Chapter 22
Lizzie
I’m sitting on a chair out the back of this little church.
We’re at a church by the beach, tucked into a room for finishing touches before the ceremony.
It’s the cutest little church. White walls with green borders around the doors and windows, a deeper green on the door and shutters that makes the lines pop just so.
Palm trees frame the scene on all sides, and the crystal-clear blue water stretches right up to the front entrance.
A year ago, I was just praying, waiting, wondering if God had someone for me at all. And now… here I am.
I may have dreamed of a big wedding, a sweeping white dress, trailing behind me with every friend and family member showing up. But really… what matters most is who I’m marrying. And who I’m celebrating with right now—my nearest and dearest.
“Are you ready, Lizzie Bell?” Gabby greets me, perfectly catching onto Pimenta’s nickname for me.
I turn around and she gasps.
“Gabby, make sure your sister is ready in the next five…” Mom’s voice trails off as they both stop in front of me.
They pause, without saying a word.
I blink. “What is it? Is my hair going crazy? Oh no… it’s getting poofy already, isn’t it?”
“You look so beautiful!” Gabby exclaims, eyes wide and sparkling.
I look over at Mom and notice a small tear trailing down her cheek.
“Oh, Mom… don’t start!” I motion to her. “If you start, it’ll make me start!”
I fan my face, doing my best to keep the tears at bay.
KEEP IT TOGETHER LIZZIE.
“I just can’t believe you’re getting married.” She gives me a watery smile.
“I can’t believe it either. How do I look? Do you think it all looks okay?”
I do a slow spin. A small, simple white dress, just enough to celebrate this day. Nothing over the top. Nothing extravagant. But it’s perfect.
“You look incredible. Amazing. Fabulous. All of the adjectives,” Gabby says, spinning into a quick embrace.
And then… Dad comes in.
And when Dad comes in, that’s when the real waterworks start.
He gazes at me with longing in his eyes, the same rare smile I’ve always cherished. Life hasn’t always been easy, and Dad hasn’t always shown his love in the ways I might have needed as a kid—but I know, deep down, he does love me.
And my eyes start to fill just looking at him. Enough for me to look at the ceiling and pretend I’m looking at anything but the ceiling—maybe the sky, or maybe I should think about what we’re having for dinner tonight?
That seems to do the trick as I look back down. But as soon as I do, the tide of emotion rushes all over again. He comes over to me and gives me a hug.
He’s not the overly affectionate type. He’s always the more stoic type of man.
The type that doesn’t show emotion but holds everything underneath, simmering.
As if he’s put a pan top on it. Like a pressure cooker.
Sometimes that steam—those emotions he buries—just needs let out. But most times, it’s kept inside.
And he’s here, hugging me.
The same dad who taught me to ride a bike and warned me not to date until I was thirty… he’s standing here, hugging me now.
That’s the pressure cooker letting out steam. His emotions spilling over as he hugs me tight.
And I can’t help but get emotional myself. My eyes quickly pool up with water, threatening to drain out.
“Dad,” I choke out. Trying to keep my composure still feels like a feat I may as well give up, but I’m not a quitter and I’m not about to start now.
He releases me.
“Nate is a lucky man,” he says simply. He straightens himself, clears his throat, and returns back to his stoic self.
I quickly glance over and see Mom and Gabby desperately trying to keep it together, trying not to follow suit.
Gabby has already grabbed herself a tissue, and Mom is just about to have tears spill over.
I can’t let the tears win—not yet. Because I don’t want my makeup to get messed up, I naturally have to bring humor in.
“So… how about the football yesterday, huh?”
Was there football on yesterday? Did anyone watch? I don’t know. I couldn’t tell you. I just came out with the first thing that popped into my brain.
Everybody laughs. It did the trick. The tension lifts.
Gabby claps her hands.“So, let’s get you married, huh?”
The shuffling begins. Mom gathers her bag, Gabby scans the room for last minute necessities. And me… I realize I haven’t put on my earrings.
I thought I had put everything on, but oops!
Finally, Gabby turns over, her bright expression filled with affection and tenderness. “It’s showtime.”
