Chapter 15: The Reception, Part I

Chapter 15: The Reception, Part I



         A few minutes later, Crystal and Erick entered the Fellowship Hall. As soon as they came in, the guests exploded in a round of applause. Crystal had insisted on walking through the door, as she had down the aisle. Now that she’d gotten her wish, Erick scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the head table as the guests cheered loudly. He kissed her deeply and they shared a tight hug, then he sat her carefully in her chair at the table.

         ”Speech! Speech!” yelled one of the guests enthusiastically.

         ”I’m one up on you, this time, Fred!” Erick shouted. The crowd laughed and Erick continued. “Today, you’re going to hear two speeches. One from me, yes, but first one from Crystal.” She looked up at him in astonishment.

         ”What?!” I haven’t prepared anything!” she said aloud as the crowd laughed.

         ”Relax, gorgeous,” Erick said smiling. “You don’t have to say a word.” She looked at him, now totally puzzled. “Ladies and Gentlemen, today you will hear from both of us. And by the time we’re done, you will see for yourselves why our love will last forever.” He looked at Crystal with his eyes full of love. “Three weeks ago, when Pastor Markham first introduced us to our home church as a couple, he asked Crystal to tell them about an event we had told him about as we discussed our wedding preparations. Her explanation ultimately turned into the most loving, caring, and important words she had ever said to me until today. I want you to hear what she said, in her own words, then I will return the favor, here today, and tell all of you what she means to me.” He motioned to a church audio-visual technician standing at the door, who quickly left. Erick looked at Crystal.

         ”Oh, God, Erick! I love you! Did I really make you feel that wonderful? That proud of us?” He heard the tears again fill her voice. He sat down, kissing her as the tape of her speech from three weeks before began:

         ”Finally, if you’ll bear with me for just one moment, I just have to take this first public opportunity that I’ve had to say ‘Thank you ever so much’ and ‘I love you’ to Erick. It’s a long story, but even though we’ve been engaged for quite a while, we never set eyes on each other until a week ago. Yes, that means he never saw me with two arms and two legs. In the shock of the accident, I learned very quickly why others with similar disabilities are so afraid they’ll never find love. And I was terrified Erick would not want the work, the hassle, the life style changes that come with loving someone in my position. But I quickly learned that I could not have been more wrong. Not only does Erick still love me, he welcomed the chance to care for me in every way with open arms. To him every day is a new opportunity for him to show me he loves me in every way he can, all over again. I admit that I eat it up. His gentleness at every turn, like dressing me, never stops showing me how important I am to him. And I just have to take this moment to thank him from the bottom of my heart for his unending love, his tenderness, his gentleness, and his patience in caring for me, and to thank the Lord for bringing Erick into my life. Thank you, my love! Thank you, Father, and thank you all.”

         As the tape ended, the guests erupted in another round of applause. Erick looked at Crystal, and found she was crying. Lightly, but crying. “What’s wrong, baby?” he quietly asked.

         ”Noth… thing, honey,” she stammered through her tears. “I’m just so… happy that… our families are so… supportive of us. Listen to that!” she squealed, smiling and crying at the same time.

         It’s great, isn’t it, honey?” he asked lovingly. She nodded “Okay, honey, you relax now, but make sure you listen, okay?” he said gently as the applause died down. She quietly nodded.

         ”Ladies and Gentlemen,” Erick began, “when I first heard Crystal say those words, I immediately realized that a simple ‘thank you’ to her would never be enough. That the only way I could possibly show my gratitude to her for such praise, would be to return the favor, also in a public opportunity, by telling the world just as proudly, what she means to me. Crystal, darling, you better grab that tissue. You’re going to need it,” he said looking at her with love all over his face. A few in the crowd made quiet comments, letting Erick know they approved of his approach to this.

         ”Many of you may not yet know that when Crystal and I met a little over three years ago, we met online. Yes, that’s right. That’s why we didn’t’ have pictures of each other to look at and deceive our hearts. She was fifteen, I was fifty-two. We met online, we fell in love online, and even became engaged online. And to me that very fact only served to give us a love that will truly last forever. Because we fell in love with the person inside each of us, as we said in our vows. Yes, we were both trusting in the other’s words, but it was a chance we both were taking. And the deeper our love became, the more sure we both were that it was, and is, real.”

