Today is Callum and Ellie’s wedding. It’s beautiful outside, making a perfect day for them. I spend most of the morning and early afternoon with Brannon, finishing the setup down at the pavilion overlooking the pond behind Callum and Ellie’s house. I understand now why they decided to get married here. It’s peaceful and intimate.
When we’re finished there, we make the trip over to Callum’s parents’ place. When Callum decided to build his house, he ended up buying land from his mom and stepdad, Randy. They own several acres out here with a barn separating the two properties.
Wanting to keep with the same private and intimate reception, they cleared out the barn and opted to use it as a makeshift dance floor. Brannon and I help set up tables around the outside with a table along the front for the bride and groom, and their wedding party. It’s almost surreal seeing the transformation.
Once everything is set up and ready to go, I race home to shower quickly and change into my dress shirt and slacks before heading back to Callum’s house. The girls are still inside getting ready. The guys take over the oversized garage where Callum spends a lot of his time fixing up his dirt bike and truck.
Cars are parked along the long gravel drive, leading up to their house. I watch as people mill around. Kinsley’s brother, Kolton, is stepping in as an usher helping seat people.
Knocking lightly on the door, I hear the cheers from the guys as I peek my head inside as they all shout “Graham!”
If I had to guess, they’ve been biding their time until it’s GO TIME by throwing back a few beers. Mason and Wes are standing off to the side, laughing about something as Callum and Brannon are near the front of the garage. Callum has an odd sense of peace on his face, and I’m not even surprised when I see him clutching a bottle of water.
The nerves are evident on his face, but I admire that he’s not slinging back beers to cover them up.
“How you feelin’, man? You ready?” I walk up to Callum, clapping him on the back.
“Hell, yes,” he says, running his hands through his hair as he pulls his phone out of his pocket to check the time. “I’ve been ready. As much as I love you guys and all, I’m ready to get the fuck out of this garage and make that woman mine.”
I laugh at his honesty.
“People are starting to get here. It will be go-time before you know it.”
We hear a knock on the door again, just as Hudson peers his head inside.
“Hudson,” Callum greets him. Hudson may be Kinsley’s grandfather, but it’s no secret that since Ellie moved to Arbor Creek that he’s developed quite a bond to her.
While I’m still getting to know Ellie after moving back home, Mason’s told me a lot about her and their relationship. It’s no secret that before she met Callum and moved here, she had a rough go at life. She’s the definition of strength, after all she’s been through.
“How’s she doing?” Callum asks, folding Hudson into a hug.
The time I’ve spent away has changed him some. The salt and pepper hair he once had is now covered with a steel gray. He’s still every bit the man I knew and remember growing up. Hudson was the kind of grandparent to Kinsley and Kolton that seemed like they were your grandparents, too. He may have slowed down some over the years, but he’s still every bit of the man he was then.
“Oh, she’s doing good. I think she’s like you, ready to get this going. Ready to see you.” He smiles, reassuring Callum. “She looks beautiful, Callum.”
The tears form in Hudson’s eyes and I feel like I’m interrupting a private moment that’s meant to stay between them two.
Glancing over at Callum, he releases a slow breath as he runs his knuckle under his eye as he blinks away the tears.
“I bet she does. I’m sure she’s already told you this, a few times if I had to guess,” Callum laughs, “but I just want to say thank you for being here today. I can’t tell you how much it means to her.”
Hudson rests his hand on Callum’s shoulder, squeezing it as he looks around at each of us. Mason and Wes have stopped their conversation, joining us.
“Ellie is like a daughter to me. I wish more than anything it was her father who was here, walking her down the aisle. Since he can’t be, it is my honor to stand in for him and give her away.”
Callum reaches forward and wraps Hudson in a hug. They exchange words and each of us give them their moment.
When they step back, Hudson looks back around the room at all of us and laughs. “Golly, you boys clean up well. It won’t be too long before each of you are standing in Callum’s shoes.”
He chuckles, looking around at us before he reaches out to shake Callum’s hand.
“I’m going to get back to our girls. We have just a few minutes until it’s time for all of you to get out there.”
“It’s good to have you home, son,” Hudson says, clapping his hand on my shoulder. He winks at me before he walks out the door.
“I think that’s my cue to head out there too.”
Callum, while he’s one of my good friends, has a closer relationship to Wes and Brannon. Growing up, they were his two best friends. It made sense for the two of them to stand next to him, along with his brother, Mason.
I follow the guys out, leaving them to head down to the pavilion as I take a seat, waiting for the wedding to start. When the music starts, I turn in my seat. I watch as my friends walk down the aisle one at a time, the last of the group is Halle with her hand wrapped around Brannon’s forearm.
She looks beautiful, like a dream, as she walks slowly down the aisle. She fights back a smile at something Brannon says to her, before she squeezes his arm. Her eyes are bright with the happiness radiating off her.
The champagne color dress combined with her tan skin gives her the look like she’s glowing, and I can’t help but stare at her, even when her and Brannon separate and she takes her spot behind Kinsley.
There’s hardly a dry eye in the room, as everyone watches Ellie walk down the aisle with Hudson by her side. This time Callum doesn’t even attempt to hide his emotions, as the tears stream down his face.
As soon as she reaches him, he presses a kiss passionately against her lips. Hudson clears his throat, reminding him he’s not supposed to do that just yet, which earns him a few laughs and makes Ellie smile.
You can feel the love between the two of them. The entire time, I’m unable to keep my eyes off Halle. It’s hard not to picture us up there, her standing before me looking like the angel she is, and I’m like Callum, unable to resist the urge to pull her into my arms and thank God for giving me her forever.
Then, I remind myself that the future we had laid out before us was changed, and the only person to blame for it now is myself.
We listen as the pastor talks about loving each other in the face of hard times. I look over at Halle and watch her as she glances down at her flowers, running her hand underneath her eye again, before she peeks over at me.
She looks surprised when she finds me staring back at her, but this time she doesn’t look away.
“I’m sorry,” I mouth to her.
She gives me a sad smile, turning to look back at Callum and Ellie.
We both watch as the pastor asks them to recite their vows. When he announces them as husband and wife, our eyes once again find each other’s. This time I hope the look on my face says everything I can’t say in that moment.