Stepping Out in Faith - 18. Epilogue

Marcus’ heart was beating so fast that he thought it would pop right out of his chest. Then Andy squeezed his hand tightly, and Marcus immediately felt his nerves settle. He sneaked a peek at the man he loved out of the corner of his eye.

It had been two years almost to the day that Andy had confessed everything in the middle of Central Park. Two years of laughter and tears, of triumphant moments and infuriating arguments. Life was messy, but Marcus was glad that he was sharing his mess with Andy. And now they stood before their family and friends, about to make that bond permanent in the eyes of the law and of God.

John was going on about commitment in marriage, but Marcus found it difficult to pay attention. Beside him, Andy glowed, and Marcus found his eyes drifting to back to him at every opportunity. A squeeze of his hand drew him out of his daze. Andy and John were both looking at him expectantly, grinning.

“Love, I need my hand,” Andy whispered.

“Oh, sorry.” Marcus reluctantly released Andy and suddenly felt adrift, standing alone at the front of the room.

Andy’s grin widened before he went to sit behind the keyboard on the side of the stage. Marcus frowned, this wasn’t part of the program, at least, not the program he knew about.

He racked his brain to see if he had overlooked something. The wedding had been a lot more work to plan than he had anticipated, especially after his mother got involved. She took charge of almost everything—flowers, decorations, even Marcus’ and Andy’s suits had to be approved, much to both men’s chagrin—and Marcus found himself spending more time managing her than doing any actual planning.

But all three of them agreed on one thing: they wanted John to officiate. Thankfully, he heartily agreed. He couldn’t officiate in his capacity as a Catholic priest, but he was more than willing to go rogue for a day and act as a legal officiator.

Marcus glanced back at his mother who sat in the front row. She beamed at him. He narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously; she knew what was going on. Then soft music began to flow through the speakers and Andy leaned into the microphone.

How exorbitant is Your love

Deeply intimate is Your friendship

Marcus’ heart stopped as Andy serenaded him with one of their favourite Christian songs. Every time Andy sang—Marcus had learned over the past two years that Andy sang often—Marcus always stopped whatever he was doing to listen. This time was no different, and yet this time was so much more.

You’ve got me moving

By the power of Your grace

I find I’m intoxicated

By Your fragrance

Your love is transformative

As Andy sang, the significance of the lyrics was plain to Marcus; this wasn’t just a Christian song, but the words were a reflection of Andy’s heart and a declaration of who Andy was. He was a man grounded in his faith in a loving God; he was a man carried away by his love for Marcus.

In the arms of Christ I’m surrounded by

A love that conquers sin

I’ve been made new by Your patient love

That I cannot comprehend

I surrender my heart again

Marcus couldn’t hold back the tears that filled his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. Andy had traveled an astonishing journey. He had left behind everything he knew to be true about his role in the world and forged a new identity grounded in a new understanding of who God was. Marcus felt privileged to have witnessed it and taken part in it.

Time and again, he had been amazed at the bravery Andy displayed as he struggled with theological truths and found ways to reconcile them to what he felt in his heart. The journey had not been smooth, but Marcus found that the rough patches brought them closer together and forced them to put the other person first.

The journey wasn’t over; it wouldn’t be over until they were both dead. But Marcus wanted nothing more than to continue down this path with Andy.

As the last notes of the melody faded, Marcus wiped the tears from his eyes. When Andy returned from the keyboard, he caught a stray drop that Marcus missed.

“I love you,” Andy whispered.

“I love you, too.”

John cleared his throat before continuing. “Stephen, rings, please?”

Marcus turned to his best man, who also had tear-rimmed eyes. Stephen sniffled as he fumbled in his pocket for the rings. It had taken a while for Stephen to come around to Andy. But once he was finally convinced that Andy had come out of the closet for good, Marcus frequently found them teaming up against him.

“Marcus, would you repeat after me?”

Marcus repeated after John with a huge goofy grin on his face. His voice shook as he recited the vow he and Andy had drafted together. His hands trembled when he slipped the platinum ring onto Andy’s finger. When the ring settled into place, Marcus felt his heart soar with the knowledge that this man was his.

Then it was Andy’s turn. Marcus didn’t think he could be any more amazed by his soon-to-be husband, but as Andy recited the words they had written, his sincerity and conviction stole Marcus’ breath away.

“I give you this ring as a symbol of my abiding love, my eternal faith, my undying devotion, my everlasting friendship, and the promise of all my tomorrows.” Andy’s voice was steady and strong, the words spoken clearly and with pride.

“I choose to share my whole life’s journey with you, knowing that with you I can become so much more than I am. I promise to love, honor and respect you through life’s joys and life’s tragedies. With this ring, I bind my life to yours.”

Marcus didn’t expect to be so overwhelmed by the feeling of the ring sliding onto his finger. He blinked to keep the tears at bay. In Andy’s eyes, he saw the wealth of love they felt for each other. This man was his other half; and now he was whole.

“And now, I pronounce you married! Gentlemen, you may now kiss your husband!”

Marcus smiled as Andy’s eyes grew wide. There were those big innocent doe eyes that had been Marcus’ downfall. Now those doe eyes were his forever. Marcus grinned as he leaned in and growled when Andy melted against him.

Forever. Yes, he liked the sound of that.

THE END