The next two weeks passed in a flash.

Sarah had taken charge of the wedding plans, as Henry was traveling with the Pioneers on a nine-game stretch across Pennsylvania.

Sarah ran through the checklist in her head.

The minister, guests, food, music ... wait ...

She still needed to purchase gifts for her bridesmaids, Nella and Helen. Sarah couldn't believe she had let that important task slide to the last minute. Sure, planning an entire wedding in a couple weeks had been incredibly hectic. But busy or not, it was no excuse.

And so on the eve of her wedding day, Sarah found herself scouring the shelves of merchandise inside Tomlin's General Store, her wicker shopping basket in hand. She wanted this gift to be something special. Something that would symbolize how grateful she felt for having two friends as dear as them.

At eight o'clock, the store was only occupied by a few early birds, looking to beat the mid-morning rush of shoppers. Quiet voices rose in spurts. The tiny tin bell attached to the top of the front door dinged as customers entered and left the store.

The sales clerk, a young fellow with dimples and tight curls, made his rounds to check on each customer.

"Good morning, Ms. Stewart," the clerk said. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Oh thank you, but I'm just browsing," Sarah said with an expectant grin, excited at the thought of becoming Sarah Louis tomorrow.

A little later, Sarah passed two elderly women, fighting over a cast iron pan ... the last one. The sign next to them read, "BIG SALE!" Both women had a solid grip on the pan, both tugging at it, both refusing to let go. Sarah giggled; the sales clerk would have his hands full with these two.

One by one, Sarah made her way down the aisles, each one packed with sections of merchandise, including clothes, coats, shoes, farm tools, garden supplies, kitchen items, and bathing necessities to name a few.

So many options!

Feeling overwhelmed, Sarah ducked into one of the aisles, as memories of Henry and their wedding plans crept back into her thoughts ...

They had decided to have the ceremony during the league break at the end of June. They would keep the wedding small for personal reasons. Sarah's closest relative was Uncle Albert. Although she remembered a few aunts and uncles living down south in Alabama, Sarah hadn't seen or heard from them since her parents' funeral. She felt bad that she hadn't kept in touch with them.

Still, Sarah felt even worse about Henry's situation. The poor fellow had no living relatives to call family. She knew that bothered him too.

Henry had once said, "When you have no blood relatives in the world, you feel like you're starting to slowly disappear."

All that's going to change, Sarah thought.

She picked up a small mirror by the handle and stared at herself.

We're going to start our new family together, and God willing, raise a houseful of fun-loving, trouble-making kids.

Sarah's reflection smiled back at her.

A short time later, Sarah came across a soft, white cotton robe and tried it on, her imagination transforming it into a wedding gown.

A warmth filled her heart. Sarah was going to wear her mother's pearl white wedding dress. She was just thankful that it fit, even if it was a tad tight around the waist.

Next, Sarah spotted a small ceramic statue of a church on one of the shelves. It was white with a steeple, a golden bell, and a red cross on the front.

It had always been Sarah's hope to get married at First Baptist, but Uncle Albert would have nothing to do with that. He refused to leave his property. Even Henry couldn't convince him to change his stubborn ways. In the end, Henry and Sarah relented, deciding to host the wedding on Uncle Albert's front lawn.

In the last aisle, Sarah scanned the many decorative items for the home until her gaze landed on a shelf of ornate candles.

That was it!

She would give these beautiful candles to her bridesmaids. Candles would symbolize her feelings perfectly. It was how she felt about Henry, and it was how she felt about Nella and Helen.

You are the light in my life, and you will always shine!

Sarah picked out two long white candles and set them into her shopping basket. Then she found a pair of pottery candle holders, each colored tan with a painting of grape vines.

Moments later, she set her basket on the counter in front of the cashier, a colored woman with dark brown skin and a bright smile.

"Morning, Mrs. Grady," Sarah said.

"Morning, Sarah. Back again so soon?"

Sarah smiled, her face feeling flushed. In the past couple weeks, she had made four trips to the store. This one made five.

After checking out each time, Mrs. Grady would share a story or two about her grandchildren (she had ten of them) and how they were proud descendants of the Zulu tribe in Africa. A fact that Sarah found utterly fascinating.

"This should be the last trip," Sarah said. "I needed to buy ... oh my –" Her voice trailed off with a tremble. Before she could finish the sentence, Sarah started to feel dizzy. She pressed her palms on the counter, trying to steady herself. The floor felt like it was swaying under her feet.

"Are you alright?" Mrs. Grady asked, concern rising in her voice.

Sarah felt a bit of vomit rising up her throat. She clapped a hand over her mouth and swallowed a gulp of air. She took in a couple deep breaths as Mrs. Grady came around the counter and put an arm around her waist. The dizziness had gone away, but Sarah felt warm. A thin sheen of perspiration covered her cheeks. "I'll be fine. I've been pretty busy lately. It must be all the running around."

Mrs. Grady released a breath. "Well, you had me worried for a minute." Then she just stood there, and she looked like she was contemplating something. "You know, what I'm about to say might seem a bit odd. I don't get this feeling all too often. But when I do. I'm usually right about it."

