Ch 37

I'll Never Break Your Heart

A/N: Two chapters in one day!

Victoria

My eyes were still closed as I felt the rush of air as the attendant in the elevator moved past Rose and me to open the door. The clanging of the metal gates as they opened made me open my eyes. He held out his hand and he escorted me out of the elevator. Madelyn and Abigail stepped behind me to fluff out my dress and to make sure the backside of it didn't get caught when the doors closed. After watching Abigail and Madelyn help Rose with her dress, I saw my father slip a bill into the attendant's hands for holding the elevator in case something went wrong. After the attendant realized it was a tip, I heard him say thank you, but it was as if I was listening from miles away though a thick fog. I was about to be sick. I knew it.

Rose sensed my feelings and squeezed my hand again. "Relax. Everything will be okay."

I let out a deep breath slowly as I saw a figure, dressed in a tuxedo coming towards us. "Harry!"

"Not hardly. He's in there." Lightoller pointed to the closed door of the ballroom. "Moody's in there with Jack and Lowe keeping them from bolting." He saw the look of horror in my eyes after he spoke. "Kidding. Just kidding. He's not going anywhere that doesn't have you along with him. He wouldn't leave you. He's been in there, waiting with Jack, for a bit now." He held out his arm for Rose. "I see that I am to be your escort today. The pleasure is all mine." Rose smiled as she looped her arm through his.

I was petrified. I stood still, my knees unable to bend and my shoes on my feet felt as if they each weighed a thousand pounds. I leaned against the wall beside the elevator, trying to catch my breath. My gloved hand found its way to my racing heart.

My father walked over to me. "Victoria, are you all right?"

I felt a weak smile spread across my face, "Just nerves. Can I catch my breath a moment?"

"Anything you want. Do you need a glass of water or a handkerchief or anything?" Madelyn came up beside me and was anxious to help me if I needed anything.

I shook my head, "No, Madelyn. I'm alright now." She nodded and moved out of the way so I could start walking again. Father held out his arm and I looped my arm around his so he could lead me in. My father motioned for Madelyn and Abigail to go in and be seated. They curtsied and walked in the ballroom. After watching the door close behind them, we were almost ready to begin.

"Officer Lightoller, after Shannon enters the room to drop the petals and gets to the altar, please escort Rose through the door first. My daughter and I will follow."

Lightoller looked at me and winked, "Sure. Rose and I are ready when Shannon is."

Father let go of my arm and walked to Shannon. He kneeled down. "I see you have your petals. Are you ready for your big debut?"

Shannon broke out into a huge grin. "Yes, sir! I have my petals and thanks to Rose helping me, I can do this blindfolded. But I don't want to run into a chair, so I am going to leave that part out."

Father laughed at Shannon and kissed her on her head. "Whenever you're ready, Shannon, the stage is yours."

Shannon looked over at me. "I love you, Torie." She smiled at me and I felt tears in my eyes.

"I love you too, Shannie."

My younger sister took a deep breath and as the door opened, she stepped expertly in. I could hear the organist playing the prelude to the Wedding March as my father watched Shannon throw petals onto the ground. Rose turned around to look at me. She smiled and then looked at Lightoller.

He let out a sigh and looked at me then at Rose, "Ready?"

She looked straight ahead, "As I'll ever be." She looked at me over her shoulder one last time and the Wedding March filled the air as she started towards the flower laden altar.

I watched as Rose walked down the aisle towards Jack and the minister. She had her arm looped through Lightoller's and her gown flowed with every step.

I took another deep breath as Father announced it was my time. One more time, I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply as the Wedding March started all over again as Father and I walked down the flower petal draped aisle. My sister had done her job. Lilac and pink rose petals draped the floor heading to the altar. I was doing my best to control my breathing so I wouldn't hyperventilate and faint. Harry was standing to the left of Jack. His face relaxed and broke into a smile as I started towards him. Once we locked eyes, I was sure I was doing the right thing.

Harry

Lightoller had left the altar to go get Rose, leaving Moody, Jack and me to fend for ourselves as the Minister walked to us.

"Which men are the lucky grooms to be?" He held out his hand as Jack and I shook it.

"This is Harold Lowe. My name is Jack Dawson. My bride is Rose."

