158 From This Moment

(I do swear that I’ll always be there
I’d give anything and everything and I will always care
Through weakness and strength
Happiness and sorrow
For better, for worse
I will love you with every beat of my heart)

From this moment life has begun
From this moment you are the one
Right beside you is where I belong
From this moment on

From this moment I have been blessed
I live only for your happiness
And for your love I’d give my last breath
From this moment on

I give my hand to you with all my heart
Can’t wait to live my life with you, can’t wait to start
You and I will never be apart
My dreams came true because of you

From this moment as long as I live
I will love you, I promise you this
There is nothing I wouldn’t give
From this moment on

You’re the reason I believe in love
And you’re the answer to my prayers from up above
All we need is just the two of us
My dreams came true because of you

From this moment as long as I live
I will love you, I promise you this
There is nothing I wouldn’t give
From this moment
I will love you as long as I live
From this moment on

Larry Butz and The Ace Attorneys
Kurain Village, Courtyard
June 16, 2026, 5:45 PM

“Larry Butz, I demand you to cease fiddling with your tie immediately!” Edgeworth’s eyebrows were knitted together in frustration. “Seeing as how I just straightened it yet again!”

“But you made it too tight, Edgy! It’s hard for me to breathe now!” Larry whined as he fidgeted with his necktie for the umpteenth time and pointed to his neck. “It hurts my Larry’s Apple!”

“Larry!” Phoenix groaned, clapping a hand to his face. “For the last time, it’s not named after each individual man!”

“It’s just typical groom jitters that are making you feel like the proverbial tying the knot is literally around your throat!” Reverend Paesano laughingly reassured the bridegroom. “I’ve seen it a million times!”

“Of course I’m a bundle of nerves, standing here at the altar, on the biggest day of my life!” Larry reflected self-effacingly. “I still can’t believe I got so lucky, and that a perfect angel like Iris agreed to marry a wisecracking clown ass like me!”

The barrister arched a laconic brow at the smirking hobo upon hearing this, making sure the groom didn’t see the gesture, but the best friends’ unspoken agreement was evident.

Yes…Neither can I!

“Come to think of it, the girls have been gone an awfully long time!” Suddenly, the artist’s eyes turned panicky. “What if my beloved had a change of heart, and decided to make a run for it?!”

“Don’t worry about that!” Phoenix joked. “Edgeworth has the keys to the helicopter, and neither Maya nor Iris can drive, nor can Pearls, even if they attempted to hotwire a car!”

Larry broke out into a cold sweat and clenched his fists beneath his chin, while the magenta-clad man barely suppressed an eye roll at such theatrics. Undaunted, the ex-defense lawyer continued his good-natured jesting.

“Historically, Pearls is the only one who’s ever had the stamina to run all the way down to LA! I imagine your betrothed would be too pooped from channeling all day to even think about attempting such a feat!”

“Fear not, my good man!” Reverend Paesano’s dark eyes twinkled with mirth. “I’ve personally ensured that all exits are secured! I’ve already had to contend with a two-time Runaway Bride and refuse to have another! The third time’s the charm, after all!”

“So you all do think it’s true! That given the opportunity, milady knows she could do better and would leave me high and dry at the altar if she could!” The emo headcase looked ready to turn on the waterworks at any second. “Which means Iris is only marrying me because she has no escape! Therefore it’s like unspoken coercion!”

“Runaway Bride: Emotional Meltdown at the Altar, the sequel!” The video-rolling Jesse whispered to the sniggering Lotta, who was already frenetically snapping pictures in her newly designated role of the last-minute wedding photographer. “We’ll call it: This Time It’s the Groom’s Turn!”

Oblivious to the fact this was all being captured on still and motion film, the lamenting Larry continued to throw his own pity party.

“Wah! I knew she was too good for a luckless loser in love like me!”

Out of nowhere, the artist’s habitual floodgates opened, and his chin began to wobble uncontrollably. Longines, seated in the front row next to Armstrong, kindly reached into his breast pocket and pressed a monogrammed handkerchief against the watery-eyed groom’s knuckles.

“Oy vey!” The cleric gaped at the groom with rapt fascination. “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen a grown man be able to summon tears, unprovoked and on command, out of thin air!”

There was a loud trumpeting sound as Larry blew his nose into the proffered silk cloth. Phoenix barely stifled a snicker as the billionaire discreetly shook his head at the groom’s attempt to return it to him.

