Sweet Salvation
The ceremony
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mso-ansi-language:EN-US'>Chapter 40
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mso-ansi-language:EN-US'>The ceremony
The priest nodded
his head and waited until we both nodded back before he started the ceremony;
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mso-ansi-language:EN-US'>“Good afternoon, and welcome to the ceremony that will
unite Sara and Catherine in marriage.
We gather here today to celebrate their union, and to honor their commitment
to not just gazing at one another, but to looking outward together in the same
direction.
Today Sara and Catherine proclaim their love to the world, and we rejoice with
and for them.”
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mso-ansi-language:EN-US'>“In marriage, we give ourselves freely and generously
into the hands of the one we love, and in doing so, each of us receives the
love and trust of the other as our most precious gift. But even as that gift is
shared by two people who are in love, it also touches the friends and family
members who in various ways support and contribute to the relationship. All of
you are Sara and Catherine’s community, and each of you has played some part in
bringing them to this moment. This is why gathering as a community is such an
important part of a wedding ceremony. Because Sara and Catherine are now taking
a new form as a married couple, and in this form, they become part of their
community in a new way.”
The
priest looked at me and waited until I took the word;
”When we decided to
write our own vows I knew that I ‘m not really a writer nor a poet. So I
decided to do it a little differently. A way that suits me more. Most people
don’t know this about me but I love to make music and sing. And Catherine, babe
this one is for you.” I smiled while I stroke my thumb over Catherine’s
hand.
Greg handed me my guitar and I stroke the first chords.
“I always loved this
song, but singing it for you makes it even more special.”
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words to say
No words to convey
This feeling inside I have for you
Deep in my heart
Safe from the guards
Of intellect and reason<
Lea
Leaving me at a loss
For words to express my feelings
Deep in my heart
Deep in my heart
I
am looking at Catherine, a tear rolls down her cheek. The sunlight sparkles in
her eyes, and her smile tells me just how much she loves me. We don’t need to
voice what we think, we know what we feel anyway.
Look at me losing control
Thinking I had a hold
But with feelings this strong
I'm no longer the master
Of my emotions
No words to say
No words to convey
This feeling inside I have for you
For you
For you
The priest waited
while the audience clapped their hands. I guess that most people where not
aware of this side of Sara Sidle that surfaced right in front of them when they
didn’t expect it.
“Sara repeat after
me …”
I turned to
Catherine and held her hands in mine; I looked down into her light blue eyes.
Before I repeated the words that the priest said.
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I, Sara take you Catherine
Elisabeth Willows to be my wife
I promise to you to stand
by your side
Unfailingly share and support your hopes and dreams
When you fall, I will catch you
When you cry, I will comfort you
When you laugh, I’ll share your joy
No matter what lies ahead for us I will see it as a journey
One, that can only be completed by the two of us together
From this moment everything I am and everything I have is yours
and for eternity my love for you will remain.
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I, Catherine take you Sara
Ann Sidle to be my wife
I promise to you to stand
by your side
Unfailingly share and support your hopes and dreams
When you fall, I will catch you
When you cry, I will comfort you
When you laugh, I’ll share your joy
No matter what lies ahead for us I will see it as a journey
One, that can only be completed by the two of us together
From this moment everything I am and everything I have is yours
and for eternity my love for you will remain.
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For thousands of years lovers have
exchanged rings as a token of their vows.
These simple gold bands are not of great value in themselves,
but are made precious by our wearing of them.
Your rings say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bound
together.
Let these rings also be a sign that love has substance as well as soul,
a present as well as a past, and that, despite its occasional sorrows,
love is a circle of happiness, wonder, and delight.
Jenn
and Janice where talking to Ryan instructing him when he should walk up to us
to hand the rings to us. I could see that he was nervous. Lindsey kneeled down
in front of him and whispered to him softly. She held out her hand to Ryan and
together they walked up to us.
Catherine
quickly let go of my hands, and stroked Lindsey’s back while she
whispered; “Thank you” to her daughter.
I should say ‘our’ daughter because I would sign the adoption papers right after
the marriage license Catherine wanted us to be a real family and she asked me
what I would think about adopting Lindsey.
**
Flashback **
“Hey
Sara, can I talk to you?”
“Yeah
sure, what’s wrong?” I asked while I watched the nervous look on Catherine’s
face.
“Nothing
is wrong…” she added, while she dropped down on the couch next to me. “Really
nothing is wrong, don’t worry sweetie.”
“Well
then tell me I already asked you to marry me so I’m not running away that
fast.” I joked trying to make Catherine less nervous. “Seriously Cath talk to
me?”
“I
ehm … It’s about Lindsey. I … I wanted to ask you if you want to adopt her,
make her legally ours. So that you are her legal guardian if something happens
to me? Not that something will happen, but you never know.”
“But
Cath what about Jenn and Lindsey, do they know? Isn’t Jenny her gardian?”
Catherine
leaned in closer and touched my cheek. “I have talked to Lindsey and she didn’t
mind. All she asked was whether we could be a real family then and I told her
that we were a real family anyway. And Jenn asked her what she thought about
it, and she told me that it was only natural. And she will still be Lindsey’s
second guardian.”
**
End flashback **
“Sara,
take Catherine's ring and put it on her finger, and repeat after me” the priest
said while he turned his attention back to the couple in front of him:
as this circle is without end, my love for you is eternal
Just as it is made of indestructible substance
my commitment to you will never fail
With this ring I take you to be my trusted confidante
and partner for life.”
The
priest repeated the same routine with Catherine. Tears of utter happiness
blurred my vision the moment she spoke out the words. The tenderness in her voice and her gentle gestures, it was all
so beautiful.
“With
this and by the power invested inby tby the state of Texas, I now pronounce you
wife and … wife.”
The
audience smirked at the remark of wife and wife. But I didn’t pay any attention
to it. All my attention went to my wife. I gently kissed her on her lips,
within just mere seconds I could feel Catherine’s hands on my back. While she
pulled me closer, we deepened the kiss.
~*~
Greg made sure that
the DJ would play ‘for you’ as the song for our first dance. I looked at
Catherine while the song started. “Would you like to dance with me?”
“I thought you would
never ask me to dance with you. Maybe later I can also do some dancing
especially for you …” Catherine added with a mysterious grin on her face.
“I would love that …
babe.”
We where dancing
around the dance floor totally lost in time and space, my arms wrapped around
Catherine I can feel the warmth of her body all over mine. Catherine’s hands
where positioned on my bare back underneath my jacket. Her head was resting
against shoulder. She slowly followed my movements.