The minister laughed, "Glad we got that out of the way. I'd hate to have to marry you to the wrong lady." He directed Jack to stand in one place and me to stand in another. The minister pointed. "When I come out from over there, the two men walking them down the aisle will walk them to here." He pointed to a step below where he was standing. "After I ask who gives these women in marriage, you will take your respective bride by the arm and walk her here." The minister stepped up 2 steps to another area. I'll be here and then we'll get on with the wedding. Any questions?"

I cleared my throat. "I'd like to say something to my bride, Victoria, before we say our vows. Is this proper?"

The minister nodded, "You may say anything you like. I'll let you know when it's time."

The organist caught the minister's eyes. "Looks like we're ready." He took off to the side entrance of the room. I turned to face the still closed doors of the ballroom. A musical number was being played from the organ as I saw the doors swing open and in stepped Shannon. She sprinkled some sort of flower petals all over the carpet leading up towards the altar. When she got to where I was standing, she motioned for me to bend down.

"I love my sister. Take care of her or my father is going to send me in to take care of you." She smiled.

I looked at her and tried not to laugh at the thought of her coming to get me. "Yes ma'am. You have my word. Your big sister is in good hands." I kissed her hand and she stood to the side, waiting on her father.

Rose and Lightoller stepped through the doors next. Another musical piece was playing. This was the bridal march. I've been to enough weddings to recognize this one. Rose was holding onto Lightoller's arm as they slowly made their way to the altar. I checked out my partner and his face was a glow as he watched Rose come towards him. I was about to whisper something to him when the door opened one more time. I caught my breath as I saw Torie for the first time in her wedding gown. She glowed with radiance as she and her father made their way towards me. I could see her face relax as we locked eyes. What Lightoller had said was true. All I felt was love. It was a true, deep love as I watched Victoria come to me.

Victoria

I was still holding on to my father's arm as the minister came from a side room. He saw Rose and me standing there and smiled. "Who gives these women in marriage?"

My father spoke up, "I do, sir. I give both of them in marriage."

"Very well." The minister stepped aside to give us room to come up to where he was. As he turned to move up the few steps, Father lifted my veil and kissed me on the cheek. He handed me to Harry who took my arm in his.

He kissed Rose next as did Lightoller and was handed to Jack. Together, the four of us walked to where the minister was. I was on the inside with Rose and Jack and Harry were on the outside.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the unions of two special couples, Victoria Anne Metcalfe and Harold Godfrey Lowe as well as Jack Dawson and Rose Bukater. The contract of marriage is most solemn and is not to be entered into lightly, but thoughtfully and seriously with a deep realization of the obligations and responsibilities. No other human ties are more tender and no other vows more important than those you are about to pledge. As individuals, they have each had a unique and life shaping past, and now they willingly choose to set aside the solitary exploration of their individual lives to discover who they are in the presence of one another. We celebrate with them, their arrival at this point in their lives. We are incredibly happy for them that the story of their lives now includes each other. And that their love has brought them and us to the joyous occasion of their marriage ceremony." The minister smiled as he flipped to another passage in his Bible. "Jack, Rose. Harold, Victoria, please turn to face me." We all did as we were told and the minister continued. "Within the nurturing shelter of marriage, you will continue to grow and develop, so you can discover your individual paths and offer your gifts back to each other and the world. Marriage, then, makes you free-to see, to be seen, to love. Your souls are protected so your hearts can open. To get married is to embark on the journey of getting to know each other, of coming to see each other as you really are. This companionship on life's journey is the hallmark of marriage, its natural province, and its sweetest and most fundamental gift."

Harold broke his stare on the minister to look at me. "You look wonderful." He said in a low whisper.

I didn't want to say anything, so I just smiled as the minister continued. "Will you please, as an expression that your hearts are joined together in love, now join your hands and face me." I handed my bouquet of flowers to my sister and Rose did the same. When our hands were free, we found the hands of our husbands to be. "Do you, Jack Dawson, offer yourself wholly and joyfully, and do you choose Rose Bukater as the person with whom you will share your life, in laughter and in tears, in conflict and tranquility, loving what you know of her, and trusting what you do not know yet until death do you part?"

Jack swallowed hard, "I do. I do take Rose to be my lawfully wedded wife, until death do us part."

"Very well." The minister turned to Rose. "Do you, Rose Bukater, offer yourself wholly and joyfully, and do you choose Jack Dawson as the person with whom you will share your life, in laughter and in tears, in conflict and tranquility, loving what you know of him, and trusting what you do not know yet until death do you part?"

