Jake

The music that's playing is an instrumental version of Shania Twain's "From This Moment On."  I'm standing at the altar in the midst of the vineyard, the view of the mountains and Lake Okanagan behind me as I watch my sister, Penelope, and Morgane walk down the grassy aisle in their flats. Their dresses are a rustic mauve colour and the bouquets are white, made entirely of baby's breath. Each of them looks stunningly gorgeous, but especially Hanna. It's hard to believe that she's twenty already.

When my sister makes eye contact with me and smiles, I have to choke back a fresh wave of tears that wants to escape. Hanna has grown up so much, and so have I. I wish Mom and Dad could be here to see us. To see what we've accomplished. I think they would be proud of us.

Hanna, Morgane, and Penelope take their seats along the front of the seating arrangements, next to Nolan and Reid. Aside from the marriage officiant behind me, standing next to the wine barrel that's acting as the altar, Cassian and I are the only ones standing up front. I take a deep breath and glance back at my best man and the ring bearer. Cassian winks at me and then gestures down at the rings in his hands. I suppress an eye roll – that's the last thing I want to be caught on camera by Hanna. Now that she's finished walking down the aisle and acting as a bridesmaid, she's acting as our wedding photographer. She tried to convince Gemma and I that she could do it for free, but we refused; Hanna's being paid whether she likes it or not.

Turning my back on Cassian, I focus on the aisle ahead of me, waiting for Gemma to come walking down with her dad. My nerves are on the edge right now. I'm not sure how I'm going to react when I see her in her wedding dress. I've already seen it, yes, but the last time I did, Gemma wasn't walking down the aisle; we weren't in the middle of a wedding ceremony.

I take a deep breath. And just as the music softens, I see her. She's in her beautiful wedding dress, her arm looped through her dad's as they begin to walk down the aisle. The bouquet in Gemma's hands is composed of baby's breath, magnolias, and mauve-coloured roses. But even the beauty of the bride's bouquet doesn't compare to how stunningly gorgeous she looks. I stare at her, my lips slightly parted. Her hair is done up in a messy bun with two braids acting like a crown atop her head, and her dress hugs her body perfectly, revealing a shadowed dip between her breasts and defining her collarbone. She's staring down at the bouquet in her hands, giving me an unapparelled view of her graceful neck, as well as my mother's earrings, which are sparkling in the light of the setting sun.

A warm, fuzzy feeling encompasses me. As much as I wish my parents were here to see this, I'm happy that we have a representation of them with us. Those earrings were special to my mom and, in turn, special to my dad; they already carry a heavyset amount of memories. Adding more to them seems like the best way to remeber them. I hope, wherever my parents are now, they can see what's happening. I hope they can see how happy I am now; that I moved on and carved a place for myself and my family-to-be in this world.

When Gemma glances up at me, blood flushes her cheeks and she bashfully smiles at me. Despite our inclusive wedding, all the attention is focused on Gemma. Not the vineyard surrounding us or the wine-barrel altar that's been decorated with a white gossamer bow around the middle; not the twinkling soft-white lights that line the aisle; not the burlap-draped chairs. No, everyone is focused on Gemma and every step she takes closer to me.

Everyone except Gemma, that is.

Her attention is entirely focused on me. She's barely conscious that her dad, Carlos Alder, is the one that's guiding her down the aisle and that Cassian is standing behind me holding our rings. She's not paying attention to the marriage officiant standing behind the altar. Her eyes are grazing over my suit and tie, the small sprig of baby's breath that's pinned to my suit jacket, and the way my hair has been tousled to her liking.

Her gaze is so intense, so emotional, that it's beginning to become hard for me to breathe properly.

The march down the aisle is slow and there's a constant flash in the background from Hanna's camera. I try to take a deep breath to calm myself as she gets closer.