“How does he do that?!” The amused Reverend’s bushy brows nearly vanished into his hairline. “Just weeps as if on cue?! Does he practice or something?”

“It’s a gift!” Larry blubbered, mopping his drenched cheeks. “I told her I have a fragile heart! I can’t help it if I love too much! Boo hoo! My beautiful Iris! Why did you do this to me?! I thought you loved meeeee!”

Edgeworth shot a reprimanding scowl at both the holy man and his best friend – the former for his inappropriate commentary and the latter his ill-timed comedy routine – and affected his most authoritative tone.

“Larry, stop working yourself into a conniption over unwarranted conjuncture!” The slate-haired man lectured sternly. “The ladies have barely been gone for half an hour, as no doubt the Feys are trying to spruce up the bride to look her most fetching for this momentous event! In the meantime, you are getting yourself worked up over naught more than speculation, brought on by your own usual tomfoolery! If Iris had opted for the fleeing fiancée route, she would have done so immediately after your thoroughly out-of-the-blue, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants marriage proposal!”

Phoenix bit back a snort at this backhanded attempt at comfort, but it seemed to have actually worked, as the groom had already turned back to him.

“Nick, you’re sure you’re OK with this whole thing?” Larry queried anxiously. “I mean, you were amiable enough about me marrying your ex-girlfriend, but now I can’t help but be paranoid that it was a bit much asking you to be my best man, to boot!”

“For the hundredth time, Larry!” Phoenix expelled an exasperated breath. “I not only support this marriage, but I also endorse it fully! I swear to you on all that is holy – I am truly, madly, deeply in love with Maya now, and I’m neither carrying a torch for your future wife nor any kind of resentment towards either one of you!”

The groom blushed while scratching the back of his neck and sticking his tongue out to the side.

“Sorry! It’s just that I’ve never been the most fortunate guy in the world when it comes to these things, so I just wanted to double-check check I’m not taking any bad ju-ju into this marriage!” Larry acknowledged awkwardly. “This small, nagging part of my mind won’t let me believe that for once, everything is going so smoothly! I just don’t want you to feel obligated, Nick. I’m sure Edgy wouldn’t mind switching places with you if you’d rather be only a groomsman instead…”

“Edgy was not anticipating another wedding when he hauled Wright down here to halt the nuptials between Maya and Beaugosse in the first place!” Edgeworth interjected sardonically from his standing position next to Phoenix. “Considering I gave the wedding crasher my best wedding suit, you are most fortunate indeed, Larry! Not to mention four-leaf clover levels of lucky that I even agreed to be part of the impromptu wedding party in the first place!”

“Admit it, Edgy!” Larry was positively chipper now as he gave a thumbs-up sign. “You just couldn’t resist these puppy dog eyes of mine, you big ol’ cinnamon roll!”

The tsundere prosecutor glared in response to such an undignified description.

“Hey buddy, how about you simply chalk this up as a rare moment in life, where the nice guy gets the nice girl, and stop looking the universe’s gift horse in the mouth, OK?” The pianist intervened quickly. “Just accept this bout of good karma which has come your way, along with the fact that your two childhood chums are paragons!”

“I have no objections to this accurate notion whatsoever!” The groom replied cheerfully, finally relaxing his rigid shoulders. “There are no others I’d want by my side right now than both of my best pals – even if the wedding party won’t all be in matching-hued apparel like Edgy would have undoubtedly wanted!”

“Verily, Butz is most blessed indeed,” Edgeworth muttered darkly under his breath, while Phoenix discreetly put a hand on his courtroom rival’s arm, giving it a gentle pat to calm him down. “He has no earthly idea…”

Larry, of course, was blissfully unaware of the fact that the cravat-wearing man agreeing to partake in a wedding party where the groomsmen weren’t all colored coordinated was the least of his grumblings. Not wanting to rain on anyone’s parade, the prosecutor had graciously opted to swallow back his aversion to nuptials, and only after the briefest hesitation, had dutifully agreed to be a groomsman on his childhood friend’s special day.

To anybody except his closest confidante, even though he was merely wearing his signature work outfit instead of something more formal, the ever-debonair Miles Edgeworth appeared to be every bit the picturesque, dignified usher; with his impeccably pressed suit, immaculately groomed hair, and composed patrician features.

The DILF, on the other hand, knew the chess lover well enough to worriedly observe the slight clenching of his jaw and flicker of tumultuous emotion in his slate eyes.

