Russel (almost) family day out

[Esme Russel]

Esme thought that Jonathan looked wonderful - so good that she was actually speechless! She couldn't believe that he could get even more handsome than he already was. "I love you..." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before leading them so they were walking side by side to the little wedding chapel. Four blocks really wasn't that far! It gave her some time to think about what they were about to do. She still wasn't having any doubts about this which was still surprising because she didn't know if she was ready the first time around. She had always known that she loved him but she didn't think that she was old enough or mature enough to be a married woman despite the fact that she knew she wanted to spend her life with him. Her doubts were never about him - they were about herself. Was she good enough? Would he still love her in fifteen years? Or would he get tired of her? Plus she honestly didn't know if it was far at that point in his life to tie him down to her legally.

She and Jonathan were really doing this.. She was really going to be his wife. Cici seemed excited if an infant could possibly understand what was about to happen than she definitely did. She was giggling and pointing at everything that got her attention even occasionally saying 'mama' or 'daddy' though hard to understand for most people since she was so young. Esme never understood how people could possibly say that they don't understand what their child says - they brought that tiny human into the world! How could you not understand every single world that they say from the very first one? Which.. Cici's had been 'Dal' as in Dallas but Esme had sworn up and down that it was really daddy and just sounded a hell of a lot like Dal.

A tiny part of her was scared that he was going to back out right before this happened but she was mostly sure that he loved her. She was so much better than any of the other girls that he had dated! How could he not want to marry her when his other option was someone like Avery? That bitch never deserved him! She felt her fears washing away as she stepped inside of the wedding chapel. She spoke to the person at the front and they were told that they could be married as soon as the couple ahead of them finished. It didn't take long before the older couple was leaving and she and Jonathan were told to go up.. This was really happening.

The minister looked honestly bored with this and told her unenthusiastically what she was suppose to say to Jonathan and then what he was suppose to repeat the same to her only switching the names. "I, Esme Faith Reynolds, take you, Jonathan Jacob Russel, to be my lawfully wedded husband, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God and our daughter, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live." She was glad that they'd gone with the traditional vows.. Every wedding needs a little tradition, right?

She could feel her eyes filling with hot happy tears and she suddenly realized that she didn't care if he saw them. She knew that he would love her even if she was five hundred pounds and hideous... he wanted to marry her for everything that she was but isn't that what love is? You love someone for everything they are sometimes and in spite of it others.

[Jonathan Russel]

Jon's heart was pounding hard inside of his chest as they waited to go next, and once it was time, he let out a breath. He was doing this. He was actually doing this. He was actually getting married. That was something he certainly didn't see coming when he woke up that morning on the couch. Making eye contact with the minister, it was now or never... and he was ready for it. In a way, he felt he'd been preparing for it since that day on the boardwalk. It wasn't a conscious feeling, but something inside of him new, this girl, Esme, was the person he wanted to be with forever. No matter what. They beat the odds, fuck the statistics -- they were getting married despite all of it.

Listening to Esme speak her vows only enforced those feelings. It was all real to him now, he could feel it. He felt the love in her voice, saw it in her eyes, and he couldn't help but think that this, all of this, everything... was perfect. He didn't care that they were in a small chapel, that they had a shitty minister, or that she wasn't in some fancy white dress and he wasn't in a fancy tux -- because all they needed was each other. That's what marriage was about.

Once the minister turned to him to say his vows, Jon let out a shaky breath, lightly squeezing Esme's hands, "I, Jonathan Jacob Russel, take you, Esme Faith Reynolds, to be my lawfully wedded wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God and our daughter, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live." Jon, never one to show any such vulnerable emotions very often, found his eyes go glassy -- though he didn't let the tears fall, smiling over at Esme.

After being handed their rings, Jon took her hand, holding the same ring he had given to her that Christmas when he first proposed, and slid it onto her ring finger.

"I now pronounce thee, husband and wife."

Hearing those words, a spark hit Jon, like he was instantly fulfilled with happiness, pulling Esme into a kiss, their first, as a married couple.

[Esme Russel]

Esme couldn't hold in the happy tears when the minister declared them husband and wife.. Legally... Forever and for always. She had no intention of ever getting divorced, well, she knew that most people don't go into a marriage intending on getting divorced but she knew in her heart that she was never going to give up them. Of course there would be some difficulties and arguments along the way but all marriages go through rough patches from time to time. It's not about being the perfect couple; it's about loving someone despite everything. Her and Jonathan had gone through enough to understand this, right? They were young parents still in high school for God's sake!

She found herself smiling into his kiss which was something that happened often with him. Something about him... even now he gave her butterflies in her stomach and they'd probably kissed a thousand times. "Do you wanna go... back to the townhouse? Or we can celebrate by getting that cat that I wanted and then you can get the cat that you want after Cici goes down for her nap..." She was looking forward to the first possible weekend that they could have their honeymoon. She loved Cici and she honestly missed her when she wasn't there but she wanted no.. needed some alone time with her new husband.

