Total pages in book: 16
Estimated words: 13992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 70(@200wpm)___ 56(@250wpm)___ 47(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 13992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 70(@200wpm)___ 56(@250wpm)___ 47(@300wpm)
When Ollie finally reached my side, I captured him in a bear hug. My tears cascaded into his hair as he sobbed into my chest. Sniffles filled the room; everyone was touched by the raw, powerful moment between us. This moment began the next chapter of the rest of our lives.
“You may be seated,” the officiant told the crowd after letting our embrace go on for several minutes. Our friends took their seats and Ollie loosened his hold on me.
But before he could step back, I dried his face with my palms. He smiled up at me and said, “You look so pretty, Daddy; so pretty that it made my eyes water.”
I huffed a watery laugh as many of our guests gave good-natured snickers. Everyone in this room knew of our special relationship. I never wanted Ollie to hide his true self for a single day. And we didn’t invite anyone to our ceremony who may not accept us exactly as we were.
“And you’re stunning, baby boy.”
“Do you like my jacket?”
“It’s perfect.”
He beamed through his tears as he reached up to dry my own. I captured his wrists and kissed his hands before he stepped away, and we both turned our attention to the officiant, who was a middle-aged lady with a kind smile.
“We are gathered today for a blessed event,” she began. “Because today, we celebrate the binding of two lives into one. Ollie and Holden have spent years learning about and loving each other, and now we bear witness to what their relationship has become. Today, they will affirm their bond formally and publicly.”
She grinned at my boy and requested, “Ollie, please take Holden’s hands and recite the vows you’ve written for him.”
Ollie’s fingers trembled as they linked with mine. I gave them a squeeze of support and he gazed at me with his beautiful chocolate colored eyes. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat.
“Before I met you, I didn’t think anyone would ever want me. Everyone always saw me as too different or too needy. They only saw me as my condition and couldn’t get rid of me fast enough.” His words broke my heart. A fresh round of tears fell into my beard and I heard many of our guests sniffling again as well.
“But then I met you and everything changed. You saw me and you accepted me. You've given me the best life, letting me be exactly who I am and loving me for it. My vow is that I will always love you for exactly who you are, and that is the most perfect man, lover, and Daddy I could ever imagine. I promise that I'll be the best boy that I can be for you. I won't let a day go by without telling you how important you are or how very much I love you."
I bent down to rest my forehead on his and looked into his eyes. "Thank you, baby."
"You're welcome, Daddy," he whispered back, and I smiled when he stole a kiss.
"Holden, I now ask that you recite your vows to Ollie," the officiant requested.
I didn't budge away from him when I spoke, "I never imagined when I walked into that toy store two and a half years ago that it would change my life forever. When I saw you for the first time, I could feel that you were special. But now that I've had the honor of knowing you, I know that 'special' doesn't begin to cover it. You are brave and kind and true. I fall a little more in love with you every single day."
Ollie's lip trembled as I continued, "I promise to continue to fall, and to never take a moment together for granted because you make every moment worth living. You are my heart and soul, and I'll love you with everything I am for as long as I live."
I wiped his cheeks when more tears dripped down his skin. "Daddy, that was so beautiful." Ollie sniffed and I kissed the tip of his nose.
"Please prepare your rings," the officiant asked, and I turned to Frankie and nodded.
He reached under his chair and opened the pet carrier beneath it. Ollie's cat Sprinkles stepped out of the box and stretched her front legs.
"Here, kitty, kitty," I called, tapping my thighs. The crowd chuckled when the cat just stood there staring at me.
Ollie only had to say, "Sprinkles," and the gray cat slinked right up to him. Sprinkles was obsessed with my boy, as was I. Ollie untied the red ribbon on the cat’s collar to take our matching rings. He handed one band over to me and kept the other in his palm. "Thank you, Sprinkles," he told the cat and gave him a scratch on the back. Sprinkles rubbed against his leg and strutted back to the carrier for another nap.