They made their way down the makeshift aisle and Rylee tried to soak in every moment of it.

Once they got down to Sebastian, Tom patted Rylee's arm and gave her a quick hug. He went to shake Sebastian's hand but Sebastian pulled him in for a hug. Before Tom went to take his seat, he placed Rylee's hand into Sebastian's, and patted them.

Sebastian rubbed his thumb along the back of Rylee's hand, as he usually did.

"Hi." Sebastian said, trying to keep his smile in check but failing miserably as a grin spread across his lips.

"Hi." Rylee said in return, reaching up to wipe a tear from Sebastians cheek. Her smile overtook her face as well.

"You look absolutely beautiful," Sebastian commented, holding both her hands now, swinging them lightly.

"Thank you, you don't look too shabby yourself..even though you've still got the.." Rylee touched her chin as she laughed, pointing out his Tommy Lee soul patch.

Sebastian rolled his eyes, "Believe me, if I wouldn't get ripped a new one at work, it would've been gone."

Rylee just chuckled in return.

"You ready to do this?" Sebastian asked.

"Never been more ready in my life."

Rylee saw another door open near by and was surprised to see Hayley Atwell walking out, wearing a simple black knee length dress and shining silver shoes. I thought we weren't telling anyone about this, I love Hayley to death, but I'm surprised she's here?

She came up to hug them both, and Rylee was then even more surprised to see her take the spot behind Sebastian and her under the arch, and realized she was holding a book.

Hayley winked at Rylee and began to speak.

"Rylee and Sebastian are taking a brave step forward in their relationship. Today they will

make the ultimate commitment to each other, a commitment which is the ultimate expression of love.

"They have decided to commit themselves to one another's hearts, to share in all of life's incredible moments, and to help assist in making each other's dreams realities. That sounds like an awful lot to take seriously, but there's a good reason for it:

"these two have more fun together than they ever thought would be possible with another

human being, and they're smart people. Once you find somebody who makes every

single day of your life better, who makes every single day more enjoyable, by golly you

have to hold on to that person.

"I've been told that Sebastian and Rylee have prepared some words for today, which they will now recite for one another."

Hayley gestured to Rylee to begin.

"Heart of my world... words cannot express the joy I feel standing here with you. I still remember when we first started talking, and being struck by your genuine kindness...you have the sweetest heart, and I feel so blessed that you've made a space for me in there.

"I love that you send me photos of puppies when you know I'm having a rough day. I love the commitment you show to our friends..

They are one of the greatest gifts you've ever given me, and I am beyond grateful. I love the way you go after your goals with such persistence and dedication...you truly are one of the hardest working people I've ever met. And all of these things prove the strength and honesty behind your love. I know that you can do anything you set your mind to, and on the days you forget that, I'll be here to remind you.

"I love you because when I sneak unfiltered water into your water bottle to prove to you that you can't tell the difference, you actually do tell the difference. Which is mind-blowing and adorable all at the same time. It's funny how much it symbolizes you. No matter what anyone throws your way, you always stand your ground and stay true to yourself, and you've begun to teach me to do the same.

"This is the first step of the most important journey we will ever take. I know that it will not always be easy, there will be peaks and there will be valleys. But they say that "pain shared is pain divided, and joy shared is joy multiplied."

And I am so excited to share the joys of life with you, and comforted by the fact that when there are tough days, I will have you by my side.

"I promise to love you during football season, and you can return the favor when you receive my Nordstrom statement in the mail. I promise to put "we" above "me" and to be your sounding board, advocate, bestie, and adventure buddy.

You have my whole heart for my whole life and I love you."

Sebastian squeezed Rylees hands, so much love pouring from his smile and those bright blue eyes, Rylee could have wept.

"Sebastian?" Hayley said, gesturing to him to begin.

"I tell you this every day, but what better day to repeat it than today. You are the love of my life.

You make every day better and you make me better. I promise to love you uncondi-

tionally through thick and thin and sickness and health.

"I promise to accomplish one of the greatest streaks any human could ever wish to pursue - to tell you I love you every single day for the rest of our lives (which by my calculations should be around 35,500 more consecutive days if we live to be 130 years old.)

"I promise that as we adventure through the rest of our lives together, I'll alwavs be by your side loving you, pushing you and celebrating with you. I will always put you first and give you my absolute best for the rest of my days.

