The Confession (31 page)

The night before the wedding, the
entire family gathered for dinner at Fiorino’s, courtesy of Adam.
It surprised John when Lydia sat next to him. He felt anxious and
reached under the table to hold Jennifer’s hand. As the evening
progressed, the atmosphere became less tense.

Colin stood to make a
toast. “Ok everyone, be quiet. I would like to make a toast to the
happy couple. John, I am so proud of the man you have become. Our
family is stronger because of you. All of us have taken a
tough
journey this past year. We have cried, laughed, and loved each
other. At the end of the day, we are stronger because of our love
for one another. Tomorrow you begin a new journey, one of love and
happiness. Your mother and I wish you many years of happiness.
Jennifer, I thank you for loving my son. His smile is infectious
and his joy is evident every time he looks at you and the children.
Welcome to our family.”

Lydia glanced at Adam, and he nodded
discretely. She turned in her seat to face John. “This past year
has seen many changes within our family. I never thought I would
find it in my heart to forgive what happened so long ago. I never
thought I would be comfortable being in the same room with you. I
am happy that you have found someone to love. I wish the both of
you a long and happy marriage, filled with love and
laughter.”

John addressed his family. “I am
overwhelmed and so very grateful that all of us are gathered here
this evening. When I returned to Philadelphia, I never envisioned
my life taking the course that it has. This past year has been
cathartic for me. My life has taken a different path, one that I
eagerly await. Tomorrow, the next chapter of my life begins, and I
will marry the woman who has stolen my heart. I will open my arms
and my heart to two adorable children that I love beyond words.
More importantly, I will share this blessed event with my family. I
love all of you so very much. I am humbled and grateful for your
love and support this past year. Without all of you, I would cease
to exist.”

Chapter 21

The following morning,
under a clear blue sky, John and Jennifer exchanged wedding vows in
a traditional ceremony. Pastor Butler performed the ceremony in the
courtyard behind the church. John stood before the pergola and
adjusted his collar several times. He felt like he was choking. His
stress level was off the charts. Colin patted him on the back and
laughed. “It’s only pre-wedding
nerves,
John. Take a deep
breath. You are turning green.”

“I’ve waited so long for
this day. You’d think I
would be
prepared for the
jitters.”

“Everyone is nervous on
their wedding day. It’s
entirely
normal
and fascinating to
watch.”

“Wipe that smug look
on
your face
Dad
before I throw up on
you.”

Colin leaned in and
whispered to him. “Think of the honeymoon John. You’ve waited a
long time
for
this day. Tonight will be the
most important
night of your life. Remember the pot of gold at the end of the
rainbow. Jennifer is your pot of gold.”

Those few words calmed his nerves.
“Thanks for the pep talk. I feel better.”

“You’re welcome, John. Oh look, here
comes Olivia. Isn’t she so adorable?”

John watched his
daughter
walk down the aisle with a little basket of rose peddles. When
she reached the pergola, she smiled up and John and his heart
melted. Jason soon followed with the rings. His steps were slow and
steady. He did not want to drop the rings.

Both children stood on either side of
John and looked up at him with love and accomplishment in their
eyes. He loved them with an intensity so overwhelming it defied
words. When the music started to play, he focused his attention on
the vision of beauty that walked towards him. The soft melody of
“The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” played in the background.
Jennifer’s dress was simple and classic. Her eyes shown with love
and tears, as she walked towards the love of her life.

John reached out to take her hand, and
together, they stood in front of the Pastor. He whispered to her,
“You look stunning. I love you madly.”

Pastor Butler spoke
eloquently. “We have come together in the presence of God to
witness the joining together of this man and this woman in the bond
of marriage. It is one of
man’s
greatest blessings and one of his
most awesome responsibilities. John and Jennifer thank you for
joining them and sharing
in
this very special day.”

“Who is giving this woman to be married
to this man?”

Adam stepped forward. “I
do.”

“Please join hands.
John, do you intend to take
this woman whose hand you are holding to be your lawful wedded
wife, and do you pledge before God and man to love, honor, and
protect her through sunshine and shadow alike, keeping yourself
unto her alone until death shall separate you?
If so, answer, “I do.”

“I
do,
” John said with
tears in his eyes.

“Jennifer, do you intend to make this man, whose hand you hold,
to be your lawful wedded husband and do you pledge before God and
man to be to him a loving and true wife, through sunshine and
shadow alike, keeping yourself unto him alone, until death shall
separate you?
If so, answer, “I
do.”

“I
do,
” Jennifer said as
she squeezed John’s hand.

John turned to face
Jennifer.
“I John
Patrick Brady take you Jennifer Elizabeth Harrison to be my wife,
to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for
worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love
and to cherish, excluding all others, as long as we both shall
live.
With God as my witness, I give you my
pledge.”

Jennifer repeated the
marriage vows.
“I
Jennifer Elizabeth Harrison take you John Patrick Brady to be my
husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or
for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to
love and to cherish, excluding all others, as long as we both shall
live.
With God as my witness, I give you my
pledge.”

