TEARS IN HEAVEN
Chapter Fourteen
August 19, 2005
Jack glanced down at his wife, whose eyes
were moist with unshed tears, which sharply contrasted with the look of
happiness on her face. Smiling, he gently brushed a lock of red hair out of her
face, causing her to look up at him. Rose broke into a radiant smile. "I
love you," she whispered.
Jack answered her with a tender kiss. The
ceremony had been absolutely beautiful. The children had behaved, and at the
end there wasn't a dry eye in the place. Even the so-called tough men, Tommy
and Fabrizio, had tears in their eyes. Both Jack and Rose had written their own
vows, making it all the more meaningful.
*****
"Ahem. Can I have everyone's
attention?" Greg said, standing up. All eyes focused on him and the
animated talking ceased. Picking up his glass, Greg took the microphone Sam was
holding out to him. "For the second time, we're all gathered together to
celebrate the love of these two people. A love none of us has ever doubted, but
one that has been tested time and time again. A love that we all could take a
lesson from. Most of us come from a small Wisconsin town, but I know none of us
have ever, nor will we in the future, seen something like what runs between
these two. Four years ago, I wished them the best and now I do the same. Please
raise your glasses with me." He paused, turning to the couple. "Jack,
Rose, I pray that never again will you have to endure what you have. The two of
you deserve forever and I wish you receive at least that.
Congratulations--again."
*****
After the toast, Jack stood and took the
microphone from his friend, looking around Sam and Helga's backyard at all the
familiar faces. The happiness he felt at that moment could only be rivaled by
the first time Rose became his wife. Clearing his throat, he pulled Rose to her
feet. "All right...I have a few things I want to say. First, I want to
thank all of you for joining us today. The fact that most of you came in from
out of town to just see us renew our vows is utterly amazing. Next, I want to
thank the people who helped me pull this off. Ruth, Fabri, Gina, Greg, Sam,
Helga...you're the greatest." He stopped to gather his thoughts and bring
Rose closer to him. "Finally, I want to express to you all how lucky I
truly am. To even have this beautiful woman in my life in the first place is
more than one could ever ask for. Then for her to have agreed to marry me is
something even I can't comprehend. And to have her still here when I came home
after over two years...I can't even put into words what that means to me. She's
my wife...the mother of my children...my other half...my soul mate and best
friend. In short, she's my entire life. And I, here today, vow to love her with
every fiber of my being for the rest of our lives. I don't know how to do
anything else. Loving her comes as natural to me as breathing. I thank God
every day for having her in my arms. I love you, Rose Dawson."
When Jack looked down at Rose for her
reaction, he was greeted first by the tears falling from her eyes, then by her
lips, which abruptly met his. "I love you, too."
*****
Out of the blue, the microphone Jack had put
on the table was picked up and a giggle echoed through the yard. Jack and Rose
broke apart to see Josh standing on a chair with the microphone. Once he got
their attention, he grinned. "Love you, Mommy and Daddy!" he
exclaimed. The crowd proceeded to aw, as the parents embraced their son.