Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22169 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22169 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
With everyone else here though, I sadly had to come to terms with why he couldn’t.
What really matters is the way he looks at me. The way his eyes light up when I come into sight, the anticipation and need that he shows me. It’s the look of a man who would move heaven and hell for me, and give everything for me, every bit as much as I would give everything for him.
I head down the aisle, everyone’s eyes on me. The pressure is on, but I hold myself together. Today I declare my love to the world.
I reach the altar, where both Fox and our minister are waiting.
The minister goes through his normal spiel about why we’re all here and to celebrate our love. But the two of us prepared our own vows. I’d been rebelling against the typical style my whole life, and I am not going to stop now.
“Tabitha, you may speak your vows first.”
“Fox, I,” I take a deep breath. I’d been thinking about this for such a long time. “I knew ever since I laid eyes on you at that farmer’s market that you weren’t everything you seemed. That you weren’t just some city slicker in a Evergreen Valley townsfolk costume. And I’ve never been happier and more proud to be right. Your kindness, your knowledge of doing what's right, and your will to change everything to make it so have only reinforced my desires to have you as my partner in life. You’re the most handsome, funniest, sweetest, the most caring man I’ve ever kown and more than anything, and I can imagine no one else as my husband. I love you, Fox, and the whole world needs to know this.”
There’s some clapping and ‘aws’ from the audience, and I still feel nervous despite the positive reception of my words.
“Fox, you may speak,” the minister says.
My future husband pauses, takes a deep breath, and finally, begins. “Tabitha, no one can look at you and see the typical. No one can look at you and truly understand the depths of your soul, and how much more beautiful that makes you more than just your appearance alone. Although, don’t get me wrong, you’re absolutely beautiful in that sense too.”
There’s some chuckles from the crowd.
“I can’t get enough of you. I wake up every day either thrilled that you’re there beside me, or devastated that you’re not. You’re the most brilliant, sexy, and amazing woman I’ve ever met, and I’m kind of in disbelief that you’re allowing me to marry you. But here we are. The start of something amazing. I promise to always be there for you. To be your lover, your husband, your friend, your soulmate, your everything. And I know you’ll do the same for me. I love you, Tabitha, and I always will.”
More applause and cheering from the crowd. The minister is smiling, and he nods. He finishes his spiel.
We kiss. It’s not as intense and messy as it usually is, but it’s electric all the same. The symbolic seal of it all. That we’ve both agreed to be together for the rest of our lives. Our small crowd of friends and family erupt in cheers, as happy for us as we are happy for one another.
Mr. and Mrs. Fox Foster. Never thought I’d be the one to take my husband’s name, but damn if it doesn’t sound good anyway.
The night’s party continues on. Excellent cuisine shared outside, live music pounding and inspiring not only us, but countless others to join us on the dance floor. Soon, the moon is the only light in the sky, and as more and more people retire, it’s only the two of us left on the floor.
I’d like to see we were still full of vigor, but the whole day had been quite exhausting. We were literally walking slowly to the rhythm. The live music had stopped, a single giant speaker going over a computer’s playlist being the background music of the ceremony.
I take stock of the situation, realizing that almost everyone is gone. Literally the only people left were some people hired to manage the food and music, and even then were just there cleaning up.
It was ultimately just Fox and I, back at our secret hideaway.
“You think this place will remain just ours?” I say as we continue the world’s slowest dance. “Or will someone tell everyone about it?”
“Maybe they will,” Fox says. His voice is low, but powerful. “But something this beautiful is meant to be shared anyway, right?”
I nod. “I guess it’s a bit selfish to say it should only belong to me. Or, well, only belong to us.”
“We all belong to the planet, and the planet belongs to us. It’s for us to enjoy and use, and we should show it proper respect in turn.”