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"Ellie baby, you are gonna be okay. I know you're scared, and ya think you can't do this, but I know you got it in you, sweetheart." Joel's hands feel so warm on Ellie's cheeks, and even though she's twenty-one now and not the fourteen-year-old girl that she was when he first met her, they still seem so large, so safe. She leans into them and lets herself trust him.
"Okay, I can do this." She says, wrapping her hands around his wrists and squeezing. "Let's go, I don't wanna leave my fiancee waiting. She might finally decide that Jesse is the one for her and run off with him."
"I doubt that Baby Girl. Jesse's a real nice kid, but he don't hold a candle to you," Joel says, standing up and wrapping his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. He leans down and places a soft kiss on the top of her head before pulling away again and stepping back.
"Do I look okay? Did I mess everything up?" Ellie looks down at herself as she smooths over the black pantsuit she's wearing made of Satin. She can't see any wrinkles, but she's not sure what it looks like from all angles. She twists and turns in the mirror set to the side of the room.
"Ellie, Honey you look fine. No harm done. Sarah, Tess, and Maria are already down there waitin' for us. I was finally able to get Junior out of the kitchen, so he's actually goin' to watch the ceremony instead of gettin' all stressed." Joel steps up to her, extending his elbow, and wiggles his brow at her. "Ya ready to go get hitched?"
Ellie laughs and tucks her arm into his. "Not to you I hope, that would be gross." She says scrunching her nose up in disgust.
"Well yeah, you're my baby girl can't do that, Against the law. Plus, I think Dina might kill me. She's had her eyes set on you since she first saw you, eating like a feral child at the all-you-can-eat buffet her parents ran." Joel muses, pursing his lips as they walk out of the room and down the stairs.
"God do you have to bring that up, I was starving you know. Eating out of dumpsters." She complains trying to kick his shin but he manages to pull it out of the way.
"That is true, Junior did say he thought you were a Raccon when he first heard you in there. I forgot that, makes a lot more sense now you eating the way you did, bein' part raccoon and all." Ellie mimes, biting him, and he laughs as he pulls her through the back door and stops before stepping off the porch.
"Joel, come on it's my wedding day." Ellie halfheartedly whines at him and he soothes her gently by running his hand over her hair down in a carefully constructed half up half down style.
"Sorry, kiddo, I'm just playin'. I can't even begin to tell ya how happy I am for you today, Ellie, and I truly wish only the best for you, baby girl." He says, pulling her in for another kiss on her brow and a hug.
Ellie lets herself glory in the feeling of his warm arms around her and how safe he has always made her feel before pulling away reluctantly. "I love you, Joel, thank you for everything. If it weren't for you, Tess, and Junior, I wouldn't be here today." She can feel the tears slipping past her lashes, and Joel immediately wipes them away with his calloused thumbs.
"Oh, baby, I love ya too, we are all so happy that you came into our lives. You have only made our lives better." Joel's eyes start to look wet, and Ellie shooed him off of her.
"Okay we have to stop this or we are going to both look a wreck and the ceremony hasn't even started yet. Come on let's get me to my future wife." Joel extends his arm for her again and she gladly takes it. "Hey, Joel did you hear about the wedding where all the guests got food poisoning?"Joel's eyes roll to her while he signals for the musicians to start the music, she smirks and continues. "It was a real party pooper."
Joel groans and opens the door starting to walk her down the aisle as she laughs hysterical. "The wasn't funny kid, 1/10."
"Come on Joel that was at least a 5/10. You totally laughed."
"I didn't laugh."