Rose looked straight into Jack's eyes as the words poured out of her mouth, "I do. Forever until death do us part."

The minister turned to face Harry and me. "Do you, Harold Godfrey Lowe, offer yourself wholly and joyfully, and do you choose Victoria Anne Metcalfe as the person with whom you will share your life, in laughter and in tears, in conflict and tranquility, loving what you know of her, and trusting what you do not know yet until death do you part?"

Harry squeezed my hands, "I do until death do us part." I saw the love in his eyes and returned the squeeze as the minister turned to me.

"Do you, Victoria Anne Metcalfe, offer yourself wholly and joyfully, and do you choose Harold Godfrey Lowe as the person with whom you will share your life, in laughter and in tears, in conflict and tranquility, loving what you know of him, and trusting what you do not know yet until death do you part?"

This was the moment of truth. I took a deep breath and without thinking, out came the words, "I do, until death do us part."

The minister turned to face Lightoller, Moody, my sister and father. "Mr. Lowe has requested that he speak a few words to his bride before the rings are exchanged."

Harry cleared his throat and looked into my eyes. "Victoria Anne Metcalfe. I love you. I promise to love you completely, to console and comfort you during difficult times, to encourage you to achieve your full potential, to laugh with you and to grieve with you, to share with you life's simplest but most enduring pleasures, to be truthful and honest with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live. I will never break your heart."

I was speechless. Harry's words were from the heart. I wiped a tear away with the fingertip of one of my gloves. I began to speak. "With the greatest joy I come into my new life with you. Besides the gift of salvation, you are the most precious gift God has given me. I know that along with the new joys God has given me, I face new responsibilities that I cannot fulfill in my own strength. But by God's grace and power working within me, I desire to be trustworthy as your wife, to serve and love you in all circumstances, to obey you, to allow God to use you to build His qualities in me, as long as God give us life on this earth. I praise God continually for you, Harry, and for your love and friendship."

"And will you now be giving and receiving rings?" Harry and Jack both answered that we would be. "Rose, as you place the ring on his finger will you repeat after me, 'May this ring forever be to you the symbol of my growing love. With this ring, I thee wed.'"

Rose slipped the ring on Jack's hand. "With this ring, I thee wed."

The minister turned to Jack. "Jack, as you place the ring on her finger will you repeat after me, 'May this ring forever be to you the symbol of my growing love. With this ring, I thee wed.'"

Jack took Rose's hand in his and slipped the band on her finger. "With this ring, I thee wed."

The minister turned to face Harry and me. "Victoria, as you place the ring on his finger will you repeat after me, 'May this ring forever be to you the symbol of my growing love. With this ring, I thee wed.'"

I took the ring for Harry off the minister's Bible and held it in my hands. As I slipped it on Harry's finger, I locked eyes with him and repeated, "With this ring, I thee wed."

The minister turned to Harry next. "Harold, as you place the ring on her finger will you repeat after me, 'May this ring forever be to you the symbol of my growing love. With this ring, I thee wed.'"

Harold picked up my hand and held it for a moment before he slipped the ring my father had given my mother many years ago onto my awaiting finger. "With this ring, I thee wed."

Jack let out a small laugh and then covered it up with a cough and I made a mental note to ask what that was about. Harry turned around as if the two of them had an in joke that no one else knew about.

The minister broke up their little joke and stated, "Please turn outwards now."

We all turned to face my father, sister, Lightoller and Moody. The minister finished the ceremony. "Before these witnesses, you have joined yourselves in solemn matrimony. May you strive all your lives to meet this commitment with the same love and devotion you now possess. For love is truly the greatest gift we are given to share. Delight in each other's company and never take each other for granted. By virtue of the authority vested in me by the State of New York, I now pronounce you Jack and Rose and you Harold and Victoria, Husband and Wife. You may kiss the bride."

I watched as Jack lifted Rose's veil slowly. She whispered something to him and they met with a kiss.

Harry lifted my veil and looked me in the eyes. "Mrs. Lowe."

"Mr. Lowe." He met my lips with a kiss.

The end march to the wedding was played and Jack and Rose turned towards the exit and arm in arm, started their new life with their first steps as husband and wife. Harry and I started in behind Jack and Rose. We were man and wife.