“Thank you…” I whispered, warm tears streaming down my cheeks. “Thank you for saving his life.”
The doctor gently pried me away and handed me five red roses and whispered, “I wish I could take credit.” His eyes blurred with tears. “But some hearts—don’t need help to keep beating.”
He stepped out of the way, and Lisa handed me my bouquet. It was all the roses, arranged together in the shape of a heart.
Wes’s heart.
In the palm of my hands. Where it had been all along.
We walked up to the room where Wes’s surgery had taken place.
When the door opened, Wes was staring straight at me. His smile wide—he looked gorgeous in his black suit.
He held out his hands and whispered, “Where we thought we may see the end—”
“—we write ‘The Beginning’.” I finished.
Chapter Six
I wonder how many times we think our lives are over—how many instances we scream at the top of our lungs when things aren’t going our way…how often, do you think, the reason for things not going our way is because there’s a bigger plan we can’t see yet? A bigger destiny we could have never possibly imagined for ourselves? Maybe…we’d be a lot happier, if we were silent more. –Wes Michels
Wes
“Lamb?” I tilted her chin towards me then brushed a soft kiss across her lips. Her mouth trembled.
“Yes?” Kiersten grinned through a tear-stained face. “Big bad wolf?”
“No blowing houses down,” I teased. “I’d rather build one with you. How’s that for changing my ways?”
Kiersten threw her arms around me and squeezed my neck.
A few throats cleared.
“Right.” I stepped away. “So we should probably get married now.”
Her face was tear-stained—and gorgeous. She nodded and let me lead her farther into the surgical room where our families were standing. Everyone was standing near the wall—everyone but Uncle Jobob, who was standing by himself holding a bible in hand.
Kiersten gave me a confused look.
I just shrugged my shoulders and continued walking. We stopped once we reached JoBob.
“Your parents…” Uncle JoBob started, his voice loud, and clear as it echoed throughout the room. “…would be so proud of you.” His eyes shimmered with tears.
I gripped Kiersten’s hand. My heart performed a little flip at the fact that I was actually going to be marrying her in a few minutes. And that dress? It was gorgeous. Exactly what Lisa had described. Simple in its form. It was head to toe silk, with a lace overlay. It didn’t take away form Kiersten’s beauty—nothing ever could—but merely added to it. She wore her hair piled around her head, wisps of red fluttering around her face and loose strands trailing down her back.
She was like ice cream. Like a chocolate cake. Like the perfect desert.
“We are gathered here,” Uncle Jobob said.
Kiersten’s mouth fell open. “You’re marrying us?”
“—sweetheart, don’t interrupt the man marrying us,” I whispered with a gentle laugh.
“Rude,” Gabe said from behind me. “Seems wolf failed to teach lamb manners.”
“Go back in your shell, turtle,” Lisa murmured.
I burst out laughing while Uncle Jobob gave us a stern look then glanced at my dad who was also trying to hide his amusement.
“As I was saying…” Uncle Jobob glared at Kiersten and continued. “We’re gathered here to celebrate the life of Wes and Kiersten and their desire to join together as one.” His hands trembled as he held them out in front of him. “Love is often measured unfairly. People throw the word around so flippantly that society rarely gets a true glimpse of what it means to love something—to love someone so much that it’s the basis for your entire existence. To love someone so much that you’d be willing to trade places—even in death. Well, I can’t imagine a stronger type of love than that of sacrifice. So your marriage, Wes and Kiersten, is not only a celebration of a new beginning, but of the sacrificial love you share with each other.”
JoBob dabbed his face with a tissue and went on, “Gabe, the rings.”
Gabe stepped around me and handed the four rings to JoBob.
“Wes, wanted to do things a little different.” He winked at Kiersten. “So, son, I’ll just let you take it from here with your vows.”
He handed me the three rings that would belong to Kiersten.
Looking into her green eyes was so distracting it was hard to remember what I was going to say. My entire body shook with the emotion of the moment. I would never get this moment again. I wanted to do it right—the first time.
“The first ring,” I murmured, sliding the platinum diamond encrusted band up her finger, “represents your past. Your parents, your life in Bickelton, your first year at college, and finally the hospital room. There are ten diamonds in this band, representing every item you put on your bucket list. These diamonds are a reminder of how far you’ve come.” I cleared my throat and slipped the next band on her finger. This one was a three-carat solitaire. “This band is the present. This moment. Right now. Every time you look down at this ring, I want you to remember the way you looked on this day. The way you made me feel. And since you can’t see yourself and since you can’t read my mind…” Tears filled Kiersten’s eyes as I gripped her hand tighter. “You look like an angel. Like the first person a dying man would see when he was granted access into heaven. Your skin is glowing so much that it almost hurts to look at you, the way your hair falls against that same glowing skin is so distracting that I don’t know where to look first. Your eyes are really clear, because you’ve been crying, and your lips are a bit swollen from licking them too much, something you do when you get nervous.” I placed her hand over my heart. “And right now I feel like I can do anything. My heart feels strong for you, my desire isn’t just to marry you and let this be our moment, Kiersten. I want to marry you and create a million moments every single day. Which is why…” I slipped on the next ring. It matched the first one. “This ring has ten stones. I figure that we should just keep it an even number when it comes to lists. Just because the last list was finished, doesn’t mean we can’t create a new one. On this list, I see kids, careers, our first house, possibly our first big fight where you make me sleep on the couch. This last ring is our future, Kiersten. We complete our lists together, we complete our life together. This is what we have to look forward to. Blank pages just waiting to be filled with our story. And the cool part? We don’t know what’s going to happen, but I can make a promise to you right now. Your hand’s going to be in mine the entire time. Kiersten, I swear to never let you go. Through sickness, through health, through happy times, through sad times. I’m yours.”