Lucy & Andy Get Married

By Jo & Atonia

Lucy was driven to the church by Steve and Millie and as confident and determined as she’d been she was now nervous. She hadn’t heard from Andy since he left for his night out with the boys but she knew Jeff had him in hand so he would show up and not leave her at the altar. She scanned the parking lot, there were a lot of cars but she didn’t spot Jeff’s.

Millie ushered her to the brides room and helped her fluff out her dress. It hadn’t been that long ago she was standing up for Millie and Andy was there for Steve. Millie assured her she looked beautiful and the reflection in the mirror showed a glowing bride. She paced around afraid to sit and wrinkle her dress anymore than it already was. The sound of music and hymns filtered into the room from the church service.

Andy was about as polished up as Jeff and Stevo could make him considering his condition. He looked handsome in his dark suit white tie and vest. It had been a struggle but the three of them had him put together. Jeff pinned the pink and white rosebud sprig on his lapel and pronounced him ready. Three times he’d felt in his pocket for the ring and it had been there every time. Stevo turned Andy over to Steve and slipped into the church. Jeff went around to the bride’s room and knocked on the door.

Millie handed her the pink rose bouquet and she opened the door. The look on Jeff’s face made her want to cry and she threw he arms around him and kissed him.

Andy, sitting in the little room off the sanctuary with Steve wondered how he was ever going to get through the ceremony, he hoped it wouldn’t be long. The motion of the car almost got the best of him and now the organ music was working on his head. Steve wasn’t much help, Andy remembered him passing out at his wedding but at least he was there lending moral support. Steve cracked the door listening as the church services were ending, he turned to Andy and grinned, it was time for him to take his place.

Alistair closed the regular service with a short prayer, then looked around the church again, smiling slightly because almost everyone from the Glen was there. Perhaps he should make a post-service wedding a regular part of Sunday morning? He cleared his throat. It still got a bit hoarse and dry after he'd preached.

"Now it is time to begin the next portion of today's service. On behalf of Andy and Lucy, I would like to welcome all of you to their wedding, a truly joyous event on a lovely day."

He turned and saw Steve opening the door and nodded as a signal for Andy and his groomsmen to come on out. He also saw how Andy was having a hard time staying upright as well as the fact he was rather green around his tightly-compressed lips. Oh, dear, he thought, I'd better trim this one to the basics or we may well lose the groom. He cleared his throat, took a quick sip of water from the glass he always kept tucked away now behind the pulpit, and stepped to one side to await Andy taking his place, mumbling prayers under his breath that the young man would be able to complete his walk and take his place. It was a good thing, a very good thing, that the best man had a firm grip on the groom's elbow.

Andy clamped his lips tightly together, he should have gone to the bathroom before this started. He prayed he wouldn’t embarrass Lucy. He never felt so bad in his life, and it seemed to be getting worse.

When Andy stood wobbling near him, Alistair nodded to Bridgid, who began Lucy's processional music. He noticed Jeff had a good grip on Lucy's arm, too, not because of a hangover, but in order to give her moral support. Even from where he stood, he could see she must have been nervous waiting for the ceremony to begin and now was eyeing Andy as she began her walk down the aisle.

It was obvious to Lucy that Andy could barely stand. She noticed Steve’s grip on his arm, and squeezed Jeff’s arm. Was he still drunk? Oh, help.

When Lucy had reached the front and the music stopped, Andy forgot to turn so he was now facing Alistair along with Lucy and Jeff. Alistair nodded to him, but all Andy was doing, from what it looked like to the pastor, was not to chunder his guts. Alistair sincerely hoped Andy would succeed in that endeavor. Alistair nodded a second time, but Andy still didn't notice, so finally he caught Steve's eye and indicated that he should help Andy step around.

The slightest movement caused a wave to rise up from his stomach but he fought it back down. Jeff was now between him and Lucy; Lucy’s eyes were straight ahead. He was being supported by Steve on one side and now he was leaning heavily onto Jeff who had his feet firmly planted giving support to Lucy and Andy.

"Andy, Lucy, you have come here today to join yourself together as man and wife. All of us here present offer you our support and good will as well as our continued friendship. You have shown a great generosity of heart to this community and a true spirit of giving and service. We would all like to thank you both for that, for all you have done, all we know you will continue to do."  Andy swayed rather profoundly so Alistair dropped a couple of more lines he'd thought he might say at that point.  He looked at Jeff. "And, Jeff, do you stand in today and bring this woman to be married to this man?"

Jeff nodded, giving his cousin a quick kiss on the cheek. “I do,” he said and stepped back, hoping Andy wasn’t going to fall into Lucy but he righted himself with Steve’s help. He walked back to his seat by Stevo.

With Jeff gone and Andy by her side, underneath all the aftershave she could smell him. He smelled like a day old glass of beer. She glanced quickly at him, noticing his condition up close, then back at Alistair.

