I’ve never been so nervous. After everything I’ve done in my life, getting married isn’t something I thought I’d ever do. My work has always encompassed a major part of my life. And it always felt like enough. The challenge and rush of meeting goals and impressing clients was enough to keep me going…and content.

But after I met Nathan, all that changed.

Suddenly work and my humdrum life wasn’t good enough. I needed more to satisfy the urges inside me that made me feel alive. Work is still something I enjoy. And I’ll always love meeting deadlines and impressing people with my architectural savviness. But now that isn’t enough.

The love Nathan gives me is incomparable to anything I’ve ever felt before. And I crave it more than life itself. Being with him is like riding a wave that never dies down. Every part of my being is firing on all cylinders, and the rush is indescribable.

Oliver is standing next to me, give me a side glance. “You okay?”

I take a deep breath. “I think so.”

We’re standing in front of all the guests, waiting for the music to start and for Nathan to join me at the altar. “You think so?” I hear the slight chuckle in his voice as he attempts to keep from busting out laughing in front of everyone. “Dude, I’ve never seen you this nervous.”

I swallow the lump forming in my throat as the first notes from a piano begin to play a soft melody. “I just don’t want to screw this up.”

“Trust me,” Oliver says. “You’re gonna do just fine.”

A few more chords play before the back doors open, and Nathan comes into view. He’s dressed sharply in a white tux that forms to his frame, making him even more handsome than usual.

When Nathan’s eyes finally settle on mine, the nervous energy I felt just seconds ago fades away. That’s what makes him so perfect.

He centers me.

He makes me whole.

Finding him is like finding the part of myself I never realized was missing. And now that I’ve him, I can’t possibly live without him.

Nathan walks down the aisle as our friends and family stand. Even though I know he’s trying to hold them back, I catch the glistening of a few stray tears flowing softly down his cheeks. A huge grin bursts from me as the love of my life...my world, moves toward me in steady rhythm with the melodious tune filling the small atrium.

After joining me at the front, I take Nathan’s hand, gripping it tightly in mine before we turn toward Christine.

The joy in her eyes is sincere as she opens the small binder in her hand. “Family, friends, and loved ones. We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Dodge Trimble and Nathan Greenly in matrimony.” She pauses for a moment to let her words sink in.

Excitement builds in my chest as the realization of becoming Nathan’s husband comes nearer to fruition.

I take give Nathan’s hand a squeeze as she continues.

“Marriage combines the best of two souls while allowing each person to support the other, providing for a strength to match a weakness, a truth to overcome doubt, and above all, love to carry each other through. As Dodge and Nathan join their lives together, if there is anyone here who believes these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

The tremble in Nathan’s grip on my hand is unmistakable. I’m sure he’s expecting someone to interrupt our perfect day, but that’s not going to happen. I’ll never let anything keep him from finding happiness again. With a quick glance, he nods and gives me a smile to confirm he’s present and with me. And when no one speaks, he exhales the breath he was nervously holding.

“I understand that these two beautiful souls have written their own vows.” Christine looks at me encouragingly. “Dodge.”

My hands shake as I pull the small notecard from my jacket pocket. It takes a second for my eyes to clear and focus on the words I finalized last night. “Nathan.” His name comes out of my mouth dry, so I clear my throat and start again. “Nathan, before I met you, I thought my life was happy. In my mind, I believed I had everything I needed. But as soon as you stepped into my world, I realized how wrong I was. Before you, I had nothing... Now, I have more than I ever dreamed possible. I love you more than you’ll ever know. Will you be my husband?”

“I will.” By the time I finish, tears are streaming down Nathan’s face, but he manages to say the two words I care most about today before Christine turns to him.

Just as I did earlier, Nathan clears his throat. “Dodge.”

A soon as his soft, sweet voice says my name, moisture begins building behind my lids, threatening to spill. “All my life, I’ve struggled to feel like I was wanted...like I belonged. And through all the ups and downs in my past, each chapter ended with a cliffhanger, never letting me know if I would be okay or not. But you’ve changed all that, and I’ll always be grateful to you. You’re my prince charming...my knight in shining armor...my protector. Will you be my husband?”

I flick a drop of moisture off my cheek, trying to stay as strong for him as he needs me to be. “I will. Forever.”

The words he said to me mean more than he’ll ever know. The fact that he looks to me as his protector fills me with joy and pride. I’ve barely even cared for a pet in my lifetime, but I’ll do everything in my power to make sure Nathan always feels safe and secure.

“As Dodge and Nathan have vowed their love to each other, let us solidify their commitment to one another. May I have the rings?” Christine turns toward Oliver, who is holding the two solid gold bands Nathan picked out for us.

I assumed he would want something a bit more extravagant or flashy, but he simply stated that all he needed was me. That might have been good enough for him, but I need a ring on his finger and my scent in his blood to make sure the world knows he’s taken. He’s mine.

Christine hands me Nathan’s ring and I hold it in place at the tip of his finger as she speaks. “Repeat after me. This ring I give you is a symbol of my love. I promise to always share with you my heart and my life with you, forever.”

I mimic her every word as I properly secure the ring to his finger.

Christine hands my ring to Nathan.

I smile as I stretch my fingers toward him and he positions the ring over the tip of my finger. “Nathan, please repeat after me. This ring I give you is a symbol of my love. I promise to always share with you my heart and my life with you, forever.”

Nathan’s voice is filled with emotion and cracks when he speaks but that makes me love him even more. The second my ring is at the base of my finger I lean in and give him a kiss, unable to wait any longer.

Christine smiles indulgently as she gestures to our guests. “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husbands for life. You may kiss your spouse…again.”

I lean forward, my lips brushing against Nathan’s in a sweet but passionate kiss. It’s the second of many that I plan on giving my husband. My husband... It sounds absolutely perfect with Nathan standing at my side.

As we break apart, Christine’s voice carries across the room. “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Dodge and Nathan Trimble.”

Cheers and clapping erupt from the crowd as I steal another kiss from Nathan before we glide down the aisle hand and hand.