Watching a wedding take place, never mind participating in one, must be utter hell for Edgy! The poker champ winced sympathetically. He’s truly gone above and beyond the call of friendship duty for both Larry and me today. I just hope this latest good deed of his doesn’t make him finally snap like a twig! Even if he hadn’t just recently been ditched by the love of his life, I’m sure he never dreamed in a million years, that out of the three of us, Larry Butz, would be the first to get to the altar! Forget the pain in his heart – that must’ve not only been a blow to his lofty pride but made Edgeworth ponder if the entire universe had turned itself upside down!

Phoenix kept his benign Best Man Grin plastered in place, grateful that he was standing as a buffer between his two buddies, lest the prosecutor suddenly lost his customary cool and unleashed his inner turmoil on the unsuspecting Larry – again!

The ex-Ace Attorney couldn’t help but worry that the emotionally charged Edgeworth was a ticking time bomb, ready to fly off the handle at the slightest provocation. He silently sent a prayer to the heavens that there’d be no catastrophe he’d need to thwart as a result, and that everything would go swimmingly this time.

As the Reverend had said, the third time had to be the charm, right?

Hurry up, Iris! He urged silently. Maya, Pearls, let’s get this show on the road! What’s taking you all so long?!

Iris Hawthorne and The Fey Girls
Meditation Room, Fey Manor
June 16, 2026, 5:45 PM

“I can’t believe how nervous I am!” Iris let out a slight titter as her relatives quickly fastened up the last of the intricate buttons on the back of the wedding gown. “I have no idea how to quell these butterflies in my stomach!”

“You not having second thoughts, are you, cousin?” Maya asked idly, although already knowing the answer as she carefully placed the glittery tiara upon the bride’s elaborately curled updo. “Time for the veil now!”

A flicker of unease crossed the shrine maiden’s comely visage at the mere notion of cold feet. She patiently remained unmoving as the village leader carefully arranged the headpiece on top of her hair while she continued with her apprehensive ramblings.

“Of course not! But – I can’t help but wonder if maybe Larry is! I honestly don’t hold his, ah… colorful romantic history against him, yet in comparison, my own is comparatively lackluster! I’ve only known one other man in my entire life… What if, despite his reassurances, I’m not enough to satisfy him for the rest of our days?”

“I’ve never known anyone but Nick,” the Master admitted shyly, but then a mischievous glint flickered in her orbs a split-second later. “It’s never been an issue though, because fortunately for him, whatever I lacked in experienced skill, I made up for in extreme curiosity!”

All three girls cracked up at the lighthearted quip, but then another pensive frown marred Iris’s smooth forehead.

“What if Mildred was right about Larry’s checkered past, and it means he’s ultimately not ready to forfeit his scoundrel ways because he hasn’t sown all his wild oats?” She fretted. “What if he has already decided to make a run for it, even as we speak?”

“Bah! Forget all the evil jadery, cousin! You mustn’t let that wicked witch put any lingering doubt in your mind as you enter this new, exciting chapter of your life!” Maya insisted passionately. “It’d be like letting the wretched Dragon Lady win!”

“Yeah, and besides, Larry wouldn’t dare be a Runaway Groom!” Pearl narrowed her eyes as she menacingly shoved up the sleeve of her gown. “It may have been a long time ago, but I’ve actually made the trip down to Los Angeles with nothing more than two feet and a heartbeat! There’s nowhere that man would be able to run where I couldn’t catch him – and slap him to the moon once I did!”

The teen’s fierce expression melted away as she took a step back to admire the resplendent Iris in her full bridal attire.

“In all seriousness though, I think we all know Larry’s not going anywhere, though,” the younger spirit medium added softly. “I’m telling you – that man gazes at you the same way Mr. Nick and Luke look at Mystic Maya and me!”

“In the identical lovesick puppy manner that Armstrong has always gawped at Longines – and hopefully, at long last, vice versa!” Maya affirmed with a wry grin. “Trust me, The Butz isn’t that stupid! He knows he hit the jackpot with you!”

“My future brother-in-law – I never fathomed the day would come when I’d claim I was legitimately excited about Larry Butz joining our family! – just needs to take one look at you in this ensemble to fall in love with you all over again.” Pearl’s eyes shone with admiration. “I – I can’t get over how lovely you look … Sis.”

A misty sheen came to the bride’s artfully made-up orbs at her younger sibling’s word choice.

