Speak Now

Prologue

"Please wise."

I stumble over the word rise not only because I'm nervous but because, at 8 years old, I still struggle to pronounce my Rs. I look over at what I believe to be our audience. I lined up teddies, dollies and even barbies, some belong to me and some belong to Drew. I return my gaze to Drew who's looking down at his feet nervously. We have no 'priest' but that doesn't stop us.

Katy, who's just turned six, volunteered to be the priest at our make shift wedding but I refused. She was too young and I demanded that our 'priest' had to be a boy. I asked Riley but he chose to tease and make fun of us instead. So here I am, playing the role of both the priest and the bride.

"Uhm..." I look down at my feet which I forced into a pair of white shoes that are too small for me but I don't care. I close my eyes tightly in attempt to remember what I have to say next but my mind remains blank. I open my eyes again and decide to skip to the part where we say our vows; my favourite part.

"I, Elizabeth, take Dwew, to have and to hold..." I peek at the piece of paper on the ground below me where I'd written down our vows in my best handwriting with my favourite blue crayon.

"To love and to chewish... fwough sickness and health..." I peek one last time. "For wicher, for poower... For better and for worse..." I look up at Drew who's shuffling his feet nervously. I clear my throat and he looks up. A strange feeling pools in my tummy when his eyes meet mine. It always facinates me how blue they are. He smiles nervously and begins to say his vows.

"I, Drew, take Ella, to have and to hold... To love and to cherish..." Unlike me Drew can pronounce his Rs quite well. He continues to say his vows but not before taking a peek of the copy I'd made for him of our vows. Instead of using my blue crayon I used red because it was one of his favourite colours and I wanted my blue crayon to last.

"Through sickness and in health... For richer, for poorer... For better and for worse." He looks away when he finishes. I gasp as I remember the gummy worms we glued together to make rings. I bend down and take them out of the small box I had put them in. We take turns putting the rings on one other's ring finger. I resume the role of the 'priest' once again.

"I declare you husband and wife." I make my voice sound like a boy's which makes Drew giggle. "You may now kiss the bwide." I notice that as I say the last words his cheeks turn pink. I make a funny face. "Kiss me." I order.

"Okay..." He starts to bring his face closer to mine, eyes closed and lips puckered. I copy him, closing my eyes and puckering my lips too. The moment I feel his lips graze mine I pull away eyes wide. His eyes are wide too. We stare at each other for a few seconds before bursting into fits of giggles.

At that moment in time I believed that we were truly married and that we'd best friends forever.

Forever and always.

But I was only eight years old and so was he. Yet I still believed.