Linda took my arm and walked me out to the lobby to the double doors, which were still closed. Becky disappeared down the hallway. Linda proceeded to do a final inspection of me.
"I'm afraid to touch your bow tie," she said. "I don't want to risk messing it up! It's perfect!"
"Long years of experience," I said.
A minute later, Becky returned on the arm of my groom, Todd. He was slightly shorter than myself, babyfaced, his blonde hair combed perfectly into place. A white rose and baby's breath boutonnierre was on the lapel of his navy blue suit. He looked as nervous as I felt, his cleanshaven face almost as white as his starched white shirt collar that rose up his neck.
"Hello!" I said, almost a little breathless. "It's time!"
"Yeah it is!" he replied, equally breathless. "Our wedding! Are you ready?"
His genuine excitement was evident, made even more evident by his nervousness.
"Yes," I smiled, "I am."
"Okay, you two," Becky said.
"How's his bow tie look?" Linda asked me.
"You're the expert with these," said Todd. "But I think I did a pretty good job. I think I'm going to have to start wearing these regularly. I like the way this feels."
"Hmm, let's see here," I said, tugging on the ends and adjusting till the knot was perfectly tight and the bow parts were perfectly even. I could feel Todd gulp beneath his collar. "There we go. You did do a good job."
I held out my left arm and Todd slipped his right arm through it, stepping right alongside me. The feeling of him that close next to me, the pressure of his arm through mine, brought to a more final realization what was about to happen.
"Over here, right in front of the doors," said Becky. My groom and I stepped together over to the doors and faced them.
"The doors will open very soon," Linda said, and I could see she was a little teary-eyed. "You know what to do from there?"
"I do," we both said. We both managed a nervous smile at the sound of it.
"Okay," said Linda. "See you down the aisle!"
She and Becky disappeared down a side hallway, and my groom and I were standing there, arm-in-arm, by ourselves. This was really happening, but I didn't seem to mind, although I was nervous.
"It's finally happening," I whispered to Todd. "Our wedding."
"I know," he whispered back. "If you didn't know, I've really been looking forward to this."
"I'm afraid to touch your bow tie," she said. "I don't want to risk messing it up! It's perfect!"
"Long years of experience," I said.
A minute later, Becky returned on the arm of my groom, Todd. He was slightly shorter than myself, babyfaced, his blonde hair combed perfectly into place. A white rose and baby's breath boutonnierre was on the lapel of his navy blue suit. He looked as nervous as I felt, his cleanshaven face almost as white as his starched white shirt collar that rose up his neck.
"Hello!" I said, almost a little breathless. "It's time!"
"Yeah it is!" he replied, equally breathless. "Our wedding! Are you ready?"
His genuine excitement was evident, made even more evident by his nervousness.
"Yes," I smiled, "I am."
"Okay, you two," Becky said.
"How's his bow tie look?" Linda asked me.
"You're the expert with these," said Todd. "But I think I did a pretty good job. I think I'm going to have to start wearing these regularly. I like the way this feels."
"Hmm, let's see here," I said, tugging on the ends and adjusting till the knot was perfectly tight and the bow parts were perfectly even. I could feel Todd gulp beneath his collar. "There we go. You did do a good job."
I held out my left arm and Todd slipped his right arm through it, stepping right alongside me. The feeling of him that close next to me, the pressure of his arm through mine, brought to a more final realization what was about to happen.
"Over here, right in front of the doors," said Becky. My groom and I stepped together over to the doors and faced them.
"The doors will open very soon," Linda said, and I could see she was a little teary-eyed. "You know what to do from there?"
"I do," we both said. We both managed a nervous smile at the sound of it.
"Okay," said Linda. "See you down the aisle!"
She and Becky disappeared down a side hallway, and my groom and I were standing there, arm-in-arm, by ourselves. This was really happening, but I didn't seem to mind, although I was nervous.
"It's finally happening," I whispered to Todd. "Our wedding."
"I know," he whispered back. "If you didn't know, I've really been looking forward to this."