In his rush, Sean finishes getting ready with plenty of time to spare, but it all still seems to somehow evaporate in a moment once he and Logan get to the church to wait on Meredith. It feels as if it's been no time at all, the two of them could have parted just a few seconds prior, when she arrives with the girls, looking completely transformed. He likes to think that he's done pretty well with his own outfit, cobbling it together from the clothes box's rare offerings over a period of months, swapping out a better fitting dinner jacket here or a nicer tie there. He'll never be fit for high society, but he can clean up well when he wants to. Then Meredith shows up and he feels like little more than part of the scenery while still staying on top of the world
( ... )
Today, it feels like they continue to beat the odds with every step. An hour isn't nearly enough time to plan a wedding. It isn't nearly enough to get all of the details in place, to tuck in the dress where needed, to iron perfect curls into one's hair, to find that perfect bouquet and stretch of beach, placing it where the tide will just manage to rise over the duration of the ceremony. It isn't enough time to zip up her own dress without everything catching. It isn't enough time to recite her lines, only important for how she doesn't want to be the one that catches them up, doesn't want to be the one who causes a snag. It isn't nearly enough time to get to know the bridesmaid, or to give the best man more than even just a glance and a smile, wide enough that at any other time, someone might assume it was made just for them
( ... )
I've been to a few weddings, and I've been to a few world-threatening crises, and usually one's about as stressful as the other. Usually, though, the former hasn't been quite as sudden and unexpected as the latter.
Admittedly, a few times the latter has cropped up during the former. Maybe this is the way to do it. Throw it real sudden, so fate doesn't know to book in a disaster and Murphy doesn't have time to send the long arm of his law after it.
Hell, from the way the bride and bridesmaids are dressed, someone called in some kind of miracle. I'm impressed.
"What she said," I say. "Any time you lovebirds want to get this show on the road."
"Yeah," Lexie agrees, nodding, still practically breathless with excitement. It's been nearly an hour now - one very fast-paced hour - and to her, it's still just as big a deal to have been included in this, very nearly surreal. The fact of that alone is nearly as thrilling as the wedding itself, and that, for all that it's a rushed, low-key event, is no small feat. She may not always have been Sean's biggest fan, but none of that matters here and now, when this is actually happening. She's not sure she really even has to do anything, but that, too, makes little difference. As far as she can tell, this is perfect. "Ready over here."
"Well, I know I am," Meredith says. A year is such a long damn time, though it flew by so fast. It seems like she's been ready forever, although she remembers clearly the days when she had no intention whatsoever of ever getting married, not even to Sean, no matter how much she loved him. But now here she is, in front of the church and in the white dress, waiting to say the words. Here she is, ready to take the vows.
Somehow, in spite of everything - and that really was a lot - they're here.
"Um," Sookie blinks, called to attention in the middle of a smile, taking a deep breath as she looks around at everyone there. As the officiant, it's her job to get it started, right? She feels her nerves winding tighter and tighter, but she's been trusted to do this, and somehow, she doesn't think either Sean or Meredith will mind if she stumbles over her words a bit, not with the way they look now, like each can only ever see the other person. With a deep breath, she nods, grinning from one to the other.
"Dear friends and family," she begins, deciding to just jump right in, looking from Logan to Lexie, "we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Sean Cassidy and Meredith Grey in marriage. In the years that they've known one another, their love and understanding of each other has grown, matured, and blossomed, and now they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife. And before we go any further, I'd like to invite each to share any vows they may have written, things they'd like to say."
With the way his heart is hammering away in his chest, Sean figures he can spare the few beats it seems to skip at that, at having everything suddenly happen, at being expected to actually have to do something now beyond sparing a quick nod in gratitude at Sookie. He'd just been standing around, for Christ's sake, why hadn't he figured out what he was going to say?Clearing his throat once, he just looks at Meredith for a moment, looking like nothing less than an angel in her dress, the early light that manages to cut haphazardly through the trees throwing delicate, ever-shifting patterns across her features, and then he's not so worried about the words. It's more just a matter of limiting himself to the ones he's comfortable saying around others, because a lot of sentiments are only for the two of them
( ... )
In a way, standing here reminds Meredith why she used to be scared of this. She isn't now, she wants it, but waiting for him to speak, heart in her throat, she's suddenly realizing how big this is all over again. They've spent so much time waiting for it, planning for it, thinking about and discussing it, she'd started to get used to the idea, and in a lot of ways, it doesn't really change anything. They've lived together for a long while now, they've promised forever for a long while now. But it changes everything. It means everything
( ... )
While she's pretty sure she isn't supposed to cry, it's a very near thing for Sookie, watching the two of them as they speak to each other. It's easy enough to guess that neither has really prepared so much for this, for these speeches, but something about that makes it all the more honest. She feels her chest swell as she looks over to Meredith, and finds no one but Sean in her view, breath short as she's overcome by sheer gratitude to the island for giving Meredith someone so wonderful, and perfect for her. Sookie's fingers quake just a touch as they rest on the sheets of her script, one that she's left largely blank for a reason. Hardly able to string thoughts together in the first place, Sookie doesn't trust herself to read without fumbling over a word, and that's the last thing she'd want to do now, anything that might make this moment less than perfect
( ... )
I'll say this for being best man: At least no one's paying any attention to you until the one part of the ceremony you have to contribute to. Not that I'm not standing tall -- well, tall as I can, given tall has never exactly been a strength of mine -- and dignified to go with the solemnity of the occasion.
