I Owe You My Life: The Wedding Day Part 2

***MASON'S POV***

As I head to the house, I see Amy giving some last minute instructions.
"Blair, we need to get everyone seated,"
"Put this dip over here,"
"Don't serve anyone that looks like they could be your child."
"Are you seriously going to put that bouquet there?"

She reminds me so much of Hadley.  I smile and my fears begin to lift.
Hadley and I are everything but traditional, so we have decided that instead of getting the first glimpse of each other in front of everyone, we would take a moment before we come out for the wedding to see each other for the first time.



I get into the house and stand at the stairs and anxiously wait for my bride.
I hear heels walking down the stairs.  My heart thumps loud in my ears.
This is really it.



She walks down slowly so as not to trip, so the only thing I see for a bit is a white skirt...



She finally makes it down the stairs and of course she is gorgeous, as she always is.
She keeps her head down until she gets to the bottom of the stairs.



She finally gets to the bottom, her head slowly moves upward and her beautiful eyes stare into mine.
My heart stops.

***HADLEY'S POV***

After safely getting down the stairs by some miracle, I look up into the eyes of my future husband and my heart skips a beat.  I can't believe we're finally here.  Seeing him, all my fears wash away and I am filled with so much excitement it almost makes me giddy.  I would jump up and down but...heals + jumping = broken neck...so...anyway, back to swooning...

Mason looks at me with such reverence, it almost makes me blush.
Me: Hi.
Mason: ...You are so...
Me: I know, it's crazy, I probably look like an extra on cirque du soleil.
Mason: *shakes his head* You...are...beautiful.  All I see is the woman I love.

I smile.  How does he manage to always say exactly what I need to hear?
Our moment alone is cut short when my mother bursts in,
"Mason, you need to go take your place honey."
"I'm on my way," Mason says without taking his eyes off me.
He leans in and gently grazes my cheek with a kiss.  I close my eyes as my heart settles and basks in the simple gesture.
He pulls back and smiles, "I'll see you at the alter."
All I can manage to get out is, "Yeah..."
I know, real smooth.  Good thing I've already reeled him in, he already went to the trouble to rent a tux and everything.  I think I'm stuck with him.  Hehe.



Evie walks in to talk to me...smooth my dress and make sure my makeup hasn't smudged.
Evie: Ok, you look beautiful.
For a brief second, my heart swells and my eyes start to brim.
Evie: Oh no!  Don't start that!  At least not until you get to the alter...then...bombs away...but not a minute before!  Got it?
She wipes the bottoms of both of my eyes with her thumbs, then steps back to look at me and smiles.  She starts to talk, but I cut her off.
Me: If you don't want me to cry, I strongly suggest not saying anything.
Evie: You don't even know what I'm going to say...
Me: I can tell it's going to be tear-inducing...
Evie: Ok then, I'll save all the mushy stuff for later...
Me: Please do...
Evie walks off, and the next person I see might make me go back on my no crying policy...



Me: Daddy!
He's looking around when I walk up to him, but when he sees me, he gives me the same look I've seen my whole life.  Daddy and I have always had an understanding without even saying anything.  He just has to look at me like that and I remember how much he loves me.
Daddy: There's my little girl.
His eyes are glossy...oh no, this is not going to be good.  I smile at him and try my best not to start crying.
Me: Before you start talking, remember that Evie will kill me if I walk down the aisle with my makeup running down my face.
Daddy: Oh, ok, well, we better not talk about what I wanted to talk about then...about how the hot summers are killing my plants this year, and my team isn't winning...
Me: Daddy!
Daddy: ...all that stuff would make me cry.
I smile at him.  Ever since I was a little girl I have hoped that I would find a man like him and even though it's taken me forever to realize it, I know I have.  Whew, don't cry, don't cry...this is not going to be easy.
Evie: No!  Uncle Andrew!
Daddy: *laughs* I didn't do anything.
He takes a handkerchief out of his pocket and dabs at my eyes carefully, I am sure so he doesn't smudge my makeup.
Me: Are you here to give me away?
Daddy: Me?  Hell no, I'm never giving you away.  I'm going to be sitting right out there, handing your Mama tissues and trying to keep her from blowing her nose too loudly.



