Post by Admin on Nov 19, 2018 20:33:48 GMT -7
Chapter 58
Elizabeth’s hospital room:
A few days later-
“Hi”, Brennan said.
“Hi”, Jason said.
“Don’t give up Jason”, Brennan said.
“I’m not; but I’ still scared that she’s not coming back”, Jason said.
Brennan didn’t quite know what to say to that statement.
“How are things with you”, Jason asked?
Brennan give him the eyeball. Then she smirked. “You think that you are so funny”.
Jason just smirked at her.
“Remember how we became friends”, Brennan asked?
“Yeah”, Jason said going back…..
______________________
Begin flashback:
“Hi, Brennan said arriving at the estate.
Elizabeth isn’t here at the moment, Jason told her.
I know; I came to talk to you, Brennan said.
About what, Jason asked?
Elizabeth is my best friend, Brennan said. I want to make sure that you and I can get along. I don’t want Elizabeth to have to chose between us.
I don’t either, Jason said. And so he nad Brennan had sat down and just started to get to know each other…..
………
Hey, Elizabeth said when she returned home.
Hey, both Jason and Brennan said.
Are you here to see me, Elizabeth asked?
No, Brennan said. I came to talk to Jason.
Is something wrong, Elizabeth asked?
No; I just wanted to get to know the man who holds my best friend’s heart, Brennan said with a smile.
Oh, Elizabeth said. So do I need to be worried?
Only if Jason and. I get into trouble, Brennan said with a smirk while looking at Jason. He and I have some things in common.
Do you now, Elizabeth said eyeing her husband?
Yes”, Jason said smiling.
End flashback:
___________________
“I’m good”. “I have a great guy in my life”, Brennan said. “My dad and Stella are happy”.
“How are things with you and Agent Flannigan”, Jason said?
“Things are good”. “We are serious; but taking things slow”, Brennan said.
“Is he going to stick around once everything is over”, Jason asked?
“Yes; he has decided to take the job that Commissioner Scorpio offered him”, Brennan said.
“I’m happy for you”. “I would hate to have to hurt him for breaking your heart”, Jason said.
“Don’t worry Jason; my heart is safe with Lance”, Brennan said.
“Good”, Jason said.
“Do we need to go and get into some trouble”, Brennan asked grinning?
“Maybe, once Elizabeth and the baby are home and awake”, Jason said.
“I will look forward to it”, Brennan said.
_____________________
Later that night:
“Hi”, Emily said as she and John walked in.
“Hi”, Jason said giving his sister a hug. “John”, Jason said shaking his brother in law’s hand.
“Go eat”, Emily said. “We are staying”.
Jason nodded and went to eat with the girls and his parents.
………
“Hi Elizabeth, Emily said. I have someone that is really looking forward to meeting you when you wake up. I have somethings that you need to know. I have been told that you can hear us so I am going to go with that. I got married. I wanted to wait until you were awake and could be in the wedding but Jason said that you would have wanted up to do it when we were ready. His name is John. He is one of the agents that your Agent Gibbs brought in to bring down Diana and the others. I really want you to be happy for me. I know that you want me to be happy; and I am. I want to tell you about our wedding”.
Begin flashback:
“We are gathered together on this day to witness and celebrate the marriage of John & Emily . We come together not to mark the start of a relationship, but to acknowledge and strengthen a bond that already exists. This ceremony is a public affirmation of that bond and as their dearest family and friends, it is our honor and privilege to stand witness to this event.
This day is made possible not only because of your love for each other, but through the grace and support of your family and friends. It is our hope that your fulfillment and joy in each other will increase with each passing year.
Marriage is a commitment in life, where two people can find and bring out the very best in each other. It offers opportunities for sharing and growth that no other human relationship can equal, a physical and emotional joining that has the promise of a lifetime.
Let us bow our heads in prayer. Lord, we thank you for gathering everyone here today. We ask that you help John and Emily to remember the strong love that they share. To work that love into practical things so that nothing can divide them. May their love always inspire them to be kind in their words, considerate of the other’s feelings, and concerned for the other’s needs and wishes. Increase their faith and trust in You. Bless their marriage with peace and happiness and make their Love fruitful for Your glory and their joy, both here and in eternity. Amen.
While the commitment begins with the two of you, its effect radiates outward. It touches your family and friends and ultimately all of society. When this commitment is seriously made and continuously fulfilled, it leads to the richest and most rewarding of human relationships.
Your relationship will take more than love. It will take trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. Dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both.
While love is our natural state of being, these other qualities are not as easy to come by. They are not a destination, but a journey. Marriage is a give and take between two personalities, a mingling of two endowments which diminishes neither, but enhances both.
Seeing that no moment is without meaning, we ask that you take this marriage as a beginning of your lives together. Today signifies the creation of a new home and a new family for you both. May you be fulfilled by each other’s love and friendship. May you be overjoyed by the promises you are about to make and the life together you will create.
Remember that in every marriage, there are good times and bad, times of joy and times of sorrow. Marriage is a journey – a time of adventure and excitement enhanced by the love, trust, dedication and faith you share in one another.
May the promises you make to one another today, be lived out to the end of your lives. Tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys, but today is the day it all begins.
John and Emily, do you, with your family and friends as your witnesses, present yourselves willingly and of your own accord to be joined in marriage?
We do, John and Emily said.
Will you promise to care for each other in the joys and sorrows of life, come what may, and to share the responsibility for growth and enrichment of your life together?
We will, the couple replied.
John, please repeat after me.
I,John, take you Emily, to be my wedded wife
I give to you in the presence of these witnesses
My promise to stay by your side,
In sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow,
As well as through the good times and the bad.
I promise to love you without reservation,
Comfort you in times of distress
Encourage you to achieve all of your goals,
Laugh with you and cry with you,
Grow with you in mind and spirit
Always be open and honest with you,
And cherish you for as long as we both shall live.
Emily, please repeat after me
I,Emily, take you John, to be my wedded husband
I give to you in the presence of these witnesses
My promise to stay by your side,
In sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow,
As well as through the good times and the bad.
I promise to love you without reservation,
Comfort you in times of distress
Encourage you to achieve all of your goals,
Laugh with you and cry with you,
Grow with you in mind and spirit
Always be open and honest with you,
And cherish you for as long as we both shall live.
Having this love in your hearts, you have chosen to seal your vows by exchanging rings.
From the earliest times, the circle has been a sign of completeness. The rings that you have chosen to wear have neither beginning nor end, much like your love for one another. They are a symbol of the words that you speak today. May these rings be from this day forward, your most treasured adornment, and may the love they symbolize, be your most precious possession. As you wear these rings, may they be constant reminders of these glad promises you are making today.
John, take this ring, place it on Emily’s finger and repeat after me.
I give you this ring as a symbol
of my love and faithfulness to you.
Emily, take this ring, place it on John’s finger and repeat after me.
I give you this ring as a symbol
of my love and faithfulness to you.
John and Emily from this moment forward you will never be alone. You will carry with you the love of another person, giving you a completeness and renewed lightness. May your life together be immersed in love and excitement. May you strive to enrich each other in every possible way. And may you work to bring the peace you find to this world.
Having pledged their fidelity to one another, to love, honor and cherish one another in the presence of this gathering and by the authority vested in me by the constitution and the laws of this state, it is my honor to now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my honor to be the first to introduce you to: Mr. and Mrs. John Shepherd”.
End flashback:
“I really wish that you had been able to be there to be my maid of honor”, Emily said. “Please wake up soon”.
………..
“Hey”, Jason said when he walked in later the day. “How has she been”?
“She has been the same”, Emily said. “Did you eat something”?
“Yeah”, Jason said. “And I spent some time with the girls”.
“Good”, Emily said before she and John left Jason to Elizabeth.
________________________
1 month later:
“It’s time”, Dr. Lee said. “You will get to see your baby later today”.
“Are you sure”, Jason said.
“We don’t need to wait any longer”. “Your baby is full term”, Kelly said.
“What about Elizabeth”, Jason asked?
“Once we have baby; we will close up and Elizabeth will be returned to her room”. “Baby will be taken to the nursery and checked out”, Kelly said.
“Can baby stay in here with Elizabeth and I”, Jason asked?
“Yes; your parents have already made the arrangements”, Kelly said.
“Okay”, Jason said as dread overtook him. “What if Elizabeth didn’t survive delivery?
……..
“Jason”, Kelly said when she’s came out?
“What”, Jason said?
“You have a healthy baby boy”, Kelly said. “He is on his way down now”.
“What about Elizabeth”, Jason asked?
“She is on her way as well”, Kelly said.
“Thank you”, Jason said as Elizabeth and their son were wheeled into the room.
“You’re welcome”, Kelly said.
__________________
Jason had named their little boy Cameron Steven Morgan. He thought that Elizabeth would like that their son would have her grandfather’s name.
“I love you little Cameron”, Jason said. “And so does your mommy”. “We both love you very much”.
______________________
1 month later:
2 am-
Jason was in Elizabeth’s room; just like he was every night. He was asleep with his head on the edge of the bed and holding her hand.
Elizabeth opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling. She couldn’t figure out where she was at first. She knew that she wasn’t at home. Them she looked at the iv in her arm and knew that she was at GH. “Jason”, she whispered?
Jason didn’t move.
“Jason”, Elizabeth said a little louder while moving the hand that he was holding?
Jason opened his eyes and look at Elizabeth. He thought that he was dreaming at first. “Am I dreaming”?
“Jason”, Elizabeth said again? “What happened”? “Where are the girls”?
Once Jason realized that he wasn’t dreaming and that his beautiful wife was awake he said: “Thank god”. “Let me get Patrick”.
“Epiphany”, Jason said from the doorway?
“What”, Piph asked coming down the hall?
“Elizabeth is awake”, Jason said.
“I will page Dr. Drake”, Piph said.
…….
“Hello Mrs. Morgan”, Patrick said. “You’ve been asleep for a long time”. “Can you tell me your name”?
“I’m Elizabeth Morgan”, Elizabeth said.
“Do you know what day it is”, Patrick said?
“No”, Elizabeth said.
“What is the last thing that you remember”, Patrick asked?
“I remember being attacked at home”, Elizabeth said. “What happened”? “Where are the kids”?
“We will answer your questions as soon as I get the results from the tests I want to run now that are you are awake”, Patrick said. “Is that alright”?
Elizabeth nodded. “I will be patient; but after that I would like some answers”.
“Good enough”, Patrick said.
____________________
Later that day:
“Is she okay”, Jason asked as Patrick came in with the results of all the tests?
“Yes”, Patrick said. “Everything is as is should be”. “Elizabeth; I am going to keep you one more day and then I will let you go home”. “I am going to let your husband tell you what has been going on while your were in the coma”.
“Thank you Patrick”, Elizabeth said.
“You’re welcome”, Patrick said before going to see his other patients.
…….
“How long have I been in the hospital”, Elizabeth asked?
“7 months”, Jason said with tears in his eyes. “I was really scared that you weren’t going to come back to us”.
“Oh Jason”, Elizabeth said holding his hand. “Tell me”.
“Well; the meeting that Sonny and I went to was a ploy to get us away from the estate”, Jason said. “Some people wanted you and the kids dead”.
“What”, Elizabeth said? “Who”?
“Before I tell you that; there are some other things that I need to tell you”, Jason said. “We have a son”.
“I know”, Elizabeth said. “Where is Ryder”?
“Not Ryder”, Jason said. “Do you remember the explosion”?
As Elizabeth thought for a moment it all came back to her; the men breaking into the house and attacking her and the children. Then she remember the entire estate exploding in flames. “Jason where are the kids”?
“Do you want to hold our son”, Jason asked walking over to the bassinet that was in the room?
“How is this possible”, Elizabeth said taking Cameron from his father?
“When the explosion happened; you were two months pregnant”, Jason said.
………
“Oh he is beautiful”, Elizabeth said looking her son over.
“Are you ready for me to tell you more”, Jason asked?
Elizabeth nodded.
“Okay”, Jason said. “Elizabeth; Cassidy, Caitlyn and Ryder were killed”.
“How”? “Was it the explosion”, Elizabeth asked?
Jason looked at her for a moment wishing that he didn’t have to tell her what had happened… “No”, Jason said.
Through tears Elizabeth asked: “then how”?
“They were shot and killed”. “They were left to burn in the rubble”, Jason explained.
“Who did it”, Elizabeth asked? “Where are Lulu, Taylee and Aliya”?
“Lulu, Taylee and Aliya are at mom and dad’s”, Jason said. “It was Sarah, Deke and Anthony”.
“Why”, Elizabeth asked?
“From what Gibbs and his team found out; it was varying reasons”, Jason said.
“Tell me”, Elizabeth said handing a sleeping Cameron back to his father.
“For Sarah; it was that she wanted you and the kids dead, because she still thought that she could get the money, Jason said. Deke wanted to get revenge against Sonny, Mike and Adela. Anthony just wanted to rid the world of you. He believes that you should not be alive”.
“Are they paying for what they did”, Elizabeth asked?
“Yes”, Jason said.
“What happened to them”, Elizabeth asked knowing that something had happened?
“Your dad and I think that your uncle took care of them”. “We received a note stating that they were being watched”.
“Wow”, Elizabeth said. “What else happened while I was out”?
Jason proceeded to tell her about things that had happened while she was in the coma….
Begin flashback:
“Welcome, family, friends and loved ones. We are gathered here today, surrounded by the beauty of creation and nurtured by the sights and sounds of nature to celebrate the wedding of Jack Killian and Stella Cahill.
You have come here from near and from far away to share in this commitment now they make to one another, to offer your love and support to their union, and to allow Jack and Stella to start their married life together surrounded by the people dearest and most important to them.
Jack and Stella thank you for your presence here today. They ask for your blessing, encouragement and lifelong support, for their marriage and life shared together. They also remember other loved ones who cannot be here to share this moment.
Jack and Stella, marriage is the promise between two people who love each other, who trust that love, who honor one another as individuals in that togetherness, and who wish to spend the rest of their lives together. It enables the two separate souls to share their desires, longings, dreams, and memories, their joys and sorrows, and to help each other through all uncertainties of life.
A strong marriage also nurtures each of you as separate individuals and allows you to maintain your unique identity and grow in your own way through the years ahead. It is a safe haven for each of you to become your best self.
You are adding to your life not only the affection of each other, but also the companionship and blessing of a deep trust. You are agreeing to share strength, responsibilities and love. It takes more than love to make this relationship work.
It takes trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. It takes dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And it takes faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both.
…….
Jack and Stella, please join hands, look at one another now and remember this moment intime.
Officiant:Jack, do you take Stella to be your wife? I do, Jack said.
Officiant:Stella, do you take Jack to be your husband? I do,Stella said.
Officiant:Jack, please take Stella’s hand and repeat after me.
Stella, I take you as you are/ loving who you are / I promise from this day forward/ To be grateful for our love and our life/ To be generous with my time, my energy and my affection/ To be patient with you and with myself/ To fill our life with adventure and our home with laughter/ To inspire you to grow as an individual / To love you completely/ These things I pledge to you
Officiant:Stella, please take Jack’s hand and repeat after me.
Jack, I take you as you are,/ loving who you are/ I promise from this day forward/ To be grateful for our love and our life/ To be generous with my time, my energy and my affection/ To be patient with you and with myself/ To fill our life with adventure and our home with laughter/ To encourage you to grow as an individual / To love you completely/ These things I pledge to you
Officiant: Please present the rings
Your wedding ring is a symbol of your promise to one another. The ring, an unbroken, never ending circle, is a symbol of committed, unending love.
Jack, as you place this ring on Stella‘s finger, repeat these words after me:
This ring symbolizes my love for you/ and the commitments we made today
Stella, as you place this ring on Jack‘s finger, repeat these words after me:
This ring symbolizes my love for you/ and the commitments we made today
……..
Jack and Stella, you have come here today of your own free will and in the presence of family and friends, have declared your love and commitment to each other. You have given and received a ring as a symbol of your promises. By the power of your love and commitment to each other, and by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.
You may now share your first kiss as husband and wife.
Congratulations. Friends and family, I now present to you the newly married couple. Let’s hear it for ‘em”!
End flashback:
……..
Begin flashback:
“Welcome!
Mike and Mary have brought us together here for an occasion of great joy and a cause for great celebration. Having found each other, they have built the kind of relationship that will serve them well as the foundation for their marriage. They have chosen each one of you to be here with them to witness their wedding vows as they join together as husband and wife.
Marriage is a bold step into an unknown future. It is risking who we are for the sake of who we can be. In marriage, two lives are intimately shared; and the blending of the two must not diminish either one. Rather, it should enhance the individuality of each partner.
Each of us knows that a marriage is not created by a law or a ceremony; rather it occurs in the hearts of two human beings. It grows out of loving, caring, and sharing ourselves with another. This ceremony is not magic, it will not create a relationship that does not already exist and has not already been celebrated in all the commitments Mike and Mary have made to each other, both large and small, in the days since they first met and recognized their connection to one another.
So, in witnessing this ceremony today, we are observing only an outward sign of an inward union that already exists between Mike and Mary. This ceremony is a symbol of how far they have come together and a symbol of the promise that they will make to each other to continue to live their lives together and to love each other solely and above all others.
There are only two official witnesses at a wedding but each and every person here today will witness the words that they will speak to one another and the vows that they will make. You should take good care to remember these words; for a marriage needs the help of a community, of friends and family who will be there when needed and will do all that they can during hard times to stand by Mike and Mary and offer their support to them and the new family that they create today. May you always do all within your power to support the union that will be made here today and to nurture the bond between these two people whom you love.
If the old fairy-tale ending “and they lived happily ever after….” is taken to mean “They felt for the next fifty years exactly as they felt the day before they were married,” then it says what probably never was nor ever would be true, and would be highly undesirable if it were. Who could bear to live in that excitement for even five years? What would become of your work, your appetite, your sleep, and your friendships? But, of course, ceasing to be “in love” need not mean ceasing to love.
Love in this second sense-love as distinct from “being in love” and it is not merely a feeling. Love is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by the grace which both partners receive from God. They can have this love for each other even at those moments when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself. They can retain this love even when each could easily allow themselves to be “in love” with someone else. “Being in love” first moved them to promise fidelity but this quieter love enables them to keep the promise. It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it.
A successful marriage is not something that just happens. It takes work, it takes patience, and it takes time. It takes a commitment from both of you… a commitment to do whatever it takes to make your relationship thrive and not just simply survive.
Mike, will you take Mary to be your lawfully wedded wife and travel the rest of life’s road with her? Will you love her, laugh with her, comfort her, honor and protect her, and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?
I do, Mike said.
Mary, will you take Mike to be your lawfully wedded Husband and travel the rest of life’s road with him? Will you love him, laugh with him, comfort him, honor and protect him, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?
I do, Mary said.
Mike and Mary, the symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things we’ve promised and hoped and dreamed- well, I meant it all, every word.” Before this moment you have been many things to one another- acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few words and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this – is my husband, this – is my wife.
I,Mike, choose you, Mary
In the presence of our friends and families,
To be my wife and partner
From this day forward;
To love you,
To be a comfort and safe haven in your life,
To hold you close,
To listen deeply when you speak,
To uphold you with my strength,
To weigh the effects of the words I speak
And the things I do,
To never take you for granted,
And to always give thanks
For your presence in my life.
I,Mary, choose you, Mary
In the presence of our friends and families,
To be my husband and partner
From this day forward;
To love you,
To be a comfort and safe haven in your life,
To hold you close,
To listen deeply when you speak,
To uphold you with my strength,
To weigh the effects of the words I speak
And the things I do,
To never take you for granted,
And to always give thanks
For your presence in my life.
This is the point in the ceremony when people talk about the wedding bands being a perfect circle, having no beginning and no end. But we all know that these rings have a beginning. Rock is dug up from the earth. Metals are liquefied in a furnace at a thousand degrees. The hot metal is forged, cooled, and then painstakingly polished. Something beautiful made from raw elements.
Love is like that. It comes from humble beginnings, made by imperfect beings. It is the process of making something beautiful where there was once nothing at all.
The promises which you have spoken to each other today are inscribed forever in your minds, in your hearts. But words are fleeting so let these rings serve as a reminder of the feelings you have in your hearts at this very moment.
Now, Repeat after me:
Mary, with this ring I am giving you my promise/to always love you/ cherish you/honor you and comfort you. I promise that I will love you/and keep my heart open to you/all the days of my life, Mike said.
Mike, with this ring I am giving you my promise/to always love you/ cherish you/honor you and comfort you. I promise that I will love you/and keep my heart open to you/all the days of my life, Mary said.
Mike and Mary, no one but you can declare yourselves married. You have begun it here today in speaking your vows before your family and friends and you will do it again in the days and years to come, standing by each other, sharing all that is sweet and bitter in life. Each tender act, each loving word will be the declaration of what was made here today.
Therefore, it is my joyful responsibility to officially acknowledge your union as “Husband and Wife”. You may now seal your marriage with a kiss.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my privilege to present to you for the very first time as husband and wife,Mike and Mary Corbin”.
End flashback:
………
Begin flashback:
“Welcome!
Mason and Abigail have brought us together here for an occasion of great joy and a cause for great celebration. Having found each other, they have built the kind of relationship that will serve them well as the foundation for their marriage. They have chosen each one of you to be here with them to witness their wedding vows as they join together as husband and wife.
Marriage is a bold step into an unknown future. It is risking who we are for the sake of who we can be. In marriage, two lives are intimately shared; and the blending of the two must not diminish either one. Rather, it should enhance the individuality of each partner.
Each of us knows that a marriage is not created by a law or a ceremony; rather it occurs in the hearts of two human beings. It grows out of loving, caring, and sharing ourselves with another. This ceremony is not magic, it will not create a relationship that does not already exist and has not already been celebrated in all the commitments Mason and Abigail have made to each other, both large and small, in the days since they first met and recognized their connection to one another.
So, in witnessing this ceremony today, we are observing only an outward sign of an inward union that already exists between Mason and Abigail. This ceremony is a symbol of how far they have come together and a symbol of the promise that they will make to each other to continue to live their lives together and to love each other solely and above all others.
There are only two official witnesses at a wedding but each and every person here today will witness the words that they will speak to one another and the vows that they will make. You should take good care to remember these words; for a marriage needs the help of a community, of friends and family who will be there when needed and will do all that they can during hard times to stand by Mason and Abigail and offer their support to them and the new family that they create today. May you always do all within your power to support the union that will be made here today and to nurture the bond between these two people whom you love.
If the old fairy-tale ending “and they lived happily ever after….” is taken to mean “They felt for the next fifty years exactly as they felt the day before they were married,” then it says what probably never was nor ever would be true, and would be highly undesirable if it were. Who could bear to live in that excitement for even five years? What would become of your work, your appetite, your sleep, and your friendships? But, of course, ceasing to be “in love” need not mean ceasing to love.
Love in this second sense-love as distinct from “being in love” and it is not merely a feeling. Love is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by the grace which both partners receive from God. They can have this love for each other even at those moments when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself. They can retain this love even when each could easily allow themselves to be “in love” with someone else. “Being in love” first moved them to promise fidelity but this quieter love enables them to keep the promise. It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it.
A successful marriage is not something that just happens. It takes work, it takes patience, and it takes time. It takes a commitment from both of you… a commitment to do whatever it takes to make your relationship thrive and not just simply survive.
Mason, will you take Abigail to be your lawfully wedded wife and travel the rest of life’s road with her? Will you love her, laugh with her, comfort her, honor and protect her, and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?
I do, Mason said.
Abigail, will you take Mason to be your lawfully wedded Husband and travel the rest of life’s road with him? Will you love him, laugh with him, comfort him, honor and protect him, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?
I do, Abigail said.
Mason and Abigail, the symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things we’ve promised and hoped and dreamed- well, I meant it all, every word.” Before this moment you have been many things to one another- acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few words and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this – is my husband, this – is my wife.
I,Mason, choose you, Abigail
In the presence of our friends and families,
To be my wife and partner
From this day forward;
To love you,
To be a comfort and safe haven in your life,
To hold you close,
To listen deeply when you speak,
To uphold you with my strength,
To weigh the effects of the words I speak
And the things I do,
To never take you for granted,
And to always give thanks
For your presence in my life.
I,Abigail, choose you, Mason
In the presence of our friends and families,
To be my husband and partner
From this day forward;
To love you,
To be a comfort and safe haven in your life,
To hold you close,
To listen deeply when you speak,
To uphold you with my strength,
To weigh the effects of the words I speak
And the things I do,
To never take you for granted,
And to always give thanks
For your presence in my life.
This is the point in the ceremony when people talk about the wedding bands being a perfect circle, having no beginning and no end. But we all know that these rings have a beginning. Rock is dug up from the earth. Metals are liquefied in a furnace at a thousand degrees. The hot metal is forged, cooled, and then painstakingly polished. Something beautiful made from raw elements.
Love is like that. It comes from humble beginnings, made by imperfect beings. It is the process of making something beautiful where there was once nothing at all.
The promises which you have spoken to each other today are inscribed forever in your minds, in your hearts. But words are fleeting so let these rings serve as a reminder of the feelings you have in your hearts at this very moment.
Now, Repeat after me:
Mason, with this ring I am giving you my promise/to always love you/ cherish you/honor you and comfort you. I promise that I will love you/and keep my heart open to you/all the days of my life, Abigail said.
Abigail, with this ring I am giving you my promise/to always love you/ cherish you/honor you and comfort you. I promise that I will love you/and keep my heart open to you/all the days of my life, Mason said.
Mason and Abigail, no one but you can declare yourselves married. You have begun it here today in speaking your vows before your family and friends and you will do it again in the days and years to come, standing by each other, sharing all that is sweet and bitter in life. Each tender act, each loving word will be the declaration of what was made here today.
Therefore, it is my joyful responsibility to officially acknowledge your union as “Husband and Wife”. You may now seal your marriage with a kiss.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my privilege to present to you for the very first time as husband and wife,Mason and Abigail Gallagher”.
End flashback:
Elizabeth’s hospital room:
A few days later-
“Hi”, Brennan said.
“Hi”, Jason said.
“Don’t give up Jason”, Brennan said.
“I’m not; but I’ still scared that she’s not coming back”, Jason said.
Brennan didn’t quite know what to say to that statement.
“How are things with you”, Jason asked?
Brennan give him the eyeball. Then she smirked. “You think that you are so funny”.
Jason just smirked at her.
“Remember how we became friends”, Brennan asked?
“Yeah”, Jason said going back…..
______________________
Begin flashback:
“Hi, Brennan said arriving at the estate.
Elizabeth isn’t here at the moment, Jason told her.
I know; I came to talk to you, Brennan said.
About what, Jason asked?
Elizabeth is my best friend, Brennan said. I want to make sure that you and I can get along. I don’t want Elizabeth to have to chose between us.
I don’t either, Jason said. And so he nad Brennan had sat down and just started to get to know each other…..
………
Hey, Elizabeth said when she returned home.
Hey, both Jason and Brennan said.
Are you here to see me, Elizabeth asked?
No, Brennan said. I came to talk to Jason.
Is something wrong, Elizabeth asked?
No; I just wanted to get to know the man who holds my best friend’s heart, Brennan said with a smile.
Oh, Elizabeth said. So do I need to be worried?
Only if Jason and. I get into trouble, Brennan said with a smirk while looking at Jason. He and I have some things in common.
Do you now, Elizabeth said eyeing her husband?
Yes”, Jason said smiling.
End flashback:
___________________
“I’m good”. “I have a great guy in my life”, Brennan said. “My dad and Stella are happy”.
“How are things with you and Agent Flannigan”, Jason said?
“Things are good”. “We are serious; but taking things slow”, Brennan said.
“Is he going to stick around once everything is over”, Jason asked?
“Yes; he has decided to take the job that Commissioner Scorpio offered him”, Brennan said.
“I’m happy for you”. “I would hate to have to hurt him for breaking your heart”, Jason said.
“Don’t worry Jason; my heart is safe with Lance”, Brennan said.
“Good”, Jason said.
“Do we need to go and get into some trouble”, Brennan asked grinning?
“Maybe, once Elizabeth and the baby are home and awake”, Jason said.
“I will look forward to it”, Brennan said.
_____________________
Later that night:
“Hi”, Emily said as she and John walked in.
“Hi”, Jason said giving his sister a hug. “John”, Jason said shaking his brother in law’s hand.
“Go eat”, Emily said. “We are staying”.
Jason nodded and went to eat with the girls and his parents.
………
“Hi Elizabeth, Emily said. I have someone that is really looking forward to meeting you when you wake up. I have somethings that you need to know. I have been told that you can hear us so I am going to go with that. I got married. I wanted to wait until you were awake and could be in the wedding but Jason said that you would have wanted up to do it when we were ready. His name is John. He is one of the agents that your Agent Gibbs brought in to bring down Diana and the others. I really want you to be happy for me. I know that you want me to be happy; and I am. I want to tell you about our wedding”.
Begin flashback:
“We are gathered together on this day to witness and celebrate the marriage of John & Emily . We come together not to mark the start of a relationship, but to acknowledge and strengthen a bond that already exists. This ceremony is a public affirmation of that bond and as their dearest family and friends, it is our honor and privilege to stand witness to this event.
This day is made possible not only because of your love for each other, but through the grace and support of your family and friends. It is our hope that your fulfillment and joy in each other will increase with each passing year.
Marriage is a commitment in life, where two people can find and bring out the very best in each other. It offers opportunities for sharing and growth that no other human relationship can equal, a physical and emotional joining that has the promise of a lifetime.
Let us bow our heads in prayer. Lord, we thank you for gathering everyone here today. We ask that you help John and Emily to remember the strong love that they share. To work that love into practical things so that nothing can divide them. May their love always inspire them to be kind in their words, considerate of the other’s feelings, and concerned for the other’s needs and wishes. Increase their faith and trust in You. Bless their marriage with peace and happiness and make their Love fruitful for Your glory and their joy, both here and in eternity. Amen.
While the commitment begins with the two of you, its effect radiates outward. It touches your family and friends and ultimately all of society. When this commitment is seriously made and continuously fulfilled, it leads to the richest and most rewarding of human relationships.
Your relationship will take more than love. It will take trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. Dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both.
While love is our natural state of being, these other qualities are not as easy to come by. They are not a destination, but a journey. Marriage is a give and take between two personalities, a mingling of two endowments which diminishes neither, but enhances both.
Seeing that no moment is without meaning, we ask that you take this marriage as a beginning of your lives together. Today signifies the creation of a new home and a new family for you both. May you be fulfilled by each other’s love and friendship. May you be overjoyed by the promises you are about to make and the life together you will create.
Remember that in every marriage, there are good times and bad, times of joy and times of sorrow. Marriage is a journey – a time of adventure and excitement enhanced by the love, trust, dedication and faith you share in one another.
May the promises you make to one another today, be lived out to the end of your lives. Tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys, but today is the day it all begins.
John and Emily, do you, with your family and friends as your witnesses, present yourselves willingly and of your own accord to be joined in marriage?
We do, John and Emily said.
Will you promise to care for each other in the joys and sorrows of life, come what may, and to share the responsibility for growth and enrichment of your life together?
We will, the couple replied.
John, please repeat after me.
I,John, take you Emily, to be my wedded wife
I give to you in the presence of these witnesses
My promise to stay by your side,
In sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow,
As well as through the good times and the bad.
I promise to love you without reservation,
Comfort you in times of distress
Encourage you to achieve all of your goals,
Laugh with you and cry with you,
Grow with you in mind and spirit
Always be open and honest with you,
And cherish you for as long as we both shall live.
Emily, please repeat after me
I,Emily, take you John, to be my wedded husband
I give to you in the presence of these witnesses
My promise to stay by your side,
In sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow,
As well as through the good times and the bad.
I promise to love you without reservation,
Comfort you in times of distress
Encourage you to achieve all of your goals,
Laugh with you and cry with you,
Grow with you in mind and spirit
Always be open and honest with you,
And cherish you for as long as we both shall live.
Having this love in your hearts, you have chosen to seal your vows by exchanging rings.
From the earliest times, the circle has been a sign of completeness. The rings that you have chosen to wear have neither beginning nor end, much like your love for one another. They are a symbol of the words that you speak today. May these rings be from this day forward, your most treasured adornment, and may the love they symbolize, be your most precious possession. As you wear these rings, may they be constant reminders of these glad promises you are making today.
John, take this ring, place it on Emily’s finger and repeat after me.
I give you this ring as a symbol
of my love and faithfulness to you.
Emily, take this ring, place it on John’s finger and repeat after me.
I give you this ring as a symbol
of my love and faithfulness to you.
John and Emily from this moment forward you will never be alone. You will carry with you the love of another person, giving you a completeness and renewed lightness. May your life together be immersed in love and excitement. May you strive to enrich each other in every possible way. And may you work to bring the peace you find to this world.
Having pledged their fidelity to one another, to love, honor and cherish one another in the presence of this gathering and by the authority vested in me by the constitution and the laws of this state, it is my honor to now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my honor to be the first to introduce you to: Mr. and Mrs. John Shepherd”.
End flashback:
“I really wish that you had been able to be there to be my maid of honor”, Emily said. “Please wake up soon”.
………..
“Hey”, Jason said when he walked in later the day. “How has she been”?
“She has been the same”, Emily said. “Did you eat something”?
“Yeah”, Jason said. “And I spent some time with the girls”.
“Good”, Emily said before she and John left Jason to Elizabeth.
________________________
1 month later:
“It’s time”, Dr. Lee said. “You will get to see your baby later today”.
“Are you sure”, Jason said.
“We don’t need to wait any longer”. “Your baby is full term”, Kelly said.
“What about Elizabeth”, Jason asked?
“Once we have baby; we will close up and Elizabeth will be returned to her room”. “Baby will be taken to the nursery and checked out”, Kelly said.
“Can baby stay in here with Elizabeth and I”, Jason asked?
“Yes; your parents have already made the arrangements”, Kelly said.
“Okay”, Jason said as dread overtook him. “What if Elizabeth didn’t survive delivery?
……..
“Jason”, Kelly said when she’s came out?
“What”, Jason said?
“You have a healthy baby boy”, Kelly said. “He is on his way down now”.
“What about Elizabeth”, Jason asked?
“She is on her way as well”, Kelly said.
“Thank you”, Jason said as Elizabeth and their son were wheeled into the room.
“You’re welcome”, Kelly said.
__________________
Jason had named their little boy Cameron Steven Morgan. He thought that Elizabeth would like that their son would have her grandfather’s name.
“I love you little Cameron”, Jason said. “And so does your mommy”. “We both love you very much”.
______________________
1 month later:
2 am-
Jason was in Elizabeth’s room; just like he was every night. He was asleep with his head on the edge of the bed and holding her hand.
Elizabeth opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling. She couldn’t figure out where she was at first. She knew that she wasn’t at home. Them she looked at the iv in her arm and knew that she was at GH. “Jason”, she whispered?
Jason didn’t move.
“Jason”, Elizabeth said a little louder while moving the hand that he was holding?
Jason opened his eyes and look at Elizabeth. He thought that he was dreaming at first. “Am I dreaming”?
“Jason”, Elizabeth said again? “What happened”? “Where are the girls”?
Once Jason realized that he wasn’t dreaming and that his beautiful wife was awake he said: “Thank god”. “Let me get Patrick”.
“Epiphany”, Jason said from the doorway?
“What”, Piph asked coming down the hall?
“Elizabeth is awake”, Jason said.
“I will page Dr. Drake”, Piph said.
…….
“Hello Mrs. Morgan”, Patrick said. “You’ve been asleep for a long time”. “Can you tell me your name”?
“I’m Elizabeth Morgan”, Elizabeth said.
“Do you know what day it is”, Patrick said?
“No”, Elizabeth said.
“What is the last thing that you remember”, Patrick asked?
“I remember being attacked at home”, Elizabeth said. “What happened”? “Where are the kids”?
“We will answer your questions as soon as I get the results from the tests I want to run now that are you are awake”, Patrick said. “Is that alright”?
Elizabeth nodded. “I will be patient; but after that I would like some answers”.
“Good enough”, Patrick said.
____________________
Later that day:
“Is she okay”, Jason asked as Patrick came in with the results of all the tests?
“Yes”, Patrick said. “Everything is as is should be”. “Elizabeth; I am going to keep you one more day and then I will let you go home”. “I am going to let your husband tell you what has been going on while your were in the coma”.
“Thank you Patrick”, Elizabeth said.
“You’re welcome”, Patrick said before going to see his other patients.
…….
“How long have I been in the hospital”, Elizabeth asked?
“7 months”, Jason said with tears in his eyes. “I was really scared that you weren’t going to come back to us”.
“Oh Jason”, Elizabeth said holding his hand. “Tell me”.
“Well; the meeting that Sonny and I went to was a ploy to get us away from the estate”, Jason said. “Some people wanted you and the kids dead”.
“What”, Elizabeth said? “Who”?
“Before I tell you that; there are some other things that I need to tell you”, Jason said. “We have a son”.
“I know”, Elizabeth said. “Where is Ryder”?
“Not Ryder”, Jason said. “Do you remember the explosion”?
As Elizabeth thought for a moment it all came back to her; the men breaking into the house and attacking her and the children. Then she remember the entire estate exploding in flames. “Jason where are the kids”?
“Do you want to hold our son”, Jason asked walking over to the bassinet that was in the room?
“How is this possible”, Elizabeth said taking Cameron from his father?
“When the explosion happened; you were two months pregnant”, Jason said.
………
“Oh he is beautiful”, Elizabeth said looking her son over.
“Are you ready for me to tell you more”, Jason asked?
Elizabeth nodded.
“Okay”, Jason said. “Elizabeth; Cassidy, Caitlyn and Ryder were killed”.
“How”? “Was it the explosion”, Elizabeth asked?
Jason looked at her for a moment wishing that he didn’t have to tell her what had happened… “No”, Jason said.
Through tears Elizabeth asked: “then how”?
“They were shot and killed”. “They were left to burn in the rubble”, Jason explained.
“Who did it”, Elizabeth asked? “Where are Lulu, Taylee and Aliya”?
“Lulu, Taylee and Aliya are at mom and dad’s”, Jason said. “It was Sarah, Deke and Anthony”.
“Why”, Elizabeth asked?
“From what Gibbs and his team found out; it was varying reasons”, Jason said.
“Tell me”, Elizabeth said handing a sleeping Cameron back to his father.
“For Sarah; it was that she wanted you and the kids dead, because she still thought that she could get the money, Jason said. Deke wanted to get revenge against Sonny, Mike and Adela. Anthony just wanted to rid the world of you. He believes that you should not be alive”.
“Are they paying for what they did”, Elizabeth asked?
“Yes”, Jason said.
“What happened to them”, Elizabeth asked knowing that something had happened?
“Your dad and I think that your uncle took care of them”. “We received a note stating that they were being watched”.
“Wow”, Elizabeth said. “What else happened while I was out”?
Jason proceeded to tell her about things that had happened while she was in the coma….
Begin flashback:
“Welcome, family, friends and loved ones. We are gathered here today, surrounded by the beauty of creation and nurtured by the sights and sounds of nature to celebrate the wedding of Jack Killian and Stella Cahill.
You have come here from near and from far away to share in this commitment now they make to one another, to offer your love and support to their union, and to allow Jack and Stella to start their married life together surrounded by the people dearest and most important to them.
Jack and Stella thank you for your presence here today. They ask for your blessing, encouragement and lifelong support, for their marriage and life shared together. They also remember other loved ones who cannot be here to share this moment.
Jack and Stella, marriage is the promise between two people who love each other, who trust that love, who honor one another as individuals in that togetherness, and who wish to spend the rest of their lives together. It enables the two separate souls to share their desires, longings, dreams, and memories, their joys and sorrows, and to help each other through all uncertainties of life.
A strong marriage also nurtures each of you as separate individuals and allows you to maintain your unique identity and grow in your own way through the years ahead. It is a safe haven for each of you to become your best self.
You are adding to your life not only the affection of each other, but also the companionship and blessing of a deep trust. You are agreeing to share strength, responsibilities and love. It takes more than love to make this relationship work.
It takes trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. It takes dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And it takes faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both.
…….
Jack and Stella, please join hands, look at one another now and remember this moment intime.
Officiant:Jack, do you take Stella to be your wife? I do, Jack said.
Officiant:Stella, do you take Jack to be your husband? I do,Stella said.
Officiant:Jack, please take Stella’s hand and repeat after me.
Stella, I take you as you are/ loving who you are / I promise from this day forward/ To be grateful for our love and our life/ To be generous with my time, my energy and my affection/ To be patient with you and with myself/ To fill our life with adventure and our home with laughter/ To inspire you to grow as an individual / To love you completely/ These things I pledge to you
Officiant:Stella, please take Jack’s hand and repeat after me.
Jack, I take you as you are,/ loving who you are/ I promise from this day forward/ To be grateful for our love and our life/ To be generous with my time, my energy and my affection/ To be patient with you and with myself/ To fill our life with adventure and our home with laughter/ To encourage you to grow as an individual / To love you completely/ These things I pledge to you
Officiant: Please present the rings
Your wedding ring is a symbol of your promise to one another. The ring, an unbroken, never ending circle, is a symbol of committed, unending love.
Jack, as you place this ring on Stella‘s finger, repeat these words after me:
This ring symbolizes my love for you/ and the commitments we made today
Stella, as you place this ring on Jack‘s finger, repeat these words after me:
This ring symbolizes my love for you/ and the commitments we made today
……..
Jack and Stella, you have come here today of your own free will and in the presence of family and friends, have declared your love and commitment to each other. You have given and received a ring as a symbol of your promises. By the power of your love and commitment to each other, and by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.
You may now share your first kiss as husband and wife.
Congratulations. Friends and family, I now present to you the newly married couple. Let’s hear it for ‘em”!
End flashback:
……..
Begin flashback:
“Welcome!
Mike and Mary have brought us together here for an occasion of great joy and a cause for great celebration. Having found each other, they have built the kind of relationship that will serve them well as the foundation for their marriage. They have chosen each one of you to be here with them to witness their wedding vows as they join together as husband and wife.
Marriage is a bold step into an unknown future. It is risking who we are for the sake of who we can be. In marriage, two lives are intimately shared; and the blending of the two must not diminish either one. Rather, it should enhance the individuality of each partner.
Each of us knows that a marriage is not created by a law or a ceremony; rather it occurs in the hearts of two human beings. It grows out of loving, caring, and sharing ourselves with another. This ceremony is not magic, it will not create a relationship that does not already exist and has not already been celebrated in all the commitments Mike and Mary have made to each other, both large and small, in the days since they first met and recognized their connection to one another.
So, in witnessing this ceremony today, we are observing only an outward sign of an inward union that already exists between Mike and Mary. This ceremony is a symbol of how far they have come together and a symbol of the promise that they will make to each other to continue to live their lives together and to love each other solely and above all others.
There are only two official witnesses at a wedding but each and every person here today will witness the words that they will speak to one another and the vows that they will make. You should take good care to remember these words; for a marriage needs the help of a community, of friends and family who will be there when needed and will do all that they can during hard times to stand by Mike and Mary and offer their support to them and the new family that they create today. May you always do all within your power to support the union that will be made here today and to nurture the bond between these two people whom you love.
If the old fairy-tale ending “and they lived happily ever after….” is taken to mean “They felt for the next fifty years exactly as they felt the day before they were married,” then it says what probably never was nor ever would be true, and would be highly undesirable if it were. Who could bear to live in that excitement for even five years? What would become of your work, your appetite, your sleep, and your friendships? But, of course, ceasing to be “in love” need not mean ceasing to love.
Love in this second sense-love as distinct from “being in love” and it is not merely a feeling. Love is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by the grace which both partners receive from God. They can have this love for each other even at those moments when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself. They can retain this love even when each could easily allow themselves to be “in love” with someone else. “Being in love” first moved them to promise fidelity but this quieter love enables them to keep the promise. It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it.
A successful marriage is not something that just happens. It takes work, it takes patience, and it takes time. It takes a commitment from both of you… a commitment to do whatever it takes to make your relationship thrive and not just simply survive.
Mike, will you take Mary to be your lawfully wedded wife and travel the rest of life’s road with her? Will you love her, laugh with her, comfort her, honor and protect her, and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?
I do, Mike said.
Mary, will you take Mike to be your lawfully wedded Husband and travel the rest of life’s road with him? Will you love him, laugh with him, comfort him, honor and protect him, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?
I do, Mary said.
Mike and Mary, the symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things we’ve promised and hoped and dreamed- well, I meant it all, every word.” Before this moment you have been many things to one another- acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few words and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this – is my husband, this – is my wife.
I,Mike, choose you, Mary
In the presence of our friends and families,
To be my wife and partner
From this day forward;
To love you,
To be a comfort and safe haven in your life,
To hold you close,
To listen deeply when you speak,
To uphold you with my strength,
To weigh the effects of the words I speak
And the things I do,
To never take you for granted,
And to always give thanks
For your presence in my life.
I,Mary, choose you, Mary
In the presence of our friends and families,
To be my husband and partner
From this day forward;
To love you,
To be a comfort and safe haven in your life,
To hold you close,
To listen deeply when you speak,
To uphold you with my strength,
To weigh the effects of the words I speak
And the things I do,
To never take you for granted,
And to always give thanks
For your presence in my life.
This is the point in the ceremony when people talk about the wedding bands being a perfect circle, having no beginning and no end. But we all know that these rings have a beginning. Rock is dug up from the earth. Metals are liquefied in a furnace at a thousand degrees. The hot metal is forged, cooled, and then painstakingly polished. Something beautiful made from raw elements.
Love is like that. It comes from humble beginnings, made by imperfect beings. It is the process of making something beautiful where there was once nothing at all.
The promises which you have spoken to each other today are inscribed forever in your minds, in your hearts. But words are fleeting so let these rings serve as a reminder of the feelings you have in your hearts at this very moment.
Now, Repeat after me:
Mary, with this ring I am giving you my promise/to always love you/ cherish you/honor you and comfort you. I promise that I will love you/and keep my heart open to you/all the days of my life, Mike said.
Mike, with this ring I am giving you my promise/to always love you/ cherish you/honor you and comfort you. I promise that I will love you/and keep my heart open to you/all the days of my life, Mary said.
Mike and Mary, no one but you can declare yourselves married. You have begun it here today in speaking your vows before your family and friends and you will do it again in the days and years to come, standing by each other, sharing all that is sweet and bitter in life. Each tender act, each loving word will be the declaration of what was made here today.
Therefore, it is my joyful responsibility to officially acknowledge your union as “Husband and Wife”. You may now seal your marriage with a kiss.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my privilege to present to you for the very first time as husband and wife,Mike and Mary Corbin”.
End flashback:
………
Begin flashback:
“Welcome!
Mason and Abigail have brought us together here for an occasion of great joy and a cause for great celebration. Having found each other, they have built the kind of relationship that will serve them well as the foundation for their marriage. They have chosen each one of you to be here with them to witness their wedding vows as they join together as husband and wife.
Marriage is a bold step into an unknown future. It is risking who we are for the sake of who we can be. In marriage, two lives are intimately shared; and the blending of the two must not diminish either one. Rather, it should enhance the individuality of each partner.
Each of us knows that a marriage is not created by a law or a ceremony; rather it occurs in the hearts of two human beings. It grows out of loving, caring, and sharing ourselves with another. This ceremony is not magic, it will not create a relationship that does not already exist and has not already been celebrated in all the commitments Mason and Abigail have made to each other, both large and small, in the days since they first met and recognized their connection to one another.
So, in witnessing this ceremony today, we are observing only an outward sign of an inward union that already exists between Mason and Abigail. This ceremony is a symbol of how far they have come together and a symbol of the promise that they will make to each other to continue to live their lives together and to love each other solely and above all others.
There are only two official witnesses at a wedding but each and every person here today will witness the words that they will speak to one another and the vows that they will make. You should take good care to remember these words; for a marriage needs the help of a community, of friends and family who will be there when needed and will do all that they can during hard times to stand by Mason and Abigail and offer their support to them and the new family that they create today. May you always do all within your power to support the union that will be made here today and to nurture the bond between these two people whom you love.
If the old fairy-tale ending “and they lived happily ever after….” is taken to mean “They felt for the next fifty years exactly as they felt the day before they were married,” then it says what probably never was nor ever would be true, and would be highly undesirable if it were. Who could bear to live in that excitement for even five years? What would become of your work, your appetite, your sleep, and your friendships? But, of course, ceasing to be “in love” need not mean ceasing to love.
Love in this second sense-love as distinct from “being in love” and it is not merely a feeling. Love is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by the grace which both partners receive from God. They can have this love for each other even at those moments when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself. They can retain this love even when each could easily allow themselves to be “in love” with someone else. “Being in love” first moved them to promise fidelity but this quieter love enables them to keep the promise. It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it.
A successful marriage is not something that just happens. It takes work, it takes patience, and it takes time. It takes a commitment from both of you… a commitment to do whatever it takes to make your relationship thrive and not just simply survive.
Mason, will you take Abigail to be your lawfully wedded wife and travel the rest of life’s road with her? Will you love her, laugh with her, comfort her, honor and protect her, and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?
I do, Mason said.
Abigail, will you take Mason to be your lawfully wedded Husband and travel the rest of life’s road with him? Will you love him, laugh with him, comfort him, honor and protect him, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?
I do, Abigail said.
Mason and Abigail, the symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things we’ve promised and hoped and dreamed- well, I meant it all, every word.” Before this moment you have been many things to one another- acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few words and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this – is my husband, this – is my wife.
I,Mason, choose you, Abigail
In the presence of our friends and families,
To be my wife and partner
From this day forward;
To love you,
To be a comfort and safe haven in your life,
To hold you close,
To listen deeply when you speak,
To uphold you with my strength,
To weigh the effects of the words I speak
And the things I do,
To never take you for granted,
And to always give thanks
For your presence in my life.
I,Abigail, choose you, Mason
In the presence of our friends and families,
To be my husband and partner
From this day forward;
To love you,
To be a comfort and safe haven in your life,
To hold you close,
To listen deeply when you speak,
To uphold you with my strength,
To weigh the effects of the words I speak
And the things I do,
To never take you for granted,
And to always give thanks
For your presence in my life.
This is the point in the ceremony when people talk about the wedding bands being a perfect circle, having no beginning and no end. But we all know that these rings have a beginning. Rock is dug up from the earth. Metals are liquefied in a furnace at a thousand degrees. The hot metal is forged, cooled, and then painstakingly polished. Something beautiful made from raw elements.
Love is like that. It comes from humble beginnings, made by imperfect beings. It is the process of making something beautiful where there was once nothing at all.
The promises which you have spoken to each other today are inscribed forever in your minds, in your hearts. But words are fleeting so let these rings serve as a reminder of the feelings you have in your hearts at this very moment.
Now, Repeat after me:
Mason, with this ring I am giving you my promise/to always love you/ cherish you/honor you and comfort you. I promise that I will love you/and keep my heart open to you/all the days of my life, Abigail said.
Abigail, with this ring I am giving you my promise/to always love you/ cherish you/honor you and comfort you. I promise that I will love you/and keep my heart open to you/all the days of my life, Mason said.
Mason and Abigail, no one but you can declare yourselves married. You have begun it here today in speaking your vows before your family and friends and you will do it again in the days and years to come, standing by each other, sharing all that is sweet and bitter in life. Each tender act, each loving word will be the declaration of what was made here today.
Therefore, it is my joyful responsibility to officially acknowledge your union as “Husband and Wife”. You may now seal your marriage with a kiss.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my privilege to present to you for the very first time as husband and wife,Mason and Abigail Gallagher”.
End flashback: