Forever And Always

“You came!”

I felt a single tear roll down my cheek as I looked over at my parents. They were standing in the doorway of my bridal suite. The room full of my hair and makeup team and bridesmaids grew quiet as they stood back and watched our exchange.

“Of course we came sweetie!” My mom slowly walked in front of me and held my cheeks between her hands.

There was a growing smile on my dad's face. “Did you really think we weren't going to come to our only daughter's wedding?”

For the last couple of weeks before the wedding, Jonah and I hadn't heard much from my parents. We were constantly filling them in with all the details of our trip, but there wasn't a definite answer on whether they were going to join us or not.

“You two made it pretty damn clear you didn't want this to happen.” I felt another tear forming, but my mom wiped it away before it could roll down my face.

“Hey!” My dad cut me off. “Your mother and I are ecstatic that you're marrying a man like Jonah. We were just a little taken back when you didn't want to celebrate with the family.”

“But, after spending the day with Aunt Betsy, we figured you had enough family time.” My mom whispered so my dad couldn't hear. She smiled as she rubbed my shoulders. “We talked to Anna and she convinced us to have a celebration once we're back in the states. She said you and Jonah deserved to have this, and once she put it that way we couldn't disagree.”

I wrapped my arms around my parents and gave them a tight squeeze. “This day wouldn't have been the same without y'all.”

My parents left shortly after to get ready for the wedding. It was still early in the morning and our ceremony wasn't until later in the afternoon.

I was nervously pacing back and forth. Kadie was the only one to have noticed. Everyone else was too busy enjoying the scenery and the extra attention from the makeup artists.

“Lynn” Kadie grabbed onto my shoulders “Take a breather.” She instructed me to follow as she inhaled long breaths and exhaled slowly. “Tell me, what's going on.”

“That's the thing, I don't know.” I grabbed my forehead and turned around. I stood in front of the French doors as I watched a group of Italian men set up chairs and tables for our reception in the distance. “I don't know.” I whispered before I finally turned around. “It just feels so real now. We're getting married and in a few short months we're going to be a family of three. It's really happening.”

“It's just nerves.” Kadie gestured for me to take another long breath. “Remember, how I was freaking out before my wedding?” I nodded. “Remember what you told me?” I nodded again. “Okay, same thing applies here.”

“That's such great advice, Kadie. I'm so glad you're my Maid of Honor.” I rolled my eyes.

“Okay, I can't argue on how bad that sucked, but trust me Lynn, nothing is impossible. You will marry the man of your dreams, and you two will have a successful marriage, and you two will be able to raise a baby in the midst of everything.” She lifted up my chin and smiled. “You've been doing a damn good job so far, Lynn. Don't worry. Be Happy!”

I took one last deep breath. “You're right...You're right! I can do this!”

It was nearly five hours later when my hair and makeup was finished. Kadie had already taken the girls, and Jaime, to get ready for our entrance. I could hear the string instruments playing. I walked back over to the French doors to see who all was already out there.

I don't know what I was expecting to see. Everyone, except for Jonah and I, were staying at the villa where the wedding was taking place. I guess I was just hoping to get a peek of my groom, but he still wasn't out there.

I felt the butterflies coming back. I nervously shook my hands and tried Kadie's breathing technique.

There was a knock at the door. It was Rachel, Jeremy's cousin and our wedding planner. She gasped as I opened the door. “You look absolutely stunning!”

Jonah and I had been talking to Rachel for the last few weeks trying to finalizing the wedding details. It was only yesterday when we came into town that we'd met her in person. You'd have thought we'd been friends for years by her mannerism.

“Thank you!” I engulfed her in a hug. “Thank you so much for everything, Rachel! You did such an amazing job on such a short notice!”

“Oh, hush!” Rachel smiled. “Jonah's suppose to be the only one making your mascara run today. Speaking of, do you have your vows ready?”

I frantically looked around the room as I tried to find my note card before I realized I'd already stuff it in my bra.

“Your guests are ready whenever you are!” She took my hand and walked me out of the bridal suite. I felt my heart jumping with every step I took.

It was like deja vu. I was walking down a long hallway in a beautiful villa. There at the end stood my father waiting for me. I looked down at my dress, it was exactly as I'd seen in my dream. Perfectly accentuating my figure as a long train followed behind me.

I approached my father and he covered my face with my veil before we continued walking. He was whispering something to me, something about how much he loved me, but I couldn't seem to pay attention. I was distracted by the tears that were filling my eyes as we turned the corner.

There, on the other side of the most beautiful Italian garden, stood Jonah, my groom. How was it even possible for him to look even more handsome than he already did?

Everyone turned around to face me when they realized I had arrived.

I gave my dad's hand a squeeze. He slowly took a step forward and I followed after.

I couldn't stop staring at Jonah as his eyes gleamed from the tears that filled it.

“You look so beautiful” Jonah whispered as he took my hand from my dad's and helped me walk up the steps to the Rabbi.

Out of respect for Jonah and his family the ceremony was done in a traditional Jewish manner. Afterward we exchanged our vows. If there was any real reason for me to be nervous, it was for this. After all Jonah was a professional writer. And I...was not.

“Jonah' My voice trembled. I cleared my throat and tried again. “I had given up on love before I met you. When you walked into my life I knew there was something pulling us together. I tried to deny it at first, but slowly we found ourselves in a place where neither one of us could ignore it. The truth is, before you, I never knew what love really was. I've had a smile on my heart since the day I met you. We're about to take on a beautiful journey together and I promise you I will try my hardest to return the abundance of happiness you've brought into my life.”

“You already have, my love” Jonah whispered. He sniffled before he cleared his throat and continued with his vows.

“I think everyone here is tired of hearing about the day that I met you. I've told the story to every person I've met at least five times.” The crowd laughed as Jonah and I smiled. “The reason I love telling the story is because it was fate that brought us together. Lynn, I never told you this, but before I met you, I was struggling. I never fully got over the loss of my father, I was struggling with my career, and I just wasn't in a good place. So, I prayed. I prayed that things would get better. And three months later we were in the same state, in the same city, on the same street, at the exact same moment when we both fell in love. Within seconds of talking to you I realized our names had been written side by side before either one of us existed. You, Lynn Lee, quiet literally are a Godsend. I couldn't even begin to explain how much I adore you. We were meant to be together forever, and always.”

There were streams of tears rolling down my cheeks. Jonah pulled me in and dipped me low as we kissed, as husband and wife.