Ch. 6: The Beginning Part 2

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Recap:

Now it was my turn. Dad grabbed my hand that was resting at my side. He smiled at me tenderly and kissed the back of my hand.

“I love you, baby girl.”

“I love you too, Daddy.”

               We heard my part of the processional start. I loved it. It was the cello solo in Butterfly Waltz. I tucked my soft, thin fingers into the arm Dad was holding out to me. He turned his head and looked at me tenderly. He held my right hand in his and squeezed it.

“Ready?” He whispered. I smiled wide, my nerves calming a little, and responded.

“Yes.” It was all I needed to say. Dad smiled and squeezed my hand again.

               It was time.

               Dad and I took three steps to the beginning of the aisle. No one was standing quite yet, the minister, Ian, was to cue them. I had requested this so Levi and I could have a single moment together in between it all. I had my eyes down and my head slightly bent. When Dad and I got to the head of the aisle, I looked up and locked eyes with Levi. My nerves and butterflies disappeared as we looked at each other and he broke into the widest smile I had ever seen on him. Ian took that as his cue and motioned for everyone to rise.

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Levi's POV

Dennis came in and asked everyone but me to follow him. They were to go see Claire.

“Sorry, Levi, I don’t know how long they’ll be. Claire wants to see them and then she wants to take pictures. But I’ll come and get you when it’s your turn to take pictures. Alright?” Dennis looked at me apologetically. I nodded at him, not wanting to speak, afraid my voice would betray my nerves.

                I waited. And waited. And waited. Forty-five minutes later, Dennis finally came in to get me. I took pictures with everyone but Claire. We finished around 2:15, about fifteen minutes before guests were supposed to start arriving.

               Ten minutes later the ushers—Jake and my cousin, Max—went out to start greeting guests. Jake came in twenty minutes later to tell me that it was time to walk up as he was on his way to go get Linda. Mark came over to me and shook my hand.

“I’ll see you at the end of the aisle,” he smiled.

“See you at the end . . . brother. And try not to let the nerves get to you. Just focus on her beauty, like I did with Amber,” said Greg, grinning from ear to ear and shaking my hand.

“I’ll see you at the end. I’ll be right by your side the whole time. And though it’s not quite come true yet . . . welcome to the family, brother,” Aaron said, smiling, also shaking my hand. He pulled me into a hug. We held it longer than guys generally do but we had been through so much together and we were finally becoming actual brothers after all these years; the hug was justified (I hope).

“Thanks, Aaron,” I said. And I walked out of the room.

               I met Ian, the minister, at the head of the aisle and we walked down together; though we did pause to say hi to my brother’s wife, Megan, and their son, Jamie, as well as Greg’s wife, Amber, and Emma’s fiancé Zach. I could feel the nerves building inside of me. The processional that Claire and I picked out was supposed to start as soon as the bridal party got to the head of the aisle. Soon, Dennis poked his head through the doors and nodded at me. I took that as my cue to nod at the pianist and cellist, Rick and Roni—a cousin of mine and a cousin of Claire’s respectively—off to the side. They began playing the familiar tune of Butterfly Waltz.

               At the head of the aisle, I saw Allie step forward holding Zoe’s little hand. Zoe smiled and waved at me with her calla lily in her hand. I waved back at her. She was adorable coming down the aisle. When they got to the front of the aisle, she ran straight to her daddy who pulled her into his lap as he grabbed Allie’s hand, pulled her down next to him, and kissed her on the cheek.

                Emma and Charlie walked down next and Greg and Beth soon followed. I saw Greg wink at Amber when he got close to her. The pair parted at the front of the aisle, Greg giving me a slap on the back (to which I could hear everyone laughing) and Beth lightly kissing me on the cheek and then walked to her spot.

               I looked back up and saw Aaron give Tori a kiss on the cheek and blow a kiss to—I presumed—Claire. They smiled at me and I saw Aaron mouth the word gorgeous. I knew he was teasing me about not having seen Claire in her dress yet, so I just smiled right back. They started coming down the aisle. I watched them come down, both grinning ear to ear, and saw them wink and wave just a little at Jamie who was staring wide-eyed at them. They got to the head of the aisle and started to part ways. Aaron gave me a hug and whispered something about having the rings safe and secure. I smiled at him as Tori approached me and gave me a hug as well. She whispered into my ear that everything was going to be alright and that she loved me. I smiled at her as she kissed my cheek lightly and stepped over to Beth and Emma’s sides.

               The nerves that had been steadily building since that morning skyrocketed. I knew Claire was going to come down next when the cello solo began. I could feel the nervousness—as well as joy—flooding through me. I felt Tori looking at me so I glanced over at her and I saw her mouth the words calm down. She knew me well enough to know I was nervous; she knew the signs. I’m sure she could see it radiating through me. She smiled at me and I, all of a sudden, felt calmer—not much—but still calmer. I guess that is one of the wonderful things about having Tori as a friend; when she wants to, she can have a very calming effect on a person (a.k.a. me). The cello solo began.

               I looked up to the back of the aisle and saw Mark approach with a hand in his arm. A hand that I knew was Claire’s and then I saw Claire. Her head was bent and her eyes were cast down. They stopped. Claire lifted her head and I let out a breath that I didn’t even know I was holding. We locked eyes. I could feel a smile spreading across my face as I saw one spread across hers. I felt all of my butterflies vanish. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the audience stand; but I kept my eyes on Claire’s blue, color-changing eyes as she kept hers on my emerald ones.

               Aaron was right: she was gorgeous. She was absolutely stunning. I couldn’t wait for Ian to announce us as husband and wife. I couldn’t wait to spend the rest of my life with her, waking up with her by my side each morning. I watched her come down the aisle towards me. She only broke eye contact for a moment when she switched her flowers to her hand in her father’s arm and reached her other hand down to ruffle the hair of little Jamie, who was gawking at her. He blushed furiously and I laughed quietly. She switched her flowers back to her left hand and looked back up at me and winked. 

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