Chapter XVI
The next day, Samantha was discharged from hospital and found herself wearing her white dress and walking into the registry office with Pete on her arm. He was wearing the suit Samantha had ordered for him and was looking very dapper. Samantha looked over at him and realised that she had the best man she could have ever asked for. They reached the head registrar standing by the desk and shook hands with him.
"Hello," he said, "are you the Daniels and Marsters party?"
"Yeah," Samantha said, handing over their passports for inspection of identity.
"Okay, that all seems to be in order," the registrar said, handing back their passports. "Do you have any witnesses?"
"Uhm, well…" Pete started to say.
"Hey, wait!"
Samantha and Pete shot around and saw Lauren, Amy, Stuart and Ben running into the office.
"God, I thought you were married already!" Amy said, wearing her bridesmaid dress and smoothing the material down. "You're not, are you?"
"Not yet," Samantha said, walking towards Amy and hugging her. "I'm so glad you could make it!"
"Mum is following with Pete's parents," Lauren added. "They're just parking up and told us to run ahead!"
"Okay, well I guess that answered my question!" the registrar said. "Could you all take your places, please?"
Amy and Lauren walked quickly down the aisle and took their places beside Samantha. Ben and Stuart stood next to Pete, who handed Ben the ring box and shook his hand.
"Nice to see you, mate," Pete said to Ben.
"Yeah, well, I always was good at throwing a fake sickie!" Ben said, grinning and winking at Samantha.
"Peter, sweetheart!"
Samantha turned to see Pete's mother running down the aisle, holding her hat and smothering Pete in kisses.
"Alright, son?" Pete's father slapped him on the back and Pete shook hands with him.
Samantha saw her mother come through the door last.
"Hey Mum," she waved.
"You think I'd miss my eldest daughter's wedding?" she said, her eyes shining.
"Oh, Mum," Samantha said, hugging her mother tightly. "Thank you for being here."
"Okay, are we all settled?" the registrar asked.
The wedding party settled down and all stood quietly as the registrar began his spiel.
"We are gathered here today to witness the marriage of these two young people, Peter Marsters and Samantha Daniels. The concept of marriage is a legally binding law, not to be taken lightly. I must therefore ask that if anyone feels any reason why this union must not take place, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."
Silence hung over the party.
"Okay then!" the registrar said with a smile. "Right, if you could repeat after me? I, Peter Marsters..."
"I, Peter Marsters," Pete repeated after him.
"Know of no lawful impediment…"
"Know of no lawful impediment…"
"Why I should not be joined in union…"
"Why I should not be joined in union…"
"With this woman, Samantha Daniels."
"With this woman, Samantha Daniels."
"Good," the registrar said. "Okay, if you could do the same please? I, Samantha Daniels…"
"I, Samantha Daniels," Samantha repeated after him.
"Know of no lawful impediment…"
"Know of no lawful impediment…"
"Why I should not be joined in union…"
"Why I should not be joined in union…"
"With this man, Peter Marsters."
"With this man, Peter Marsters."
"Lovely!" the registrar said. "Now, if I could have the rings, please?"
Ben obligingly opened the box and presented the rings to the registrar.
"Okay, Peter, take the ring and put it on to Samantha's finger, and repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed."
"With this ring" Pete repeated, pushing the ring on to Samantha's finger, "I thee wed."
"Okay, and the same for Peter, please Samantha."
Samantha took the ring from the box
"With this ring, I thee wed," the registrar said.
"With this ring, I thee wed," Samantha repeated, pushing the ring on to Pete's finger and smiling up at him.
"Lovely!" the registrar said. "By the powers given to me by law, I now pronounce you man and wife."
The wedding party applauded and Pete looked at the registrar, an eyebrow raised, waiting for the inevitable. The registrar saw the look on his face and smiled at him.
"You may kiss the bride," he said, and Pete leant Samantha over backwards and kissed her.
The wedding party laughed and applauded louder.
"Okay," the registrar said, "if I could ask you two to sign the license with two of your witnesses."
Samantha went forward and signed her name as Samantha Daniels for the last time. She looked at the signature and felt a little sadness about it. She then passed the pen to Pete and saw a new beginning as Samantha Marsters. Pete took the pen from her and crouched over to sign his name.
"Amy, would you do the honours?" Samantha asked her friend.
"Sure," Amy smiled, and took the pen from Pete, and signed the license. She then gave the pen to Ben, who did the same.
"Lovely," the registrar said. "Now I understand that the next wedding party isn't due for another fifteen minutes so it has requested that you all witness the first dance by Peter and Samantha as a married couple."
The wedding party moved to the walls and stood against them as Pete and Samantha made their way into the centre of the room.
"What's gonna be played?" Samantha whispered to Pete.
"A song I thought was considerably appropriate, considering my recent absence," Pete whispered back.
A piano introduction started up from a cassette player being held by Ben. Samantha recognised it as Tonight by Westlife. Pete took Samantha's hand and started up a slow dance with her.
"Lately I'm so tired/ If I took it all I'd warn you/ I never meant to/ If I left you outside/ If you ever felt I'd ignore you/ No my life is all you/ So put your best dress on/ And wrap yourself in the arms of someone/ Who wants to give you all the love you want."
Samantha pressed her cheek against Pete's and closed her eyes, letting him gently sway her in time to the music.
"Tonight gonna make it up to you/ Tonight gonna make love to you/ Tonight you're gonna know how much I missed you/ Baby tonight I dedicate my heart to you/ Tonight gonna be a part of you/ Tonight you're gonna know how much I missed you/ And I miss you so."
"It does sound a bit like us," Samantha agreed, whispering the words in Pete's ear.
"It's gonna be our song," Pete said.
Samantha pulled back to look at him. "That has to be the most romantic thing ever!"
Pete grinned and kissed her, pulling her back into the dance.
"I don't wanna act like/ I knew that you'd be mine forever/ Though I hope it's forever/ Don't want you to feel like/ I take you for granted/ Whenever we are together/ So put your best dress on/ And wrap yourself in the arms of someone/ Who wants to give you all the love you want."
The wedding party now began to pair up and dance with the newlywed couple. Amy paired up with Stuart and Ben took Lauren's hand and danced with her. Pete's parents joined and danced, and Samantha's mother stood there, alone, twiddling the wedding ring sitting on her finger.
"May I?" the registrar asked, holding his hand out to Samantha's mother.
"Thank you," she smiled, and took his hand and began to dance with everyone else.
"Tonight gonna make it up to you/ Tonight gonna make love to you/ Tonight you're gonna know how much I missed you/ Baby tonight I dedicate my heart to you/ Tonight gonna be a part of you/ Tonight you're gonna know how much I missed you/ And I miss you so."
THE END
Back to Chapter XV
Go to Acknowledgements
"Hello," he said, "are you the Daniels and Marsters party?"
"Yeah," Samantha said, handing over their passports for inspection of identity.
"Okay, that all seems to be in order," the registrar said, handing back their passports. "Do you have any witnesses?"
"Uhm, well…" Pete started to say.
"Hey, wait!"
Samantha and Pete shot around and saw Lauren, Amy, Stuart and Ben running into the office.
"God, I thought you were married already!" Amy said, wearing her bridesmaid dress and smoothing the material down. "You're not, are you?"
"Not yet," Samantha said, walking towards Amy and hugging her. "I'm so glad you could make it!"
"Mum is following with Pete's parents," Lauren added. "They're just parking up and told us to run ahead!"
"Okay, well I guess that answered my question!" the registrar said. "Could you all take your places, please?"
Amy and Lauren walked quickly down the aisle and took their places beside Samantha. Ben and Stuart stood next to Pete, who handed Ben the ring box and shook his hand.
"Nice to see you, mate," Pete said to Ben.
"Yeah, well, I always was good at throwing a fake sickie!" Ben said, grinning and winking at Samantha.
"Peter, sweetheart!"
Samantha turned to see Pete's mother running down the aisle, holding her hat and smothering Pete in kisses.
"Alright, son?" Pete's father slapped him on the back and Pete shook hands with him.
Samantha saw her mother come through the door last.
"Hey Mum," she waved.
"You think I'd miss my eldest daughter's wedding?" she said, her eyes shining.
"Oh, Mum," Samantha said, hugging her mother tightly. "Thank you for being here."
"Okay, are we all settled?" the registrar asked.
The wedding party settled down and all stood quietly as the registrar began his spiel.
"We are gathered here today to witness the marriage of these two young people, Peter Marsters and Samantha Daniels. The concept of marriage is a legally binding law, not to be taken lightly. I must therefore ask that if anyone feels any reason why this union must not take place, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."
Silence hung over the party.
"Okay then!" the registrar said with a smile. "Right, if you could repeat after me? I, Peter Marsters..."
"I, Peter Marsters," Pete repeated after him.