“I never dreamed the day would come when you’d address me like that, Pearl.” Iris blinked back heartfelt tears of emotion. “You have no idea how much it means to me.”

“It feels so natural already.” Pearl sniffled and squeezed her hand. “I do love you, Sis.”

“I love you too, Pearl.” Iris’s voice shook. “So very much.”

Maya watched this exchange with a slight lump forming in her throat, then wiped a stray tear from her eye and beamed brightly.

“OK, girls, I hate to be the one to make us lose that loving feeling, but – no more tears! I think today we’ve almost literally cried a river between the three of us – not even counting the weeping of the congregation when they heard Nick’s letter!” She let out a little laugh. “This is a very blissful day for our family, and if we keep venturing down this path, we’re all going to need to redo our melted makeup … again! Besides, I think those poor guys have been waiting long enough already, don’t you? Knowing Larry, he’s probably having his own mini-meltdown already!”

“Fair enough. I believe I’m ready now – well, as I ready as I’ll ever be, anyway!” Iris tightly clutched the enormous bridal bouquet in her hands, stood up, and did a little twirl. “How do I look, ladies?”

“I’m seriously having a hard time wrapping my head around the circumstances under which you managed to fit into that itty-bitty little dress!” The former bride shook her head in mock despair. “Hopefully, a sinfully carb-laden fortnight in Italy will restore whatever curves you consequently lost!”

Maya flashed a playful wink.

“Au contraire to Nick’s fake grousing about that gown adding so-called additional weight on his lap earlier, meat is for men, and bones are for dogs! I can’t wait to see you a bit more filled out again, Iris! I had to starve myself to get into that blasted thing, but in your case, it’s obvious the Dragon Lady was a wretchedly sadistic slave driver with you and Larry to get all those cabins ready!”

“Larry did compare the harridan to the wicked stepmother from Cinderella!” Iris conceded ruefully. “However, I informed him I much preferred the story of Rapunzel. That’s how I feel right now – as though I’m being rescued from a life of isolated seclusion, by marrying the man of my dreams!”

The enthusiastic sparkle in the village leader’s eyes rivaled that of the glittering sapphire gemstones at the bride’s ears and throat, which she’d loaned Iris as the something borrowed and something blue, while her admiring gaze swept over her kinswoman.

“You honestly do look like a beautiful princess from a storybook,” the diviner acknowledged affectionately. “In the end, what’s important is Mildew didn’t succeed in ensuring either of us ended up living a miserable, degenerate life, like the one she’s going to keep having!”

“With Mr. Nick and Mr. Eh-ji-worth both taking the role of St. George as the dual Dragon slayers!” Pearl added gleefully. “Iris, this is a happy ending for all of us! Mystic Maya and I get a new brother, and you get to be the beautiful Princess who lives happily ever after with her Prince!”

“I still can’t believe this is really happening!” Iris’s shining eyes glistened as she quickly grabbed both her sister and cousin into one final group hug. “It all feels like a fairytale come true!”

“Fairy tales are more than true, cousin.” Maya’s mocha eyes glimmered with resolve. “Not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”

Wedding Congregation
Kurain Village, Courtyard
June 16, 2026, 6:00 PM

Even though he was in front of the congregation, and up at the altar this time, instead of seated in the back at his artist easel, Larry couldn’t help but feel a familiar sensation of déjà vu as the Philharmonic once again began to play. This time the melody was the orchestra version of “From This Moment,” announcing to the guests that the bridal party was about to begin their processional walk down the aisle.

I’ve been waiting for “this moment” my whole life! He thought, practically bouncing on his heels in eager anticipation, of the bride and her ladies in waiting to make their way toward the altar. I can’t believe I had any ridiculous trepidations whatsoever about this angel who I know was meant for me. I can’t wait to marry the heck out of her!

The ring bearer, Gordy Gumshoe came first, gleaming wedding bands perched atop the satiny pillow in his hands. His cherubic little face was solemn as he carefully made his way to the altar and handed the cushion to Phoenix. Then he grinned and took his seat in the front row next to his parents and Luke. The Brit was holding the still tuxedoed Feyt in his lap, tail wagging in eager anticipation, as though sensing his Mommy would be appearing soon.

Maya arrived next, a more modest version of Pearl’s colonial bouquet, in its various shades of purple, within her hands. The oversized nosegay had been divided from the maid of honor’s, so the improvised bridesmaid could also carry florals for her altar-bound stride.

