Chapter 6 - The Ceremony
The morning of the wedding was a storm of nerves and chaos. Joe paced back and forth in the
back room of the chapel, adjusting his tie every thirty seconds.
“You’re gonna wear that thing out if you keep strangling yourself with it,” his best man muttered.
“Easy for you to say,” Joe snapped. “You’re not about to get married to Taiga.”
The best man raised an eyebrow. “Fair point. She does scare me.”
Meanwhile, in the bridal suite, Taiga was equally restless. She tugged at the sleeves of her
gown, scowled at the bouquet, and muttered curses under her breath.
“You look beautiful,” one of her bridesmaids whispered.
“I look like a frosted cupcake,” Taiga shot back. But when she caught her reflection in the mirror,
her scowl softened just a little. She looked strong. Radiant. Ready.
The ceremony began with music that was supposed to be soft and elegant, but Taiga had
insisted on sneaking in something with a little kick. Half the guests blinked in confusion as a
dramatic rock ballad thundered through the church, but when she appeared in the doorway, no
one cared.
Joe’s heart nearly stopped. She wasn’t walking down the aisle, she was owning it. Her gaze
locked on his, unwavering, and for a moment, the crowd disappeared.
When she reached him, she whispered, “Don’t faint, dumbass.”
“I’ll try,” Joe whispered back, grinning.
The priest tried to keep things traditional, but Taiga wasn’t having it. When asked to recite her
vows, she folded her arms.
“The pre-written ones are boring. I’ll do this my way.”
Joe’s grin widened. “Figures.”
Taiga cleared her throat, her voice sharp but trembling with emotion. “Joe, you’re stubborn,
reckless, and you drive me insane. But you’re also the first person who ever made me feel like I
wasn’t too much. You take me as I am, even when I’m a nightmare. So I promise… to keep
yelling at you, keep annoying you, and keep loving you. Always.”
Gasps, laughter, and a few tears rippled through the crowd.
Joe’s turn. He took her hands, steadying himself. “Taiga, you’re terrifying. You throw things, you
never let me win an argument, and I’m pretty sure you’ve shortened my lifespan by at least ten
years. But you’re also my favorite person in the world. You make me want to be better. And I
promise… to keep standing by you, no matter how loud, fiery, or difficult things get. Forever.”
By the time the priest pronounced them husband and wife, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
But before he could finish the line about kissing, Taiga grabbed Joe’s collar and kissed him first.
“Beat you to it,” she whispered, smirking.
(To be continued in Chapter 7)
