever

Emily pressed Walter and Clara forward gently as the violin music began to pick up.

Clara walked beside Walter scattering petals, beaming because she loved her beautiful dress and the flowers, and most of all she loved Walter, who looked very handsome indeed in his little suit that matched Gilbert's. In his hands he carried a tiny satin pillow with Gilbert's mother's ring tied to it by a single ribbon. Of course Anne had been wearing the ring ever since Gilbert had used it to propose to her, but she had taken it off again so that he could place it on her finger during the ceremony.

When they got to the front of the church, Walter loudly asked the reverend, "Can you get us married now, too?" gesturing to Clara- and the congregation laughed.

Their old, stern, no-nonsense reverend actually smiled briefly, but shook his head.

Anne hardly felt the ground beneath her as she started down the aisle. She felt she was walking on clouds. She wished desperately to look at Gilbert, but her eyes had filled with happy tears and he was lost among them.

Gilbert, on the other hand, could see nothing but Anne. The reverend standing beside him was gone, the entire congregation, and even the music faded away as he got his first glimpse of his bride.

He had thought she couldn't possibly be more beautiful to him, but here she was, in her gown of ivory silk, a crown of flowers adorning her coppery curls, and his heart skipped a beat when she started toward him.

He could see she had tears in her eyes, but when she got close enough to reach him, his eyes filled, too. This was the moment they'd been waiting for and neither of them could believe it was finally here.

The reverend began: "We are gathered here today before God and in the presence of our families and friends to witness the holy matrimony of Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley Cuthbert. We thank the Lord for all the blessings that made this day possible. We are especially grateful for our friends and family, some of whom have traveled great distances to be here, as well as for the cherished memory of those who could not be here today but are celebrating eternal life in heaven."

He cleared his throat and continued, "Marriage is truly a gift from God; in fact it is truly one of the greatest miracles we've been given. And so we rejoice in two of God's young folk finding their way to the altar, deciding to give a lifetime of love selflessly to one another. As it says in Corinthians 13, Love is patient. Love is kind. Love does not envy or boast. It is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. This is what Anne and Gilbert here are promising to each other, and it is the responsibility of this congregation to encourage them in their journey and to pray for them. Would you all pray for them now? ...Lord, we ask that you watch over these two young people...make their love for each other stronger with every passing year...keep them from want and strife, and give them the fortitude to take on the bad times as well as the good...keeping them close to You, and giving them patience and hearts that always seek to see the good..."

Gilbert reached out for Anne's hand, gave it a squeeze, and she squeezed back.

"It is in Christ's name that we pray, Amen."

"Amen," the congregation echoed.

"And now may I have the bride and groom face each other?"

Gilbert turned to face Anne with a twinkle in his eyes.

Anne's tears let up, and finally she could see her groom. She gave him a watery smile.

"Gilbert Blythe, do you, of your own free will, take Anne Shirley, as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and keep, from this day forward, until death do you part?