Help Me Heal

Chapter 52

Wedding day. Hank didn't even feel nervous as he adjusted his bow tie, using a mirror in the bathroom at Jay and Erin's apartment, formerly Kalinda's apartment. He had spent the night in a hotel room before heading over to the apartment to join Jay, Adam and Kevin in getting ready.

The bridal party were over at Hank and Kalinda's house, where Lucy Thorne would be assisting her, along with Erin and Kim.

It was going to be a small, intimate ceremony with non-religious vows. Hank and Kalinda had agreed on that without much discussion. Neither of them practiced a religion, and what was important to them was to promise their undying love and commitment to each other. Thinking about getting to do that for Kalinda made Hank happy and somewhat emotional too. Camille was on his mind of course – his first wife who he had never stopped loving. Now he was about to marry for a second time, to a woman he loved just as much.

"Do I look ready?" he asked the group of men as he walked out into the living area.

"You're all set," Jay said, giving Hank the once over in his role as best man. Hank had no friends, a sad state of affairs, but Jay was somewhat like a son to him. There was no one else he had considered asking, and Jay hadn't hesitated to accept.

"We're all ready to go," Adam reported.

"Let's get you married," Kevin said, smiling broadly.

"Before we go, I just want to say something on behalf of all three of us," Jay said, taking Hank by surprise. "You've been an important part of all of our lives for a lot of years. None of us would be where we are now if it wasn't for you. We're all absolutely delighted that you've found happiness with KR. You deserve it."

Hank nodded slightly, looking at all three of them, immaculate in their suits and bowties. "Thank you." He was a man of few words in such moments, but he meant those two very sincerely.

"Right, let's go. KR will shoot me if I get you there late," Jay said, drawing laughter from the group.

"Where the bloody hell is he?" Kevin said, doing a remarkably good job of imitating a posh English accent. This time the laughter was even louder.

In high spirits, the group left the apartment.

-----

Hank stood at the front of the small but beautifully ornate wedding chapel, on the right side of the aisle. As part of the package that Hank and Kalinda had paid for, the chapel had provided an officiant, who turned out to be a pudgy, jolly-looking man in his sixties. Despite his less than impressive physical appearance, he looked very smart in his suit.

There was no nervous sensation in Hank's stomach, as there had been at his first wedding. Not only had he done this all before, that had been a bigger ceremony in front of more people, and with more complicated vows to get right than the simple passage he and Kalinda had written together.

Standing in the front row of seats on his side of the aisle were Adam and Kevin. Jay stood near to Hank, ready to do his part when Kalinda's ring needed to be handed over. Hank didn't worry about Jay having forgotten it, knowing he wouldn't dare given the consequences from Erin if he did. That thought was worth a smile.

On the other side of the aisle were Erin and Kim, along with Joe and Alice, the two friends Kalinda had first lived with when she had moved to Chicago to join Intelligence. Lastly there was Robert Thorne, Lucy's husband. Lucy would be the one to walk Kalinda down the aisle. She had no family to do that for her, but she did have a best friend since childhood.

There was also a photographer at work, trying not to be too noticeable while taking pictures of everyone from various angles.

Suddenly a recording of Pachebel's Canon in D began to play. It was traditional, maybe even cliché wedding music, but it was nonetheless the perfect piece for the moment. Hank looked towards the back of the chapel and saw Kalinda and Lucy slowly walking in. His bride-to-be looked absolutely beautiful – perfectly made up, hair down with a vine of white flowers in it, and a white dress that complimented her figure perfectly. Last but definitely not least, she had long white leather gloves on. A special touch just for him that he found as touching as it was sexy, although he did wonder how he was supposed to put a ring on her finger.