Page 129 of Someone to Remember
Twenty-Nine
Iris
He’s so handsome and emotional and all the things I love about him as he takes my hand with a big smile. The wedding planner told me how he knelt to hug the girls, and I can’t wait to see that on the video.
He takes my hand from Tyler and tucks it into his arm as we turn to take the final step toward what we hope will be a long, happy, loving chapter two.
We asked Joy to preside over our ceremony, because who else would we have asked? We never considered anyone else.
“Friends and family,” she says, “on behalf of Iris, Gage, Tyler, Sophia and Laney, we thank you for joining us today as we join this family in matrimony. That means marriage,” she adds for the sake of the kids.
They giggle.
“Those of us who’ve been in the front row as this extraordinary couple fell in love can attest that there’re no two people in the world who deserve this happy new beginning more than they and their children do.”
That leads to a huge round of applause.
“I thought y’all might agree with me. Iris and Gage, you’ve given of yourself to so many others on this crazy ride we’re on as widows. Your selflessness and compassion are the thing of legend among our crew, and we thank you for setting the tone and the example of faith, hope, optimism and love that we all aspire to follow. We love you and your children with all our hearts and are honored to bear witness to your love as you pledge the rest of your lives to each other. What do you say? Are you ready?”
“We are,” we say together.
“Then let’s get down to business. Gage?”
He turns to me, takes my hands and looks at me with love, the way he always does. “Iris… my love, my best friend, my coconspirator, my everything… When we first met, I was engulfed in darkness so bleak I thought I might never find my way back to the light. But thanks to you and our Wild Widows and all the people who’ve stood by me through these last few years, I’m able to take this momentous step with you and our kids. Thank you for helping to lead me back to the light, for showing me how much joy there can be in the after and for allowing me to be Daddy Gage to the precious children you had with Mike. Every day with you is a new adventure, full of laughter and love, Legos, spaghetti, Cool Ranch Doritos and all the things that make a life worth living.”
I love that he chose a favorite thing of each of the kids to include.
Roni hands me a tissue that I use to wipe away my tears before they make a mess of me.
“I, Gage Collier, take you, Iris Levington, to be my wife. I take Tyler, Sophia and Laney to be my precious children. Being your Daddy Gage is one of the great honors of my life. I promise to love, honor and adore you all for the rest of my life and to handle all math homework until Laney graduates from college.”
That gets a big laugh, especially from the people who know me best and understand what a big deal that is.
I’m laughing and crying and smiling so big as he gazes into my eyes with all the considerable love in his heart. How lucky we are to be loved by him.
“I, Iris Levington, take you, Gage Collier, to be my husband and Daddy Gage to our children. I thank you for all the things you already are to us and all the things you’ll become as we usher our children to adulthood together. I promise to love and honor you, to make you laugh every day and to forever honor the memory of Natasha, Ivy and Hazel. I love you so much, and I always will.”
“Tyler,” Joy says, “can we have the rings?”
“Oh, um…”
I gasp as I look over to find him laughing with glee at having faked us out.
He hands the rings over to Joy as I give him a playful look that makes him laugh again.
Joy drops four rings into Gage’s hand.
He turns toward the girls and Tyler and signals for them to come to him. He gets down on one knee to present a gold ring to each child. “I can’t officially become your Daddy Gage without a ring. I love you, and I’m here for you for as long as you need me.”
The three of them hug him as I give up the fight to contain my tears.
When he returns to me, I go up on tiptoes to kiss him.
“We’re not there yet,” Joy says, sparking laughter among the flood of tears.
“Oh, we’re so there,” I reply.
Gage smiles as he puts the platinum diamond band we chose together on my finger and kisses the back of my hand. “With this ring, I thee wed.”
