Chapter 55

The Clarke-Lennart Wedding
Saturday, 28 June, 2014,
Mayor’s Office, City Hall,
Roanoke, Virginia

“Do you, Adam, take this woman, Stephanie, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, to love, cherish, and protect, for better or for worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?” Austin asked me, officiating my nuptials.

“I do,” I smiled and winked at Stephanie as I said my vows.

“Do you, Stephanie, take this man, Adam, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, to love, honor, and obey, for better or for worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?” Austin turned to Steph now.

“I do,” Stephanie answered, a lump in her throat as she blushed at the attention.

“Then, by the power vested in me as Mayor and Prophet, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride,” Austin pronounced us married at last.

The admiration that she got from her new sister-wives and her new husbands (the vows to them would follow in time) didn’t seem to hold her gaze while I planted a lip lock on my lovely teenage wife. Our tongues danced together with delight while the witnesses and guests signed the guestbook and a hastily purchased wedding cake (which tasted tolerably well despite the rationing of certain ingredients) was present for us to cut it together. The obligatory photo poses took place as well, Stephanie not being a virgin, of course, yet still wearing white, which was something that was fine by me. That whole “purity” nonsense was stupid, after all.