Chapter 11 – The Alto BrideMoving day came and went without a hitch. Well...I suppose one minor hitch. Ethan and I were going through our room making sure that we hadn't missed anything when suddenly we heard a light knocking at the door.
“Come in!” I called.
The door slowly opened, revealing a very teary-eyed Darlene on the other side.
“What's wrong?” Ethan asked.
“I...I don't want you guys to leave!” She wailed. “It's not gonna be any fun without my favorite brother and sister around!”
Ethan heaved a sigh. He had been expecting this to a certain degree given how close he and Darlene were. “Holly and I are not moving far away. You can always come and visit.”
“Yeah, but that won't be the same,” she pouted. “Now I'm stuck with Lisa and Arlo and they're both weird. Mom and Dad are so busy with Ian and work that I don't hardly get any attention at ALL.”
Ethan and I exchanged glances. She was right on the money with that one.
I gave her a hug then looked her directly in the eyes. “Let me make you a deal. If you promise to call first and make sure it's okay, you can come over any time you want. You can even spend the night if it's all right with Mom and Dad.”
Darlene's eyes lit up. “Really?”
I saw Ethan smiling out of the corner of my eye. “Yes, really,” he replied. “But you need to make sure that you behave here at home. You need to be a good big sister for Ian.”
“Like you were a good big brother for me. I think I can do it.” Her smile faded slightly. “I'm still gonna miss you though.”
I was going to miss her too, actually. We had gotten to know each other quite well in the last several months. She is a sweet girl who just wants a bit of love and attention. In many ways she reminds me of myself, although I was never quite so outgoing. I have a feeling that we are going to be seeing a lot of her after we move.
We finished packing everything into Ethan's truck and made our way to our new home. Walking into the place was a touch surreal; it was a LOT larger than I had imagined it when we first made the plans with the architect. Three bedrooms, four bathrooms, a living room, kitchen/dining room combo, and a good sized back yard. It's a pretty nice place. The architect did a fantastic job, and even came in under budget!
And then came Saturday, the most amazing day of my life. The day when I left the name Alto behind and took the name of the man I love.
We wanted to keep everything simple, just family (Ethan's, certainly not mine) and friends, nothing more. Bebe and River took me out shopping a few days before the wedding and helped me pick out an amazing dress and veil. I couldn't wait for Ethan to see me in it.
Saturday both Ethan and I were filled with nervous excitement. Most of the morning was spent either playing chess or watching television just so we could keep our minds occupied. Judy came over in mid-afternoon to help us with setting up, and Jack and the rest of the Bunch clan arrived just before five. I took that as my cue; it was time to get ready.
Once I had put on the gown I called Judy in to help me with my veil. Darlene came along with her.
“Wow...” I heard Darlene gasp. “You look so pretty!”
“Holly, you look stunning,” Judy said with a smile. After she had taken care of the veil she gave me a giant hug. “You have made my son so happy. He loves you so much, and I am positively thrilled to have you as part of the family.”
“Thank you. It means so much to me...” I began choking up. Family was something that I never truly had until I met Ethan. I wasn't just marrying the love of my life. I was marrying into a family. A close-knit, loving family. I could not possibly be happier.
All eyes were on me as I emerged from the dressing room. All of our friends were there, River and Bebe, Michael, even Parker (which surprised me since he and Bebe had broken up a few weeks before). My co-worker Justine was sitting next to Michael and already in tears, and much to my surprise Nancy was there as well.
But my eyes were on Ethan. There he stood, beneath the arch of carved wood and ivy, waiting for me. As the music began to play I walked toward him. My gosh, he looked handsome.
“Are you ready, my love?” He asked me.
“Yes.”
We turned to face each other, and I felt my heart racing. This was it. I was finally going to marry Ethan.
“I, Ethan Christopher Bunch, take you Holly to be my wife. I promise to love you and be faithful to you always, until death do us part.” He gently took my hand and placed the ring on my finger.
Barely holding back tears, I held out Ethan's ring and replied, “I, Holly Marie Alto, take you Ethan to be my husband. I also promise to love you and be faithful to you always, until death do us part.”
And then we kissed for the first time as husband and wife.
We cut the wedding cake (it was amazingly delicious) and spent the rest of the night dancing with our friends and just having a good time.
Well, most of the rest of the night, at least.
(A/N: Finally married! I've been really looking forward to this chapter! Thanks so much for reading, and let me know what you think!)
