28 Years a Hero

2008

January 8th,2008

Jay insisted on a firehouse wedding. He didn't have to convince me much,I had always wanted one since I saw my own parents wedding photos. They were old faded polaroids of two young people that slightly resembled my father and mother. Everything looked so perfect in them.

He held the wedding at the very firehouse that Jay's father had worked for the same one that his mother had married his original father in and the same one my parents were married in so you can already imagine the emotional stream this was for both middle-aged mothers.

It was a cold day to my dismay as my dress had no sleeves and was particularly low cut in the back. Pure white as snow,the top was tight around my chest and waist then flowed from the hips a waterfall of glittering white silk. The back of the dress laced up the middle of my back leaving most of the skin and shoulder blades exposed.

To aid the temperature freezing to death problem even faster,my dark hair was pinned intricately atop my head,a few strait locks falling neatly around my face evenly on both sides. The cold winter had left my skin a creamy light tan color that contrasted with my dress like adding Carmel to a cup of warmed milk.

Though all hypothermic dangers were cut short by my knight in shining armor's grand cloak. A navy blue jacket that smelled of the familiar smell of cologne and slight tinge of smoke,you could never completely wash it out of your skin or clothes. Jay's jacket not only saved me from becoming an ice cube but gave me the perfect opportunity to contaminate the perfectly ironed navy with sugary white wedding cake frosting.

"Sky." Jay laughed pointing to my shoulder. I looked over to where his index and indicated and gasped at the white cake smeared across his blues.

"Jay! Oh my,I am so sorry!" I quickly licked my finger and wiped at it vigorously making the small cloud even worse,causing it to spread.

"Babe. Babe. It's okay,stop." He laughed and I bit my lip.

"I ruined your blues."

"It needed to be washed anyway. I'll stop by the dry cleaners on our way home." He insisted and I nodded with a small smile wondering how I got lucky to Deserve someone so great.

Our honeymoon later that night consisted of us moving into our first house we bought near the station. We couldn't travel with both of us working volunteer now and could be called at any moment.

It was a small old house made sometime in the seventies and had faded blue paint with white trim outside. Every room inside had different colored carpets. There were three bedrooms with one bathroom in the hallway. The bathroom porcelain was all pink. Pink toilet, sinks and counters,that made me want to throw up and wonder why the seventies thought that was a good idea. The gathering area had a real fireplace and was only large enough for one couch. It was a one story house and the second you walked from the front door you were in the living room.

After taking a few steps out of the living room you found yourself in the small kitchen decorated with white and blue tile and the most amazing ridiculous wall paper I had ever seen. East from the kitchen,there was one hallway with two doors on each side. On the left side was the two smallest bedrooms and on the right was the master bedroom and the last room the bubblegum bathroom. The very end of the hall held a single door that led to the garage and backyard.

The backyard was a small yellow-green patchy grass enclosed by planks of rotting faded fencing. A large tree in the middle of the yard provided more than necessary shade. An old tire swing hung from the tree,rope so fringed it looked as if it might snap at one gust of strong wind.

The house was old but had character and was cozy. Jay called it "our project" which really meant fixing every piece of it constantly. The roof,floor,and pipes frequently having problems. It was home.