I do

She's looking at herself in the mirror, fixing her hair once more. As if she wasn't already perfect, he thinks, sighing deeply from his soul, mesmerized by her.

It's as if time has not passed for his Jilly. He is still as enamored with her as he was that first night when he invited her on a date, as he was the first time he saw her interact with his boys, as he was at the family dinner when he introduced her and saw how well she fit into their family, as he was the day she said yes, as he was when he married her, as he was the day she gave birth to their daughter...he is still deeply in love with her!Sometimes in his deep unconsciousness, he fears that she does not understand what she truly means to him, that he has failed to show her.
But then she smiles at him with that sparkle of light and so much love in her eyes, his favorite eyes in the world, deep blue pools of love and life, and he is brought back to reality, she knows...

She knows because he saved her too. While she brought the colors back to his life, gave him hope, strength, passion to live his life to the fullest, he gave her back her dreams, gave her back her wings, the courage to believe in love again, and together they made their dream a reality, made their reality a dream.

'Mr. President, why so thoughtful? What are you thinking about?' she asks, beckoning him over while half sitting on her vanity table.

'Just admiring my First Lady,' he replies, approaching her and placing his hands on her hips.

'Hmmm,' she says, circling her arms around his neck, their lips barely grazing, teasing him, 'Your First Lady enjoys being admired by you, Mr. President.'

'You are the light of my eyes, Jilly, the center of my world, the love of my li...' -and she interrupts him in mid-sentence because she knows, and she shows him in the most beautiful way possible: she kisses him, breathlessly.

'And you still steal my breath away,' he says as they stop, foreheads touching, hands caressing each other and laughing.

'Mr. President, I won the lottery when I met you,' she says, her smile warming his heart.

'Oh, I'm pretty sure God created you for me, baby. Made us for each other," he says, nuzzling her nose, his right hand fixing her hair in place, his eyes shining with love.

'I am overjoyed that our first granddaughter has found herself a good man too, someone who loves her the way she deserves,' Jill says.

'Me too, baby. Me too. Today will be memorable,' he says as he pecks her nose.
She pecks his nose as well and watches him move to his side of the bed to look for something in his drawer. Meanwhile she reapplies her lipstick in the mirror and adjusts her dress once more, admiring the beautiful color and fabric.

'But before we leave,' he says, 'I want to give you this,' and turns to her, handing her a very familiar box that he has been presenting to her on important occasions over the years. It is, of course, a wrist corsage made of the most beautiful and fragrant white camellias. Her entire face lights up when he takes it out of the box.

'To my forever bride with my utmost love, on this very important day for our family,' he says as he helps her place it on her left wrist. Her cheeks ache from smiling so much. She admires it on her hand and laughs, trust her Joe to never forget.

'But I love you so much, Joe,' she tells him, throwing herself at him in a hug.

They stand like that for a while, arms around each other, listening to the song of their beating hearts.

He breaks the silence, 'Today I will constantly think about the beautiful bride, with gorgeous blonde feathered hair, in a delicate tea-length white dress and white sandals, who walked the altar to the groom and his two boys, changing their lives 360 degrees for the better.'

'Much has changed since that beautiful June day in 1977, except the love I have for you, Joe.' She cradles his head, caressing the nape of his neck, while he drinks in her scent and gently kisses her neck. 'That love has just been growing and expanding over the years,' she says, thanking the heavens for it.

-

Today is the most beautiful, sunny, and blessed day for the Bidens. The White House has been painted in white fragrant flowers, resembling a fairytale castle. The entire South Lawn radiates love, happiness, and beauty.

Joe and Jill exchange a final smile before making their way through the altar to their seats. Walking through the altar, they acknowledge with warm smiles all of the guests: friends, relatives, family, everyone who will make this day unforgettable for Naomi.

Throughout the ceremony, Jill feels Joe staring at her; she turns her head to acknowledge him.

'I swear you are the most beautiful thing I have seen in my life,' he says, and she smiles, taking his left hand in both of hers on her lap and kissing the corner of his lips.

'I love you,' she whispers, 'I do.' She rests her head on his shoulder.

'I do,' he says back, recalling the same promise they made half a century ago, and the same promise they make to each other every day.

___Happy 2024, JJ fans! <3

xo