Love Hurts

Twenty Four

Camilla,

                The girls and I arrive at the church around twelve thirty. At the same time, the hairdresser and makeup artist also arrive and momma rushes them into my dressing room. We have three hours before show time and many girls that need to be dolled up. Momma barks orders and I can tell she is in her element. The ladies get to work on all of us and we chat with each other as we get our hair and makeup done. Suddenly, there is a knock at the door and the caterer, Bell, comes in with wine glasses and a bottle of wine. I thank her and she asks if she can borrow momma and the maid of honor for a minute to discuss the setup for the reception. I agree and sip on my wine. Momma and Abigale leave with Bell and I let out a sigh of relief. Momma is about to drive me crazy. I don't remember her being this excited about my wedding with Alan. Maybe she already knew he was a bad guy. Olivia scolds me, saying that we shouldn't let that ruin my day. I agree and clink my glass with hers, determined to focus on marrying a wonderful man today. The hairdresser and makeup artist finish with me and I turn to look at the mirror. I gasp at the sight. My hair is flowing down my back in curls. I grew it out just for this day. My makeup is done lightly, highlighting my fair skin with a touch of mascara and lipstick. Momma walks back into the room and tears well up in her eyes as she tells me how beautiful I look in my dress and with my hair done up.
          "You look so happy right now," she whispers, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I am Momma. I would hug you, darling, but I don't want to mess you up just yet," Momma says.
          "Mom, you're making me cry from laughing so hard. Now stop," I say.
           "I'm sorry, baby, I just can't help it."
           Before we know it, it's a quarter to two, so Momma goes and makes sure the guys are ready. Then we hear the music playing, and my first bridesmaid, Mallory Hoss's sister, walks down the aisle.
          "Kim should be here," I think to myself, but I will myself to not get sad over the thought.
          And last but not least, my baby sister walks out, followed by my daddy and myself.
         When I look up and see Hoss dressed in his tux, I can't hold the tears back any longer. He is so gorgeous standing up there with his shit-eating grin that I have grown to love so much.
        Once I'm standing in front of him, Daddy hands my hand over to Hoss and steps up to the podium because Daddy is our preacher who is also marrying us.
         We will skip the part where the preacher asks who is giving the bride away today. Daddy says, and everyone bursts into laughter. Daddy gets straight to the point. "Alright ring bearer," Dad says, and the most adorable thing emerges from behind the door. Mr. Spaghetti walks out in his tuxedo and bow tie, carrying a basket with the pillow and our rings. He walks down the aisle where Hoss is waiting. Hoss takes the rings, and Mr. Spaghetti goes to sit next to Berry.
         "Repeat after me," the preacher says. "I, Renae Sydney Sullivan, take Camilla Grace Mason to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward until death do us part."
         Now it's Camilla's turn. I repeat after Daddy, looking into Hoss's eyes, and before I know it, I'm wiping tears from my cheeks. Daddy tells Hoss he can now kiss the bride.
Hoss leans in and gives me a sweet kiss, while our family and friends cheer. It's the daddy-daughter dance, and my dad and I are on the dance floor. Memories of my elementary school daddy-daughter dances flood back, and I can't help but get emotional. I shed tears for the second time today.
       Hoss approaches us and asks, "May I have my wife, sir? I think it's my turn to dance with her." My dad playfully smiles and casually replies, "Nah, I think I'll keep her a little longer. You'll have her for the rest of your life."
      Hoss nods and says, "Well, old man, you have a point." He then turns to my mom and adds, "I'll just go dance with your wife then." My dad warns him, "Fair warning, she has two left feet." Hoss walks off towards my mom.
      About five seconds later, my mom walks towards us and taps my dad on the shoulder. She says, "Two left feet, huh? I'll show you two left feet, buddy." She takes my dad's hand and starts dancing with him.
      I stand there, smiling at my parents, when Hoss comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. He asks, "Now can I have this dance with my beautiful wife?" I reply, "Yes, you may." I turn around in his arms and wrap my arms around his neck. "You can dance with me all night," I say.
      He smiles and says, "Mmm, that sounds like a wonderful idea." I take a few minutes to catch my breath and think about the toast our family and friends made to us before our first dance.
      To my beautiful daughter and her new husband, Hoss, I wish you a marriage filled with happiness, love, and laughter. You deserve a life overflowing with love and kindness, my dear. These tears of joy are a testament to how grateful I am for your happiness.
