Free Letters Home by Rebecca Brooke
Authors: Rebecca Brooke
Colin. “Do you have the rings?”
Colin nodded and reached into his pocket. My face was beginning to hurt from all the smiling but I couldn’t help how happy I was. I hadn’t noticed the rings being given to Chaplain Hayes, but he handed the smaller one to Nate.
“Nate, repeat after me. ‘I give you this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you.’”
Nate smiled, lifting my left hand and placing the ring at the tip of my ring finger. He slid it down and as he repeated the words it was hard not to stare at the ring on my finger, but if I wanted the chance to kiss my husband we needed to finish this ceremony. Chaplain Hayes turned to me and handed me the larger ring. “Danielle, will you please repeat after me? ‘I give you this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you.’”
I picked up Nate’s hand and placed the ring at the top of his ring finger, sliding it down with my vow. “I give you this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you.”
Chaplain Hayes smiled. “By the power vested in me by the United States Government and the state of Georgia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
One of Nate’s arms wrapped around my waist, the other cupping my nape as he pulled me forward, his lips pressing softly to mine. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, but it was one that I felt all of the way to my toes because of the significance of it. Our first kiss as husband and wife.
It seemed like forever, but my guess was that only seconds had passed, when Nate let me go, linking his fingers with mine.
“It is my honor to present Sargent and Mrs. Nate Lewis.”
“Thank you, Chaplain Hayes,” Nate said, shaking his hand.
“It was my pleasure, Sargent.”
Nate slipped his arm through mine and turned us to face Colin and Marissa, who immediately wrapped their arms around us.
“I’m so happy for you guys,” she squealed. “We need to go out and celebrate.”
Colin reached his hand out to Nate, only to pull him into a man hug when he accepted it. “Congratulations, man.”
“Thanks,” Nate said, patting him on the back.
“Well I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starving,” Colin said.
“You always think with your stomach,” I laughed.
“And…?” he replied, dragging out the word.
“All right you two. You’re as bad as actual siblings,” Nate chuckled. “Why don’t we go get lunch and we’ll figure out the rest from there.”
I smiled. “I like the sound of that.” We were finally husband and wife, it didn’t matter what we did as long as we did it together. “Where should we go?”
“I’ve got an idea,” Marissa said. “Why don’t you guys follow Colin and I there.”
“Okay,” I said.
We signed all of the paperwork for the chaplain and made our way out of the chapel. There was a spring in every step I took and with Nate’s hand at the small of my back, I felt loved and cherished. It wasn’t exactly how I thought we’d get to this point, but in the end it was absolutely perfect.
We followed Marissa and Colin to a restaurant downtown for lunch. It was a quaint, but elegant little restaurant. Lunch ended up being a lengthy affair, and although Marissa and Colin wanted to go out to celebrate, Nate and I agreed that we wanted to be alone for the rest of the night. But we did promise that we’d go out and celebrate sometime the following week.
Once we pulled into the parking lot of our apartment Nate jumped out and ran around the front of the car to open my door to help me out, but before I had the chance to take a step, he swept me up into his arms as if I weighed nothing, and brushed his lips across mine. “I love you, Mrs. Lewis.”
“I love you too.”
He carried me to the front door and across the threshold, until he finally set me down in our bedroom. My gaze found his and the fire burning in those emerald depths, caused me to gasp. There wasn’t a second to think about it as his lips
Colin nodded and reached into his pocket. My face was beginning to hurt from all the smiling but I couldn’t help how happy I was. I hadn’t noticed the rings being given to Chaplain Hayes, but he handed the smaller one to Nate.
“Nate, repeat after me. ‘I give you this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you.’”
Nate smiled, lifting my left hand and placing the ring at the tip of my ring finger. He slid it down and as he repeated the words it was hard not to stare at the ring on my finger, but if I wanted the chance to kiss my husband we needed to finish this ceremony. Chaplain Hayes turned to me and handed me the larger ring. “Danielle, will you please repeat after me? ‘I give you this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you.’”
I picked up Nate’s hand and placed the ring at the top of his ring finger, sliding it down with my vow. “I give you this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you.”
Chaplain Hayes smiled. “By the power vested in me by the United States Government and the state of Georgia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
One of Nate’s arms wrapped around my waist, the other cupping my nape as he pulled me forward, his lips pressing softly to mine. It wasn’t a passionate kiss, but it was one that I felt all of the way to my toes because of the significance of it. Our first kiss as husband and wife.
It seemed like forever, but my guess was that only seconds had passed, when Nate let me go, linking his fingers with mine.
“It is my honor to present Sargent and Mrs. Nate Lewis.”
“Thank you, Chaplain Hayes,” Nate said, shaking his hand.
“It was my pleasure, Sargent.”
Nate slipped his arm through mine and turned us to face Colin and Marissa, who immediately wrapped their arms around us.
“I’m so happy for you guys,” she squealed. “We need to go out and celebrate.”
Colin reached his hand out to Nate, only to pull him into a man hug when he accepted it. “Congratulations, man.”
“Thanks,” Nate said, patting him on the back.
“Well I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starving,” Colin said.
“You always think with your stomach,” I laughed.
“And…?” he replied, dragging out the word.
“All right you two. You’re as bad as actual siblings,” Nate chuckled. “Why don’t we go get lunch and we’ll figure out the rest from there.”
I smiled. “I like the sound of that.” We were finally husband and wife, it didn’t matter what we did as long as we did it together. “Where should we go?”
“I’ve got an idea,” Marissa said. “Why don’t you guys follow Colin and I there.”
“Okay,” I said.
We signed all of the paperwork for the chaplain and made our way out of the chapel. There was a spring in every step I took and with Nate’s hand at the small of my back, I felt loved and cherished. It wasn’t exactly how I thought we’d get to this point, but in the end it was absolutely perfect.
We followed Marissa and Colin to a restaurant downtown for lunch. It was a quaint, but elegant little restaurant. Lunch ended up being a lengthy affair, and although Marissa and Colin wanted to go out to celebrate, Nate and I agreed that we wanted to be alone for the rest of the night. But we did promise that we’d go out and celebrate sometime the following week.
Once we pulled into the parking lot of our apartment Nate jumped out and ran around the front of the car to open my door to help me out, but before I had the chance to take a step, he swept me up into his arms as if I weighed nothing, and brushed his lips across mine. “I love you, Mrs. Lewis.”
“I love you too.”
He carried me to the front door and across the threshold, until he finally set me down in our bedroom. My gaze found his and the fire burning in those emerald depths, caused me to gasp. There wasn’t a second to think about it as his lips