Imperfect Perfection (Sequel to The Light in the Dark)

Key to life

"Are you ready Holly?" Kacy asks and stares at me with tears. She is beautiful but she claims I'm prettier.

"I'm ready." I agree. "Stop crying because then I'm going to cry and then somebody will have to redo my makeup." I laugh.

"Okay it is about to start." Meredith says and I snap my attention to the gentle music playing. People file out and I imagine how beautiful it would be with the flower petals scattered by Callie and then it's my turn.

"You ready?" Aaron asks. I don't have a father to actually walk me down the aisle so I picked a mature and important person to me. When I thought Zach was dead Aaron worked with me to make sure I didn't kill myself or try again. I look up at him then back down at my feet which I can't actually see because of my dress.

"Yeah." I nod and smile.

"Thank you for this." Aaron smiles happily. He's been married for about a year now to Bailey who also was helpful and stands in the crowd now.

"Who else was I to pick?" I ask.

"You've come a long way Holly." He whispers.

"Stop you'll make me cry." I say laughing.

"Relax." Aaron tells me and then we start walking. We walk out into the beautiful wedding scene id planned. Jackson smiles at me from the front and I almost cry looking at him. Then there is all of Zach's brothers, brother in law, sister, and sister In laws and nieces and nephews that will all be my nieces and nephews. But then I look up at Zach and squeeze Aaron's arm almost without meaning to. He replies with squeezing my hand reassuringly and I just smile and breathe. Zach looked beautiful in a grey tux that matched half of the flowers in all of the bridesmaids hands. And he had the smile of a lifetime. One that could keep me alive without anything to live for.

      Everything around us was beautiful. We were in a garden with magnolia bushes that reminded me of the ones in our garden. Then there was a willow tree over the place I was to get married.   Just like the willow tree that saved my life.

       "Good luck." Aaron whispers before I walk up the stairs and the closer I get to Zach it is almost like a magnet is pulling us together.

        "Holly Thorn," Zach starts his vows. "There is this thing that I've read about a million times. It's in any novel you read but I've always thought it was fake. Made up. That thing is love and it didn't take long into meeting you To figure out it wasn't just fantasy. Holly Thorn I've known I've loved you for ten years and anything that could've happened in those ten years did. All of the bad and here we all and we've survived. I know that can't mean nothing." Zach finishes and I let go of one of his hands to wipe away a tear before it had even fallen.

     "Zach Wilson." I start. "I always wondered why people made a big deal about life when there wasn't anything to it. Why so many people loved full lives happily and I just didn't know how they did it. I thought there wasn't a point and I'd given up. I had given up a long long time before I met you, but now I know why so many people try so hard to live. Because you're the key to my life.

      Then there were these other vows.

       "I do." Zach says squeezing my hand. Then as few more that a barely listened to.

      "I do." I whisper smiling.

       "You may now kiss the bride."

        Neither of us hesitate because Zach  gently lifts my head upwards with his fingertips and I stand on my tiptoes. At thirteen we were both such different heights and if I were to kiss him then, it would be so much easier than now when he'd already had a huge growth spurt.

      Everybody claps and I turn around and from the sky, petals fall over the crowd from something somebody put in the branches or the trees but I'd never actually knew what they were or how they worked. I turned back to Zach and wrapped my arms around his neck loosely but Zach tightened his grip around my waist so we were impossibly close.

      "Promise not to leave me again. That's the last part of my vow." I whisper solemnly.

        "I'm always going to be here Holly. As long as I live." Zach promises.

       "That's not enough because you said as long as you live. You have to promise not to die. We have a kid now you can't die." I whisper.

     "Holly." Zach says softly.

       "Please." I whisper.

       "I promise." Zach said. "Come on." He says and leads me to the buffet.