“When was the last time we had a traditional wedding in this family?” Rita whispered, as they waiting for the wedding to begin.
“Umm… I don’t know,” Taylor replied. “Psylocke’s?”
“That sounds about right.”
In the pew in front, Tobias, Alex, Kyle and Rose were chatting, the three having become fast friends because of their disabilities. While Tobias’s paralysis had been deemed temporary, he still had to move around in a wheelchair for a few months yet. Unable to stay away from his art, he had taken to learning to paint with his mouth holding the brush. Alex had been excited by watching the game of wheelchair basketball and practically begged to take it up himself. What with Alex on one side, Kyle being such a strong supporter ever since, and Tobias having shared the accident’s memories but refusing to let it get him down, Rita and Taylor felt that finally something was getting through to Rose. She was no longer as miserable about being blind. Alex was also now picking up sign language from Rose and Kyle.
“Shh, it’s starting!” came a whisper across the room, and the music began.
Emily walked slowly down the aisle, dropped petals on the floor. Paced behind her, and just as slowing came Marie’s three bridesmaids, one by one, the second one being Sarah. Then the music changed and Marie herself walked down. Mick had a bit of a silly grin on his face.
Then the music stopped and the talking began. Kyle had described everything to Rose, and now she was returning the favour and signing everything that was said to him. Alex was watching the signs and listening, fascinated.
“Do you, Michael Richard Brown, take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife?”
Mick smiled at Marie.
“I do.”
“And do you, Marie Jane Hanson, take this man to be your lawful wedded husband?”
“I do,” she replied, smiling back.
The vows and rings were exchanged. They had their first kiss as a married couple and then turned to the assembly.
“May I now present to you Mr and Mrs Mick Brown.”
Marie and Mick linked arms as they walked down the aisle, waving and smiling at friends and family. Towards the end, in the very last pew on her left, Marie noticed a man she didn’t recognise. However she quickly forgot him as they left the Church. Photos were taken, and finger foods were put out until the time came for moving to the reception hall.
To cut down on numbers, only people eighteen and older had been invited to the reception, other than Emily and Mick’s nephew Byron, who had been the page boy. However, another nearby room had been arranged for all the other kids (and Emily and Byron, should they choose to get away from all the adults), as most of the usual baby sitters were in the reception. The seventeen and sixteen year olds had been giving the responsibility of looking after the younger kids.
“I wish your mother could be here to see this,” Austin said wistfully as he danced with Marie. “She would have loved to be here.”
“I wish she could have been here too,” she shook her head in amazement. “To think she’s been gone over a year now.”
“And you two were engaged not much longer.”
“What? Two days?” Marie giggled.
Austin smiled.
“So have you and Mick decided what you’re doing when the semester starts?”
“Surprise, surprise we have. We’re going to stay in the dorms, just move to the ones for married couples.”
“You sure you don’t want the apartment?”
“It was a nice offer, Dad, and it’s not that we’re not interested. We just looked at the pros and cons, and what we felt right about and we’re just going to stick with the dorm.”
“Well, okay,” he replied cheerfully, then he looked up and noticed Mick. “Here, you go back to your knight in shining armour.”
Marie laughed, and Austin passed her into Mick’s waiting arms.