Love Which Is True (6:28 PM)
alaizalmelmichellson:
Smiling brightly, Lai looked down at the new ring on her finger, the extra weight welcoming as she giggled a bit. It looked perfect, and matched the engagement ring. It was a surprise really, she didn’t expect it, not even in the slightest. It looked so flawless on her, the set, like she was really married now. Part of her felt bad she didn’t get him a new one, the platinum band on his finger looking lonely. Even if men didn’t wear two, she felt like he should. She let the tears fall, she didn’t care at this point really. He was wonderful, and she wanted to blurt it out to him, just cling to him and never let go. “Alaizabel and Lyle, we all here today celebrate your love and acknowledge your lifelong devotion to each other. Your example reminds us of love’s possibilities.” She could feel it was ending, and she was too excited just to get it over with, get to her reception, and then off to which ever far off land Lyle had chosen to whisk her and their babies to. She was shaking a bit, literally just from pure joy at this point as she looked up at him with so much love in the world it hurt. “So, by joining hands right now and looking into each other’s eyes, let it be known that you are joined inseparably in this lifetime, and that this bond continues.” Alaizabel giggled brightly, and she didn’t exactly know why, but she did, and it made some other girls giggle behind her.
At least this time his laugh didn’t sound like an echo from a dying man it was rich and low. Lyle honestly never saw this day coming for himself, he never saw himself living this long in all honesty. But right here and now looking down at his tiny little wife and her giggling, sounding more like a school girl then a grown woman soon to be a mother. But he wasn’t much better off. His face would ache for days even on the flight to Greece. But that just didn’t fucking matter. “Inasmuch as you have sealed this renewal of your marriage vows in the presence of those gathered here, it gives me much pleasure to pronounce that you are now, even more than ever before, Husband and Wife,” This wasn’t a wedding and their was no standard you may kiss the bride but that didn’t stop Lyle from planting his hands on her cheeks and kissing his wife with all that he was worth. This was all that mattered, laughter and a quiet applause filled the studio, maybe it was loud but Lyle still felt like he was miles under water and the only person there that was on his level was Alaizabel. She was the only one who he wanted to be there at the very end of the day. Lyle lost himself in the throng of muttering I love you against he lips repeatedly, too lost in Alaizabel to realize that they weren’t alone in the room.
Love Which Is True (6:28 PM)
alaizalmelmichellson:
The tears that brimmed her eyes were vast, and she thought she was going to pass out. It broke her heart, and repaired it all at once. She wasn’t going to top that, in no way shape and form. Someone cried behind him, and it was Kitty, sobbing into the arm of Austin, who seemed to be secretly brimming inside over this. Part of her was so happy for him, to have two people at least who cared at Evan and Edgar did, who she could hear behind her. Edgar was snuffling quietly, while she swore she heard Evan telling him to keep quiet in a watery voice. It was surreal in a way, to be here, in this moment with the people she loved, and the people who loved them. They missed this the first time around, seeing as they ran into some courthouse drunk at night, but this made up for it, his words made up for it. She didn’t think she could breathe, she didn’t really think at this point. “Alaizabel, would you now make your vows to Lyle…” the minister said as she gripped his hands tightly, engagement ring shinning on her left ring finger, his old band moved to his right hand, to make way for the new one she got him.
“Lyle, I’m no poet, you know that. I have a hard time expressing myself over what outfit to pick in the mornings. But if there is one thing I can be sure of though, one thing that comes more naturally to me than art, is my love for you. You came into my life, and I kind of hated you. You told me you were going to sue me ‘till I turned blue, and I said I was going to punch you.” She giggled, the words not eve rehearsed, because she forgot what she even wrote. “I’m glad you didn’t, and I am glad I didn’t. People might think we did all this ass backward, but I don’t care, at least we did it, and we’re going to make it, and I am so happy for all of the things we’ve done. You’re my world, my sun, my stars, my everything. The father to our kids, and I couldn’t find anyone better, and even if I tried, there wouldn’t be anyone who could compare to you. I should probably stop, before this turns into rambling, but I love you, and I have loved you since the first time we’ve got together. You’re my everything, and I can’t want to do this when we’re forty, and then sixty, and then eighty, and willing, when we’re too brittle to walk and Thor and Loki have to wheel us here.” She said sweetly to him, fighting back the tears.
He chuckled and it sounded watery, brittle and dry. His lungs were deprived of air and Lyle was pained. All of the emotions that whirled around within his veins were just too much for him to handle at that moment. He was holding parts of himself together, at least he had that as a saving grace. Lyle had to hold his edges together or else he’d go flying apart and just crush her to his chest, keep her where she belonged for the rest of their lives. Lyle wanted to cling to her forever just never dream of letting go. “Alaizabel and Lyle-” The minister began only to be cut off by Lyle who cleared his throat, a gentle laugh chasing after the action. “Just a sec, I’ve got a surprise for her if the ring bearer’ll show up,” He chuckled looking back to the mouth of the aisle where his tiny nephew appeared.
