see the tears in my father’s eyes as he kissed my cheek and put my hand into Michael’s. I knew that they were happy tears, and that my father only wanted the best for me.
Your father was incredibly handsome in his white tuxedo with his hair trimmed nicely for the occasion. His smile was more radiant than I had ever seen it before. As we stood at the altar, he leaned in toward me.
“Are you as happy as I am?” He whispered. “You look incredibly beautiful.”
I felt myself blush and gazed into Michael’s eyes. I knew this was so right.
“I have never been happier or more sure of anything in my life,” I replied softly.
We surprised our parents by giving them roses in the middle of the service while a couple sang “I’ve Got You Babe”. As I listened and repeated the words given by Pastor Clem, my heart sang too.
“I Natalie, take you Michael to have and to hold from this day forward for better or for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish from this day forward until death do us part.”
As Michael repeated those words to me, I began to weep, and tears slipped down my cheeks. The preacher followed by reading the verse from 1 st Corinthians: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It does not dishonor others. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered, and it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes and preserves.”
I took each word and carved them into my heart. What God had put together, let no man take apart. That was us, and our love. When the pastor introduced us as husband and wife and told Michael he could kiss his bride, the kiss seemed like it lasted forever. I don’t think I had ever been so happy in my life. In the church parlor there was soft music playing as everyone enjoyed little finger sandwiches, while Michael and I cut the cake. Outside the window the sun continued to shine even as splashes of water drops hit the screen. I knew that good luck had landed upon us. I was the luckiest girl in the world to be married to Michael. I loved him so much.
Lisa set down the journal for a moment. Her heart pounded with excitement as she pictured her parents in her mind. She remembered one of the last conversations she’d had with her mother about finding her knight in shining armor. A smile formed on her lips as a few tears escaped down her cheeks. It was a comforting feeling to know that her parents were as happy as she had always imagined .
Chapter Eight
The Honeymoon & After
Natalie’s Journal
Dabbing a tissue to her cheeks, Lisa re-opened up the journal and continued reading.
Lisa, we had a wonderful honeymoon. We took your father’s car with a trailer attached carrying a motorcycle on the back of it toward Colorado. What a feeling of freedom I felt when your father drove me around the Colorado mountains on his bike. I don’t know if I can explain in words the beauty of that state. The mountains were so high with a veil of white clouds hovering over them and on the very top you could see snow outlining them. I bet that’s just what heaven looks like.
We found a cute little cottage that had a kitchen, living room, and bedroom for our two-week honeymoon. It finally felt like we were really married. I loved the idea of not saying goodnight to him at the end of the evenings. I also loved it when he held me in bed and made love to me. One day, we drove the motorcycle through the Garden of the Gods, a place with unusual and steep rock formations with beautiful scenic views. Must be what heaven looks like. The rocks had names like Cathedral Spires, Steamboat Rock and Balanced Rock. The beauty is hard to describe, and you could only feel peace and God’s presence all around you. I did cartwheels
Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley