Marcia is seventeen, and along with Darryl, has moved south in Alaska to attend the Anchorage campus of the Alaska State University. She wants to pursue her dream, but will it pursue her instead?

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I want to thank Malady, once again, for his help checking through this story for the many errors I frequently insert, as well as listening to my sometimes completely crazy ideas about the direction of the story and telling me how crazy they are!

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Chapter 23

July 22^nd, 2023

Chatham Farmhouse

1:30 AM

Marcia couldn’t sleep. She was excited, but full of doubts too. Quietly, she got out of bed and went downstairs to Darryl’s room. Then, just as quietly, she tapped on his door.

“Yeah?” came his voice from in the room.

Softly, she opened his door. “It’s me,” she said. “I can’t sleep.”

“Me, either,” he said.

“Can we talk?” she asked.

“Sure,” he said.

She came over to his bed and sat down on the edge of it.

Her scent and closeness was enough to get his heart pounding. Less than a day, he told himself.

Mage and Chet’s room

Mage whispered to Chet, whom she knew was awake also; “Think we should say anything?”

“I don’t think so,” he whispered back. “They’ll be married in half a day. If they choose to break their promises now, I don’t think I want to be involved. Besides, whether now or later, it’s their wedding day today.”

He considered for a moment. “Besides, I think they’re just talking.”

Darryl’s room

Darryl quietly said, “You can’t sleep either, huh?”

“I’m kinda excited,” she admitted.

“That makes two of us.”

“Do you think this is right?”

“What?”

She considered for a moment. “Us getting married.”

He stared at her for another moment. “Don’t you?”

“I do, sure. I have nothing holding me back from saying ‘I do’. I just want to make sure you don’t either.”

He knew she had a lot of self-doubt and was probably projecting it. She was a girl… a woman, but so many people made it a point of arguing that, so she had problems believing it herself.

“Look, Marcia,” he said to her while sitting up and reaching out to hold her hand. “You are the only person I want to spend the rest of my life with. Nobody else. As Dad says when he wants to get his point across without swearing, the people who don’t believe we belong together can stick it where the sun don’t shine.”

“Your dad or mine?” she asked giggling.

“Both,” Darryl snickered.

“I’m sorry for always needing reassurance,” she said.

“Hey,” he told her, “Don’t worry about it.” He laughed a bit. “I’m the one who needs reassurance. I’ve got you, and I’m always having to pinch myself like it’s a dream.”

He leaned over and kissed her. She leaned against his shoulder, and soon he could tell by her breathing that she’d fallen asleep.

Chatham Farmhouse, Marcia’s Room

6:00 AM

Marcia’s phone, sitting on its charger, started to ring an alarm. It was one that she’d had on her phone for three years now. “Hey Foxy!” it said in Darryl’s voice. “It’s time to get up!” It said it three more times, then stopped. Five minutes later, it repeated the process.

There was the sound of small running feet in the hall, and Sammy burst through the door. He wasn’t used to the alarm going off more than once, and even though it was faint, he had heard the unusual sound.

He looked around, and not seeing his aunt, he ran back out of the room.

Downstairs, Darryl’s phone also sounded an alarm at 6. His was in Marcia’s voice. “Darryl! Lover! Time to get up and see me!”

Darryl was awake, though. He had dozed off and on, Marcia curled up against him. He felt somewhat guilty. He knew he could probably have taken advantage of the fact that she was there, but he hadn’t. He’d made a promise, and he was determined to keep it. Not that the temptation hadn’t been there.

Carefully, Darryl reached over his still sleeping fiancee’s form, and picked up the phone. He snoozed the alarm and set it down at his side.

This was the day! He was thrilled it had finally arrived, and was looking forward to seeing his beautiful bride coming down the aisle to him. He looked at her and gave her a kiss, then closed his eyes. The next thing he knew, his alarm was sounding and Marcia was getting up and running out the door. He heard the bathroom door close, and he swung his legs over the side of the bed. He stood up, went to his dresser, and got a t-shirt and jeans. While he was pulling them on, he heard the bathroom door open. He glanced out his door to see Marcia stepping out.

“Sleep well?” came the voice of his brother-in-law from the living room.

Marcia froze for a moment, then ran through the living room to the bottom of the staircase.

“Lift!” hollered her brother as she started up the stairs.

Darryl couldn’t see her, but he heard her running feet stop. The next moment, there was the sound of someone sitting in the lift chair, then he heard its motor start to pull it up the rail. A moment later, Chet appeared in the hallway. He saw Darryl, who tried to duck out of sight quickly, but to no avail.

“Hi, Darryl!” Chet said, grinning. “Sleep well?”

Chet entered his room and softly shut the door. Darryl heard his sister burst out in full laughter. “Got ‘em both!” Chet enthused.

Darryl was very embarrassed, but he knew he and Marcia would both laugh about this situation later. But at present, all he felt was the heat of the blood in his face.

Marcia made it to her room, and looked in the mirror above her vanity. She wasn’t laughing either, and she could see how red her cheeks were. She knew they hadn’t done anything, but that wouldn’t stop the snickering Chet and Mage would be doing. And would they tell their parents? She sat down at her vanity and felt her eyes welling up with tears.

She cried for a few minutes, then there was a light knock at her door.

Marcia straightened up in her chair, gave a sniff and looked at her reflection. Thank God she hadn’t done any makeup yet. Her mom and Mage were going to help her get dressed later. The ceremony was at noon, and she saw it was 6:30. The knock came again, and she grabbed a tissue and wiped her eyes as she shakily said, “Come in.”

The door opened and Mage entered. “Sorry, Sis,” she said as she came over to where Marcia was sitting. “I guess we shouldn’t have done that.”

“It’s okay,” Marcia said, giving a half smile. “I guess we deserved it.”

“Well, it was kinda fun to get you back for all the times you’ve gotten us,” Mage told her. “But I know it must have been hard to sleep last night.”

“I couldn’t,” Marcia admitted.

“But you did, right?”

"After I went to see Darryl."

"Did you …" Mage didn't finish the question.

"No!" exclaimed Marcia.

Mage smiled. "I know."

"How…?"

"We would have heard," Mage said simply.

"Oh," was all Marcia could say.

-=#=-

In Darryl's room, he and Chet were having a similar conversation, but Chet decided to back off quickly when Darryl got defensive.

The older man did understand. He wasn’t sure how his brother-in-law held off so long, assuming he had. Once Chet realized how much he loved Mage, he was unable to wait very long. As a result, he and Mage married within a week. He supposed some people criticized his decision, but the reality was, he’d always loved her. He simply hadn’t realized who she really was.

The two talked for a while and Chet could tell that Darryl was nervous. He assumed that it was because of the magnitude of what was happening a bit later. To verify, he said, “You’re nervous.”

“Yeah,” Darryl said.

Without saying anything, Chet gave him a questioning look.

“This is a big step,” Darryl said.

“You’re not having second thoughts, are you?”

“Not at all. I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time. It’s finally come, and I’m excited.”

“But nervous at the same time?”

“Yep.”

Chet smiled and told him, “It’ll all be over before you know it.”

“And in the meantime, it’s gonna take forever.”

“Yep.”

There was a knock on the door, and Chet heard Carl’s voice; “Are you decent in there?”

“Always!” called Darryl. The door opened, and Carl stepped in. “After all, we’re all guys here,” Darryl finished.

“Well,” Carl said. “Not exactly, but for today, I’m presenting as a guy.”

“Close enough,” Darryl quipped.

Carl laughed as he sat down. A couple of minutes later there was another knock on the door. A moment later, it opened, and Mike Chatham entered carrying a tray of sandwiches.

“I didn’t figure you got any breakfast, so I brought you something.”

“Thanks, Dad!” Chet enthused. They weren’t as big as Bob usually made, but he guessed Darryl probably wouldn’t be hungry enough for the Dagwoods that his dad was famous for.

-=#=-

Upstairs, in Marcia’s room, the girls were finishing a similar snack, brought in by Gloria. Marcia had looked at the tray, but was only able to eat about half of one of the sandwiches, but Ricci and Mage had no such trouble eating, nor had Trish, who entered about half way through the tray.

Trish was immaculately made up, and her hair was styled nicely. After having some of the food, she gave a good look at what was arranged on Marcia’s vanity and moved her head in a manner that suggested the cosmetics just wouldn’t do for the day. She grabbed a case that she’d carried in with her and setting it on the vanity, she said, “Let’s get this show on the road.”

Outside

11:55 AM

There was quite a crowd gathering at the venue. Carl and Brad were ushering people to their seats, while Chet stood off to the side with his brother-in-law. Chet had urged Darryl to sit down, but the young man had been unable to for more than half a minute. Now, he was nervously standing. It was clear that he wanted to pace, but he was valiantly keeping himself from doing that.

Mage caught her husband’s eye from near the back of the chairs, and he told Darryl, “Gotta go. Just hang in there.”

“Yeah,” Darryl said distractedly as he looked at his hands. They were shaking. He was afraid his whole body was.

A minute later, the minister put his arm on Darryl’s shoulder. “This is it,” he said to the groom. Darryl felt a bit dizzy as he stepped to the bottom of the podium.

At last, the ushers, Carl and Brad stepped into the line next to their respective ladies, and Mage, Allie, and Chet started their way forward. Next, Carl and Ricci, followed by Brad and Trish.

Sammy was second-last, bearing a pillow with the rings on it, then came Amber, tossing petals for her big sister.

The music changed. The familiar notes of Wagner’s Wedding March sounded, and Marcia and her Dad stepped into view. As the people stood to watch, Darryl felt light-headed as he saw his bride. She was absolutely gorgeous! He’d never seen her look so beautiful, and he was astonished that he had won the heart of this woman so quickly after he’d met her. She had stolen his on the day they met, but now, here she was, looking like an angel, walking down the aisle with her father, who was going to hand her off to him.

“Who gives this woman to be married?” the minister asked after they stopped their slow walk up the aisle.

“Her mother and I do,” Mike answered.

Then her father kissed her cheek and gave her hand to Darryl.

Marcia’s eyes were bright as she smiled at her fiance.

Darryl cupped her elbow and helped her up the steps, then they stood hand-in-hand in front of the minister.

Marcia carefully made her way up the steps, holding her skirts out of the way, and trying not to stumble in the heels she wore.

“We are gathered here today, in the sight of God, family, and friends to join Darryl Johnson and Marcia Chatham in holy matrimony,” began the minister.

Most of the ceremony was a blur, but it came into focus when the minister said, “You’re embarking on a wondrous and very serious journey together. It is your duty to be faithful, considerate, and loving to each other. The vows you are about to take are not to be treated lightly. With them, you’re committing yourselves to each other for as long as you both live.”

“Repeat after me, Darryl.”

Marcia gazed into Darryl’s face as he repeated the vow. They were old, traditional, lines, but she knew that he wasn’t treating anything said here lightly.

“I, Darryl, take you Marcia, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, for as long as we both shall live.”

Then it was her turn:

“I, Marcia, take you Darryl, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, for as long as we both shall live.”

As the ring slipped onto her finger, Marcia felt as though she may faint, and she was so happy that Darryl’s hand was there to hold onto.

The pastor prayed, then presented Mr. and Mrs. Darryl Johnson to the people. The two kissed for the first time as husband and wife, and Marcia knew this would be the kiss she would treasure most, of all they ever had.

As they hurried down the aisle between the cheering people, both felt like they were walking on clouds, totally amazed and thrilled to cement their relationship forever.