"Rylee, I choose you. Today and every day. I vow to encourage you in trying times, to comfort you in times of sorrow, and be merry during times of celebration. I vow to order you the mac and cheese as my side dish, to fill up your glass of wine, and to always keep sharing puppy pictures.

"I will love you faithfully through the difficult and the easy. I marry you with no hesitation or doubt, and my commitment to you is absolute. With these words, and the words of my heart, I marry you and bind my life with yours."

Rylee could barely hold herself together as she listened to Sebastian's confession of love and adoration. She didn't realize that she had a few tears slip through until Sebastian reached up to wipe them away with his thumb, leaving his hand cupped against her cheek for a moment. She leaned into it and turned to kiss his palm before he returned his hand back to her grasp.

"Gosh, you two." Hayley let out a giggle as she wiped away a tear of her own.

"Alrighty, who has the rings?"

Chris stepped over and handed them to her.

"Sebastian, you will go first. Please place Rylee's ring on the tip of her ring finger and

repeat after me.

Sebastian did so and repeated her words,

Rylee/ I love you/ My heart is in this ring/ My love is in this ring/ I give you this ring/ as a

symbol of my love/ I promise to be your faithful husband/ to love you when the sun shines/ and when the rain falls/ in sickness and in health/ when you look at this ring/ think of me/ and remember that I love you always."

"You may slide the ring all the way onto her finger. Alrighty, Rylee, it's your turn."

Rylee slid the ring onto the tip of Sebastian's finger and repeated Hayley's words,

"Sebastian/ I love you/ My heart is in this ring/ My love is in this ring/ I give you this ring/ as a symbol of my love/ I promise to be your faithful wife/ to love you when the sun shines/ and when the rain falls/ in sickness and in health/ when you look at this ring/ think of me/ and remember that I love you always."

Hayley nodded and stepped back as Rylee slid the ring the rest of the way down Sebastian's finger. Their hands both remained together as Sebastian's thumbs immediately went back to rubbing small circles into the back of Rylees hands.

"Rylee and Sebastian, as the two of you have joined this marriage uniting as husband and wife, and as you this day affirm your faith and love for one another, I would ask that you always remember to cherish each other as special and unique individuals, that you respect the thoughts, ideas and suggestions of one another. Be able to forgive, do not hold grudges, and live each day that you may share it together – as from this day forward you shall be each other's home, comfort and refuge, your marriage strengthened by your love and respect."

Hayley closed her book and clutched it to her chest, practically bouncing on her toes with excitement.

"And now I get to say something you've been looking forward to hearing for a long

time. By the powers vested in me by the State of New York, I now pronounce you

husband and wife! You may kiss the bride!"

Sebastian wasted no time in pulling Rylee in for a deep, searing kiss, dipping her slightly in the process as Chris, Alexa, Tom, and Hayley clapped loudly.

Rylee was lost in the moment, completely unaware of anything happening around her. All her senses could focus on was Sebastian.

His soft lips on hers and the taste of him on her tongue, his grip secure and strong on her hip and her back, the familiar smell of his woodsy cologne, the feeling of love she was shrouded in was almost overwhelming.

When Sebastian pulled himself and Rylee back up straight, resting their foreheads together, reality came rushing back to her.

She flushed lightly as she heard the small group clapping and cheering, which was when she now noticed that Lisa and Ken were also sitting near Tom, clapping and hollering along.

They turned to face their friends and held up their linked hands together, causing the small group to cheer even louder. Rylee put her free hand over the bottom of her face, trying to hide her wide smile and stifle her giddy laugh.

Sebastian pulled her closer again for another sweet, tender kiss.

When they separated, she leaned back into Sebastian, tucking herself under his arm as he pulled her close to his chest.

They stepped down from their perch by the glimmering arch behind them to hug their friends. They all chatted excitedly, milling around one another.

Rylees heart swelled thinking about every moment of today. It was all perfect. Every single moment. There was a small corner of her heart though that still held a pang of heartache.

Her parents had been gone for ten years but, sometimes, it still felt like yesterday. And today was the prime example of that.

Sebastian saw the slight change in her features and furrowed his brows towards her, questioning her thoughts but quickly realized what she might be thinking about.

At that moment, Lisa and Ken had summoned everyone to the other end of the yard for dinner. Tom, Alexa, Chris, and Hayley followed them quickly but Sebastian and Rylee hung back for a moment.