"Know of no lawful impediment…"
"Know of no lawful impediment…"
"Why I should not be joined in union…"
"Why I should not be joined in union…"
"With this woman, Samantha Daniels."
"With this woman, Samantha Daniels."
"Good," the registrar said. "Okay, if you could do the same please? I, Samantha Daniels…"
"I, Samantha Daniels," Samantha repeated after him.
"Know of no lawful impediment…"
"Know of no lawful impediment…"
"Why I should not be joined in union…"
"Why I should not be joined in union…"
"With this man, Peter Marsters."
"With this man, Peter Marsters."
"Lovely!" the registrar said. "Now, if I could have the rings, please?"
Ben obligingly opened the box and presented the rings to the registrar.
"Okay, Peter, take the ring and put it on to Samantha's finger, and repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed."
"With this ring" Pete repeated, pushing the ring on to Samantha's finger, "I thee wed."
"Okay, and the same for Peter, please Samantha."
Samantha took the ring from the box
"With this ring, I thee wed," the registrar said.
"With this ring, I thee wed," Samantha repeated, pushing the ring on to Pete's finger and smiling up at him.
"Lovely!" the registrar said. "By the powers given to me by law, I now pronounce you man and wife."
The wedding party applauded and Pete looked at the registrar, an eyebrow raised, waiting for the inevitable. The registrar saw the look on his face and smiled at him.
"You may kiss the bride," he said, and Pete leant Samantha over backwards and kissed her.
The wedding party laughed and applauded louder.
"Okay," the registrar said, "if I could ask you two to sign the license with two of your witnesses."
Samantha went forward and signed her name as Samantha Daniels for the last time. She looked at the signature and felt a little sadness about it. She then passed the pen to Pete and saw a new beginning as Samantha Marsters. Pete took the pen from her and crouched over to sign his name.
"Amy, would you do the honours?" Samantha asked her friend.
"Sure," Amy smiled, and took the pen from Pete, and signed the license. She then gave the pen to Ben, who did the same.
"Lovely," the registrar said. "Now I understand that the next wedding party isn't due for another fifteen minutes so it has requested that you all witness the first dance by Peter and Samantha as a married couple."
The wedding party moved to the walls and stood against them as Pete and Samantha made their way into the centre of the room.
"What's gonna be played?" Samantha whispered to Pete.
"A song I thought was considerably appropriate, considering my recent absence," Pete whispered back.
A piano introduction started up from a cassette player being held by Ben. Samantha recognised it as Tonight by Westlife. Pete took Samantha's hand and started up a slow dance with her.
"Lately I'm so tired/ If I took it all I'd warn you/ I never meant to/ If I left you outside/ If you ever felt I'd ignore you/ No my life is all you/ So put your best dress on/ And wrap yourself in the arms of someone/ Who wants to give you all the love you want."
Samantha pressed her cheek against Pete's and closed her eyes, letting him gently sway her in time to the music.
"Tonight gonna make it up to you/ Tonight gonna make love to you/ Tonight you're gonna know how much I missed you/ Baby tonight I dedicate my heart to you/ Tonight gonna be a part of you/ Tonight you're gonna know how much I missed you/ And I miss you so."
"It does sound a bit like us," Samantha agreed, whispering the words in Pete's ear.
"It's gonna be our song," Pete said.
Samantha pulled back to look at him. "That has to be the most romantic thing ever!"
Pete grinned and kissed her, pulling her back into the dance.
"I don't wanna act like/ I knew that you'd be mine forever/ Though I hope it's forever/ Don't want you to feel like/ I take you for granted/ Whenever we are together/ So put your best dress on/ And wrap yourself in the arms of someone/ Who wants to give you all the love you want."
The wedding party now began to pair up and dance with the newlywed couple. Amy paired up with Stuart and Ben took Lauren's hand and danced with her. Pete's parents joined and danced, and Samantha's mother stood there, alone, twiddling the wedding ring sitting on her finger.
"May I?" the registrar asked, holding his hand out to Samantha's mother.
"Thank you," she smiled, and took his hand and began to dance with everyone else.
"Tonight gonna make it up to you/ Tonight gonna make love to you/ Tonight you're gonna know how much I missed you/ Baby tonight I dedicate my heart to you/ Tonight gonna be a part of you/ Tonight you're gonna know how much I missed you/ And I miss you so."
THE END
Back to Chapter XV
Go to Acknowledgements
© 2004 Clare Benton
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