Phoenix had been aware that his lover would no longer be wearing her bridal gown when she next emerged, and that Maya would’ve consequently needed to find a change of outfit that would be both suitable for a last-minute attendant, and complementary to Pearl’s rose pink gown. He had not been prepared, however, for the mesmerizing vision the Kurain leader made as she came down the aisle.

The spirit medium had kept her glorious ebony tresses hanging down and loose down her back, no longer in its previously braided updo, which Phoenix vividly recalled undoing earlier when he’d buried his roving hands into her hair and his lips against hers. He’d never seen the floor-length, organza ball gown she was presently wearing, but it shouldn’t have surprised him Maya had opted for a lilac shade, as purple was her signature color. The dress was strapless, with a sweetheart neckline and cascading ruffled skirt, which bore diamond rhinestones and crystals that were sewn onto it, as well as on the jewel embellished, ruched bodice. Her flawlessly made-up visage no longer bore the morose expression she’d had when walking down the aisle as a bride, but was now transformed into one of blissful serenity.

As the Master drew closer to the altar and saw her boyfriend’s admiring stare, a sunny, upward tilt of her mouth formed as their gazes locked, and for one an exhilarating heartbeat, the air around them crackled with electricity, and the reunited duo found themselves utterly lost in one another’s loving eyes.

Phoenix’s countenance couldn’t have showcased his hopeless enchantment any more than if he’d been the groom himself, nor could his transfixed gaze on his lover have been pried away even with a crowbar. He had never seen the love of his life look more beautiful than she did at that moment.

My love’s special smile, the one she reserves just for me, makes all my surroundings come to a halt – and then brings back a million memories in a mere split second – while making me feel just a bit more human; as if it bears the power to pierce through all the bad in my life and I can feel like all is well again. It makes me feel happy about being alive, knowing she’s all I’ll ever need.

Maya continued beaming merrily as her eyes scanned over the smiling faces of her dear friends in the masses: Longines, who was resting his head against Armstrong’s shoulder, Sister Bikini, Matilda, the Gumshoes, The Big Berry Circus crew…then her expression momentarily turned into one of shock as she spotted her arch-enemy, handcuffed to Regent the Tiger!

Her startled gaze switched over to Luke, who simply winked and flashed a cheeky grin. Biting back a burst of triumphant laughter, the village leader’s countenance broke into the mother of all shit-eating grins in the fuming Mildred’s direction, and she sassily gave the English youth a blatant, couldn’t-be-missed thumbs up, due to the fire-breathing wyvern having, at last, been extinguished.

As Pearl slowly made her way down the aisle next, this time it was Luke’s turn to admire just how pretty in pink his girlfriend was at that moment. He could fully bask in the happy glow on her ethereal visage this time around, as instead of resembling the picture of dejection like before, the teen was beaming brightly while she glided down the aisle. As the teen took her place beside Maya at the altar, her eyes finally met the loving ones of her beau.

The first endearing action the maid of honor did was give a delighted wave to Feyt, who was in a sublimely giddy tail-wagging mode at the sight of his Mommy. Then her expression softened as it shifted to her son’s father. Luke could see the tender look in her eyes as she treated him to a demure, sweet smile, making the lad feel every bit as besotted as the day he’d met her.

That smile of hers shines like the stars in the sky, with no bright city lights to dim them. It’s as if the sun opened its eager light to shine about her, and that precious dimple, which crinkles, skips a beat, and only brightens its effect on that precious, ethereal visage. No one has ever regarded me this way in my whole life, and for the rest of my days, there’s nobody else on earth who I’ll wish ever would! It’s like, even if I could have had anyone, I would have still chosen her. She will always be at the top of every single list. I would choose her each and every time because I know this girl is the one for me.

Just as Pearl and Luke had at last torn their mutual lovesick gazes away from one another, there was a slight rustling in the assembly, and everyone rose from their seats.

The bride had arrived at last.

Iris swept in grandly on the arm of Sister Bikini, blushing modestly as all heads turned towards the enchanting vision in the overly fussy dress, which on Maya, had looked like a ball and chain to be dragged on her tiny frame. However, although identical in stature to her cousin, the bride’s glowing face superseded anything ostentatious about the gown itself. If anything, it only enhanced the stunning beauty of the exquisite woman, who even with the veil partially covering her visage, emanated a golden aura of bliss. She currently appeared floating gracefully up the aisle, lustrous orbs fixated onto the shining, devoted ones of the man she loved the entire time.

