Love Didn't Die

The Wedding

It felt strange to be in the old dress. It was very much a dress that I would have killed to wear on my wedding day two years ago, with a large poufy skirt thanks to the hoop skirt and lots of layers of tulle hidden under the top layer of soft satin, the satin also formed a sweetheart neckline and it peaked out from under the white lace that elegantly covered up to my neck and arms. I almost laughed at the memory of trying to explain to the seamstress what I wanted, as it was not quite a wedding dress that was common in that time. Despite the beauty of the dress, it didn't feel like it represented me now. I had grown out the dress, not physically but psychologically. I felt tempted to quickly cut it up and see it back up into more of a sleek, mature wedding dress but I stopped myself. To sew a wedding dress in half an hour was impossible and I knew that the dress had a lot of meaning to Erik, so I let it be. For the a hundredth time I checked myself in the mirror, making sure everything was perfect. While I had done my makeup myself, I had gone to the hairdresser earlier today and got them style my hair in a beautiful updo, as I knew that it would be awful if I tried doing it myself. Satisfied with the way looked, I carefully placed the veil on my head. I stood up and moved away from the vanity. I almost started doing vocal warm ups, nervous habit from performing.

All too soon, I was standing outside the church, the heavy mahogany wood door was closed, cutting of my entrance. I knew that in a couple of seconds the door would open, I would walk down the aisle and pledge my love to Erik. Somehow, it seemed all too surreal. I wasn't sure if I wanted to carry through with the wedding. I felt as though the whole thing was a little rush, only yesterday was I engaged to someone else and besides that, Erik and I had only reconnected a week ago. What if he isn't really dying and this is all one elaborate trick to get married? A quite voice inside of me questioned, but I quickly suppressed. It was possible that he was tricking me, but there also was a chance that he wasn't, and I would like to believe that he isn't lying, that he truly always did love me. A firm resolution built up in me, I was willing to bet myself that he was telling the truth about everything. Placing the veil carefully over my face, I tool a deep a breathe and squared my arms on order to hold the bouquet underneath over my stomach. Right on que, the large wooden doors opened inwards, inviting me at last inside. Despite the doors seeming like they opened by themselves for me, but I knew full well that the 2 witnesses that were required to have a legal wedding were on the other side opening it for me. It felt strange having 2 randoms as only people at the wedding apart from Erik, myself and the celebrant but I wanted to keep my family out of this as much as possible until it was too late. I knew that they would just try and stop the wedding, so I just thought it would be better to just apologies to them later. The moment I stepped inside the small church my eyes fell upon Erik and all thoughts of my family and the witnesses left me. He truly did seem angelic as light poured in behind him, coming from the stain glass windows that seemed to cover more of the church than walls. Despite all the stain glass windows, somehow the church stayed dark, a mystery of Gothic architecture. I slowly walked down the aisle, putting extra care in making sure that one foot stepped stepped in front of the other, despite how trivial it seemed, I had the sudden urge to make sure that everything was perfect, right down to my pace.

It seemed like I had to walk a mile to get to the end of the aisle. Erik seemed to be radiating happiness, despite the mask hiding a large part of his face. I couldn't help but let out a shy smile and a blush at seeing him like this. He put out his hands, ready to move the veil back, but hesitated, his hands stopping before actually touching the veil. His hands stayed like that for a second before continuing, and in one graceful, fluid motion, my veil no longer hid my face and I could feel the cool air of winter pinch my cheeks. I had to constantly force myself to listen to the celebrant and pull myself out out of the dazes I quickly fell into. It was all too easy to get lost in my thoughts, to think about the past, the future and the present. It felt too good to be true. I felt even a little paranoid that Phillippe would jump out of nowhere and kill me a second time. I almost wince as I realised that Erik was holding my hand which was beginning to get clammy from the stress. As subtly as I could, I took a deep breathe to calm down and turned my head slightly to see Erik who was standing next to me. I had to suppress a laugh upon looking at him. He was visually very nervous, despite his ability to always hid every emotion and the mask often  assisting quite a bit, was unable to hid his nervousness on his wedding day. I was well aware that many people would find it intimidating to see a man of his height with a clenched jaw, narrowed eyes and slightly shaking body, but somehow I found it cute. To somebody who didn't know Erik, they would have easily mistaken Erik's nervousness for anger but as someone who had witnessed Erik's rage, I knew that this was a very different emotion. Wanting to do something that would calm his nerves and my own, I have a quick squeeze to his hand that I was holding. His head quickly whipped around to look at me, probably because such a gesture was foreign to him. I gave him a bright, reassuring smile, which he returned. His smile was another rare sight, while his smirks were a common occurrence, I had never seen Erik smile with do much much happiness before that brief moment. I felt my heart begin to warm and my face flushed as a result. Suddenly, the priest's words cut through my thoughts. "I, Erik Destler," the priest stated, making it clear that he wanted Erik to repeat after him. " I Erik Destler," he repeated. "Take you, Alina Therése Chevrol,"

 "Take you Alina therése Chevrol," 

"For my lawfully wedded wife."

 "For my lawfully wedded wife." I relished in every word that Erik as he continued to repeat the vow word for word. 

"To have and hold from this day forward," 

"To have and hold from this day forward," 

"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,"

"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,'

"In sickness and in health,"

"In sickness and in health,"

"Until death do us part."

"Until death do us part." The priest seeming satisfied that Erik was earnest in his vow, he turned to me. However, I was not in need of his promoting.

"I Alina Therése Chevrol take you Erik Destler for my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do we part." I vowed proudly. Not skipping a beat, the priest continued Telling us to exchange the rings. Erik went first, placing on me the ring that I had given back to him only a few days ago, he slip it on my finger so gently almost as if I was some porcelain doll he was afraid of breaking. The moment that the ring found where it was meant to sit and everything just felt so right. The ring on my finger, the man standing next to me, the wedding, all of it just felt like it was meant to be. I also carefully slipped on Erik's ring, which was a twin to mine. Having placed the rings to cement our promises of fidelity, we turned back to the priest. Smiling down at the both of us, he announced; "for as much as bride and groom have consented in holy matrimony, and pledged their love and loyalty to each other, and declared the same by the giving of the rings, and by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He paused before continuing "you may now kiss the bride." I slowly turned back to Erik, once again feeling small and shy as I looked up at Erik. Erik evidently wasn't as shy because before I new it, his lips were tenderly on mine, a beautiful, symbolic gesture of our love.