The little boy who was petulant about not wearing a tux looked much happier now as he began his own little trek down the aisle. Lyle half wondered what sort of sugary bribe he had to be given to get this happy. His grin was wide a tooth missing but that made it so much better, it was just a fitting picture. He’d never had a real family and so why not just collect people to add to his and Alaizabel’s? Once Angel was at the altar Lyle crouched down and plucked the ring from the sapphire pillow, “Thanks little man,” He spoke softly to the boy who nodded and scampered off to stand at Evan’s side instead of sitting down where he should. Smiling softly at the sight the blonde stood up straight once more, glittering wedding ring in hand. “I know this is a renewal of our vows, but…you need two rings, right?” He was grinning like a schoolboy, pushing the platinum ring into her finger, fitting neatly beside Marie’s ring.
Love Which Is True (6:28 PM)
alaizalmelmichellson:
“Hey,” she whispered back through a little wall of tears as the minister spoke above them. “Alaizabel, and Lyle, although I am officiating here today, it is not truly in my power to sanctify or bless your relationship in any way, because the two of you have already done that in your hearts. Today you proclaim your love anew to the world, and we rejoice with and for you.” Lai couldn’t help the little squeeze she gave her husbands hands, a reassuring gesture in a way, as she preened up at him, her grin matching his. They probably looked like too little kids on Christmas day, a glitter in their eyes and a smile that seemed unsurpassable. He had no tears, but she was sure she had enough to share welled up in hers. “In marriage, we give ourselves freely and generously into the hands of the one we love, and by doing so, we receive the love and trust of the other as our most precious gift. Today you re-commit yourselves to honoring and protecting one another above your separate selves, and to valuing your union above your own interests. In doing this, you secure for yourselves a wealth of love and peace not otherwise attainable.”
Part of her wanted to be a child, stamp her feet at the man and tell him to hurry on with it, but no. She missed this the first time, so she might as well sit through it now as she gripped her husbands hands. “But as you know so well, with this joy comes also the profound responsibility to protect the bond you share. For it is only with continual care that your love is truly secure in the face of life’s inevitable tests. Regard each other always with the same deep respect that has kept you through the years, and be ever mindful of the many gifts the other offers you.” She wondered if they’d do this again, in twenty years, when they were middle aged, and had their kids as adults, somewhere in Hawaii, or something cliche like that. The thought brought tears in her eyes as she mouthed an ‘I love you’ to him, too excited to not tell him that. “Inspire and encourage one another. For it is by strengthening your spouse, that you have strengthened your marriage. Bring out the very best in each other. Be sparing in criticism, and generous in praise for things well done.”
Too much of this felt unreal as the minister went on, Lyle could only half remember his vows. He was desperate not to forget them altogether and end up making a fool of himself in front of her. But what more could he do? If worse came to worse Lyle would be happy to give into his urge of just saying fuck it and kissing her in the middle of all of this. But he knew better, this had to go without a hitch, it had to be perfect, all for her. “In communication, continue to be honest and open with each other, knowing that the heart that communicates truth without hesitation earns trust and builds a secure home. And as always, accept your marriage as a work-in-progress that consumes your attention day by day and yet is never completed. Because a lifelong love requires a lifetime of hard work. But it is a joyous labor, whose fruits are the very richest,” The minister went on and on, Lyle just wanted to say his vows and hear Alaizabel’s he wanted to have her in his arms, it was too much of a wait and his body ached with the lack of her next to it.
“Your future stretches out before you, vast and unknown. That future, with its hopes and disappointments, its joys and its sorrows, is hidden from your eyes. But it is a great tribute to your belief in each other that you remain none the less willing to face those uncertainties together. May the pure, simple love with which you join your hearts and hands again here today never fail, but grow deeper and surer with every passing year. Lyle would you take Alaizabel’s hand and make your vows to her…” This was it, and suddenly every word that he’d written in the back of his mind fell away. Normally Lyle would have panicked, he would have thought about fucking darting out of the room. But he couldn’t even comprehend what running was right then and there. “Elvira…when I look at you I see more then just my wife and the mother of my growing children. I see my future, I see every little thing that I dreamed about when I was a kid. I see every bright light that is waiting for us in tomorrows to come. I’ve always seen that in you, because you aren’t like anyone else in the world. Other women can be drop dead gorgeous, but they lack that same gleam that you have, the tiny spark in you that just makes you a better person then anyone else on this planet. A tiny spark that reminds me just how lucky I am when I watch you sleep and recite poetry to you stomach. I look at you and I see everything in the world, there is no doubt when I see you smile, everything just melts away and you are the only thing that exists anymore. I’m not drunk this time around, and as a sober man I will tell you right here and now, I’ll never stop loving you, and I will never not be proud to call myself your husband,” The words poured out freely he could hear a few people chuckle and a few women sniffling, namely Roy who was probably behind him sobbing vaguely into Jett’s shoulder. But that didn’t matter, all that mattered was right in front of him.