Pastor Butler continued. “You have
chosen to seal your vows by the giving and receiving of rings. The
ring forms a perfect circle without a beginning or an end, and is
thereby a symbol of eternity and signifies the duration of the
commitment you are making. Let us now exchange these
rings.”

John: “I give you this ring, as a
symbol of my vow, and with all that I am, and with all that I have.
I will honor you.”

Jennifer: “I give you this ring, as a
symbol of my vow, and with all that I am, and with all that I have.
I will honor you.”

“And now, by the authority
vested in me as a minister of the Gospel, and
by
the laws
of
the
State of Pennsylvania, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may
kiss the bride.”

John lifted Jennifer’s veil, placed
both hands on her face, and gently kissed her. Jason and Olivia
clung to his legs. John bent down and lifted Olivia into his arms.
Jennifer held Jason. Turning to face his family, Pastor Butler
said, “It is my honor to introduce to you, for the first time,
Pastor John Brady and his wife, Jennifer Brady.”

John’s eyes focused on
Father Mallard, who stood by the only tree in the
courtyard
. Walking over to greet him, John felt apprehensive. “Father
Mallard, I’m pleased to see you here today.”

“It’s good to see you also
Pastor Brady. I hesitated
to come
here today. I must confess I
feel the need to apologize to you. I was angry and disappointed
when you left the priesthood. I am also
mad at myself
for
forcing the issue with Gail. I feel I was the catalyst for your
renouncing your vows. I also want to apologize for the hurtful
things I said to you at our last meeting. It was uncalled for, and
I am deeply ashamed of myself.”

“There is no need to
apologize Father Mallard. I have grown this past year, not only as
a
man
but also as a vessel for Our Lord Jesus Christ.
The attire I wear may look
different. However
; my faith,
my devotion to the word of God has not changed.”

“I am so pleased to hear those words,
Pastor Brady. You have a lovely family. It’s obvious to me those
two precious souls love their father.”

“And I love
them,
Father Mallard, with all that I am. Would you like to join us
today? I would be honored to share our happiness with
you.”

“Thank
you,
John. I would
love to share in your happiness.”

The reception party
consisted of John’s parents, Adam’s family, his sister Mary, Pastor
Butler, several clergy members from his new church, and the
children. The couple wanted a quiet
wedding
and did not
wish
to draw attention to their marriage.

Colin stood and clinked his
glass. “I’d like to propose a toast to the happy couple. John, this
past year with you has been the best year of our lives. For the
first time in my life, I see you. It makes me so happy sharing my
life with you, and now, I have a beautiful
daughter-in-law
and two
rambunctious grandchildren. Your mother and I are proud of the man
you have become. Our family is resolute in our love of God, family
and loved ones. I wish the two of you a long and happy
marriage.”

Father Mallard stood to
address the family. “John has graciously invited me to celebrate
this happy day. It is with a humble heart that I stand before you
today. It is
a
true
testament
to
Our Lord Jesus
Christ that this beautiful family has come together to celebrate
this happy event. I have peace in my heart knowing John has not
strayed from the core principles that made him a valuable, kind,
and loving priest. As you embark on the next chapter of your life,
I would like to be a friend to
you,
Pastor Brady. This
community needs dedicated men of faith, men who will nurture and
instill the love of God and the dedication of faith to future
generations.”

“If I may, I would like to
pray for John and Jennifer Brady.
Father,
you have made the bond of marriage a holy mystery, a symbol of
Christ’s love for his Church. Hear our prayers for John and
Jennifer. With faith in you and in each other, they pledge their
love today. May their lives always bear witness to the reality of
that love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who
lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and
ever. Amen.”

In unison, everyone said,
“Amen.”

“John, why
are you
so secretive? Where are we going?”

“It’s a secret. Be patient my love.
We’ll be there soon.”

“The suspense is killing me. I miss the
children. Maybe I should call Mom to see if they are
okay.”

“Honey, it’s almost midnight. They are
sleeping now. We can call them tomorrow.”

The road was dark, which made it
difficult seeing the road signs. However, the familiar scent of
seawater became apparent. “I know where we’re going!” Jennifer said
as she clapped her hands.

“Adam gave me the keys to their house
in Cape May. He said Lydia drove down yesterday morning and stocked
the refrigerator. We have enough food for the next
week.”

“That was very kind of them to do this
for us.”

“Yes, it is. I was surprised when Gail
came to see me Thursday morning.”

“She is a lovely young woman. Would it
upset you if I said she looks like you?”

Stunned by the comparison,
John remained silent for several minutes as he absorbed her words.
“I was afraid to
say
it,
Jenny. I noticed it immediately, but I
did not want to upset Lydia and Adam. They are Gail’s parents, not
I. I will always be Uncle John to her, and I’m happy assuming that
role in her life. I have my family Jenny. I have a beautiful
wife
and two adorable children. I am blessed in this life, and I
will love and cherish all of you for the remainder of my
life.”