         ”I knew, three years ago, that I had fallen in love with the most beautiful, the most caring, compassionate, loving, sincere, honest, trustworthy person on the face of this earth.” He looked at Crystal. She was openly crying. Already. “It only took me three months of our online talks to decide that I could not let her out of my life. I could only hope she was feeling ready to give me the answer I wanted. I knew we loved each other, I just didn’t know if she’d want to wait until she was older and had experienced more of life before answering my question. But I had to take that chance. Luckily for me, she was ready. She answered almost immediately.”

         ”The three years we had to wait to be together only served to deepen our love, and give us even more appreciation for the time when we would be together.”

         ”The night she called to tell me about the accident, I knew from her first words that she was absolutely terrified. I had to coax the reason out of her. Once I knew, I knew that her fear was that I would decide I couldn’t deal with it, and would change my mind about her, and about us. It took me that entire conversation to convince her I wasn’t going anywhere.“

         ”Since we’ve been together, beginning a month ago, we’ve been inseparable, in heart and mind as well as in body. Every word she speaks, every need she has, only deepens my love for her. Her determination to complete her education without any delay could inspire many of us who have all our limbs. Her devotion to me is total. No man could ask for more. She shows her love to me each and every day in every way she can. And she shows her trust in me every moment by allowing me the glorious pleasure of caring for her on every intimate level she needs.

         ”With her modesty, she’d say I’ve already said enough here to show her how deeply I love her. I must have come close, because she’s already crying,” he said, gently leaning down and kissing her cheek as the guests responded with short applause and warm laughter. “But I’m not done quite yet.” Crystal looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. The look she gave him said, ‘God, Erick, you’re serious. You’re not done yet, are you!’ And he could tell her tears would take over completely by the time he was done. That’s what he wanted. This time. He wanted absolutely no doubt left in her mind about his love. “I’m going to repeat, to her, before these wonderful witnesses, what I told Crystal one afternoon when she was self-conscious about eating in public shortly after we were together. Because she believed me then, yes, but I have a feeling these words will mean even more to her when she realizes how very willing I am to say them openly to the world.“ Taking the microphone in his hand, he knelt by Crystal and began.

         ”Look at me, darling,” he said gently. With tears still falling, she looked into his wonderful eyes. It was all she could do to keep from openly crying again just looking at him. She couldn’t speak. “Crystal, my love, my darling, these do not change the person you are inside,” he said softly, gently as he pointed to her missing limbs. He saw her eyes fill with tears yet again as she realized what was coming. “They change only your appearance, nothing more. You are still the girl I fell in love with, still the girl I’m going to marry, and yes, I’ve proven that part here today. What’s more, you’re still the girl I made passionate love to, who satisfied her man beyond belief I might add. Yes, we did it before the wedding but that was out of love, too. You needed the reassurance, from the first moment we were together, that your appearance did not change the fact that I find you physically attractive and desirable. And that night you got what you so desperately needed. And, above that, you are still the girl that I want to be the mother of my children, and the girl I want to grow old with.” As she broke into open sobs once again, he leaned over and kissed her. “Not that you ever doubted them my love, but now do you believe in your heart that I meant, and still mean those words, sweetheart?” he asked, gently kissing her cheek. He kept the microphone close enough that she could be heard.

         ”Yes, darling, I… do,” she sobbed. “I can’t tell you how… much it means to me… that… you love me so very,… very deeply. Especially now. Thank you… my love,” she sobbed. Those words said, the sobs took over as she laid her head on his shoulder. The guests immediately went into a standing ovation. Erick put the microphone back on the stand, helped Crystal to stand, then embraced her as tightly as he could. The guests cheered again as they saw this wonderful couple share a long, tender kiss, not relaxing their hold on each other for a single instant.

         When the ovation ended, Erick moved he and Crystal the few inches between himself and the microphone. “Thank you all,” he said firmly. “For coming today, yes, but more importantly, thank you for your love, your understanding and acceptance of our love, and your support. These things from you family and friends are priceless to us.” Crystal nodded her head firmly to show her agreement with Erick’s words for all to see. She still could not speak as Erick took the microphone one more time. “Thank you all.”

Chapter 16: The Wedding Reception, Pt. 2  (E) A special gift for Erick and Crystal; an emotional moment for Sandra and Crystal. #464018 by Incurable Romantic