The Gardener's Grandson

Nineteen

The Taylors didn’t come to the wedding.  Brittany held out hope to the last minute, but neither one if us really expected them to be there.  Brittany called her parents a few times and asked them to reconsider, but they refused.  The Taylors weren’t very friendly at all.  Brittany always cried after she hung up the phone.

Sarah tried to take the place of Brittany’s mother in planning the wedding, but I know Brittany wanted her mother to be there to share in the experience.  She tried to hide her true feelings, but everyone could tell she was hurting on the inside.

Brittany didn’t get to have a big, extravagant wedding or a reception at the country club.  I had guilty feelings, but Brittany said, “Bobby Joe, we’re having the wedding that I want.  I wouldn’t have it any other place than at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church.  That’s where we had our first real date.  As far as the reception goes, I know a great caterer, and we can have it at the church cafeteria.  Oh, Bobby Joe, it’s going to be the best wedding ever!  It will be a warm, wonderful, country setting.  Girls dream about getting married in an atmosphere like that.”

On the twelfth of June, Pleasant Grove Baptist Church was full, and people were standing in the back.  Brittany didn’t have anyone to give her away, so Grandpa escorted her down the aisle and then took his place next to me as my best man.  Five of Brittany’s sorority sisters were her bridesmaids, and five of my teammates at Barton College were my groomsmen.  Sarah was Brittany’s maid of honor, and when she sang The Lord’s Prayer, everybody in the church cried.  It was beautiful.

Brittany and I stood before God and promised to love, honor, and obey.  We promised to be true to each other in sickness and in health; in good times and in bad.  We were starting our journey throughout eternity, and God couldn’t have given me a more wonderful person with whom to make that journey.

We went to Pawley’s Island, South Carolina, for our honeymoon.  Brittany and I rented a house on the ocean with a private beach. 

We walked along the beach at night and marveled at one of God’s greatest creations.  It was only the ocean, Brittany and I.  We stood in the moonlight and promised to love each other until the end of time. 

We held hands and talked about the first time we met, our first date, our first kiss, and our midnight carriage ride in Savannah.  We talked about our hopes and dreams for married life--and about how fortunate we were to have each other.

I had never experienced such peace and contentment before.  If there ever was true love, we had found it.  Our lives were joined as one for all eternity.

“Bobby Joe, promise me you won’t die before I do.  I couldn’t bear to live without you.”

“It doesn’t matter who dies first, Brittany, because our love will live forever.”

We touched, kissed, and held each other like there was no tomorrow.