Larry was blinded to everything but the sight of the enchanting fairytale princess slowly making her way toward him.

As soon as Iris smiled at me just now, the deep curve on her lips made the world stop around her, while simultaneously whisking away all my fears like a bunch of fruit flies caught in a heavy gust of wind. Excitement rushes through my veins as I see the matching joy flare in her eyes, which I know mirror my own. Even if the universe around me started collapsing, my heart would not get crushed, so long as I was gazing at you, my beautiful Iris.

The shrine maiden and her adopted mother were halfway up the aisle when without warning, Phoenix, after casting a questioning glance at Maya, as though seeking an answer from her eyes, and finally finding what he was searching for when she smilingly gave the tiniest, surreptitious nod of her head, stepped down from the altar and met up with the two approaching women. Bowing ever so slightly at the surprised bride and nun, the ex-lawyer extended his arm to Iris, a hint of a cordial smile on his lips as he then graciously inclined his head towards the elderly nun, seeking an unspoken validation.

A look of understanding came over Sister Bikini’s visage, replaced by a huge grin of approval as she nodded jauntily, then discreetly hurried ahead and tucked herself away into the seat next to Matilda in the front row.

Iris hesitated only a split-second, but then a warm smile lit up her entire countenance as it dawned upon her exactly what her former love had just silently asked permission to do. Her luminous orbs were filled with sentimental tears at the genial gesture as she placed her tiny hand on Phoenix’s proffered arm, allowing him to escort her the rest of the way up to the altar, towards the beaming, and now fully relieved-looking Larry, who carefully lifted the veil back from her face and smiled at her adoringly.

“Who gives this woman to this man?” The delighted Reverend Paesano asked the spiky-haired man.

“I do,” Phoenix replied somberly, placing Iris’s hand into Larry’s before flashing a disarming smile at the couple. He then resumed his position beside Edgeworth once more, at last showing the conclusive proof that this union had his whole-hearted blessing, without another word needing to be spoken.

Maya’s eyes had been on Phoenix the entire time, and there was nothing but wholehearted veneration in her smitten gaze as her lips formed the silent but unmistakable words: I love you.

There was no concealing the devoted nuance in his sapphire orbs even before Phoenix mouthed them right back.

Larry Butz and Iris Hawthorne
Kurain Village, Courtyard
June 16, 2026, 6:05 PM

“Family and Friends of Lawrence Achilles Butz and Iris Elizabeth Hawthorne – welcome to their surprise wedding ceremony this evening in the village of Kurain,” began Reverend Paesano, without preamble. “In this remote rural community, we take ourselves out of the usual routines of daily living to witness a unique moment in the lives of Lawrence and Iris. Today they join their lives in the union of marriage. While this joining together today came as a pleasant but unexpected surprise, so it is that Lawrence and Iris present themselves to be married today…surrounded by the people they love the most.”

Edgeworth jabbed his hands in his pockets. Despite himself, he couldn’t help but note, with a slight pang, that even the most illuminating of candles paled in comparison to the glow the couple seemed to emanate as their shining gazes remained locked on one another.

I hate to admit it, but they truly are cuter than any baby animal videos on the Internet, he mused, trying to squelch the wave of nostalgia building within him as he remembered the last time a certain woman had stared at him with her heart and her eyes, in the very manner Iris currently was with her betrothed. I am truly happy for these two. I want them to make it. There’s so much hope and excitement in store for them, just as Franziska and I had, once upon a time…

Flashback…

Miles Edgeworth and Franziska Von Karma 
Los Angeles
April 16, 2019

Miles paused for a moment to swallow the lump in his throat and looked down for a moment as if to gather his thoughts, and when he looked into her eyes again, Franziska saw they were glistening with tears.

“I ask you, Franziska Von Karma, to please do me the great honor of being my wife?”

Tears of happiness fell from her eyes, and onto the squirming puppy still nestled in her lap. She gently lifted Pess to her face and pressed a gentle kiss onto her daughter’s furry head before carefully lowering her to the ground, blinking furiously as she wiped away the droplets.

Then she took Miles’s chin between her hands and looked into his handsome, loving face, knowing without any shadow of a doubt that it was the one she wanted to wake up to every morning, and grow old by his side, every single day, for the rest of her life.