Alistair studied Andy again quickly then went straight to the vows. "Andy, please look at Lucy as you repeat after me...I, Andy, take you, Lucy, as my lawful, wedded wife. I promise to honor and cherish you, always putting you first in my life. I will love you in times of darkness and in times of light, in times of plenty and of want. I will love you when you are weak and when you are strong, when you mourn and when you rejoice. I will love you, Lucy, all the days of my life."  He left out a couple of lines. This was plenty to be promised, covered everything needful without a lot of extra bells and whistles.

He was doing the best he could, mumbling, flubbing his lines but Alistair was patient with him, repeating where necessary. He came out with a strong ‘I will love you, Lucy.”

Lucy was beginning to wonder if he was going to make it. She was seriously worried about him. Her eyes were round when she looked back at Alistair. Her bouquet began to shake.

Alistair was concerned for Lucy, wanted to be sure she was all right, was holding up. He smiled encouragingly at her, then continued with the vows for her to repeat to Andy.

Lucy repeated her vows breathlessly. Andy had managed to turn so that the was facing her now, entranced with her, a lopsided grin on his face. He wasn’t listening to what she said, but she looked so pretty saying it.

So far, so good. Andy was still standing, still hadn't thrown up, though there were times he didn't look well at all. "Andy," Alistair asked, quite startling the young man, "do you have Lucy's ring?"

Ring…Andy felt in his pocket, it wasn’t there, ring…he looked around on the floor…ring…ignoring Steve’s persistent poking in his arm. Finally Steve handed the ring to Alistair and whispered something to Andy, who stopped looking on the floor for the ring and noticed Alistair was handing it to him. He was confused and nearly dropped it but his hand was caught by Lucy.

"Andy, you may now place the ring on Lucy's finger as you repeat after me." Well, if his hands stopped shaking, maybe he'd repeat. "Lucy, I give you this ring as a token of my love for you, of a sign whenever you look at it, that you are surrounded by my love, my devotion, and my care."

Andy looked down at Lucy’s fingers. They seem to have grown together. He couldn’t find the right one. Lucy gently guided his shaking hand and he slipped the ring on her finger. He realized Alistair was saying something but he was happy, his face filled with joy. He’d put a ring on Lucy’s finger. He couldn’t take his eyes away from hers, a slight nod from her in Alistair’s direction and he began repeating what Alistair was saying. And adding “Cause I love you, Lucy.”

Alistair breathed a sigh of relief. They'd gotten through that part. "Lucy, do you have Andy's ring?"

Lucy turned to Millie for Andy’s ring. Millie was fascinated by Andy and the different colors his face had been undergoing, white, green, red. She pulled the ring off her finger and handed it to Lucy, who had not let go of Andy’s hand though hers were shaking a little now, too.

Briefly, as Lucy stood there, the ring clasped in her fingers, Alistair let his own hand rest atop hers, giving her a gentle smile, his eyes saying, You're doing fine, Lucy. I'm proud of you.  "Lucy, you may now place the ring on Andy's finger as you repeat after me: Andy, I take you as my husband, placing on your finger, this symbol of the purity of my love for you, the endlessness of it, and of my continual desire to be one with you in this world."

Lucy placed the ring on Andy’s finger. He still had that joyful smile on his face and seemed to be holding onto her eyes, drawing a little strength. She smiled a nervous smile when she repeated after Alistair.

"Lucy and Andy, by the power invested in me, I now pronounce that you are husband and wife. May your union be blessed with grace and peace, happiness and long life.  Andy, you may kiss your bride."

Lucy prompted him, “Kiss me, you dope.”

“We’re married?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, Lucy!” He grabbed her and kissed her. She felt his weight pushing her back. He’d lost his balance. Oh, oh no! They were going to fall!

Steve jumped, grabbing Andy around the waist. He looked over at Millie, rolled his eyes and grinned.

Strong hands found her back and pushed them to an upright position. Jeff and Stevo had both jumped from their seat on the front row and saved the bride and groom from toppling onto the floor.

Having untangled herself from Andy’s groping embrace, she turned him toward the rows of seats, where their friends all clapped and smiled. Millie handed her back her bouquet and she slipped her arm around Andy, “We have to walk out now. Can you make it?”

“Lucy, I love you. We can make it…make it.” He concentrated on walking to the open doors ahead of him. If he could just get outside he could throw up. He draped an arm around her shoulder and, weaving here and there, they made through the door.

Alistair stood silently, watching the newlyweds leave. He had performed a lot of wedding ceremonies in his time, but this had to be one
of the shortest and most, um, interesting. As he watched them go through the doorway, he thought that, yes, he'd done some really fancy, long ceremonies back in England and in Coffs, but hadn't been sure the marriages would actually last. As short and awkward as this one had been, he rather thought these two young people would make it for the long haul.