Tangled Fan had planned most of this ceremony for us, which was nice...but at the same time, I was slightly terrified to see what she'd thought up.
Everyone was up bright and early -- the ceremony...or whatever you'd call it...started at 9 AM--and I guess nobody thought about getting me up, because I woke up at eight. EIGHT!!! Nobody else was on the table. The night before, Belle had told me that she would leave her dress on the other side of the table (we were having the ceremony on Eugene's side of the table. It was closer to the window, and it just worked out well.) and so I grabbed my brush and slipped over to see if she had. Eugene was gone, even though the table had not been prepped yet, and so I slid around to behind the cutout and hurriedly undressed. I needed to get ready, and FAST!
I took Belle's poufy dress and promptly got to work, worming my way into it. As I was trying to squeeze into it, I heard clomping footsteps coming towards the cutout.
Eugene.
Oh no.
"Don't come behind the cutout, I'm getting dressed!" I called.
"Okay," he called back.
I squeezed into the dress hurriedly, and started trying to get the Velcro fastened --that's always fun. Unfortunately, I couldn't reach to squeeze the tight bodice shut 100%.
Ohh, great...
I grunted, sucking in a breath as I tried to shut the Velcro at the middle of my back.
"You okay back there?"
"Y-yeahh...well...actually...can you come back here, please? I can't...reach the Velcro."
"Okaayy," he cleared his throat, and within a few seconds, he was behind the cutout as well. He yanked and tugged at the bodice edges until he got them fastened together. "There you go."
I sighed. "Thank you...you're awesome."
He laughed, and I quickly tried something new with my hair--pulling it around in a braid. It makes more sense when you see the pictures...I can't explain it. Anyway, Eugene watched while I did so, and the second I was done, he reached to turn me around to face him. His warm eyes flicked over me from head to toe, a small smile creeping up on his face. He led me out from behind the cutout before allowing his grin to blossom into a toothy smile. "You look great!"
"Mmh...I don't really think this dress is good on me, though. The color...it's the same as my hair, almost. And--OH, do you know where everyone else is? I need to help them with stuff, if there's anything to do! What time is it?!"
"Okay...let's see. First off, I was instructed to keep you from doing any prep work. I'm about to get this place ready, but that'll just take a few minutes. And FYI, you are beautiful. I mean, you always are,
but...anyway. And yeah, it's the same color as your hair, but it brings out your pretty green eyes...and the freckles on your nose." he reached to kiss the tip of said nose, and then gave me a mushy sort of smile. "Oh, and Tangled Fan is bringing the girls in a little bit...sorry I didn't tell you till now, but I just asked her to last night. I figured you'd be asleep, so I didn't want to wake you up."
Well. THAT was a bit of a surprise!
"Hmmh...I probably look awful. But--Wait. The girls are coming?!" I gasped. "But--but what if...I didn't have time to re-read the posts about them--" he put a finger to my lips and shook his head, chuckling.
"You look great. Looks don't matter to me, anyway...it's the fact that after this morning, you'll officially be my girl again. And the girls understand about what happened, so it's no big problem. If you need to ask me about something, don't hesitate, okay? Love you."
I almost melted at that! He bent to steal a quick kiss..and then the door opened.
Eugene pulled away quickly, and I put a hand to my stomach in surprise.
Tangled Fan held her hand out to us, and in that hand were three ADORABLE little girls.
Casey, Audrey, and Jordan! My heart squeezed just at the sight of them, and I could hardly contain my excitement!
She left them with us and then gave us some alone time together before we started the ceremony in half an hour.
The girl with green eyes -- Casey -- just stared at me, wide-eyed, until I knelt in front of her, holding my arms out. I could remember that she was shy, so I wanted to give her space if she needed it.
She didn't need it.
"I love you...I missed you so much, Mommy," she looked up with those big green eyes, and my heart squeezed. I told her I loved her, too...and Audrey as well...and I wasn't lying. In the few seconds that I had met them -- well...seen them again, I guess--I fell in love with the three of them. They were so sweet, and adorable, and...wow. When Audrey agreed with Casey, the tears I had fought when Casey told me came out full force.