Sarah chuckled. "What is it, Mrs. Grady?"

Mrs. Grady gave her a nurturing look.

"Sarah, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you just had a bout of morning sickness."

* * * * * * *

In his free time, Henry had work to do to get Albert's property ready for the wedding. He would be putting his limited handyman skills to the test – skills he'd learned from his father growing up on a fruit farm just outside of Hester.

Henry gave Albert's porch a fresh coat of green paint. He sanded the old picnic table and built three more before staining them a deep brown. Finally, he constructed an eight-foot tall wedding arch out of pine wood and painted it as white as the cotton ball clouds, now floating across the rich blue sky overhead.

Henry stirred back to the present. He could hardly believe their wedding day had finally arrived. He had looked forward to this day with more excitement than any other event in his life. And he had already smiled so much today that his cheeks were now throbbing in pain.

The wooden arch had been placed a couple dozen yards from the front of Albert's house. The bridesmaids and groomsmen would come out of the house onto the porch. From there, they would walk down the steps and proceed to the arch where Henry now stood, waiting for the ceremony to start as he fidgeted in a black tuxedo.

Henry examined the arch. Not bad. It was now covered with a mix of wild roses – reds and whites – and it sure did look pretty. Henry shivered even though the day was shaping up to be a hot one.

Next to Henry stood Minister Williams, a man with coal dark skin and fleshy cheeks, his expression revealing a sense of calm. He wore a traditional clergy collar, a flowing white robe, and a green stole that hung over each shoulder and draped down the front. In his hand, he held a black leather-bound bible with slightly tattered corners.

"Henry, everything will turn out just fine," the minister said. "Try not to be too nervous."

"Tell that to my nerves," Henry joked, as the guests started to take their seats. Tying the knot was a whole different ball game ... maybe a whole different sport.

Twenty wooden chairs had been set up, facing the arch. Ten on each side. Being a small affair, everyone had a close seat. Everyone consisted of Uncle Albert and several of Sarah's girlfriends from First Baptist, wearing their best church day clothes.

Not counting Big Willy, Henry's guests consisted of only three ex-Rooks, the ones who were still in town. There was Old Man Charles who arrived in a truck, carrying a keg and a dozen assorted growlers. God bless his soul! Malcolm Blair and Ernie Lane were also in attendance and looking mighty fit. They played for the Pittsburgh Rascals now, a barnstorming team that traveled all over Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. Henry had tried to track down Maurice Jones, but word on the street was he had skipped town, because he had run up a gambling debt he couldn't pay.

Off to the side, four musicians started to play the processional tune. Henry remembered them from Amateur night. He'd learned they also served as the church band for First Baptist, and they brought their instruments: the piano, cello, harmonica, and saxophone.

Henry swung his gaze to the porch as the screen door swung open.

Big Willy dipped under the door frame. He escorted Nella, the matron of honor, down the porch steps to the wedding arch. They were followed by Dale and Helen, a slim colored woman with golden brown eyes and the neck of a black swan.

Both groomsmen wore tuxedos, but Willy's looked a bit snug around the chest. The bridesmaids wore gorgeous lavender gowns, each with a huge bow in the back.

When Sarah emerged from the house with Albert, they stood on the porch for what seemed like an eternity. Albert wore a black Victorian suit, exemplified by the billowing trousers, chocolate brown vest, bow tie, and a long jacket that almost reached the knees.

Henry felt a smile creasing his face. His heart thumped fast and loud under his shirt. Sarah looked breathtaking, wearing a flowing, white gown dotted with glimmering sequins. Her hair was held up with a pearl-colored comb. She smiled beneath lowered lashes.

Henry radiated with joy. How could any man be so lucky? He was absolutely in love with this woman. And soon they would be together for a lifetime of happiness.

Sarah eased toward the arch, in step with the music, Here Comes the Bride.

The guests awed over Sarah. Under the bright afternoon sun, she seemed to shimmer like an angel. The music gave one final swell as Sarah reached the arch.

Henry took Sarah's hand in his, and they gazed into one another's eyes.

What happened next was a complete blur. Henry felt like a feather drifting from one ceremonial sequence to the next ... until they reached the final part.

It was the moment Henry had been waiting for. "I do," he said proudly.

Minister Williams paused for a beat before turning to Sarah.

A soft sob arose from one of the female guests.

The minister said, "And do you, Sarah Stewart, take Henry Louis to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Sarah's eyes glistened. "I do."

Holding hands, Henry and Sarah beamed expectant smiles at one another.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you, man and wife." The minister smiled and closed his bible. "Henry Louis, you may kiss the bride."

Henry gazed into Sarah's beautiful brown eyes. He couldn't believe it.

They were married!

The guests erupted in celebration, clapping and shouting with joy.

And with that, Henry took Sarah into his arms, and the two of them shared their very first kiss ...

As husband and wife.

Author's Note

Henry and Sarah are finally married!  💘  Yay!!! 

This was definitely a tough chapter to write, but I enjoyed every second writing it.

And I won't give it away, but you know my story-telling style. There's always a twist or two around every corner.

As always, thanks for your many reads, votes, and comments!!

Take care!

Tom