Love Which Is True (6:28 PM)
alaizalmelmichellson:
She oddly felt like passing out, but Edgar had a strong grip on her as they walked around the corner, the music getting louder as she felt her heart flutter around her chest like a pixie caught in a cage. Lai kept trying to tell herself it was alright, that legally this had already been done. She was his, and he was hers, and that’s all that mattered. This was for a scrapbook, to show her babies, but it wasn’t just that. It was her regiving herself to him, with people there to see it happen. To solidify something that was just for them, to prove that even though they were kids about it the first time, they were serious about it still. Her studio didn’t look the same. Chairs were there, holding the small amount of people that attended, familiar faces from town. Justin was there, brimming at her, along with her students who cared enough to come. Lilies were sprinkled about everywhere, and the carpet laid out for her was blue, like the sapphires she wore. But all that didn’t matter, because her eyes locked on the only thing in the room that did.
The smile that burst onto her face was not containable, and it seared the dimples into her cheeks. It was like everything else faded into a backdrop, like the blurred people in a painting, and Lyle was the focus, the only thing worth looking at. Tears stung at her eyes, and she blinked them away quickly as she was half dragged down the aisle by her father, seeing as if it were only her walking, she would’ve just stayed frozen looking at her husband. Her stomach fluttered, and in the back of her mind she had to stop her hand from landing on it, calming the babies if it were really them. For what seemed like an eternity, she finally made it up there, her father saying muffled words about handing over his daughter to Lyle.
Lyle wasn’t sure how tears weren’t in his eyes, it didn’t make sense. Then again perhaps his body wasn’t totally kosher with functioning properly at that exact moment. It would make sense. Breathing came difficultly to him, he couldn’t recall how to do it as he stared at her almost blankly. But it wasn’t a blank stare, it was awestruck. Gobsmacked. His wife, the most beautiful creature that he’d ever seen, pregnant with children that they hadn’t planned, redoing a ceremony that they hadn’t planned the first time. All of this was just a whirlwind, a weaker human would have buckled under the pressure and ran screaming that it was too fast and couldn’t be real. But Lyle could be strong for Alaizabel, for Thor and for Loki, he could do anything that they needed.
It was a delayed reaction, to notice how much his face ached from the force of his grin. Maybe that was his own form of tears, breaking his face because he was smiling too widely. Lyle could say nothing, do nothing, simply stare between Edgar at the minister before Alaizabel was in front of him, her tiny hands in his. His body shook with a soft laugh as he muttered a soft, “Hey,” To his wife, Lyle was still lost in the world of just staring at her in this dress, her stomach, her hair, her makeup, every last minor detail cataloged in the back of his mind in a way that he never did. “We have gathered today in the love of friendship and family to celebrate a renewal of marriage vows between Lyle and Alaizabel DeLuca-Michellson. As their family and close friends, each of you has played a role in bringing them to this day, and in various ways will continue to support and contribute to their marriage. We solemnize this significant event in their lives and enter into this ceremony in an attitude of respect for their steadfast and ongoing commitment to each other.” The minister’s words were hardly recognizable as he stared down at Alaizabel. Like she was the only thing that existed in the room, and in reality she was to him.
Love Which Is True (6:28 PM)
This was it, the grande finale of sorts. Standing up at the altar with Roy behind him nervously running her fingers over the back of his tux. Fidgeting and making sure that he was presentable. Irritated Lyle wriggled in her grip attempting to get away without making a scene, at least Jett as a best man wouldn’t be poking at his tux with the precise of a fashion designer quite like Roy. But those thoughts were only halfway in his mind, he was consumed by dedicatedly watching the aisle as if Alaizabel was just going to raise out of it at any second instead of a chorus of music starting to play and the bridal party floating in his general direction would not be alerting him. He wasn’t nervous anymore, too eager to even know what nervous feels like at this point. Wanting to see his tiny Elvira walking down the aisle to him, something that he was too drunk to remember the first time around. The music rung in, he’d never liked this song, not in the least, but the notes sounded like he was underwater, miles away from the surface and unable to pick out each single key. Something uncommon for the pianist.
Roy’s constant snuffling was hardly noticeable at this point as the bridal party started down the aisle Nikki, then Jean, which was a little odd but hey the man’s girlfriend was Lyle’s best man who was he to judge, Evan, and then the woman that he’d been waiting for. It felt like centuries, the days that went on without seeing her. Lyle couldn’t recall whose idea it was he remembered hating the idea, but that didn’t matter, all that mattered was that in only a sparse few seconds Alaizabel would be walking down that aisle with Edgar at her side. Lyle couldn’t quite help the fact that his heart was up in his throat.
