Page 25 of Marrying the Guide
He flew in with his mom and two of his best friends, Froukje—whose name I horribly mangled every time I attempted to pronounce it—and her husband, Steven. Froukje would be his maid of honor and Joost his best man. On my side, Bubbles—who would be my best man—and Justin flew in from Tampa, and my sister, Carrie, would be my maid of honor. It was unconventional as fuck, and I loved it because it completely fit us.
Onno was waiting for me outside the bakery like he had every time I’d picked him up for a date, except now he was dressed in a blue pinstriped suit, a white dress shirt, and a baby-blue bow tie that made his eyes sparkle. My eyes filled with tears. My man, my best friend, my unexpected miracle.
“Hi.” He flashed me that shy smile.
“Hey, sweetheart.” I pressed a soft kiss on his lips. “You look amazing. So gorgeous.”
“So do you.” He patted my biceps, where the fabric of my jacket stretched tightly. “You’d better not flex too hard.”
Smiling at our inside joke, I kissed him again. Surrounded by our family and friends, we walked to the church hand in hand. Growing up, Onno had always gone to church, and while he didn’t anymore, he’d explained it would mean a lot to his mom if we got married in a church. I didn’t consider myself religious, but I had no objections if that made her—and thus him—happy.
I couldn’t take my eyes off him as we stood facing each other to say our vows.
“Howell, you may go first,” the officiant said.
I’d written it down, but I didn’t need my notes, the words etched in my heart. “Onno, I think I fell in love with you the moment I met you…when you sent us both flying into the Skykomish River.” Laughter rose, and he grinned. “I fell, but so did my heart. Three weeks was enough to know I loved you, but a lifetime won’t be enough to show you how much.”
My niece Sara, our ring bearer, beamed a smile as she held up the little pillow with our rings. I took Onno’s and slipped it on his finger.
“I promise I will always love you, cherish you, and honor you, support you in every way I can, and do all within my might to keep you safe and happy.”
His eyes filled with tears, and I had to fight the urge to kiss them away.
He took a deep breath. “Howell, you were my compass when I felt lost, my buoy when I thought I was drowning, and my shelter when it was storming. You helped me find myself, and for that alone, I will always be grateful. I fell for you so quickly, so easily, and so deeply. In the words of Ruth from the Old Testament, ‘Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.’”
He took my ring and carefully put it on my finger. “I promise I will love you and never leave your side, that I will take care ofyou the best I can in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, until the day I die.”
We both turned to the officiant, who gave us a nod. “By the power vested in me by the state of Washington, I declare you husbands. You may kiss.”
I didn’t need to be told twice, and I took my time kissing my husband. Then I leaned my forehead against his. “I love you, sweetheart. Our forever starts now.”