Sebastian took Rylees hand into hers, rubbing the back of her hand gently with his thumb, "Come 'ere."

He tugged her arm lightly as they walked across the lit path a short distance from their friends. Within eye sight of the arch where they said their vows, were two chairs, decorated delicately with vines, flowers, and candles. On the cushion of each chair, was a picture, one of Rylee's mother, and one of her father.

"Seb..." Rylee paused, completely at a loss for words. All she could do was lean into him, and he embraced her tightly in return, kissing the top of her head.

"Thank you," Rylee whispered quietly into his jacket.

"Of course, sweetheart."

Rylee put her hand on his chest quickly leaning back to look at his face, "Oh gosh, what about your mom?"

She wasn't here. Was she mad? Oh god. She hadn't even met her in person yet and she probably-

"Love, I can practically hear your brain screaming. Everything's good. She sent her regrets but she couldn't get here in time. She's been in Bucharest for the last month or so helping a family friend."

As he looked down at Rylee, he reached up to push a stray curl behind her ear and out of her face. He kept his palm against her cheek, thumb running gently along the apple of her cheek.

"I know you haven't had the chance to meet her in person but she already adores you. She's yelled at me many a time to make sure I don't ever fuck anything up with you."

Rylee nodded. She had popped into occasional FaceTime calls that Sebastian had been on with his mom and they've chatted a few times, but she was still absurdly nervous to meet her in person. Sebastian may be famous, and know a shit ton of people, but there's only a handful of people's opinions that matter to him, and hers is one of them.

Sebastian broke Rylee out of her thoughts with a kiss, "Come on, let's go find everyone."

Rylee nodded again, her shoulders now far more relaxed, tension melted away.

They walked together down the beautiful lit path to the other side of the garden where a small table was set with beautiful white linens, gold chargers under crisp white plates surrounded by silver cutlery and crystal wine glasses. Sebastian pulled a chair out for Rylee and then quickly sat down beside her, joining the rest of the table.

Ken came out from the cafe with a large box, confusing Rylee, her brows furrowing as she looked between him and Sebastian.

As soon as Ken opened the box, Rylee gripped Sebastian's shoulder and sucked in a breath, "Oh my god, yes!"

Ken reached to the middle of the table to set out containers of orange chicken, chicken with broccoli, general tso's, lo mein noodles, white rice, fried rice, egg rolls, and crab rangoons. Rylee's Chinese buffet of a dream.

"God, I fucking love you." Rylee laughed as she put her hands on both of Sebastian's cheeks as he laughed at her reaction and pulled him in for a kiss.

Everyone passed the food around the tables, their glasses glistened under the lanterns strung from the tree limbs above as they poured wine into them delicately.

Chris stood up from his chair and held up his glass to toast, "I'm saving my good best man speech for the reception...so sorry if you were expecting anything extravagant from me when I stood up."

Everyone at the table chuckled as Chris continued, he put his hand on Sebastian's shoulder, "My greatest wish for the two of you is that through the years your love for each other will so deepen and grow, that years from now you will look back on this day, your wedding day, as the day you loved each other the least. To you Rylee and Sebastian."

"To Rylee and Sebastian!" Everyone else responded in unison. They all took a sip from their glasses and Lisa immediately started tapping the side of her glass with her knife, the light clinking of the glass echoing into the openness of the garden around them. Everyone else joined in and Rylee and Sebastian leaned over to kiss one another deeply in response, smiles stretching across both their lips as they separated.

After a while of banter around the table, Sebastian nudged Rylee's elbow and when she looked over at him, he handed her a fortune cookie, a bright smile shining across his face.

She plucked it from his grip and cracked it in half, pulling the slip of paper from inside to read, "Love because it is the only true adventure."

Rylee leaned back over to show Sebastian the fortune and his smile only became wider. He leaned closer and gave her a slow, sweet kiss.

As they all continued to eat, Rylee looked around the table and soaked it all in. She still couldn't believe how Sebastian did it.

Sebastian saw Rylee's eyes combing over the table and took her hand in his, wordlessly pulling her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles lightly.

As the light music played, the dim lanterns swayed gently in the breeze through the trees, Rylee was over the moon.

———————————

— A/N —

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

We made it y'all!

Did we survive?

Don't worry, we're not ending here!

Sebastian and Rylee still have plenty of story and life ahead of them!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️