CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE | Ben
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Ben
T o say that the last three weeks of Ben’s life had been a bit of a whirlwind would be like saying the ocean has a bit of water in it. Between finalizing all of the wedding plans, sending out last minute invites, and trying to convince Holly’s father that having a Yankees fan for a son-in-law wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, Ben had hardly had time to breathe. He did make time to meet with the psychologist, and he now had weekly appointments to help manage his anxiety.
The sessions helped, and Ben was determined to keep up with all of the exercises his therapist had suggested. It was a very busy time, but the momentary uptick in stress was worth it every time he saw Holly watching him from across a table filled with paperwork. Every time she smiled, it lit up the room, just as it had lit up his life.
Ben’s anxiety was currently at a low level hum, but it had more to do with making sure everything went right for his bride. Ben didn’t need the perfect wedding, but he knew how long Holly had waited for her happily-ever-after, and he wanted everything to go off without a hitch. He hadn’t had to deal with putting out any fires, and he was sure there was a lot more going on behind the scenes than he was aware of, but he tried to stay focused on his assigned task—to walk his mom down the aisle in just a few minutes.
His coworkers had already been greeted and shown their seats, and while they’d been surprised to get an invite. The few who lived out of state offered their congratulations via email, and one had even sent a bottle of very nice champagne to his address. It was nice to know Ben had more than one friend in the world, and he was once again grateful for putting himself out there a little more over the last few months.
“You ready for this?” Henry asked as he walked into the staging area just inside the barn that stood next to the crop of trees where the ceremony would be held.
“Definitely,” Ben answered confidently. “What about you? I know you aren’t much for dressing up.” Ben eyed his friend who wore a blue tux that was similar to his own, and while Henry looked good, he also seemed very uncomfortable.
Henry shrugged and rolled his shoulders. “Yea, I could have done with a more casual look, but I’ll consider it practice for Hailey’s wedding in a couple of months.”
Ben nodded at the reminder that his and Holly’s wasn’t the only wedding on the docket. Hailey was getting married at the end of the summer, and while Holly had initially been worried that her sister would feel like they were stealing her thunder, her concerns had been unfounded because Hailey had been more than happy for them, more excited than ever to make their cake, too.
“You don’t consider it practice for your own wedding?” he asked.
“Meh. I’m not counting on that happening anytime soon.” Henry’s smile was as bright as Ben had ever seen it, but he recognized the loneliness in his friend’s eyes.
He’d had the same look not long ago, and suddenly Ben wished he could be a better wingman for his friend. Henry had always seemed like the family type, so it must be difficult to not have that for himself, but you never knew what kind of curveball life was going to throw at you. At the beginning of the year, if you had told Ben he would be married by the end of May, he would have called you crazy. Now, he couldn’t wait to make things official with the woman he loved.
“There’s still time, man. You’re only twenty-five,” Ben said as he clasped his friend’s shoulder in support.
“I suppose.” Henry sighed and shook his head, the slight sadness in his expression disappearing. “Enough about me. Let’s get you hitched.”
Ben chuckled as his mom, Ellen, and Hailey came into the staging area, his mom rushing up to him and giving him a tight hug. “Oh, I am so happy for you, Benny. And just wait until you see Holly, she looks absolutely stunning.”
“She always does,” he said. Ben linked their arms together while Henry signaled the string quartet to start playing an instrumental procession.
Ben and his mom followed behind Henry and Ellen, and he smiled at the small gathering of family and friends as he walked his mom down the aisle lined with white cloth and pink flower petals. The evening sun came through the trees and he could smell the plum blossoms that had already fallen to the ground. The entire scene was magical and he couldn’t wait to see Holly’s face as she took it all in. Ben’s mom kissed his cheek as he dropped her at her chair in the front and took his spot next to the officiant.
A few moments later, Ben watched Henry come back down the aisle with Hailey before taking their spots as well. Hailey rushed up to the front row for a moment to give her fiancé, Louis, a quick kiss and Ben smiled at the two of them. He had only spoken with Louis a few times, but they got along fairly well. The Frenchman was incredibly likeable and friendly, so Ben had found him easy to socialize with, and it didn’t hurt that the man brought the most delicious pastries everywhere he went.
The quartet switched to playing a cover of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story.” Holly said she had heard it a long time ago and wanted it to be the song she walked down the aisle to. Ben was more than happy to give her whatever she wanted, knowing that once he saw her coming toward him, there was no way he would be paying attention to the music. Ben watched and waited patiently for his bride, his breath hitching when the barn doors that had been closed behind the wedding party opened to reveal Holly being escorted by her father. He barely noticed his new father-in-law, too awestruck by his beautiful bride to see anything but her.
Holly glided toward him like some ethereal creature, and Ben took a moment to catalog and memorize just how beautiful she looked in her white gown. The gauzy material and heavy beading on top making her resemble the angel come down from Heaven. Dark waves of her silken hair cascaded over the pale skin of her exposed shoulders, a beaded clip pulling the side of her hair out of her face which was glowing with happiness. The closer she got, the luckier he felt until his heart swelled with so much love and gratitude he was almost certain everyone could hear it beating.
Ben’s eyes watered with happy tears, and when he felt a handkerchief brush his knuckles, he nodded his thanks to Henry. Holly’s expression was so wonderfully blissful, and he could see her eyes shining with the same happy tears that threatened to spill out over his cheeks. When her father finally placed her hand in Ben’s, an overwhelming sense that everything in his world was right, washed over him and made a permanent place in his soul.
The officiant began the ceremony, and Ben listened intently as she spoke of love, honor, and support for your partner as he stared at Holly, transfixed by the wonderful, incredible, unbelievable person who had agreed to share her life with him. When it was finally time for the vows, Ben had to clear his throat of all the emotion that had built up from the moment she started down the aisle.
Reaching into the inside pocket of his tux, he retrieved a small slip of paper and flashed it at the audience. “I didn’t trust myself to memorize this whole thing.”
The crowd chuckled at his joke as he looked down at his vows one last time before moving his gaze up to Holly’s smiling face. Now that he had her next to him giving him strength, he no longer needed the reminder. “Holly, from the moment you slammed into me on the sidewalk, I knew my life was going to change. I just didn’t know how much and how wonderfully at the time. From day one, you have challenged me in ways I never thought possible, and you have been a constant beacon of hope, love, and support. Thank you for giving this grump a chance and for always being my ray of sunshine. I love you so much, and I can’t wait to start the rest of our lives as husband and wife.”
Holly beamed at him as she sniffled and waved at Hailey to hand her a tissue. She dabbed at her eyes and took a deep breath before speaking her own vows. “Ben. As much as I’ve been chasing after love most of my life and looked for it around every corner, I never saw you coming. You complement me in ways that I didn’t know I needed, and you never tire of my perpetual optimism. You love and support me, make me feel safe enough to be my true self. I love you more than I ever thought possible, and I’m so glad that you bumped into me on the sidewalk that day.” The audience chuckled again. “And thank you for only ever making me cry happy tears,” she said with a light laugh. Ben couldn’t resist and used his thumbs to wipe her eyes then crushed his lips against hers.
“We’re not quite at that part yet,” the officiant said.
Ben stepped back and shrugged. “Sorry. Couldn’t be helped.” The rest of the ceremony went by quickly as they exchanged rings and promised to love and cherish one another for the rest of their lives, and as he and Holly made their way back up the aisle toward the reception, Ben knew it was a promise he would have no trouble keeping.