Page 79 of Finding Us

I pay attention again when I hear Andrew say my name.

“Jade and Garret have written their vows and will now recite them.”

Andrew steps back and Garret and I turn to each other, holding hands. Garret doesn’t seem nervous at all, but now my nerves are kicking into high gear. What if I forget my vows? Damn, I should’ve practiced more.

“Relax.” I hear Garret talking softly and I look up at him. “It’s just you and me.”

I nod and feel myself calming down.

Garret keeps hold of my hands, looks into my eyes, and starts speaking.

“Jade. You’re my best friend. And today is the greatest day of my life, because today I take you, my best friend, to be my wife. To be forever by my side, making each day even better than the last. I promise to always support you, respect you, protect you, take care of you, and give you hugs.” We both laugh a little at the hug reference. “I vow to cherish you and never take you for granted. I love you with all my heart and I promise to spend the rest of my life loving you.”

I stand there, letting my mind absorb his beautiful words and all their meaning.

Garret gently squeezes my hand. I see him smiling at me. “It’s your turn,” he whispers.

I get nervous again, but then I look into his eyes and do as he said and pretend it’s just the two of us, with nobody else around.

“Last September, I arrived at college thinking I would just learn about things like biology and physics. But then I met you and you taught me so much more than that. Things you can’t learn in a textbook. You taught me how to love. How to trust. How to forgive. And even how to hug.” I take a breath, trying not to cry. “And today I’m happier than I’ve ever been, because today I take you, Garret, to be my husband. I promise to always believe in you, appreciate you, and be your best friend. I vow to always be at your side, supporting you, trusting you, and caring for you. And I will love you forever and ever.”

Garret lightly rubs my hand, still smiling at me, his eyes filled with so much love. I smile back, hoping he can feel how much I love him, too.

Andrew steps up to us again and continues the ceremony. It goes really fast after that. We say our I do’s and exchange rings and then he finally says the words I’ve been waiting to hear.

“And now I am happy to introduce, for the very first time as husband and wife, Garret and Jade Kensington. Garret, you may kiss your bride.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE

Garret gives me a kiss,then whispers in my ear, “I love you.”

I say it back as the music starts playing again. Garret takes my hand and leads me down the aisle as people snap pictures. As a wedding present, Kiefer hired a really expensive photographer to take photos. The guy’s been here since noon, snapping candid shots.

When we reach the end of the aisle, Harper hugs me. “Congratulations!”

She hugs Garret next. “Oh my God, your vows totally made me cry. And the way you looked at her up there?” She wipes her eyes. “I’m still a crying mess.”

Sean gives Garret one of those guy hugs that aren’t really hugs but more like part shoulder grab, part handshake. He gives me an actual hug.

Everyone is gathered around us now, waiting to give us more hugs and congratulations. Then it’s time for the formal pictures. As photos are being taken, Harper sends people over to the area that’s been set up for the reception.

We hired a company to set up a dance floor on the beach. They put wooden panels together to make a hard floor surface. At one end of it, we set up some tables for dinner and the rest of it serves as the dance floor. Big poles secured in the sand support a white tarp ceiling, just in case it rains but I don’t think it will. The sky is bright blue and the sun is shining. It’s a warm day but it’s cooling off a little as the sun starts to go down.

After the photos are taken, I grab Garret’s hand, looking over at the reception where the DJ is already playing music. “Come on. Let’s go.”

“Not yet.” He catches me around my waist and draws me into him, his hand on my lower back. We’re standing under the trellis where the photos were being taken. “I want a minute alone with you first.” His other hand reaches behind my neck and he brings me in for a kiss. “You look so beautiful, Jade. When I saw you coming down the aisle, you literally took my breath away.”

“Thanks.” I glance down. I’m still not very good at accepting compliments. “So you like the dress?”

He tilts my chin up. “I love the dress. It’s perfect. It’s exactly the type of dress I imagined you wearing.”

“You imagined my dress?”

“I imagined this whole day. That’s what I do when I want something really bad. I imagine it in my head. I try to picture all the details. And if I keep focusing on it, it eventually works.”

“Really? Have you tried this before?”

“I used to do it all the time for sports. I’d imagine myself winning a swim meet. I’d imagine each stroke, the feel of the water moving over me, the sound of my breathing.”

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