The Wedding (Complete)

Ch 3: Family

Recap:

“I have loved you so much from the time I first held you in my arms, and I love you still to this day, and will forevermore. And from the moment I first held you, I knew this day would come. I have looked forward to it and dreaded it all my life, because I realize that you won’t be just mine anymore.”

“Daddy. . . I will always be your little girl. I may be Levi’s too, but I’ll never be anyone else’s little girl. ‘Daddy’ will always belong to you.”

“How did I ever get a girl so smart?” He smiled widely at me.

“I don’t know,” I said, smiling right back at him.

“Levi is a lucky man. He gets a beautiful, smart, breathtaking, wonderful, loving woman.” As he said this, he pulled me back into a humongous hug. After another few minutes, we broke apart.

“I love you, baby. Don’t you ever forget that.”

“I won’t. I love you too, Daddy. And don’t you ever forget that I’ll always be your little girl . . . always,” I said quietly, tears in my eyes.

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Claire's POV

“Are you ready to go down, sweetheart?” I took a deep breath and nodded.

               I put my hand into the crook of Dad’s arm as we walked out of my bedroom. Dad led me first into the kitchen, which was at the bottom of the stairs. I saw Mom in there, drinking a cup of tea, her back was to me and she hadn’t heard Dad and I come down. I looked at Dad; he nodded, acknowledging my silent request and left me alone with Mom.

“Mom?” I squeaked. She turned around in a flash.

“Sweetheart. . . You look . . . wonderful. . .  Breathtaking. . . Levi’s gonna love it,” Mom said, smiling.

                As she spoke I could see her eyes filling with tears. I crossed the room as she started coming towards me. We met halfway and embraced. I could hear her sniffling, trying to hold back her tears. We pulled apart and, as I did with Dad, I brushed her tears away.

“Thank you, Claire,” she sniffed. I pulled her into another hug.

“That was for all the times you have dried my tears and patched me up,” I said in her ear as I smiled into her hair and shoulder.

“Come, let’s go in to the other room and show you off some more before heading over to the church,” Mom said with a twinkle in her eye as she patted my check and grabbed my hand. We walked out of the kitchen and into the living room.

               We walked into a room full of laughter; Zoe must have done something to make Dennis, Allie, Emma, Tori, Beth, and Dad laugh. When everyone heard Mom and I come in, they turned and looked at us. Emma, Beth, and Tori got up and came over to me and Mom.

“You look beautiful,” all three said together. I don’t know how many times I had already heard that from them (since we got dressed and ready together). But hearing it still made me feel good.

               I laughed at them and they joined in after a quick glance at each other. The laughter helped relieve the nervousness that was building up in me.

“I hope I look half as gorgeous as you do when I get married one day,” Beth said after our laughter calmed down and Mom, Tori, and Emma walked off to go get a cup of coffee, holding my hands in hers.