The Wedding Night - 1. Chapter 1

Paul sat on the edge of his bed holding two rings in his hand. They were pure gold formed into perfect circles. He ran his fingers along their cool smooth edges. They symbolized a pure, solid, continuous love that he had tried too hard to believe in. It was not real. It could never be real but they looked good together. He played the role of the strong handsome prince. His dear Julia was his beautiful princess. As the wedding day approached she naturally fell into the role of blushing bride. She grew strong with anticipation as he grew week. He never told her of his misgivings. Instead he confided in his friend Robbie.

Robbie was a young bachelor who had been Paul's friend for years. They were more than just two buddies who watched football together. They were more like family members than friends. They had helped each other through the hardest times in their lives. When Paul was considering proposing to Julia he came to Robbie for advice. Robbie cautioned him not to rush into anything he was uncertain about but at the time other voices spoke louder. In his mind Paul could hear the old women in his family asking him when he would get married. He could see everyone anticipating the event. It was an obligation he was required to fulfill.

He had proposed to Julia on a cold icy evening. The week before Robbie had helped him prepare. They had chosen the ring together. Robbie had a good eye for detail. Then as the day of the proposal approached Paul spent most of his time with Robbie. He talked over every detail of the proposal as if preparing for an audition. He practiced his lines, with his friend playing the role of Julia. It took many tries just to avoid tripping over the words. When he finally got it right he was down on one knee looking up at the concerned face of his soon to be best man. Robbie warned him again not to do anything that felt wrong. The warning nagged at Paul as the wedding drew close.

The proposal was beautifully executed but not heartfelt. The cold of the winter night seemed to invade his heart. He felt dread and some guilt for burdening his unsuspecting girlfriend with unknown problems. He did not feel the warm passion of a lover. His face was as white as the snow. Julia attributed it to nervousness but his color never returned. As their parents fretted over flowers and bows Julia watched her fiancé. He was not a victorious knight in shining armor but instead a prisoner of war. She hoped he would tell her what was wrong but he did not dare. Finally, a week before the wedding she broke the engagement saying that she would rather be his friend than his wife. With the end of their romance began a true friendship that would overshadow the present tragedy. They told their disappointed families the news together. With only a week left before the wedding, the wounds they inflicted would be both financial and emotional.

The roses from the bride's bouquet now stood on Paul's windowsill. Backlit by the setting sun they came alive with vivid color. The sun peered through the brilliantly red clouds. It had rained on what would have been his wedding day. The clouds were gathering again for a hot June storm. Paul put the wedding rinds back in their box and the box in the pocket of his jeans. He still wanted to hold on to the fantasy of a sun drenched wedding day with his true love whoever that would be. He picked up the phone and called Robbie. He was not sure what he wanted to say but he wanted to talk to someone. Paul asked Robbie if he could come over and as usual Robbie invited him.

For the first time that day Paul left his home. Robbie lived only two blocks away. As Paul began to walk the clouds released their first drops of rain. Thunder rumbled in the distance and a light wind splashed his face with rain. As the drops fell faster they seemed to wash away the sadness and guilt that had hung over him all day. His depression melted as the heavens cried his tears.

When he arrived at Robbie's apartment his wet cloths clung to him like a second skin. His hair dripped and his face was wet but inside, his heart was warm again. Robbie quickly led him inside. He lent Paul a large towel to dry himself in. As Paul dried his disheveled hair and took off his wet cloths he thought about Julia and Robbie. Julia had all the qualities of a good friend but he could never be in love with her. Strangely, Robbie was much more like the sort of person he could fall in love with but he was a man. The thought of his family's reaction made him shudder. He pushed the thought out of his mind and wrapped the towel around his waist.

Paul found Robbie in the living room watching waves of wind driven rain crash against the windows. It beat on the glass like something alive and real demanding entrance. Robbie got up form his chair and they looked at each other. Outside lightning flashed from cloud to cloud filling the atmosphere with its electric attraction. It seemed to bring everything to life. Neither one of them said anything. They could read each other's faces. Lightning struck a power pole outside. Suddenly the whole world was dark and hot and humid. Lightning flashed again and thunder rolled as nature made its power known. As the world gave way to chaos the friend embraced. As if driven by the storm, they abandoned all the old rules and kissed. At first they kissed gently and then with more passion. They held on two each other and looked at each other in a new light.

Robbie led the way through the hallway and into a smaller tighter room. Rain pelted the window behind the large bed. The curtains were open but all they could see were sheets of rain and flashes of hot white light. They moved to the strange rhythm of the storm. With each lightning strike their passion grew and they melted into each other. Fused together they were powerful beyond their dreams. Everything else ceased to exist until finally the storm subsided. The next day they would wake to a fresh new world.