The moment I really see Gemma's face is after she's given her dad the bouquet and given him a small kiss on the cheek; when she turns around to face me with a nervous smile on her painted lips. Her lips are painted a soft purple, reminding me of the mauve-coloured roses that were in her bouquet. The blush across her cheeks and the natural aesthetic to her makeup are visually pleasing but not nearly as pleasing as knowing that I'm going to be marrying this wild, free-spirited, kind, fiery woman and spending the rest of my life with her. Gemma's makeup has nothing on her personality – and that's the part I'm looking forward to the most. Every day, I'm going to be able to experience her natural affinity for teasing me, as well as the playful banter we throw at each other and the way she's able to boost my confidence before I attend conferences at work. I'm going to be able to spend summer nights with her getting drunk on margaritas and ending up in the bedroom soon after. I'm going to cringe every time I see her waxing her legs and other bodily parts, wondering how the hell she manages to do it. And, one day, we're going to have our own family to raise.

I gaze into Gemma's seafoam-green eyes and shudder under the intense emotions in her eyes as the smile on her face broadens. I don't know what she's thinking, but it must be along the same lines as my train of thought. Taking a deep breath, I hold out my hand to Gemma. She takes it without a note of hesitation and allows me to guide her up to the wine-barrel altar.

When we're standing across from each other, hand-in-hand, the marriage officiate clears his throat and begins to recite the basic fundamentals of a wedding ceremony. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join Gemma Alder and Jake Swift in matrimony..." The rest of his words fade away, going in one ear and out the other as he continues on with a charge to Gemma and I. It's to remind us about how meaningful the vows we're about to exchange are and the journey we're about to embark upon together. It takes everything within my own limits of self-control to not begin tapping my foot against the ground and urge him to hurry up. I want to exchange vows with Gemma and seal the deal with a kiss.

"Now," he says, glancing between the two of us. "It is time to exchange vows."

I take a deep breath, keeping my gaze locked with Gemma's. We never really decided who was going to go first with the vows, but I think it's safe to say that we both want to get this over with when we both begin to speak.

"Gemma," I say.

"Jake, I knew from – "

We both close our mouths and look at each other, laughing when we realize what we've done. "You can go first," Gemma says. "I'll try to not outdo your vows."

A chuckle radiates through the small crowd, making me feel like I'm preparing for another business meeting or conference at work; all their attention is focused solely on me now. I don't want my vows to sound cheesy or overly romantic – but what vows don't? I know Cassian is going to make fun of me for the rest of my life, but do I really care when it involves Gemma and I being tied together forever? Nope.

"Okay," I reply, tightening my grip on her hands. She squeezes back, giving me the confidence I need to do this. "Gemma, I never imaged this day would come. Actually, I never imagined I'd see you again. I know our reunion didn't exactly start out on the best of terms and nor did it make very good progress at the beginning. We've been through a lot, the two of us have, which is exactly why I think we're perfect for each other. We know we can get through hardships and come out stronger than before. I never imagined us getting married, but now that we're here, I couldn't possibly imagine why I would have chosen anyone but you to go through the rest of life's journeys with. I love your laugh, your smile, your caring nature and the fact that you're so beautifully independent but don't let that prevent me from giving you support. I promise to support you, to honour you, and to love you unconditionally. I promise to love you when you're waxing your legs in the bathroom and reminding me how badly that hurt" – a small chuckle goes through the crowd – "when you replaced the sunscreen with waxing cream. I promise to love you when you experience hardships that make you question your love for yourself. I can't imagine where I'd be without you, and I can't wait to continue this crazy journey with you by my side. I love you, Gem." 

I realize that Cassian is probably rolling his eyes at me right now, but the rest of the group, including Reid, are wiping at the tears in their eyes. Gemma, on the other hand, is staring up at me in awe, a hint of humour on her lips.