She squeezes me quick, and Mom follows with a gentle press on my shoulders. “I love you,” she says, softly, carrying all the weight of the words she doesn’t often speak aloud. She doesn’t say the words very often, but I know she does. It’s just extra special when she utters those words.
“I love you, too, Mom,” I whisper back.
She quickly heads out the door, too.
“Ready?” Dad asks.
I nod at him. “Ready.”
He offers me his arm, and I take it. We make our way out the door, but instead of turning right, we turn left down the hallway—walking to the door that leads outside.
I’m immediately hit with the warm air that blasts through as we exit out the door. The world sings all around us. I can hear the waves crashing onto the shore, the birds in the air chirping their song, and people’s laughter echoing.
The sun will set soon, leaving just the perfect glow and cooler breeze for dinner later.
There’s a restaurant nearby that we’ll all be gathering at after the ceremony.
As we approach the front door, ready to walk through, I pause, taking it all in, thinking about everything that led to this moment. At the beginning of this year, I never would’ve thought it would end like this. A year ago, I was praying, waiting, wondering what God was doing.
I didn’t think I’d be finding the man I’d prayed for all along, let alone be getting married to him.
I think that’s what’s wonderful with God. He surprises us in the best of ways.
Life comes with hardships, yes. But also with good surprises.
Dad looks at me, and I look up at him. He cracks out a small smile just as the doors to this little chapel open up.
We step inside the chapel. It’s cooler than the outside heat, a welcome relief. My heart jumps as I immediately see Nate at the front, waiting. Smiling wide, joy radiant on his face.
I squeeze Dad’s arm, steadying myself. Just a few steps away. My chest is full, fluttering, and… oh, my heart is pounding because I know he’s there. Waiting.
A handful of our closest friends and family are here. Gabby, my parents, my other sisters and brother, John, Maria, and Camila. A small handful of people who happen to have our hearts entirely.
Dad leads me down the aisle, arm tucked inside mine, until he reaches Nate. John steps forward, and Dad gently hands me over.
“You look beautiful,” Nate says as I approach him.
I smile, and he smiles back, perfectly mirroring my own joy.
“We are gathered here today to celebrate Nate & Lizzie,” John begins when a big cheer rings out starting with Gabby and then the rest join in.
I laugh, pure joy spilling from me.
“...Getting married,” John continues, laughing at the chaos of joy erupting.
He continues to lead the wedding ceremony until we reach the part of the vows.
“I believe you two have your own vows?” he asks.
We face each other, and he indicates for me to start on mine first.
“I promise you from this day forward, to love you when it’s easy,” I pause, looking straight into his eyes.
“And when it’s hard. In the moments of joy, and in the moments of hardship.
To care for your appetite,” everyone laughs.
“And for your body. To care for your heart, and your soul. I promise, in the good or bad, to love you. Before God and before man.”
I exhale, emotions swelling. These past few months have been a whirlwind, but every prayer, every hope… it led here.
We’ve been falling in love with the promise of forever already there as a foundation.
It may not be how others start a relationship… but I’m so glad we did it this way. That God made it happen this way.
I slide his ring onto his finger, and he begins his vows.
“I promise you from this day forward, to love you,” he says, holding my gaze.
“And to choose to love you. To stand by your side. To protect you. To think the world of you, always. That no matter what comes our way, I will always choose you. And to choose to follow God for the rest of our days together.”
My eyes have started to tear up while my grin explodes. I squeeze his fingers.
He slides my ring onto my finger, and John continues the ceremony.
“I now pronounce you,” John pauses, stretching the anticipation, “man and wife! You may kiss the bride!”
Nate kisses me then, a kiss that savors me in that moment. I melt into him, laughing softly into the kiss. We break apart and he wraps his arms around me, hugging me close and tight.
Cheers erupt again, and confetti is thrown in the air.
We walk back down the aisle, hand in hand, with joy on our faces. I feel full, and completely alive.
Life won’t always be easy. There will be hardships, challenges. But with God — and with Nate — it’ll be wonderful. He doesn’t promise an easy life, only one full of purpose, love, and surprises.
And somehow, I have a feeling He’s only just getting started.