Farmer's Daughter

Chapter 41~ The Wedding

1 month later................

"STOP! I am already stressing out enough about today, I don't need you to go into early labor." I warned Kristen.

"I am sorry, okay but you only have two bridesmaids so there is a lot of pressure, especially since we are all 18 and I am 7 months pregnant."

"What do mean pressure? All you have to do is hold onto Mason and the flowers and walk down the aisle. I am about to go out there and get married, try to remember my vows I wrote, not cry so I can be understood, and walk out of that barn with a 1 year old and a husband!" I exploded.

Ben and I are getting married today, today is also Blakelyn's birthday and the 4th of July. Kristen and Tenley are my bridesmaids along with Shane and Mason as the groomsmen. The last month has been crazy trying to plan this wedding. I have 163 people coming to our wedding which includes Ben's entire high school football team that he couldn't put a limit on.

The color scheme was a couple of my favorite colors, peach, cream and a light olive green. It sounds disturbing but they actually mesh quite well. Tenley and Kristen are wearing long one shoulder peach dresses and the guys are wearing grey tuxes with olive ties. The special part of our wedding though is that we are getting married in the old barn that we no longer use.

I cried the first the time I tried on my dress. It was exactly perfect for me it was lace throughout the entire mermaid style. Hugging my hips and stomach with a flare at the bottom. I shrugged up the dress and sat in the barbers chair to have my hair styled into a twisted braid bun thing at the back of my head. I tucked the clip of my long sheer veil under the bottom of my hair. Zipping up my heels and taking my bouquet of white lillies from Tenley I walked to the back of the line waiting for the music to start and Jackson and Dad to come and walk me down the aisle.

Tenley and Kristen walked down the aisle holding onto Shane and Mason. Blakelyn was put in a red wagon and rolled down the aisle to be the flower girl. Jackson and my dad appeared out of nowhere ready to walk me down the aisle. I chose Jackson to walk with me and my dad because he and I did everything together when we were little and he was like a second dad while my real dad had to be out at meetings or in the barn.

The second the door opened my eyes locked with Ben and tears started to stream down my face even though I promised myself I wouldn't. Before I knew it my dad kissed my cheek and I hugged J and grabbed Ben's hand.

This is it.

I am getting married.

The pastor started talking and I kind of forgot to pay attention until I heard him start to talk to Ben.

"Your vows Ben,"

"May I never steal, lie, or cheat. But if I must steal, I will steal away your sorrows. And if I must lie I will lie with you all the nights of my life. And if I must cheat I will cheat away death, because I couldn't live a day without you. I love you Lex.

Sure it hasn't always been easy but like I said before - Doesn't matter how tough we are, trauma always leave a scar, it follows us home it changes our lives. Trauma messes everybody up, but maybe thats the point. All the pain, all the fear and the crap. Maybe going through all of this is what keeps us moving forwards, what pushes us. Maybe we all have to get a little messed up before we can step up. And I plan to be your shoulder to cry on when trauma hits, to help you battle through whatever it maybe. And to be your best teammate in life.

And someday everything will make perfect sense. But for now I will laugh at the confusion with you, smile through the tears with you, and keep reminding you that everything happens for a reason. Because I love you and only you." When he finished his vows I held out my hands for the ring to be put on but I couldn't see it because it was blurry.

"Now yours Lennox,"

Here goes nothing.

"I promise to laugh at all your jokes, good and bad. To appreciate you always. To hug you just because. To support and help you always. To hold your hand as we pray. To play with you always. To stand beside you wherever life takes us and through everything life brings us. To watch football and drink beer with you every Sunday. To celebrate when your team wins and to comfort you when they lose.

I pledge to always listen to your advice, and occasionally take it. I pledge to never keep score even if I am totally winning. I pledge to always admire your huge, strong, kind and determined heart. I pledge to love you. I vow to listen to you ramble about sports or work or whatever else until you are done. I vow to be your unrelenting cheerleader on a day that it feels to much. I vow to watch in awe as you kick ass and take names. And I vow to pray for you every single day you are overseas fighting for our country and our freedom. I vow to always love you. And I promise to think of it always. And I promise to love all the children we have equally, even if they all turn out boys.

Because I loved you yesterday, I love you still, I always have and I always will." I smiled at the end because what I said was true. And I realize it more now than ever.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride." I pastor announced. Ben swooped down and gave me a kiss on the lips before standing me back up, picking up Blakelyn and walking me back down the aisle.

We walked into the backyard where the reception was being held. And the party started right away. First with my father daughter dance. I picked my favorite song fom when I was little: My Wish by Rascal Flatts. I held my dad close and started to waltz around.

"You are such a strong girl Lexi," he whispered in my ear and for the first time in years I didn't flinch when he called me Lexi.

"Thank you daddy,"

"Have you decided where you are gonna live yet?"

"We were actually thinking that I would stay and live here on the farm with you, while I go to Bellin and help Kristen with the baby and raise Blakelyn. Then when Ben is done with his term and comes back we could maybe build on a corner of the farm so we could still help out. But if not Ben's dad left us seven and a half million dollars so I can move out if its a problem." I started to ramble while still dancing.

"No no of course not, I would love if you stay living here and then build on the property. That would just give me a chance to live near my grandkids." He smiled.

"Thank you for the dance." I said as we finished.

"Of course Lexi," he whispered, "I like how you don't flinch anymore when I say that, p.s. Seth would have been so proud of you too."

I just smiled in response as I got ready to have my first dance with Ben. God Gave Me You by Blake Shelton started to play and I again started to waltz only this time with Ben.

"I loved your vows, did you really mean the part about loving all our kids even if they are all boys?" He asked.

"Yeah I did, speaking of that how many kids do you want?" I smiled.

"I don't care how many do you want?"

"I was thinking 4 or 5 more not including Blakelyn, what do you think?"

"I think, thats perfect and that we should start soon." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Me too." And just like that the song was over, the fireworks went off and I was on Cloud Nine.