"Jake," she says. "Of all the people I've met in my life and of all the places I've been, somehow and some way, you ended up here with me. It's a powerful and humbling fact that I can't seem to wrap my mind around. I knew from the moment I met you that you would play a significant role in my life – I just didn't know how significant it would be. When things fell apart between us, I didn't think we'd ever see each other again, either; I always thought you would stay in my memories as the boy who betrayed me. I didn't think you would be able to change the way you did. As crazy as it was, I'm glad I took on the role of playing your fake girlfriend. You've proven to me that people can change and atone for their mistakes. You have filled my life with joy and have given me a sense of peace that I have never known. You are my best friend, my biggest supporter, and...the best latté-maker a woman could ask for. I promise to encourage your compassion. I promise to nurture your dreams. I promise to help shoulder the challenges life will bring because there's nothing we can't face if we stand together. You're my everything, Jake. You are my light and you've shown me more love than I've ever known."

I have to mentally take a step back to collect myself. Gemma isn't normally some sappy romance woman – she's straightforward and gets to the point. Somehow, she's managed to mix both of those attributes together with the sappiness, making her lines sound poetic and realistic at the same time.

"Now," the marriage officiant says, "will you, Gemma Alder, place the ring on Jake's finger, please, and repeat after me."

Cassian steps forward and hands Gemma my ring.

"With this ring," the officiant says, "I thee wed."

"With this ring," Gemma says, her voice shaking slightly as she slides the ring onto my finger. "I thee wed."

The wedding band around my ring finger feels right – like it's a piece of my life that's been missing up until now. Feeling content, I turn to Cassian and take Gemma's ring from his hand. I know I could have married Gemma with a paper ring and she would have been happy, but I'm proud of the ring I bought her – even if it took a saving up a few paycheques. It's a wedding band with several small diamonds in ten-carat rose gold. It matches her engagement ring perfectly, as well as my own wedding band – it's the same as hers, but thicker and without any diamonds.

"Jake Swift," the officiant says, "please repeat after me: With this ring, I thee wed."

I hold Gemma's hand in mine and I slide the ring onto her finger, relaying the words. We decided to go without any unifying ritual – no candle lighting or wine box or tree planting. Gemma and I both agree that we've been through enough events that symbolize unification between us. Even if we are technically becoming a new entity through marriage.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

The marriage officiate declaring us husband and wife sends a shock through my body. And then Gemma's hands reach up to cup my face, her thumbs chasing away the tears that have managed to slip down my cheeks. I never expected myself to cry over this, but here I am. I smile weakly at her. "I guess I really am a total suck," I joke. Behind me, I hear Cassian snort.

"You're not a suck," she whispers. She raises herself up on her tiptoes so she can throw her arms around my neck. Out of habit, I secure my hands on her hips to hold her steady. With tears pooling in her eyes, Gemma tilts her face up to mine and kisses me tenderly, adoringly. It's a brief kiss and when she pulls back, she smiles at me. "You're my husband."

Her words make me forget the crowd, the place, the time, the reason. I can only see Gemma. I can only feel her lips moving against mine after I've closed the space between us. I can only taste the faint hint of champagne on her tongue. And the only thing I'm mentally aware of at the moment is that I'm now hers, just as she is now mine.

When the kiss is over, I pull Gemma into a hug. She clings to me while a round of cheers and throat-clearings echo through our tiny family. I glance around at everyone in the crowd, smiling and wondering how I got so lucky. But when I come back to Gemma's face, I realize she's still staring at me, the smile on her face incandescent as she intertwines her fingers with mine.

I want to walk back down the aisle with Gemma by my side so we can make our way over to the dining area and have our lovely dinner before the reception party starts, but I know there's one more thing we have to do before we leave the altar.

Turning around, with my wife by my side, I take the pen from the marriage officiate and wait for Morgane to join us at the front. We need two witnesses to also sign the marriage license that makes our union legal, so we chose Cassian and Morgane to do so.

When the final step is over and done with, we turn back to the crowd with Cassian and Morgane on either side of us. Another round of applause breaks out before Cassian throws his arms around us and yells, "It's time to fucking party!" He gives Gemma and I a small push towards the aisle. It leads to the small dining area we rented.

As Gemma and I walk down the aisle, I can't help but feel a charge of excitement in my gut. After dinner, tonight is all about spending time with our friends and family. And when that's over, I know exactly where Gemma and I are going to end up.

I can't wait to see the look on her face when I tell her I'm ready to become a father.