She looked down to their daughter and let out a giggle, "This is so amazing! I just.... I have never been this happy in my entire life." She had Cici in her stroller so she could hold onto Jonathan's hand, "I love you and I know that I'm just rambling but it's because I'm really happy." She could feel another round of happy hot tears filling her eyes, "Let's go get a cat and we'll just ... we won't tell people right away because I don't care anymore. I don't want Kegan and Thalia to think we did to outdo them or Avery to think we did this because her so let's just.. all that matters is that I know and you know that I'm your wife."

His wife..

She was going to have to get use to saying that and having it actually be true. "I just want to enjoy this time just us if that's okay with you.. It's so much more special if we're the only ones who know."

[Jonathan Russel]

Jon laughed as he listened to her go on about getting cats, already planning on things to do as a married couple, and nodded as he looked down to their daughter. He loved Cici, but Esme was right -- now was the time for them to be alone, to celebrate. At the thought of keeping it a secret, he nodded in agreement. He hadn't even been thinking much about all the other people who would be upset about them getting married anymore until then... and thinking about it now just made him all the more glad that he did it. They stepped up. They took a stand for their relationship and this is how they were doing it, who cared if anybody else thought it was a stupid idea? Jon believed their love was real, and he was sure Esme did, too, and that's what mattered most.

He squeezed Esme's hand, "That's fine with me, baby," he nodded, insistently, "this time, all the time we have right now, it's meant for me and you and nobody else." Jon lifted a hand to brush away a strand of hair from her face, "I love you, and I can't wait to start the rest of my life with you, as your husband."

[Esme Russel]

Esme's heart did a flip every single time that she thought about how Jonathan and her were going to spend the rest of their lives together. She just wanted to jump up and down and squeal about how happy that she was to be married to him but she knew that would seem incredibly immature. "I love you.." It was that she could do not to say it another forty times.. She just couldn't believe the fact that they were married.. forever now. She and Jon had a taken a big step today in their relationship.. They'd resolved their issue and gotten married! She no longer felt like she had to compete with Avery.. This ring on her finger gave her piece of mind.

She gripped Jonathan's hand and led him into the nearby pet store to look at the kittens with their daughter. The first one that got her eye was a tiny fluffy calico who was meowing quietly at a stuffed unicorn in the cage with her. "Oh my goodness! Look at her little face, Jon! She's so cute and perfect.. Can we get her?" She was easily attached to cute things. She couldn't get over it's little face! "I think I wanna name her Unicorn... What do you think? Or are you thinking about the fucking we're going to do when we get home?" They were in a private corner of the store so she briefly stuck her free hand into his pants and stroked what she felt gently to try and tease him.

She removed her hand after about sixty seconds, "So Jon.. Do you want the pussy?" She wasn't sure which one she was referring to...

[Jonathan Russel]

"I love you too," Jon smiled; the words held so much more meaning now that they were in this together, that they were married. Knowing that this woman in front of him was his wife, that just made him feel so much happier. They'd been through so much together, and throughout every up and down, they stuck through it -- even found their way back together after the time they had broken up. It was meant to be, and he knew it in his gut.

Jon looked over at the cat Esme had wanted, and nodded, about to grant her the permission to get the cat, but was interrupted upon feeling her hand crawl into his pants, his heart rate escalating. Nobody could see them, but that was definitely a surprise to him, holding Esme close and looking around so as to make sure no one else was nearby or walking passed them. He gulped slightly, trying hard to resist the urge to get... well, hard... but it was difficult. "I..." Upon hearing her whisper into his ear, Jon bit onto his lip. What was that feeling? Dear god, he couldn't be-- "...fuck."

His eyes shifted towards Esme's, "Uh... baby?" Jesus, this was embarrassing... he looked down over to his pants, "I... um..."

[Esme Russel]

Esme figured that this was just harmless fun! She didn't think that he would seriously um.. enjoy himself so quickly in his pants. Didn't he usually last longer than that? Did she just have magical hands? "Oh my God.." She put a hand over her mouth as she gasped before she pulled out her cardigan from the diaper bag and tried to wrap it around his front to hide.. the evidence of what had occurred. "Um.. Honey... What if we get the cat and then head right home? And I will make up for this whole thing! I swear... We can do it in any position.. anywhere in the house.. for however long you want."

She was blushing a crimson red as she spoke to the store clerk and discussed the kitten. She was trying desperately to try and end Jonathan's embarrassment. "Um.. My husband is um.. Very very ill and he just came in his pants.. I mean peed! ... I mean I want a cat!" The store employee raised both brows before turning and rolling his eyes. What in the hell was up with some people? Esme knew that she looked kind of a lot insane as she bounced on her toes and prayed that this would be a quick process... But what if it wasn't? What if it took forever?

They didn't have much time! What if Jon started crying?

...Why was she panicking like this? She was soon paying for the small kitten who snuggled perfectly into her arms and she headed back to her poor husband. "Okay.. Are you ready? I swear to God that I will make that up for you." She thought that it would be funny but now she just felt guilty...