Whirlwind

(48) i do

JASPER

***

I can't believe today is finally here.

Just like I had yesterday, I woke early, kissed my soon-to-be wife on her forehead, grabbed my suit and left. I knew I'd asked to basically have a shotgun wedding, and I know she deserved more, so the least I could do was give her the entrance she deserved rather than arriving together.

I'm pacing outside the little registry office when I see a yellow cab pull around the corner and come to a stop about fifty metres from me. Lori gets out first and pays the fare, and I feel like the whole world goes into slow motion.

Libby gets out and I'm absolutely floored by how she looks. She's more beautiful than I've ever seen her. Ever. Her smile is permanent on her face, her eyes are bright, her cheeks are rosey and glowing. And when she looks at me, her cheeks redden even more. She's wearing an over the knee length dress, a floaty one which, as she comes closer, I realise wraps around her in one piece and does up at the front. Her hair has been done beautifully as well. She has it partly up, with most of it down and wavy, but the part that's up is plaited and wrapped around something that is sparkling in the midday sun.

As she comes to me, I realise my mouth is open and I'm finding it hard to find any words to describe her. I'd used so many adjectives in my books to describe just how beautiful she is but somehow all my words are failing me now.

She comments on how handsome I look after I stammer over my words, and she looks impressed that I've been able to tie my own tie. In all honesty, Denny downstairs at the hotel did it. They have to have bow ties every day so he noticed me struggling with mine and gave me a hand. I tell her that and she laughs.

"You guys ready?" I hear Lori say from my left. I look at her and she rubs my shoulder reassuringly.

I nod and so does she. I touch my lips to her forehead then drop my hand to offer it to her to take. She puts her soft one in my rougher one, and I feel a ball in my stomach explode as we cross over that threshold. Tomorrow we could start our lives, and nothing can stop us now.

***

The room is quite small but very official looking. For a registry office it's not really that romantic. There's a small bouquet of flowers on the front table, but it looks they're a couple of days old. It makes me thankful I'd got Libby the bouquet she's holding now. Even though they're a day old, I can still smell the lilies mixed in with the yellow daisies.

"Jasper Calhoun and Libby Reynolds?" A man in the corner asks. I hadn't seen him.

"That's us," Libby chimes from next to me.

We take a few steps forward and he does the same and meets us in the middle.

"Have you filled out all the paperwork?"

I nod and pull it out of my side pocket and hand it to him. As well as our vows yesterday, we filled those out too, after downloading them and getting reception to print them.

He looks them over and nods, motioning us forward. Libby's hand tightens on mine, a reassuring squeeze, and she takes a step before I do.

We take our seats and the man starts. I can see Libby paying attention, but I can't hear any of the words he's saying. My mind is racing over everything all at once and I'm so distracted I don't hear him ask me a question.

I feel a poke in my side and I can see Libby looking sideways at me.

"Do you have the rings?" The man asks again, and Lori stands and gives him the box I'd picked up yesterday while Libby was sleeping.