Thank God for my daddy, he leaves me laughing as he gives me a big hug before he leaves.



And if I wasn't laughing before, I laugh harder when I see this transpire.
Z: What are you doing?
T gets down on one knee...
Z: Get up...you're not gonna be able to get up and I don't want to have to hold up the whole wedding...
...then he hands her this bouquet.
T-bone: I was going to give you these as a sweet gesture, but damn!
Zoey takes the flowers, smiles and says: Baby, we've been together way too long.  Sweet gestures went out the door after the first year, right along with closing the door when you use the bathroom.
They laugh and playfully kiss and hug each other and I can't help but laugh.  As much as I admire my parent's marriage, my marriage will more likely be like Zoey's and T's.  There's something playful and real about it.
They turn to walk out and take their seats.
Zoey: Good luck sweetie!

I am alone for just a second before I hear the music start and when I hear the change in the chord, I walk out the door and begin my slow, methodical walk down the aisle to where Mason is standing.

Before I know it, I am standing in front of him.



As though I have tunnel vision, all I can see is him.



Mason and I decided to write our own vows.

Mason:
Hadley, I can barely believe we are finally here.  As I was trying to write these vows, I tried to remember the years of my life before you were in it, and I couldn't, even though I was around for several years before you were born, it's all a blur.  Then when I finally got to see you, I finally woke up.  I can still remember seeing you as a baby, they placed you on my lap, and even though I didn't know what I was feeling then, I realize now that I was falling in love with you.  I have fallen in love with you every day since then, and I know I will forever.  You have made my life just by being in it and made me a better man just by being in your presence.  Even though I know there is no way I can ever even the score, I will never stop trying.





A collective "Awwww," goes over the group and my eyes have launched a preemptive strike on my face as Mason slips my wedding band on my finger.  A tear falls and lands on my hand next to his thumb and he wipes it away and gives my hand a squeeze.



I take in one final sniffle before going into my vows:

Me:
Mason, even though I don't remember them placing me in your lap when I was a baby, I know that I was probably in the safest place I could ever be.  I remember when we were kids, I would spin around so fast, I would get dizzy, and I was worried I would fall, so you told me to keep focusing on you and you wouldn't let me fall down.  I always trusted you and felt the special connection that the two of us share.  Even though it took me a lot longer to realize that I was in love with you, I have never been able to imagine my life without you in it.  You are still saving me today, and when my world starts spinning, you are still the thing I focus on so that I don't lose my balance.  You are the most amazing soul I have ever known.  You are everything for everyone.  As your wife, I promise to be the one person you don't have to be everything for.  I promise to be your refuge when you need it and I will stand still when your world starts spinning.



Of course, I hear Mama crying in her seat...



I can actually see Aunt Zoey and Uncle T-bone sitting in the back row, Aunt Z is crying and Uncle T is looking at her like she's crazy.  I smile.



Then I turn back to my almost husband and slip his ring on his finger.  I look into his eyes and for the first time I have ever seen, he looks like he's about to cry.



Not soon enough, the ceremony is over and I am in his arms.









Everyone watches as my husband gives me our first kiss as husband and wife.  I have never been very traditional, but I definitely like this tradition!



And I am finally Hadley Reed-Pope.



When we look at our family, this is what we see:



Daddy crying...and Tony bawling behind him...as if he ever stopped.



Mama and the little girls get up and start throwing rice...





Everyone else gets up and Tony finally starts drying his eyes.



We go over to cut the cake quickly...we know how this crowd can be...



They might have been excited about Mason and me getting married, but they were super duper excited about getting some cake...



After cake and dinner, Mason and I dance...



People join us, but right now, we only have eyes for each other.

Blair, Jenny, and Vanessa go home with my parents so Mason and I can have some alone time together.

It was a perfect day.