"I still say that you should walk me down the aisle."

"It'll make Carlos happy to give you away," Mari shrugged. "Has Matt seen you in your dress?"

"No," Catherine smiled. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

—————

Josh paced back and forth nervously. This was it.

Had it really been such a short period of time?

Those seven years of just him and Matt still seemed so prevalent in his mind. So common.

To be honest, he was more afraid of his best man's speech than to lose Matt himself. Public speaking had never been his forte.

His phone buzzed violently.

"Hey," Mari texted.

"Hey," he texted back.

"Can you meet me by the pond? Like right now?"

"What? Why?"

"I got the stupid zipper on my stupid dress stuck."

"So?"

"So, I don't wanna rip it! Hurry up."

"Have Cath do it," Josh typed back with a frown.

"I don't want her freaking out and no one else is here yet. Please help."

Josh bit his lip and groaned in exasperation. "Fine."

Mari gave a content little smirk.

A few minutes later, Josh walked up behind her at the pond. "Your zipper looks fine."

"Course it looks fine, you idiot," Mari groaned. "It's not broken. It's just stuck."

Josh was able to quickly fix the zipper. "There you go," he smiled.

Mari sighed a bit in disappointment. "Right then. Thanks."

"Is something wrong?"

"No. I'll see you later. You should go help Matt."

"Mari," Josh sighed, "are we...over?"

"What?"

"You and I...are we over?"

Mari frowned. "In what way?"

Josh took Mari's hand gently. "Mariah, I was a fool to let you go. A blasted fool. It's just...can we be friends again? Like real friends? I hate the awkwardness between us. I can't stand it. I want things to go back to how they were."

Mari laughed tearfully and pulled away. "Josh, can't you just- ugh! Don't you understand?! That if I can't be with you then the only thing I can do is get over you and that's a bit hard when you're you and perfect and reminding me all the time that-"

"What are you saying then?" Josh snapped angrily. "What do you want from me?"

"I want you! Or nothing! No in between."

Josh's face drained of color. "Nothing?"

Tears streamed down Mari's face. "I can't do it, Josh."

Josh clenched his teeth and shifted uncomfortably in his suit. "Fine."

"That's all you have to say?!"

"Mariah, that's all that is left to say."

"Fine."

"But, despite any personal feelings here," he said softly, his voice filled with annoyance, "this wedding is important. And as much as you might hate me right now, we're going to have to play nice."

"Fine."

—————

"I can't do this," Catherine moaned. "Why am I doing this? Legally binding yourself to another human for the rest of your life? That's horrible!"

Carlos shook his head. "You're just nervous."

"You're dang right," Catherine scoffed. "What would Lotte say...if she were here?"

"She'd say 'Catherine, if you don't marry him, you'd be making the biggest mistake of your life!'" Carlos smiled. "Or maybe that's just what I'd say."

Catherine nodded and took a deep breath. "Hand me my bouquet. The ceremony starts in five minutes. Have you seen Mari?"

"She's almost here," Josh said, jogging in. "God, Cath," he smiled, "you're an angel. You're the best thing that's ever happened to Matt, and I am so so thankful that if anyone had to take him away from me, it was you."

"Thanks," Catherine smiled. "Are we all ready?"

"Everything's perfect," Josh said as he took Cath's arm and gave her cheek a kiss. "Congratulations, Cath."

"I'm so nervous," she sighed. "Is Matt nervous?"

"He had to change his shirt twice. There were sweat stains," Josh grinned. "It's gonna be great."

Catherine gave a sigh of relief. "At least I'm not alone."

—————

Lexie pushed through the parking lot, dragging her mother in tow. "Keep up!"

"I'm seven months pregnant. I can't move that fast," Maddie sighed.

"This is important! Keep up!" Lexie said firmly.

"Alexandra, if you're getting married, I'll skin you alive."

"Shh."

Maddie's eyes widened. "That wasn't a no!"

"No. I'm not getting married, but someone else is...please. Trust me? You're gonna want to see this."