When Audrey came over to hug me again, Eugene shifted Jordan to his other arm so he could rub my back, noticing that I was on the verge of having a good cry. Crying from happiness, mind you.
Once I had gained composure, I sat down with the three of them by myself as Eugene prepped the place for the ceremony. The two older girls just could hardly contain their excitement, and I guess it was contagious, because Jordan started doing this adorable little belly laugh that made all of us start laughing. It was an amazing way to calm down before the ceremony, but by the time 9 o' clock rolled around, I didn't want to leave the girls long enough to actually participate in the renewal of our vows! xD
Eugene had left the boxes tilted over, so the attendants could sit down. EVERYONE came, so every bit of the sitting space was used. Even Punzie came, saying she wanted to make sure I was gone for SURE this time. Belle and Zelia practically had to pry the girls away from me, but once they had, they held them there. Kristoff was performing the ceremony, and he looked terrified.
I snagged Belle and thanked her for letting me use her dress, adding that she looked beautiful in the pink gown she'd donned. She thanked me, saying that she liked it -- despite the fact that the bodice was much too loose in some spots...and then she waved me off, telling me to go as she gestured towards my husband. I hadn't realized that the guys were waiting, so I sprinted (and almost tripped) to go stand with Eugene.
As soon as I did, the piano part of this beautiful little song came on. I looked up in surprise, and Tangled Fan was beside her laptop. That was when the tears sprang into my eyes...this was just so perfect.
The second I looked at Eugene, he flashed that special grin of his and took my hands in his. Our eyes met, and I don't think either of us looked away for the majority of the whole entire thing.
Kristoff mumbled the explanation of why we were here today, and I could tell he was soo embarrassed to be in front of people :D I'm thankful he did it, though.
We didn't tie the ribbon, like you do when you get married...we just exchanged vows.
My guy went first. He gave me an embarrassed little grin, shifting from foot to foot a couple of times. "R-Rapunzel..."
"Eugene..." I mimicked, trying to get him to feel less shy, and he burst out laughing.
Once he stopped, he smiled and squeezed my hands, silently thanking me. "Hmm...well...I don't really know what to say. There's so much I want to tell you, but I can't really put everything into words...you know how I am with words. Well, let's just say...I love you. I love you to the moon and back, and I can't even tell you how excited I am to have you back as my wife. It was a long couple of months, and I, um...a couple of times, I thought I was going to lose you. Spent more than a few nights not sleeping over that...and a couple more when I just couldn't stop thinking about you. You drive me crazy, girl...seriously. I promise I'll love you until the last day of my plastic life. And if I ever argue with you about something--"
"Slap him in the face! Or better yet, lemme at him!" Zelia piped up, and I looked over to see she was crying. I laughed when I saw Eugene's mock-terrified face. That's about when everyone else in the place lost it laughing.
"Please don't. Keep me away from her, please! YOU can slap my face all you want, but don't let her near me," he pretended to whimper fearfully, and at that point, I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. It was quite the change, because I'd been crying over his sweet little speech up until that point. I waited until I regained my composure, and then I dove into my little speech--which was nothing compared to his. I had had this great little speech planned, but in the midst of all this...I forgot it.
"Well...gosh, I...I don't know what to say, either. I planned this speech all out, and standing here...I just--I forgot it. I blame it on you, because I got sidetracked by you." he chuckled, and I continued. "Um...I'm just eternally thankful I met you. I'm thankful I met you when I met you the first time, and I'm glad you stuck with me, even after I forgot everything. I'm sooo thankful for you. You've helped me through so many things, and you're my very best friend. I care about you so, so much, and I don't think I'll ever stop. And I can't wait to start--" I froze as I messed that up. I wasn't STARTING my life with him....I was resuming it. I gave him a slightly horrified look, and he gave my hands a squeeze of reassurance before whispering 'it's okay'. "I can't wait to CONTINUE, rather, my life with you. You and those adorable girls over there...I'm so thankful for all of you." I looked over towards the girls, and Audrey and Casey grinned. "And...that's about it, I guess? And yes. I will take you up on that offer to swat you if you're arguing with me. But I doubt I'll have many chances to do so...at least, I hope not."
