Celeste’s eyes filled with tears as she nodded. “I can’t wait for that too, though I already feel like you’re my son.”
The little boy pulled free from Carrie and rushed forward and hugged Celeste. She patted his back until Carrie rushed forward, saying, “Hey, hands off my man.” She pulled him back and looped her arms back through his.
Celeste’s eyes grew round with shock, then she let out a laugh. “I get that reaction, Carrie. Marcus is one awesome guy.”
The music began to play, letting them know it was time. The bridal party turned to face the set of closed double doors that lead to the sanctuary.
They opened, and Marcus went down the aisle, followed by Carrie. Next, Megan headed down, trailed by Tiffany.
The room was filled with close to a thousand people. The Boswells made sure all of their friends and extended family were present. Celeste had far fewer invitees, with a handful of cousins, her mother, and a couple of co-workers, but the Boswell side filled in towards the back.
To her surprise, out of the corner of her eye, Tiffany recognized Conrad at the edge of a back row. She hadn’t expected him to be there and had to force herself not to react. He looked good in his black tuxedo, as good as the last time when she saw him at the company Christmas party, the night they kissed.
Their eyes locked for a moment, and she could tell from the desire in his eyes, he was thinking about the same thing. She felt herself blush, and quickly averted her eyes before finishing the rest of her walk.
Lana came down the aisle next, and took her spot next to Tiffany. The music switched to Wagner’sBridal Chorus,and the door opened again to reveal Celeste standing in her regal beauty.
Tiffany heard Roger gasp and she looked over to see her brother’s eyes were filling with tears. It was a rare occasion to see her brother crying, let alone over a woman. If anyone had any doubt how much he loved Celeste, that alone should make it abundantly clear.
Everyone stood to their feet as Celeste floated down the aisle. She reached Roger’s side, gave her bouquet of white roses to Lana, and took Roger’s hands in hers.
“Friends and Family, we are gathered here today to celebrate with Celeste and Roger as they choose to join their lives together. They fell in love by chance, but they’re here by choice. They are choosing each other, today and every day going forward.” Pastor Greg gave them both a smile, then continued. “Today you are choosing to vow to take care of each other, to stand up for one another, and to find happiness in the other. In so doing, you’re promising to be a team, to say, ‘Every experience I’m going to have, I want you to be a part of it.
“Do you, Celeste Allen, take Roger Boswell, to be your wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, until death do you part?”
Celeste nodded. “I do.”
The pastor repeated the question to Roger, who also agreed.
“Often, we hear that rings have no beginning and no end, but that’s not true. The rings you are about to give one another did have a beginning. They started out as raw elements and stones, formed deep inside the earth. After a long time, they rose to the surface, someone found them, and then another person painstakingly worked to make something beautiful from them.
“Love is just like that; from humble beginnings, and through hard work and dedication, you’re able to create something wonderful. As you look at these rings over the years, I hope they are a constant reminder that you’ve created something invaluable together.”
Pastor Greg retrieved the rings from Marcus, then handed them to the couple.
“Roger, as you place this ring on Celeste’s finger, repeat these words after me: This ring symbolizes the work I have and will continue to do every day to show you how much I love you.”
He did as he was directed and then Celeste did the same. They lit a unity candle while a special singer dazzled the guests with a rendition of the couple’s favorite pop song.
They came back to the spot underneath the large flower-covered arch and turned to face Pastor Greg a final time.
“It’s with my greatest pleasure to announce you as husband and wife,” Pastor Greg proclaimed with a giant grin. “You may kiss your bride.”
Roger reached out and pulled Celeste to him. He leaned down and gently kissed her lips. The guests cheered and clapped until they pulled a part.
“They look so happy,” Lana admired, just loud enough for the other bridesmaids to hear.
Tiffany nodded her head and wondered if she would ever be lucky enough to find that kind of love. She hadn’t been bred for it, that was for sure. Her parents put more emphasis on finding a match that was financially and socially beneficial, than on finding a mate based on feelings or fidelity. Maybe that was her problem; she wanted something she was never meant to have. Love wasn’t on the agenda for Tiffany, and the sooner she accepted that, the better off she would be.
The wedding party spent the next half hour taking photos, then the women changed into their designer knee-length cocktail dresses before heading over to the reception that was being held at The Spot.
The place was gorgeous, decked out in black and gold everywhere, in honor of it being a New Year’s Eve wedding. There were balloons and streamers that filled the area, along with crystal vases of long-stem white roses dusted with gold on every table. There was also an ice sculpture of two swans kissing, their necks making the shape of a heart in the center of the head table.
“Everything turned out splendid,” Megan exclaimed as they entered the restaurant. “I can’t believe Celeste pulled all of this off in such a short time.”
“Well, she had some help,” Lana pointed out. “Celeste told me that Tiffany is a secret romantic and helped get everything ready. I wish I could have done more but being in LA put me at a disadvantage.”
“You did far more than most people do, even from that far away,” Tiffany countered. “Your idea for the ice sculpture was perfect.”