The bright autumn sun shone through the stained glass windows, as Billy Maddison struggled to slow his breathing. He kept straightening down the formal, designer suit and closed his eyes, breathing deeply. He felt a hand fall down onto his shoulder.
"Hey, man, you gonna be alright?" Dean Keller asked, his thick South African accent bouncing off the elegant marble and stone which made up the church.
"I'm good... just a little nervous", he replied, shaking slightly. Nervous wasn't the word for it. Terrified sounded more like it. But it wasn't because of cold feet, it was through fear of something going wrong in the ceremony, fear of something causing the future to crash down around him. Again.
"She'll be here. And this time it'll happen. I think the both of you have had enough bad luck to last a lifetime", Dean reassured him.
Billy looked at him and nodded, wondering just how weird it was to have the bride's ex boyfriend as his best man, the father of her other child...
The church organ groaned into life, promptly dragging Billy back into the church. The glaze of deep thought lifted from his electric blue eyes and he looked down the aisle.
Gemma stood just outside the church doors, wringing her hands and then tugging at her long, flowing white dress.
"Are you sure this is what you want?"
Gemma turned to look at her father, and nodded.
"I'm positive. I love him, daddy". She was shaking; through excitement or nerves she did not know.
"In that case..." her dad put his arm around her, giving her a hug - partly so she would not see him wipe the tears from his eyes. "It's time to let you go". He pulled away, smiled at her and pulled her veil down over her face.
Gemma turned around to her neices - now bridesmaids.
"You ready?"
They smiled and nodded their heads in excitement. Gemma linked arms with her father and began to walk into the church. Into her new life.
Billy drew in a breath as he saw Gemma walking towards him. She looked beautiful, he thought, her long, brown hair falling down in loose curls from under the veil, her figure hugging white dress showing off her slim, yet curvy body.
He had dreamed of this moment for months - eighteen of them, to be exact, and now they were finally here.
As Gemma reached the front of the aisle and came to Billy's side, he slid a hand down the side of her body, over the slight curve of her hips, and gave her a smile.
"Friends, family, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Billy and Gemma, under the eyes of God..." the reverend began.
Family sat huddled together, some already crying as the service began, and hymns were sung. Gemma wasn't paying much attention to it, she was more concerned with the fact that none of Billy's siblings were present. It didn't both her, but she knew how important it would have been to Billy, and she felt a pang of resentment towards them - towards faces she had never seen.
Finally, the reverend came to the part everybody was most nervous about.
"If anybody knows of any lawful reason why these two people should not be joined in holy matrimony, then speak now or forever hold your peace".
Gemma and Billy looked around the half full church - a shame, but a secret, last minute wedding couldn't go ahead if everybody knew about it! - and waited. Gemma was holding her breath, sure something was going to happen, and pleaded with God to let it all run smoothly - she was in the right place, after all.
When nobody came forward, a few members of the congregation laughed, Billy smiled and the reverend decided to continue.
Billy began to repeat after the Reverend: "I, Billy Maddison" - the reverend coughed. "Oh, I, William Jared Maddison, take thee, Gemma Louise Ferns, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."
"Will you have this woman, to be your wedded wife, to live together in holy matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honour and protect her, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?" Father Burton asked.
Billy squeezed Gemma's hand. "I do".
Dean leaned over to Justin and whispered: "Hey, didn't he just say that?" Justin just shrugged in reply.
Just at that moment, the door to the church opens and a tall, blonde haired woman came tottering in, in heels, carrying a little dog.
"Stop the wedding! This can't happen", she said loudly. Billy and Gemma both spun around to look at the woman. Gemma looked up to the high stone ceiling, and covered her face with her hands. Not again! Please, not again, she thought.
"I'm sorry, you've missed that part," the vicar announced, curtly, as he tried to continue.
"I don't care! I'm here to stop him making the biggest mistake of his life!"
"Oh, I was wrong," Dean said to Justin, "they haven't used up all their bad luck".
"Abbi! Get out of here! I've already told you! I'm marrying Gemma today and you're not gonna stop me!"
Gemma snapped her head up to look at him.
"Abbi?! Abbi?! I thought you didn't know her?!" Gemma said, tearfully.
"Gemma, meet my deranged, disowned, sister," he said, sadly.
"Billy, just come back home! You know this is gonna break up and you don't want to be a divorcee! Just come back to Brooklyn with us, it will be like old times!" Abbi pleaded, walking forward to approach Billy.
"No, Abs. I told you, I'm marrying Gemma, I love her and she makes me happy. If you cared at all about me, you'd leave us be! Even if we don't last, I still wouldn't come back to america - my little boy is here".
At the mention that Billy and Gemma had a son, the vicar, raised his eyebrows and drew in his breath, beginning to fan himself slightly. Gemma turned to him and mouthed a 'sorry'.
At that moment, Billy's mother and father both got up from their pew, his mother shouting in Polish at Abbi, escorting her from the building.
"Abbi! Nie mogę uważać was bylibyście jesteście tak niesprawiedliwy! Na weselnym dniu waszego własnego brata!"
"I'm so sorry, son. Please, continue, we'll sort her out", Joel Maddison apologised, walking quickly after his wife, who was still talking a hundred miles an hour in polish at her daughter.
As the church door slammed shut on the "excitement", Billy turned to Gemma and took her hands in his.
"I'm so sorry, babe".
The vicar cleared his throat.
"Gemma Louise Ferns, will you have this man, to be your wedded husband, to live together in holy matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honour and protect him in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"
She remained silent for a moment, clearing her head, and calming her breathing. The longer she waited, the more she could see the panic building up in Billy's eyes.
"I do," Gemma Ferns said, quiet but clear as the white gold and diamond ring was slid onto her finger.
"In that case, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride", Father Burton announced to the couple and their small congregation.
Billy Maddison turned to his new bride and gently raised her veil off over her face. He took a deep breath, desperately trying to swallow down his overwhelming emotions as he raised one hand to Gemma's cheek, looking into her deep, green eyes - the ones that made him fall in love with her the first time he ever laid eyes on her - and he placed a gentle, loving kiss on her lips.
As the church bells began to ring, Gemma and Billy leave the church, closely followed by friends and family, stepping out into the bright sunshine and into their new lives together.
Yes, after a long wait and many false alarms, Gemma Ferns finally became Gemma Maddison in an exclusive ceremony today.
Edited by user 06 October 2009 06:15:37(UTC)
| Reason: Not specified
