She was busy thinking about what tomorrow night would hold.

She had been ignoring her fears of the wedding night for three days, only to have them explode within her in an instant.

Kitty seemed to notice her sister's distress and smiled, patting her back comfortingly "Wedding jitters" she asked kindly.

"Kitty, if I ask you a question, will you answer it honestly" Ivy bit her lip and wringed her hands nervously.

"Of course, Ivy…what is it? What's wrong?"

"Kitty, what exactly is going to happen tomorrow night? After…" she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding "After the wedding."

Kitty flushed a bit and smiled at her sister sympathetically, rubbing her shoulders comfortingly.

"Well, Ivy, didn't Mama already talk to you about this" she asked patiently.

"Yes, but she didn't explain things thoroughly…what did she mean by 'God designed our bodies to make it possible'" Kitty was blushing deeply now and bit her lip, debating with herself.

"Please, Kitty. I'm getting married tomorrow…I need to know" her little sister's slight pout was the straw that broke the camels back, and she sat down and considered how to explain the wedding night to her sister.

"Well, all I know is from experience, so I may not be completely right" Kitty warned truthfully.

"That is fine! I just want to know a little more" Ivy pleaded with her unseeing eyes.

"Alright, Ivy" Kitty bit her lip and wondered where to start "Well, first, he will probably kiss you" Ivy smiled at the idea of Lucius kissing her "And he'll…err…probably touch you."

"What do you mean" Ivy asked innocently. Lucius had touched her before. They'd kissed! Of course he'd touched her.

"Well…" Kitty began to feel very uncomfortable "He may…touch your breasts or…other parts of your body he hasn't touched before" Ivy blushed bright red at the mere thought of Lucius touching her so intimately.

"What else" she asked with a mixture of excitement and nervous fear.

"Then, he'll probably take your dress off and…" she cleared her throat uncertainly "You will need to remove his clothes."

Ivy's eyes grew wide and she audibly gasped.

"Why do I need to do that" she asked, panicked.

Kitty comforted her sister "It's ok, Ivy…making love is nice. Lucius will take good care of you. He loves you very much. He'll be very gentle." Ivy sighed.

Lucius.

She had forgotten that. She completely calmed as she realized that she trusted Lucius with her heart and soul…and body.

"Yes, I suppose you are right. Thank you, Kitty." Kitty smiled lovingly at her sister and kissed her cheek kindly.

"You will be a wonderful wife, Ivy" she stood from her place sitting on her sister's bed with her "Now, it's late. You need lots of rest for tomorrow, and I need to be getting home. Goodnight, Ivy."

"Goodnight, Kitty" Ivy slightly smiled at her sister before laying down in her bed, releasing her hair from its knot at the nape of her neck, and falling into an uneasy sleep.

Alice Hunt smiled sadly at her son and nodded "Alright, dear, goodnight, Lucius" he smiled at his mother and kissed her cheek lovingly and gave her a warm hug.

"I love you mother. Ivy and I will visit you all the time."

Alice smiled at Lucius before shooing him upstairs to go to bed for the last time in her house.

A single tear ran down her cheek at the harsh realization.

"Ivy? Ivy dear, you're getting married today! I let you sleep in, but I have your breakfast here…it's almost noon"

Ivy immediately bolted up from the warm comfort of her bed "Noon! Mama, it can't be noon already! That would mean that I'm getting married in four hours"

"Yes, dear. Now eat your bacon and eggs and there's a bit of toast there too. Once you're done, Kitty's going to come up and help you get ready…you want to make sure you are ready plenty early"

Ivy didn't need to be told twice, she quickly ate her food and drank her cup of hot cider before running downstairs in her nightclothes to tell her sister she was ready for her help getting ready.

"Kitty, Kitty, I'm ready"

"Oh, good! I was beginning to think you were going to sleep through the wedding" Kitty giggled and Ivy barely had time to blush with embarrassment before she was being dragged back upstairs and being attacked by a hair brush and getting her cheeks pinched.

"Ouch! What's that for" Ivy complained as her sister pinched her cheeks.

"It'll make your cheeks look pink for a couple of hours" Kitty said sweetly and began combing her sister's hair gently "You have the prettiest hair, Ivy" she sighed dreamily "I always wanted hair like yours growing up" she laughed softly, remembering she and Ivy's adventures as very young children. In a few hours, they would each be married.

"Isn't it strange, Ivy? I'm married, and now you're getting married. We've grown up" she smiled sadly "Our childhood's are over."

"Yes, but we've begun another exciting part of our lives" The brightly cheerful look on Ivy's face made Kitty feel better and she continued to comb through Ivy's wavy golden-strawberry stresses.

He thought back to when Ivy had first lost her sight and he had been there…

(Lucius's point of view…)

I looked at Ivy as she stirred for the first time since she had gone unconscious three days before. She had some mysterious illness that had been causing her to have terrible headaches and fevers. I felt terrible for her; she was only seven years old. She shouldn't have had to go through such sickness.

Suddenly, Ivy's eyes burst open and her eyes darted quickly around the room.

"L…Lucius? Mama" her voice became more and more panicked and as she panicked, so did I.

"Ivy, Ivy, I'm here" Lucius took the frightened little girl's hand in his.

"Lucius" she sobbed"I don't see you"

Lucius shuddered as he remembered that ordeal, but smiled when he thought of Ivy now. Happy, loving, tomboyish Ivy. In a few hours, she would be his wife.

His wife!

Lucius lay down on his bed and smiled at the ceiling, thinking of Ivy's and his life together. The children they would have. Children! He imagined them having his eyes and Ivy's hair.

His thoughts were interrupted by his mother knocking on his door, and entering cautiously.

"Lucius, Mr. Walker is here to help you get ready" she smiled at her son adoringly and motioned for him to follow her. He got up and trailed behind his mother to greet his very soon to be father-in-law.

"Hello Lucius. You are looking very…" Edward smiled at him sympathetically "Nervous" he laughed quietly as Lucius blushed and smiled slightly at the older man.

"Yes sir, I'm afraid I am quite worried and nervous" he stated unsurely.

"Now, what do you have to be worried about? You and Ivy will live a wonderful life together" he stated simply pulling his pipe from his pocket and lighting the tobacco inside of it.

"I am not sure why I feel as I do" he sighed "I am worried that I will not be a good husband for Ivy" he began to massage his temples; "I am unworthy of Ivy's love."

Edward Walker smiled slightly before patting the younger man on the back "I thought the same thing before I got married. I could not understand why and woman would choose me forever" he smiled warmly "But Ivy loves you very much. I know that you are who she wants."

Lucius cast an uncertain glance at the man before him before giving him a brief, surprising hug.

"Well son, there's a hot bath for you downstairs. When you're done, your wedding clothes will be laying on your bed."

Lucius nodded at his soon to be father-in-law and went downstairs to bathe.

"Do I really, Kitty" Ivy asked modestly, fearing she would let Lucius down "I wish I could see myself" Ivy smiled sadly at no one in particular.

"Well, if you could, you would think you looked lovely" she stated merrily.

Ivy smiled at her sister appreciatively before asking "What are you wearing, Kitty" she beamed at her sister.

"I'm wearing a light blue dress...it's quite lovely. It's the one Mama made for me for my birthday last year. Remember" Kitty sat next to her sister on her bed and began brushing her own long, blonde locks.

"Yes, I remember. I bet you look wonderful, Kitty."

Kitty smirked slightly. She had always thought that Ivy was much, much prettier than she, but was never jealous, because Ivy could not see, so she thought that she deserved to be beautiful.

"You are kind, Ivy" she replied simply.

"What time is it, Kitty? When are we leaving for the ceremony" Ivy asked anxiously. The weather the last few days had been quite lovely, in the lower 60s, very high for the time of year in the village, and all of the snow had melted completely, so Lucius and Ivy decided to have the wedding outside, very near to the Walker's home.

"Oh goodness! It's a little past three o'clock! In an hour, you'll be a married woman, Ivy" Ivy's stomach instantly filled with butterflies, but she beamed at her sister despite her nerves.

'In one hour,' she thought excitedly, 'I'll be Lucius's wife.'

Ivy.

His heart was racing. He was marrying Ivy!

The thought almost made him sprint to the Walker's home, where he would be staying in a room downstairs to finish getting ready for the wedding, while still not seeing Ivy.

He finally reached his destination, his mother trailing a few minutes behind, taking her time and speaking with the excited soon to be wedding guests as she went along.

Lucius knocked on the front door of the house cautiously, as if he were about to wake a den of lions, only to be greeted by the cheerful, happy face of Mrs. Tabitha Walker.

"Ah, Lucius. Let me show you to the room you will be staying in" she smiled sympathetically at the anxious young man, taking him by the arm and leading him to the cozy room which he would be staying in until time for the wedding.

"Here you are dear" Mrs. Walker said kindly, handing Lucius a mug of hot cider "Just relax."

The older woman exited the room and Lucius was left to himself, pondering what the next hours would hold.

