38
December 24
Wedding Day
Gwen
That’s how I ended up marrying Caleb Freaking Lawson on Christmas Eve at Gate B-14 in LaGuardia Airport.
First, we tell everyone the plan. Caleb’s mom cries again but reassures us that they’re happy tears. Jenny runs to the nearby gift shop, where she swears they sell flowers even though Dean says they don’t. The two of them go off, holding hands and arguing. When they return, Jenny triumphantly holds out a dozen slightly wilted red roses. A “Welcome Home” balloon is tied to the bouquet. It floats behind her, bumping into the side of Dean’s head. He bats it away with an irritated scowl.
We assemble by the large windows that look over the runway. In the background, planes take off and land, the roar of their engines dampened by the thick glass. Wayne stands with his back to the window. Caleb and I move in front of him. Jenny and Alvina flank me as my bridesmaids. Dean takes his place next to Caleb. Our families form a loose semicircle around us.
Behind them, a crowd has formed. It grows bigger with every passing minute. Strangers hold up cameras. They take photos and videos, some even livestream. A month ago, all these fans would have intimidated me, but now I notice how happy they are for us, how they chatter excitedly with each other.
Disjointed comments float to me.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” asks a young woman to another.
“So romantic,” her friend replies.
“I remember when he was a child,” says a white-haired woman to her husband. “He was on that show—I can’t remember the name. You know, the one set in San Francisco.”
“I heard she’s done some great things for her hospital,” a man in a suit says to a woman who wears a pilot’s outfit. She nods in agreement, then adds, “Just think what they can do together. With his fame and her brains, they can raise all kinds of money.”
I tune the crowd out and step up to Caleb.
“Oh!” I press a hand to my cheek. “I was going to give you my dad’s cufflinks. The ones he wore to his wedding.”
“Give them to me,” says Caleb.
“I can’t. You’re not wearing that kind of shirt.” I gesture to the long-sleeved athletic T-shirt that he wears. Caleb brings his wrist to his mouth. There’s a loud tearing sound as he uses his teeth to rip a hole in his sleeve. He repeats the same process on the other side. “I’ve got room for them now.”
My fanny pack is still at my waist. I hand Jenny my bouquet of roses and dig out the cufflinks. I push them through the holes that Caleb’s torn in his sleeves. Their weight makes the fabric hang unevenly, but I don’t care. It makes me happy to see them here, sparkling, a physical reminder of my father.
I imagine what it would be like if Dad were here. He would walk me over to Caleb, with his hand on my elbow. He would brush his lips across my temple and wish me good luck. A whispered reminder that love is easy, but marriage is hard. He would say that it’s not just about saying “yes” to your partner on this day, but on every day after, even the times when “no” would be easier.
Wayne pulls himself tall, preening with his self-importance. “Quick version or the slow one?” he asks under his breath so only Caleb and I can hear. Caleb eyes the fans and says, “Let’s go quick this time. I still want the full wedding later.” He directs his gaze at me with a twinkle in his eyes. “I need to see Gwen in her dress.”
“You got it.” Wayne clears his throat. All our family hushes. Even the shuffling crowd stills.
He’s about to speak when the gate agent interrupts. “Here.” She thrusts the small microphone she uses to make announcements at Wayne. “Use this so everyone can hear.”
Wayne takes it from her and holds it up to us. “Is this okay with you?”
Caleb and I glance at each other, and I shrug.
“It’s fine,” answers Caleb.
There’s a minute of fumbling while Wayne attaches the microphone to his shirt. When he speaks again, his voice is amplified.
“Dearly beloved,” he intones, “we are gathered here today to witness the union of Caleb Augustus Lawson and Gwendolen Jane Wright. Let us support them on this day as they enter into sacred matrimony.”
I hear loud sobbing from behind me. I turn to see my mother and Marjorie crying as they cling together, their arms wrapped around each other. Jenny and Alvina are misty-eyed as well. Even Dean is choked up.
“For the sake of brevity, we will skip the longer vows today,” Wayne says, giving a wary glance at the crowd, but the fans and strangers keep their distance and stay quiet. Their focus is on us.
Caleb steps closer and takes my hands in his. His thumb strokes lightly across my skin. The touch is comforting as my nerves kick in, anxious but in an excited way. I want to savor this moment, but I also want it to speed ahead. To see what the rest of our lives will be like. All the things we’ll accomplish together.
This is it.
We’re really doing this.
Surprising me, Wayne’s voice holds a slight quaver as he asks, “Do you, Caleb, take Gwen to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold from this day forward, forsaking all others, ’til death do you part?”
Caleb looks at me, and the love I see shining there so brightly in his eyes is overwhelming in the very best way. It consumes me, surrounds me, assures me that no matter what happens, we will face life together.
Caleb says a loud and firm, “I do. Forever and always.”
Wayne beams at Caleb with pride. He turns his attention to me. “Do you, Gwen, take Caleb to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold from this day forward, forsaking all others, ’til death do you part?”
In my loudest voice, so all the world can hear my commitment, I answer, “I do. With my whole heart, I do.”
Caleb squeezes my hand, his eyes glowing with pride and love.
“With the authority given to me by the state of New York,” Wayne takes in a breath and proclaims, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. Caleb, you may kiss your bride.”
Cheers ring through the airport, from our families and from the fans, so loud that it drowns out flight announcements from the overhead speakers. Caleb’s grinning, his biggest smile, as he brings his lips to mine in a passionate kiss.
I keep my eyes open until the last minute, wanting to etch his happiness into my memory. I take this moment and place it into one of the many rooms in my heart.
To be held there forever.