�So, he began, �what do you think?�
�I� I�� she stuttered.
His eyes lit up in anticipation. She could see the reflection of the candles in his eyes. It was almost as if she could see straight to his heart in his glassy brown eyes. Suddenly, the look in his eyes changed. He knew that she was stalling. Maybe he had moved too fast, he thought. Maybe she was just too shocked too speak clearly. Maybe she wasn�t the one.
�Bethany?� he asked, choking back the quaver that was in the back of his throat.
�Drew,� she breathed. �We�ve known each other for a long time. I think that you know me better than I know myself. You�ve always been there for me, ever since sixth grade. You�re my best friend, almost like my brother. So��
�So you won�t marry me?� Drew interrupted.
�I didn�t say that,� Bethany said crossly. �Let me finish what I was saying.�
�Go on then,� Drew told her, still kneeling on the floor of the empty ocean-side dock.
�You live in New York, I live in L.A. If I said yes, how could it ever work?�
�That�s the thing, though,� he said, his eyes lighting back up. �I�ve asked to be traded to the Angels so that I can be with my fianc�e.�
�But I can�t let you leave the Yankees. You love that team and you�d be taking a pay cut to go to the Angels.�
�It doesn�t matter how much I get, I love you. That means more to me than any stupid team.�
Her eyes welled again with tears, this time in joy and not from the smoke.
�And maybe I could get the Angels all the way back up to number one. They�re only third in standing, anyway. And with me, there�s no chance that they could lose.�
Bethany gazed lovingly at Drew. �Yes, I�ll marry you.�
His smile almost consumed his entire face as he slid the ring onto her finger. He got up quickly as she stood up from the
chair and they embraced. Drew picked her up from the floor and twirled her around as she laughed in delight. When her
feet touched the floor again, they were already locked in a passionate kiss.
Six Months Later, The Wedding
�My little girl�s finally getting married,� her father sighed. �Now if he ever mistreats you, you come tell Daddy and that day will be the last he sees.�
�Daddy,� she almost giggled. �You know that Drew would never mistreat me.�
�I�m just saying�� he drifted off.
�Now, Daddy, please be serious. The pastor�s almost ready to begin.�
�Alright, alright,� he nodded as he stuck his arm out for her.
Both of them walked to the doors just outside the chapel. Her bridesmaids were already making their way down the
aisle. Bethany inhaled deeply as the doors began to crack open and the first chord of �The Wedding March�
began to sound.
�I love you sweetie,� her father whispered.
�I love you, too, Daddy.�
The doors were now wide open, the bright sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows and onto her face. Both sides of the aisle were filled with relatives and friends. The pews made to hold twenty now tried not to buckle under the weight of twenty-five.
Drew, dressed in a black tuxedo with a navy blue vest and a blue-dyed rose, stood at the altar staring at his new bride. His groomsmen stood to the left of him, donned in blue baseball uniforms. For added formality, they had decided to wear tuxedo ties with the uniforms. Bethany�s bridesmaids, on the other hand, were donned in navy blue evening gowns with an intricate silver rhinestone spirals at the bottom of the dresses. But to accent Drew�s love of baseball,
they carried baseball gloves instead of flowers.
