How Sweet It Is

47

Everything was amazing. Absolutely and completely incredible. The beach looked great with the lights and the tent and the candles and everybody celebration Meredith and Derek. Because they were married. Finally officially married. The rings were on their fingers and they had said I'd do. It was exactly the way Derek had pictured it as he watched all his friends and family celebrate, holding his wife on his lap, unable to take his eyes off of her.

"We're married." She smiled, her lips against his cheek as she rubbing her hand over his white shirt. "We're married...actually married which is kind of amazing and...we're married. I'm the bride and you're the groom."

"Can you believe it?" He grinned, his arm around her bare shoulders.

"Hmm....no." She breathed, kissing his cheek again, her hair frizzy from the humid ity that had caused the curls to fall by the end of the night.

"We're married."

"Really married."

"You look...amazing." He whispered.

"I um...it's the dress your mother wore when she got married."

"What?"

"This is your Mom's dress." Meredith breathed, running a hand over the front of her dress. "The bow around my waist...we dyed the ribbon she wore in her hair...it's that ribbon."

"She...always wanted this." Derek whispered.

"None of your sisters wanted to wear your Mom's dress when they got married...your Mom and I designed this."

"That's why she was so secretive all the time?"

'You're never supposed to see the dress before the wedding."

"Now I want to see it...off of you." He whispered.

"Soon..."

"Mark said he was going to 'take care of the room' for us."

"Oh God." Meredith rolled her eyes, the breeze waving through her hair as the sound of nearby waves hit the sand.

"If he screwed up...I'll kill him." Derek laughed.

"I knew I should have been concerned when he walked into the resort with mirrors."

"Maybe that was for him."

"Maybe." She sighed, looking out at the ocean.

"Hopefully...Either way...I love you." Derek smiled.

"Love you too."

"You're my wife."

"You're my husband." She giggled, hearing the sound of little footsteps approaching them. "Here we go..."

"And Mehdith!" Stella, Derek's young niece clapped.

"Hi Stella!" Derek grinned.

"No more flowers?" Stella frowned, holding up the basket that had held white rose petals.

"Not until Uncle Mark gets married." Derek laughed.

"I want to sit." Stella held her hands up.

"You're being displaced." Derek laughed, kissing Meredith quickly.

"Stella." Meredith giggled, lifting his niece into her lap. "She can sit with us."

"Okay." Derek laughed, wrapping his arms around the two of them.

"Uncle Derek married." Stella clapped.