Chapter 5

"Dearly beloved,we are gathered here today in the presence of God and these witnesses to join Jacob and Kachelle in holy matrimony. Marriage is a sacred covenant, instituted by God, and not to be entered into lightly."

From my peripheral, I could see man nods of agreement along with a few audible "Amens". Both Kachelle and I looked back at them. The room fell silent once more as the Pastor continued.

"Jacob and Kachell, you've gathered here today to publicly commitment to each other and to enter into the lifelong bond of marriage. Before you exchange your vows, I ask you to affirm your willingness to enter into this covenant. Jacob, do you take Kachelle to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect her, forsaking all others, and holding only unto her, in sickness and in health, in prosperity and adversity, and to be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"

I nodded. "I do."

"Kachelle, do you take Jacob to be your lawfully wedded husbac, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect him, forsaking all others, and holding only unto him, in sickness and in health, in prosperity and adversity, and to be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

She smiled. "I do."

Pastor raised the mic once more. "I understand that the couple has chosen to recite their own wedding vows. We will not hear from them. Jacob you can go first."

He handed me the mic. As I held the it, I couldn't pull my eyes away from Kachelle. I don't think I'd been able to stop admiring at her since she stepped through the door. She was so damn beautiful. Physically, she checked off everything I'd told Chance I liked. While that was a plus, my real concern was whether her insides matched.

Was she a good person? Could she be a good wife and future mother to our children? Was she easy to talk to? So many questions flooded my mind. Then I thought about tonight. I'd reserved a penthouse suite at The Ivory Towers in downtown Grand Hills, but I wasn't even sure she'd leave with me. I didn't want her getting the wrong idea. Just because she was about to be my wife didn't mean that I was trying to fuck on her tonight.

I mean, if she was down with that shit, I wouldn't say no, but I wouldn't pressure her either. I did want to spend time with her. I'd even sprung for the luxury suite with two bedrooms, just in case she wanted to sleep alone. The bottom line was, I didn't want to spend our first night as husband and wife alone. There were so many conversations to have, so much I wanted to know about her.

I finally tuned back into the minister's speech just as it was time for me to say my vows. I hadn't written anything down. Instead, I chose to let the words come to me naturally. I wanted to say what was on my heart when I looked at her for the first time. I took a deep breath and reached for Kachelle's hand.

"As I stand before you on our wedding day, I am filled with a mix of emotions. We may not have had the traditional journey of falling in love, filled with dates and stolen moments. Our path to the altar has been an unconventional one, but as I look into your eyes for the first time, I see a future filled with possibility. I see a partner to share life's joys and sorrows with. I see a woman I already admire for taking this leap of faith with me.

"I vow to you today that I will be a loyal and loving husband. I will strive each day to earn your love, respect, and trust. I will support you in your dreams and stand by you through any challenges we face. I will work hard to build a marriage based on mutual understanding, compromise, and growth. Though we do not know each other yet, I commit myself fully to learning your heart. I want to discover the little things that make you smile and the dreams that set your soul on fire. I anticipate the love story we will write together, page by page, as we navigate this life hand in hand.

"I promise that no matter what the future holds, I will walk that road alongside you as your devoted husband. From this day forward, your happiness will be my mission, your burdens will be my own to help carry, and your love will be my most cherished gift.

"Here, in front of our friends and family, I take you to be my wife. I may not have chosen you, but I vow to spend the rest of my days falling in love with you and building a partnership built on the foundation of dedication, faithfulness, and joy. Today, Kachelle, I surrender to you. With hope in my heart and commitment in my soul, I marry you and step boldly into the future as your husband."

Tears streamed down her face as I finished speaking. I pulled the pocket square from my pocket, dabbed her eyes, and kissed her forehead.

"You have a way with words," she said, sniffling. "I don't know how I'm gonna top that."

I chuckled. "It's no competition, love. Just say what you mean."

She nodded as I passed her the microphone. Again, she looked back at her family. I could tell that what she was about to say was just as much for their ears as it was for mine.