“I love you, too,” she said tenderly, pulling back to smile into his eyes. “I love everything about you. Your ambition and drive, your integrity, your devotion to friends and family, even if they aren’t blood-related. I love your sense of humor and how incredibly fantastic you are in the boudoir. I just love you, period. It would be my honor to marry such a beatific and tenderhearted gentleman, Miles Edgeworth,” she whispered before giving him a kiss of tender sweetness.

Miles gently took her hand and placed the ring on her finger, noting how perfectly it fit her. It was as made for her as she was for him… 

End Flashback

“We come now to the words Lawrence and Iris want to hear the most today…the words that take them across the threshold from being their whirlwind, hour-long engagement to being married,” the cleric continued. “A marriage, as most of us understand it, is a voluntary and full commitment. It is made in the deepest sense to the exclusion of all others, and it is entered into with the desire and hope that it will last for life. Before you declare your vows to one another, I want to hear you confirm that it is indeed your intention to be married today.”

The holy man turned to the radiant bride.

“Iris, do you come here freely and without reservation, to give yourself to Lawrence in marriage? If so, answer “I do.”

“I do.” Iris nodded, her eyes sparkling.

The vicar then faced Larry.

“Lawrence, do you come here freely and without reservation to give yourself to Iris in marriage? If so, answer “I do.”

“I do.”

“Iris, please give your bouquet to Pearl.”

The maid of honor bounced up and took the extended flowers from her sister’s hands before returning to her spot beside Maya.

“Lawrence and Iris, having heard that you intend to be married to each other, I now ask you to declare your marriage vows. Please face each other and hold hands. Now repeat after me, Iris…”

“Excuse me, Reverend,” Iris cut in hesitantly. “May I make a request, please?”

“Of course my dear! Heck, you’re the star of the show today! Your every wish is my command!” The bushy-bearded man grinned at Larry. “Keep that mantra in mind, Lawrence! Take it from me, I’ve been happily married for 45 years! Happy Wife means Happy Life!”

The guests all tittered slightly at this and murmured their agreement, and Iris ducked her head bashfully before she went on.

“I know this is slightly unexpected, and that there are conventional, scripted vows to be said, but given the rather unconventional nature of our entire whirlwind courtship, is alright if I say my own vows instead?” The bride asked timidly. “I haven’t written anything down, but I was hoping to maybe just – speak straight from the heart?”

“Fine by me!” The Reverend let out a booming laugh. “I’ve been here since 9:00 in the morning – so anything that makes an old man’s life easier, I can get behind! I’m just thankful to have gotten things rolling while it was still daylighted out! That’s a long time for me to be standing on my poor bunions, let me tell you!”

Reverend Paesano raised a bird’s nest eyebrow at Larry.

“I know that marriage proposal of yours – actually, both of them! – were spur-of-the-moment, unrehearsed material, Lawrence. Are you up for the whole what’s good for the goose is good for the gander shtick here with the oaths, or did you want to go with a traditional script for reciting your part of the vows?”

“There’s only one thing I need to do, in order to find the right things to say, Reverend.” Larry’s doting eyes never left Iris’s as he spoke. “And that’s simply gazing into that beautiful face the entire time. Thereafter, speaking from my heart to hers shall come as natural as breathing.”

“I’ll take that as a yes to also saying your own declarations then, husband-to-be!” The vicar grinned in admiration at the groom. “You know, if the artist racket doesn’t work out, you could always make a killing as a scriptwriter for wannabe Romeos, let me tell you!”

The Reverend smiled indulgently at Iris and waved his hand, prompting her to commence her vows.

“I, Iris, choose you, Lawrence, to be no other than yourself. Even before you asked me for my hand, I was yours, and I am devoted to you in every way. I marry you with no hesitation or doubt, and my commitment to you is absolute. Loving what I know of you and trusting what I don’t yet know, I give you my hand.”

The bride’s cadence trembled slightly as she began, but then grew bolder, more confident, with each passing moment.

“There is little to say that you haven’t already heard, and little to give that is not already freely given. There is no perfect lover, we are all flawed, but knowing those flaws and still loving with all your heart creates perfect love. I will never look further than you, my darling. If my heart is a flower waiting to bloom, your love is the only sunshine it needs. Your love is my valor, my virtue, and you are the very best thing about me. You and I were born to spark together, born to run the same course. I marry you with no hesitation or doubt, and my commitment to you is absolute. I give you my love. I give you myself. I am proud to be your wife and to join my life with yours.”

There was some sniffling amongst the masses after Iris finished her moving speech, and even the Reverend had to clear his throat before turning expectantly to Larry, whose eyes were slightly misty, indicating he’d nearly been moved to tears. Swallowing hard, the groom nodded his head, signifying he was now ready to speak his piece.

