A long lane at night

2.20. LET'S STAY TOGETHER Part 4

The song started playing and dad Allan walked Alice down the centre aisle, where she was far too happy grabbing white petals and tossing them on the floor around her.

'Your Nanna advised your dad and me to be friends and to love one another on the day she walked the two of us down our aisle,' dad Brian said, seconds before we had to start walking. 'And I know this is not advice you need when it comes to Nate. So remember, Jack. Remember how you felt the day you finally understood you love him. Carry that feeling in your heart and hands every step of the way.'

The memory of that magical day came to me in a blast as I took my first step down the left aisle. I knew Nate was walking down the right one until we met on the white carpet in the centre. Remembering what it felt like to kiss Nate for the first time and the realisation that I was about to marry the man of my life, the only person who I ever loved, made me start crying silently next to my father.

By the time I was supposed to turn right, I couldn't even see ahead of me anymore. I knew that was the moment Nate and I were supposed to see one another in our wedding attire for the first time, but I was actually too busy drying the tears off my eyes.

In control of my tears and with dry eyes, I looked ahead when I was already on my spot, then I finally saw Nate.

His overcoat fit him beautifully. The black buttons and details with the gold embroidering all worked together to highlight the features on his face. He looked almost magical, with expectant eyes and I knew that behind that stare, a hint of the long-gone boy who lacked confidence was threatening to appear. I knew I could scare this ugly shadow away.

'You look divine,' I said with a tender voice. He blushed hard, but his eyes showed me that he found his confidence again. Mission accomplished.

'Friends and family,' the judge said, cutting Nate before he had the chance to say anything. 'What a beautiful reason to come together, the day two souls become as one.'

I must admit that I ignored the rest of his words. My eyes were locked on Nate's and something inside of me told me he was understanding pretty well all of the endless love promises I was making him.

Soon, Nate took me by the hand and his words were the only sound that mattered to me.

'So many years ago,' he started his vows, 'I met a boy and offered him a toy, asking if he wanted to play with me. From that moment on, I shared all my life with this boy: my hopes and dreams, my fears and expectations. But I wasn't strong enough to share the love I had for him. I kept it hidden, afraid it might go away. Little did I know that this love was what I needed to become the brave man that stands in front of you today.

'It is a symbiotic relationship, the one between the love I have for you and my bravery. Loving you gives me the courage I need to do everything it takes to protect the love I have. And so, the circle goes on and on.

'Now, knowing fully well the version of me that I can be because of you, I place this ring on your finger as a daily reminder that the little boy is forever asking you if you want to play with him.'

With the ring placed on my finger, the judge prompted me to say my own vows. I continued to look deeply into Nate's eyes until I realised it was my turn to speak.

'Sorry,' I cleared my throat. 'You can't expect me to hear all those amazing words and not take a second to digest them.' I heard the small murmur of laughter from the guests.

'Since you started so early, I'll go back to that day as well,' I said. 'You were the third person to ever hug me, coming only after my own fathers. For so long, I didn't know the power a hug could bring. When my dads hugged me, I felt protected. But when you hugged me that day, I felt welcome, accepted. I felt, for the very first time, like an equal.

'As time passed and we grew up, your hugs remained the same. They made me feel like I wasn't experiencing life alone. They made me feel like I had something much bigger and better than a best friend. I felt like I had a partner.

'I know I am supposed to follow the rules and wait for permission, but there is only one way that I know to tell you how much I love you and I never cared much about order anyway.'

I put my hands under his jawline and kissed him with all of my beating heart. His lips gently brushed against mine. Our tongues caressed one another and there was nothing on my mind except for Nate.

When I let go of him, Nate said, 'I love you too.'

'Oh, yeah. I'm also supposed to give you this,' I said, taking the ring from my pocket and putting it on his finger. 'A daily reminder that the love of your life is entirely yours.'

'What love has united, no person shall undo,' said the judge. 'Jack and Nate Altridge-Leech-Wyatt, I now pronounce you husbands. You are free to kiss each other as many times as you want to.'

It was Nate's turn to take me into a kiss and I was more than happy to kiss him back. The guests cheered on us and we crossed the central aisle, stepping on the white petals, walking for the first time as a married couple.

We walked hand in hand all the way back to our joint changing room. We only had a few minutes, time for the podium to be taken away and for the ceremony area to be quickly converted into a dancefloor. The original plan was that we would go back down through the central aisle and have our first dance as a couple.

We were sticking to that plan, but some details had been changed last minute.