     I express my gratitude to my mother as she sits back down beside my father. Berry raises his glass to toast us, and his words are heartfelt. I am so proud of you, my friend. You have finally realized the beauty of love and companionship. Camilla, thank you for challenging our son and making him realize the importance of having someone special in his life. You gave him a hard time at first, but that's what made him appreciate you even more. Welcome to our family, sweetheart.
     I chuckle at Berry's words.
    Our family and friends gather on the church steps, ready to shower us with bird seeds before we embark on our honeymoon. As we say goodbye to our parents, they envelop us in warm hugs. Beside the limo, I turn around and toss my bouquet to the ladies, and Jasmine catches it with grace. I can't help but smile, noticing the affectionate glances exchanged between her and my brother throughout the night.
   Once we settle into the limo, I turn to my husband and share a deep kiss. As I come up for air, I playfully ask him where he's taking me, as he's kept it a secret for the past month. "Nice try," he replies, "but you'll find out when we land tomorrow."
   "Tomorrow!"
   "Yes," he says, emphasizing the 'p'. It takes us about twenty minutes to reach the airport hotel. We'll be staying there tonight and then leaving on a private airplane first thing in the morning.
    The next morning, I ask Hoss how he managed to arrange all of this. He replies, "It's the Lieutenants."
    "That was incredibly kind of him," I remark.
    Hoss mumbles in agreement and leads me to a seat at the back of the plane. Once we're settled, the pilot comes out and introduces himself. Shortly after, a flight attendant checks on us and offers us something to drink. "A bottle of wine would be nice," Hoss requests.
    "Coming right up, sir," the flight attendant responds.
    A couple of hours later, Hoss wakes me up and we disembark from that plane to board a small two-person aircraft.
   "Where are we?" I ask.
   "Alaska," Hoss replies, causing my eyes to widen in surprise. "Seriously?"
   "Yes, baby. I've always wanted to come to Alaska."
   Our plane takes us to a charming little town where our truck is waiting for us. Hoss then takes us to a beautiful cabin that he rented for us for the week.
    On our first night, we spent it passionately making love in front of the fireplace. There's something about being married that makes the sex feel even better. We couldn't keep our hands off each other until we eventually fell asleep.
    The next day, Hoss was quite comical. I convinced him to go skiing with me, and although he fell ten times in a row, he eventually got the hang of it. "Oh, you think that's funny?" Hoss said, playfully chasing after me when I laughed at him one too many times. He tackled me to the ground and tickled me relentlessly. "Okay, okay, I'll stop laughing," I pleaded.
    He stopped tickling me and looked down at me. "You're so beautiful when you're laughing," he said, bending down to kiss me. His kiss sent shivers down my spine.
    The following day, we went on a hike and encountered various fascinating animals. We took pictures of them and asked a kind lady to take a few pictures of us. I can't wait to display them in our home when we return. However, the highlight of the day was when Hoss surprised me with a picnic on top of a breathtaking mountain. After we finished eating our sandwiches, he fed me fruit and then we made passionate love on our blanket.
    Sadly, it's time to go home today, and I feel a sense of sadness because I want our honeymoon to continue for another week. We had so much fun, and I don't want it to end.
    "Baby, are you ready to hit the road?" Hoss asks.
    "No," I respond, and he chuckles. "Me neither, but we have to go back to our jobs," he says, kissing me.
    "But why can't we just stay here for another week?" I whine.
    "If we could afford it, I would love to stay here for another week, but we both know that's not possible," he explains.
                                                               ♾️
       It's Monday of the following week and it's time to get back to work. As soon as I step through the doors, my colleagues bombard me with questions about my honeymoon and what we did. Well, to start off, we had a lot of fun in the bedroom, but we also went out and did various activities. The funniest moment was when we went skiing and Hoss kept falling. He was so frustrated, but I couldn't stop laughing. And then he surprised me with a beautiful picnic. We saw many animals and took lots of pictures.
     I tell my colleagues that I didn't want to come back home. Jasmine responds with a sarcastic "duh". I playfully ask Jasmine how things are going after my wedding, and she responds with a cheeky remark about her relationship with my brother. Olivia scolds Jasmine for her language, and we all laugh.
     I shake my head because I brought that conversation upon myself by asking. After my first day back at work, I make it home safely and find my husband cooking us dinner. The aroma is amazing, and I compliment him as I pour us a glass of wine.

Authors note, did you love this book are what? I hope it didn't make you cry to much? Leave me a comment and let me know. Much love guys and keep rocking on 🤘!
@Crystal Steadman 2023