“Milady, I, Lawrence, am the happiest man on this earth that you have given me your hand. I see these vows not as promises but as privileges. I get to respect you as a person, a partner, and an equal for the rest of our lives.”

Just like the bride, the groom’s voice shook a tad at first, but then he lifted his chin and spoke with more vigor.

“I promise to choose you every day, to love you in word and deed, to do the hard work of making now into forever and always. To honor the divinity in you, of you, and around you. What I possess in this world, I give to you. I will keep you and hold you, comfort and tend you, protect you and shelter you, for all the days of my life, my beautiful Iris.”

Iris delicately dabbed at her eyes with her finger, but Sister Bikini was outright bawling into her handkerchief by the time Larry had completed his vows.

They weren’t alone in their reactions, as all present seemed to seize this joyous moment as a golden opportunity to wipe at their watery eyes, for the deeply entrenched love between the newlyweds appeared to have a poignant effect on every single one of the guests.

“I don’t understand why everybody cries at weddings!” Gumshoe snuffled in Maggey’s ear even as he dabbed at his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. Feeling sentimental, he moved his brawny arm over and pulled his beloved wife closer to him. “It’s supposed to be a joyful event! Look at those megawatt beams on both their faces!”

“The groom always smiles proudly because he’s convinced he’s accomplished something quite wonderful!” Maggey giggled, affectionately squeezing her husband’s hand, which was wrapped around her shoulder, and patting at her own streaming eyes with her handkerchief. “The bride smiles because she’s been able to convince him of it!”

“That was beautiful,” Reverend Paesano’s voice was gruff, as though trying to mask how affected he’d been by the vows himself. “The two of you could be the next Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning if you ever wanted to go the poetry route! Just saying!”

He jutted his chin at Phoenix.

“Your wedding ring is the outward and visible sign of the inward and invisible bond which already unites you two hearts in love. I ask the best man to give Iris’s ring to Lawrence.”

Obediently, Phoenix presented the ring to Larry and stepped back.

“Lawrence, place the ring on Iris’s finger and repeat after me…. I give you this ring. Wear it with love and joy. As this ring has no end, my love is also forever.”

Larry did as directed and slid the gifted platinum band onto his bride’s slender finger. It was a perfect fit. The cleric nodded and turned to Phoenix again.

“Best man, now please give Lawrence’s ring to Iris.”

With a benevolent smile, Phoenix once again stepped forward and presented Iris with the second ring, then stepped backward again.

“Iris, place the ring on Lawrence’s finger and repeat after me….With this ring, I marry you. Wear this ring forever, as a sign of my love.”

Iris obligingly repeated the words and slipped the band onto Larry’s ring finger. Luckily, both the hair heir and artist bore long, tapered digits that were identical in size. It was also a perfect fit.

“May the wedding rings you exchanged today remind you always that you are surrounded by enduring love!” Reverend Paesano announced with a broad grin. “Iris and Lawrence, I offer these good wishes to you on this special day: May your life together be blessed with prosperity and good health, and may you cherish the home and family you will create together. Now by the power vested in me, by the State of California, it is my honor and delight to declare you husband and wife! Your wedding ceremony is over; it is time to celebrate! Lawrence, you may now kiss the bride…”

Before the holy man had even completed the sentence, Larry was already reaching for his wife.

Iris felt the gentlest tug. Her head tipped back and she felt the first brush of her new husband’s lips brushing against hers. It was a whisper of a touch, so tentative, the sensation so light, she wasn’t sure she’d felt it at all. Before she knew what she was doing she reached up into it. He sucked in a breath and pulled back, just the slightest bit, his passionate gaze searching hers.

There’s this place in me where your fingerprints still rest, your kisses still linger, and your whispers softly echo. It’s the place where a part of you will be a part of me, for the rest of my life.

Heat bloomed in her cheeks. Her wide-open heart drummed in her chest. A semblance of realization; that they were, at last, man and wife, started to creep back into her mind. Then all thoughts flew right out into the blazing sunset. Because the groom gathered her hair, gathered her face, gathered all of her to him, and then claimed his bride’s lips with such aching tenderness that the rest of the world completely disappeared.

It was just Larry Butz and Iris Hawthorne, forever united, in that one perfect, exquisite moment.

Shania Twain & Bryan White- From This Moment