Ivy’s unseeing eyes were sparkling with a blend of emotions: excitement, fear, shyness, boldness. She gathered all of the courage she could muster and stood up from her seat on her bed, took a deep breath and smiled at no one in particular.

“Come, Kitty. My future husband is waiting for me.”

Lucius’s eyes grew wide and he was sure that his heart had stopped. He knew that people were staring at his obvious reaction, but he couldn’t care less. The only thing he could think of was the stunning woman in front of him and the thought that they would be together for the rest of their lives. He felt his eyes well up with tears and his bottom lip began to tremble. He almost laughed to himself. Only Ivy could make him feel this way.

Ivy’s thoughts were very similar to Lucius’s. She could almost feel his eyes boring into her and his color grew shockingly vibrant. She knew he was crying, and she began to cry as well.

When her father had stopped walking, she vaguely remembered him saying something, but could only focus and the labored breathing of the man in front of her. She could smell his distinct scent in front of her. He smelled of spices and herbs; a lovely scent that she could never tire of.

She was abruptly stirred from her thoughts as she heard Lucius’s emotional voice speak.

“I, Lucius, take you Ivy, to be my wedded wife: to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness.”

Ivy felt Lucius tenderly take her hand and slide a smooth, cool ring onto her finger, “I love you, Ivy,” he whispered so quietly she barely heard him.

Ivy put out her hand to her side to retrieve Lucius’s ring. Once she felt it in her hand she took Lucius’s hand in her own and softly caressed it as she spoke:

"I, Ivy, take you Lucius, to be my wedded husband: to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness."

Lucius let out a shuddered breath as Ivy slid the ring onto his large finger.

“I know pronounce you man and wife,” Lucius stared at Ivy in disbelief, a feeling of completeness washing over him, “You may kiss your bride.”

Lucius tenderly cupped Ivy’s soft cheek and placed a kiss full of love and devotion upon her lips. A kiss that said, ‘I love you, and I will never leave you.’

Ivy hesitantly wrapped her arms around Lucius as the kiss continued, the newly married couple unaware of the applause and cheering occurring around them.

After a few moments, Lucius pulled away, unable to contain a rare public smile as he and his wife walked down the aisle to the reception area.

Before they had to be bombarded by the entire village’s congratulations and advice, Lucius pulled Ivy behind a shed on the way to the reception site.

“Ivy, God, Ivy…” he kissed her passionately, like he had never kissed her before, “Ivy, I love you with all of my heart,” he kissed her again, his hands wandering from the small of her back lower than they had ever been before, “I promise I will try my very best to be a good husband,” he mumbled as he continued to kiss her.

“Oh, Lucius,” Ivy whispered, partially in passion that she didn't understand and partially in sheer joy, as they continued to kiss until Lucius knew people would begin wondering where they had gone off to.

“Come, my wife,” he smiled proudly, “We must go greet our wedding guests.”

Ivy giggled before whispering back, “Yes, Husband,” she brushed her lips against his briefly, “I agree.”

They held hands as they slowly walked to their reception, Ivy’s head on Lucius’s shoulder, his head resting atop hers.

“Finally! We thought you two had gotten lost!”

“That was a beautiful wedding!”

“That kiss certainly lasted longer than it needed to!” an eruption of conversation washed over the couple as well wishers flocked around them.

“Ivy, you look so beautiful,” Kitty Walker kissed her sister’s cheek and gave Lucius a warm hug, “It’s time for you two to have a dance,” she grinned at the couple before whispering something to Mr. Percy and a slow waltz floated through the air from his weathered violin.

“Ivy,” Lucius breathed, “Will you dance with me?”

An angelic grin spread across the already beaming face of Ivy Hunt as she nodded excitedly. Lucius took her hand lovingly and led her to the dance floor.

“Is everyone watching?” Ivy whispered in Lucius’s ear as he wrapped one arm around her miniscule waist.

“Yes, I believe they are,” he answered just as quietly.

“Good.” Ivy wrapped her arms around her new husband’s neck and buried her face in his hair as they began dancing slowly.

The slowly made their way around the dance floor, Ivy completely placing her trust in the man before her. They did not miss a step, gracefully floating.

Ivy could not believe it was finally happening. She was finally married to Lucius. She was dancing with him at their wedding.

“Ivy,” she could tell her husband was crying again, and he had buried his face in her neck, she guessed he was trying to hide his tears, “Ivy, I love you so much. We are going to be so happy together,” he sniffed and she pulled away from him, wiping the tears from his eyes as he did the same to her.

“Let’s go Ivy,” he whispered in her ear, “Let’s go home.”