He laughed, and Kristoff finished up the ceremony. When Kris said that we could kiss, moving from his spot beside us, Eugene glanced over towards the girls, a teasing look on his face.
"You know, Rapunzel...we always had this rule that we could never kiss in front of the girls...I guess the renewal of our vows is cancelled, then--"
Audrey took the bait, while Casey seemed to know what was up. She jumped up out of Zelia's lap and gave her daddy a horrified look. "No, it ISN'T! You kiss Momma, right now...I can't wait one more minute to have my mommy back!"
We all laughed at her prompt and demanding response, and while I was laughing, Eugene gave me an impish grin.
Tangled Fan had a whole party planned, apparently.
As soon as that little song had finished its' final round, she turned on some other music and snagged her camera. Oh boy.
"I thought you guys could have a little party. Music, dancing, talking...whatever you please. I'll stay outta the way, but I do want to get some pictures," she told us, and I nodded.
And thus, the party started. It was just a flurry of craziness and fun. We talked with everyone, and between the two of us, we juggled the three girls until the two oldest had had enough and wanted down to play some.
I was surprised to see Zelia talking to Anna....and there was no bloodshed or yelling!
And I'm pretty sure that kids are in the future of Elsa and Kristoff...since they stood watching the girls play for a good while. When Jordan fell asleep, Eugene finally convinced me to let her sleep on the floor behind the cutout...which was no easy task. I wanted to hold her forever =D
Speaking of Eugene...oh, goodness. He stuck by my side like GLUE the whole entire time, and the only time he left me was to go play with the girls.
We all decided to dance for awhile -- we tried to refrain from too many slow or couple dances, so everyone could dance. I've never seen my sister dance....let's just say that she did not have a great teacher, and I know for sure now that she is my sister. I think once, she tripped and about knocked Elsa down xD
For one of the couples' dances, Ray grabbed my sister and danced with her. I'm pretty sure she was shocked...as were the rest of us.
As soon as I saw what was happening, I raced over to Eugene (I had been standing by myself with Jordan, while he talked with Casey and Audrey after they called him over for something) and tapped his shoulder. He glanced away from the girls. "What?"
"Zelia. Ray. Look!" I hissed, trying to gesture vaguely. Kristoff noticed, too, and I could see his eyes widen from here!
Eugene choked, which he quickly attempted to cover up by coughing. "Wow. Um...didn't see that coming." We stared at the both of them, and even saw Zelia smile up at him.
WHOA.
When the song ended, she left his arms and he gave a little bow...and then she turned away. Towards us.
CRUMBS!
I quickly averted my attention back to Jordan, but poor Eugene was frozen in surprise...his mouth was hanging open. I elbowed him, and he snapped his mouth shut hard enough to clack his teeth together, hard. He grimaced, cleared his throat, and quickly turned away, back to the girls.
A good while after that, Jordan went to sleep again, so I took her back behind the cutout to sleep.
I was just starting to feel a little overwhelmed with all of the noise and everything, and it was a bit loud, (I have no idea how Jordan slept!) so when I took her back, I leaned up against the cardboard, watching her sleep.
After a few minutes, Eugene crept back, grinning.
"She asleep?"
"Mmhmm," I nodded, and he reached to slip his arms around my waist.
"So, are you enjoying yourself? You looked kinda overwhelmed." he whispered.
"Yeah, I'm having fun...it's just that all the dolls and the chatter and everything started getting to me. I'm okay...plus, I wanted to check up on little Miss Cutie," I gave him a reassuring smile, and he gave me a quick hug.
"Okay, m'lady. Just wanted to make sure," he gave me that special grin of his before bending to give me a quick, gentle kiss.
As we were kissing, we both heard a little giggle. I quickly pulled away from him to see...none other than Casey and Audrey, peeking in at us. And then ZELIA poked her head out!
The trio gasped and ducked back away from the cutout, and Eugene looked at me, an impish gleam coming into his eyes.
"I say we get them." he tried to keep a straight face, but the excitement and happiness in his eyes were clear.