"Alright," Maddie groaned, picking up her pace.

Lexie quickly slid into place as the lights dimmed slightly.    

Matt took his place at the front of the room.

Maddie gasped as she saw her little brother. "No. It can't be."

Josh snuck in the back of the tent and took his place next to the groom.

"Where were you?" Matt hissed.

"I got stuck somewhere. Don't worry about it."

An instrumental version of Angel of Music came over the speakers and Lexie walked down the aisle, followed by Mariah. The music swelled and Carlos took Cath's arm, the cousins walking slowly down the aisle. The former gave the bride a kiss on the cheek as she joined her fiancé at the altar and handed her bouquet to Mari, taking Matt's hands in hers.

The justice of the peace began the ceremony and soon asked for the vows.

"Catherine," Matt began, "my entire life up until this moment has been in vain. We've been through a lot together...and honestly, I was surprised you even gave me a chance in the first place. You are the kindest and most beautiful woman I know, and I spend every day of my life in disbelief that you are my girlfriend. I guess now I'll have to baffle over the fact you're my wife. I made a promise to myself, that you would have everything in the world I could give, every piece of love, of time, of life. I intend to keep that promise, Cath. Till the day I die."

"Matt," Catherine smiled as tears ran down her cheeks, "being with you has made my life indescribably wonderful. Before we met, my life was a mess. I never thought myself capable of being loved by someone like you. I thought that it wasn't possible for me to be loved at all. But now I have you, I have a reason to be happy. Matt, you are my best friend and I am overjoyed that I will soon be able to call you my husband as well. I knew from the moment you first kissed me in the middle of that opera house that I didn't want to be with anyone else but you. As long as we both shall live, I promise that I will love you and do everything in my power to make you happy, because I love you so much. You mean the world to me...you are my world. I promise that I will always be faithful and I will never leave your side. Until I die, I will cherish our time together as I do now."

"Cath," Matt mumbled low enough for just her to hear, "if you keep talking like that I'll marry you."

"What do you think we're doing here? Getting take out?" She muttered back, for his ears only.

The justice of the peace instructed them to exchange rings and then said, "I now pronounce you: husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Josh clapped loudly. He couldn't help but feel it was the end of an era.

"I want to thank you all for coming," Matt's mellifluous voice echoed around the room. "I-"

Maddie shoved her way through the aisle and stood before him in distraught fear.

"Maddie?" Matt said with a frown, looking from Lexie to her mother.

She put a hand on his cheek as tears rolled down her own. "My little brother," she said, her voice just above a whisper.

"Maddie," Matt laughed, pulling her tightly into a hug, "God, Maddie, I'm so sorry."

"It's in the past. It's all in the past," Maddie said as she held him close. "Matt, is she?"

"Yeah," Matt nodded. "Gone."

Maddie turned to Cath with beaming eyes. "Then you must be who saved him."

Matt nodded and Josh hurried off.

"Maddie," Matt stammered, "I meant to tell you sooner-"

"It's alright," Maddie smiled. "I'm just glad to have you back."

—————

Josh grasped the steering wheel with two hands, the summer sun streaming in through the windows heating the car like an oven.

He quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead and reached for his phone. Okay. Two cup types.

Blue or red. Blue or red?

"You should have gotten them when you looked the first time, you idiot," Mari's voice laughed in his head.

"I know," Josh muttered, more in frustration about his social dealings than the cups.

He just didn't get it. What was wrong with the way things were before? If she had some strange crush on him, she'd surely get over it and be back to her normal self in no time.

Boy, he wished he could call her. Every single detail of his life seemed to be contingent on her opinion now.

Cups. What idiot placed him in charge of cups?!

"You volunteered," Mari's voice taunted in his head.

"I'll just ask Matt what Mari would think," he mumbled.

He turned his phone on and pressed it between his shoulder and neck, speed dialing Matt.

"Hello?"

"Hey...would you Mari me real quick?"

"What?"

"Would you Mari me?"

A silence.

"Yeah."

"Great. Now, I need to know. Blue cups or red cups?"

"Um...blue? Because they go with the wedding colors..." the small voice responded.

Josh swiveled the car to the side of the road, nearly side swiping someone in the process. "Mari?!" He asked breathlessly.

"Yeah...who else would you be calling?"

"Matt!"

"You were asking Matt to marry you?" Mari snorted, her voice off guard and surprised.

"No! I was asking-" Josh heart seized up, twisting and churning as if it had dropped down into his stomach on a roller coaster ride.

"What else could you be asking?"

"You said yes."

"What?"

"You. You said yes."

"Yeah," Mari said slowly.

This was it. She had died. She had died and some stupid misunderstanding had betrayed her innermost heart.

"I-I'll be back in five. Just- just stay put!" Josh muttered under his breath as he dangerously swerved back into traffic.

"Okay," Maris voice trembled.

"Okay."

"Hey," Cath said, putting a gentle hand on her back. "You alright? You look flushed."

"I hate Josh," Mari moaned.

"Don't we all?" Catherine chuckled. "Please don't tell Matt I said that."

"I should go home and change my shoes," Mari sighed, "I was an idiot and left my flats in my room this morning." She hugged Catherine tightly. "Back in five."

"Alright," Catherine sighed. "I have to go find Carlos. He said there was something he needed to show me. I'm praying that something didn't get messed up for the reception."

—————

Mari found her flats and collapsed on her bed. This was officially the worst and best day ever.

Her fingers traced the design on her bed spread, every loop and stitch serving to ease her troubled mind.

She had almost composed herself, listening to the gentle pitter patter of summer's rain on the window when the gentle jingle of keys came from downstairs.

With a frown, cell phone in hand, she made her way out of the room and down to the foyer.

"Oh. I didn't know you were home-"

Mari stared blankly.

He stood half soaked, puddles pooling beneath him. A large bag of blue cups in one hand and his phone in another.

"What are you doing here?" She said with more surprise than defense.

"I, uh...I knew you forgot your shoes this morning...I was gonna pick them up for you."

Mari's face remained emotionless. "Josh, how do you even have a key?!"

"Um...Cath gave it to me," he sniffed, gently closing the front door. He ran a hand through coarse, wet brown hair.

"That stupid hair," Mari whimpered internally.

"Oh. Right then," she said softly.

"Listen," Josh stammered, his stomach churning, "with what happened on the phone..."

"It's fine, Josh. I misunderstood-"

"You said yes."

Mari wanted to die. She looked down at her shoes and took a step backward with a shrug. "So what, Taylor?"

"Why?"

The question took Mari off guard. "W-why what?"

Josh stepped forward, his black dress shoes leaving a damp imprint on the carpet. "Why did you say yes, Mariah?"

Mari's eyes shot up. She expected his face to be taunting, teasing. As if he didn't already know the answer. "You know why," she exclaimed in exasperation.

Josh gave a loud laugh. "No! Mariah, I think we've determined at this point that I have zero idea why you would say yes to something like that!"

"Because," Mari moaned softly.

"Mari!"

"What?!"

"Because-"

Josh was growing impatient. "Because what?!"

"Because I love you, you idiot!" Mari yelled, stomping her foot.

Josh's jaw clenched and for a moment she almost pitied him.

His hands were twitching dreadfully and he looked rather deserted, drenched in rain and standing pitifully alone.

Mari knew he wouldn't break the silence if he was threatened with death.

"Because I love you," Mari admitted plainly, her own heart racing too fast to feel. "I always have, I think. I was just too blind or stupid to-"

"You realize," Josh laughed darkly, "that this whole time, I have been fighting this...because I thought you could never feel as strongly as I do?"

Mari watched in horror as either tears or raindrops trailed down Josh's face.

"I couldn't put myself out like that, Mariah. I couldn't risk getting hurt again for some crush, some passing whim that you had for me."

"Josh, please don't," Mari said softly, turning her head away. "I don't want to go through this again."

Josh abruptly seized her by the arms, forcing her eyes to looked into his desperate ones.

It was his own tears. She could see them now.

His voice broke as he made his plea. "Mariah, there aren't words for how desperately, madly, and hopelessly I love you."

Mari gave a little choked whimper as she brought the hand to her mouth.

"I-I think that was three words right there actually, but-" Josh laughed madly, "but forget them. Just pretend there aren't words."

"Okay," Mari laughed through a little sob.

"Mariah, I don't have any money-"

"You gave it all to me."

"I'm not charming, or charismatic, or handsome."

Mari's lip trembled as she watched with wide, blue-green eyes as he knelt gently to one knee, seizing her free hand strongly in his.

"For forever, Gerry?"

Mari nodded through her sobs, removing the hand from her mouth and putting it on top of his. Weakly, she smiled. "For forever, Taylor."

—————

"Is Mari back yet?" Catherine moaned.

"No," Carlos sighed. "We'll have to start the first dance without her."

"Great," Catherine said sarcastically.

"Don't worry about Mariah. Focus on the moment."

Catherine nodded, and she and Matt took their place on the dance floor. Ed Sheeran's voice came over the speakers singing, "When your legs don't work like they used to before...and I can't sweep you off of your feet..."

The couple danced in perfect sync and ended with a kiss, at which point, everyone clapped.

"My husband," Catherine whispered with a broad grin.

"My wife," Matt mumbled back, closing his eyes and sighing contently. "You happy?"

"Ridiculously," Cath smiled.

The small group of guests in attendance enjoyed the meal, and after came the time for Matt and Catherine to cut the cake.

The photographer made sure to get many pictures as the newlywed couple cut into their chandelier wedding cake.

Soon after, Carlos approached the happy couple. "Can I borrow the both of you for a minute?"

"I don't see why not," Matt chuckled.

Carlos brought them to the parking lot. "Unfortunately, this was a little too big to fit on your gift table."

"Carlos, you didn't," Catherine gasped.

He handed her a set of keys. "I saw a need and I filled it," he shrugged.

—————

"Come on!" Josh grinned, nudging Mari playfully. "Wear it on the left hand."

"No!" Mari laughed, pushing him away. "Right hand for today and that's that."

Josh ran in front of her and put his hands to the sky. "But I want to tell the world!" He yelled loudly.

"Shut up!" Mari scolded, tackling him. "Stop it!"

Josh smirked. "Why? You don't wanna commit in case one of Cathrine hot exes is here?"

"No!"

"Then why is it a secret?! What do we have to hide?"

Mari shook her head and stifled laughter. "Don't you dare quote Phantom of the Opera to me, Isaac Taylor."

"I'll quote whatever I like, Mariah Gerry," Josh said smugly, shoving his hands in his pockets. "You're stuck with me."

—————

The newlyweds returned to the apartment and both gave a content sigh.

"Come on, I have something for you," Catherine smiled, heading to her- no, their room.

"I have everything I need. I have you," Matt grinned, following his wife.

Catherine pulled out a small box from her vanity drawer and sat down on the bed, gesturing for her husband to do the same.

Matt sat down next to Cath and put and arm around her.

Catherine opened the box, revealing two bracelets. One was black, the other was white, and both had a silver infinity symbol. Cath pulled out the white one and wore it on her right wrist. Pulling out the other and putting it around Matt's wrist, she said, "I wanted to give you something as a reminder that I will always love you. I will never leave your side, Matt. You have my word."

Author's Note: The pictures to follow show Catherine's wedding dress, hair, etc. as well as Mari's dress, hair, etc. and the chandelier wedding cake. Their wedding colors were light blue, white, and silver, but I went with roses for Cath's bouquet since they're her favorite.

Cath's veil:

Cath's hairstyle:

Cath's dress:

Cath's shoes:

Cath's bouquet:

Mari's hairstyle:

Mari's dress:

Mari's shoes:

Mari's bouquet:

The wedding cake:

The bracelet set from the final paragraph:

I apologize for all the pictures. It took me so long to find everything and decide what I wanted so I had to share it them you guys.