More that if I happen to have a second of being moved that might actually make it to my face, no one's going to notice because their eyes are on the bride, or the groom.
Probably the bride, no offence to Sean.
Actually following the ceremony, the actual words they're saying to each other, somehow means the ring question takes me by surprise. Luckily, not in the way that means I'm short an important part of the ceremony.
It takes so much of Sean's willpower just to hold his position, to not throw decorum to the wind and pull Meredith into his arms during her own off-the-cuff declarations of love, that for a moment, the notion of having to tear his gaze away from her as well, even for a second, seems almost laughable. With everything going so well, though, barreling towards a conclusion that's been a long damn time coming, he's not about to slow things down any more just so he can get his emotions all over the place. He'll still be just as moved by the sentiments when the two of them are alone.
"Least one of us remembered," Sean says with a grin, all nervous excitement as he takes Meredith's ring from Logan. He has so many difficult memories in this place all revolving around silly little metal bands, and he's eager to have this one supersede the lot of them in importance.
My eyes linger on the rings, on Sean's grin, Meredith's smile, all of it. We haven't exactly set a time limit on the ceremony itself; if I wanted, I could drag this process out as long as I might like, but as much as I want to savor the moment, I find myself rushing forward anyway, the words falling from my lips, suspenseful, before I can stop myself. They're close. So close to that happiness, the one that may weather over time, but that I trust won't disappear. My smile widens, and I watch their fingers worry the rings.
"Meredith," I begin, turning to her. "Do you take Sean to be your wedded husband, to share your life openly, standing with him, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in hardship and in ease, to cherish and to love, so long as you both shall live?"
Turning the ring between her fingers, Meredith has to stop, glancing only briefly to Sookie before she answers. "I do," she says. That's the right answer, the traditional one, she knows that much, but even if it weren't, it's the truth. She isn't entirely sure how all this is supposed to go, now she thinks of it. She's been to weddings, but it's been a long time and her mind seems to have blanked them all out now that she's standing here. Even unsure of what she's actually meant to do, she winds up breaking into an answering grin as she looks to Sean, hand held tentatively out.
She looks up at him like that, so open and ready even through all the uncertainty, that Sean's resolve at staying relatively dignified for the duration very nearly crumbles all over again. Instead, he allows himself a moment of reaching out to squeeze her hand, independent of any bit of ceremony he's supposed to follow, before he returns her grin and slowly, carefully, slides the ring on her finger. Finally.
Barely able to interrupt the moment, Sookie licks her lips and nods, turning to Sean with a barely suppressed smile. "And Sean, do you take Meredith to be your wedded wife, to share your life openly, standing with her, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in hardship and in ease, to cherish and to love, so long as you both shall live?"
Her gaze lingers on their hands, at the small squeeze, at the way that even now, the two of them seem incapable of doing anything other than supporting each other.
This is it. All he has to do is answer the easiest question he's ever been posed, and Sean will be a married man. A married man once more, yes, but there's nothing about this that feels like a second go around, a return to some status quo that he left behind a long time back. This is a whole new adventure, and what came before has no bearing beyond how it shaped him so he could get to this point with Meredith in the first place. This is what matters.
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Admittedly, a few times the latter has cropped up during the former. Maybe this is the way to do it. Throw it real sudden, so fate doesn't know to book in a disaster and Murphy doesn't have time to send the long arm of his law after it.
Hell, from the way the bride and bridesmaids are dressed, someone called in some kind of miracle. I'm impressed.
"What she said," I say. "Any time you lovebirds want to get this show on the road."
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Somehow, in spite of everything - and that really was a lot - they're here.
"How do we start?"
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"Dear friends and family," she begins, deciding to just jump right in, looking from Logan to Lexie, "we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Sean Cassidy and Meredith Grey in marriage. In the years that they've known one another, their love and understanding of each other has grown, matured, and blossomed, and now they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife. And before we go any further, I'd like to invite each to share any vows they may have written, things they'd like to say."
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More that if I happen to have a second of being moved that might actually make it to my face, no one's going to notice because their eyes are on the bride, or the groom.
Probably the bride, no offence to Sean.
Actually following the ceremony, the actual words they're saying to each other, somehow means the ring question takes me by surprise. Luckily, not in the way that means I'm short an important part of the ceremony.
"Yup," I say. "I mean, we do."
I pull them out and offer them up.
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"Least one of us remembered," Sean says with a grin, all nervous excitement as he takes Meredith's ring from Logan. He has so many difficult memories in this place all revolving around silly little metal bands, and he's eager to have this one supersede the lot of them in importance.
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"Meredith," I begin, turning to her. "Do you take Sean to be your wedded husband, to share your life openly, standing with him, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in hardship and in ease, to cherish and to love, so long as you both shall live?"
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Her gaze lingers on their hands, at the small squeeze, at the way that even now, the two of them seem incapable of doing anything other than supporting each other.
Just two more words.
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"I do."
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