"Mmmhmmm," I giggled as he grabbed my hand and pulled me out from behind the cutout, where we promptly chased down the girls and engaged in tickling the both of them until they laughed so hard no sound came out. I was laughing fairly hard as well :D When that was taken care of, Eugene risked sneaking up behind Zelia to tickle her sides, and I'm pretty sure he got a few good smacks on the hands...no, I'm POSITIVE he did! :D
About an hour after that, Anna wandered up to me, rubbing her arm awkwardly.
"Um...can I talk to you for a-a minute? Alone?"
I nodded, wondering what on earth she was going to tell me. Eugene nodded and quickly left, but he kept an eye on us.
"I'm sorry for being such a jerk. I was so senseless, and...I'm sorry for everything I've put you and your family through; it won't happen again." When she said it wouldn't happen again, a strange expression crossed her face.
"It's fine -- I haven't been mad at you," I reassured her with a smile. I was a little on edge--c'mon, who wouldn't be? --but I kept a smile on my face. "Thank you for coming today!"
She nodded. "Thanks for having us." we stood awkwardly, looking around, but then she reached to give me a quick hug...and just like that, she left.
After that, Tangled Fan gathered everyone up to take some pictures. Seems like Aunty Z missed the girls quite a bit as well...the girls got a picture (I don't have it, though, unfortunately...) with Zelia, and she wouldn't let me have Jordan back afterwards! She literally gave me a shove and told me to 'enjoy the day while she enjoyed her adorable niece'. :P
Yup. My wonderful sis pulled a 'bunny ears' on me...and I didn't notice until Tangled Fan showed this one to me.
And of course, I LOVE how this turned out (:
When the crowd finally dispersed to the other side of the table, we persuaded Tangled Fan to leave the girls here. It took a little bit of convincing, because she thought I would want a day or two to settle back into my role as wife before I resumed my role as mother, but she did give in. (:
It was about 11:30 PM, and I quite frankly have no clue how everyone talked and danced and just hung out for so long...yikes. I know one thing was for sure...I was beyond exhausted. I helped to put the girls to bed, and settled down on the wicker chair to get Jordan to fall asleep after that.
When she was asleep--which didn't take more than a couple of minutes -- Eugene came over and stood in front of us.
"Hmm....I missed that sight. She asleep?"
"Mmhmm," I nodded, kissing the top of her head before I allowed him to take her. I wandered back behind the cutout to change into my nightie and brush my hair, and Eugene made sure Jordan was going to stay asleep in her bed while I did that.
When I was making our own bed--which had been set upright for the day--, Eugene asked if I was decent. I said I was, and within a few seconds, I felt him slide his arms around my waist from behind.
I tossed the blanket back on the bed before I turned to look at him. "What?"
"Love ya," he winked before kissing the tip of my nose.
I grinned before collapsing dramatically against him. "I didn't realize how tiring a party could possibly be.."
He laughed. "Yeah...I didn't think they'd stick around that long. I guess they enjoyed themselves,"
I nodded, pulling away from his arms so we could go to bed. I don't think I've ever been so happy to go to bed in my life...I was so tired! I started to pull the covers up and smooth them over the both of us, but then I noticed him staring at me in an odd way. "What? Did I...did I do something--"
"No-no-no-no, no...you're fine. It's just that you used to do that before, too," he gave me a reassuring smile, and I pressed my edge of the blanket up against my chest, thinking about that.
"Really? I just...I just wish I could remember everything!" I stared down at the blanket, trying to concentrate to see if I could remember something more. Nah...it just made me yawn.
"Hey...c'mere," he broke my thoughts, so I let myself tip over backwards. He put both his arms around me and pulled me as snug to him as possible, sighing contentedly.
"You have no idea how happy I am to have you back, sweet girl of..."
I missed the rest of what he said, because I fell asleep.
It sounds like a happy wedding! We all wish we could've been there - the kids sounded so cute! Congrats. :-D
ReplyDelete~Anna -Elsa ~Rap~ and allllllll the others.
P.S. You look GREAT in Belle's gown. :P