"Patience and Patrick, you are now taking into your care and keeping the happiness of the one person in all the world you love best."
At that, Patience's smile grew even brighter - if that was possible.
"You are adding to your lives and you are agreeing to share strength, responsibilities, and love. At the end of this ceremony you will legally be husband and wife, but you still must decide each and every day that stretches before you that you want to be married. Make that decision and keep making it, for the most important thing in life is to love and be loved."
Her fingers laced through his and although she was blissfully happy in this moment, she couldn't help - really, she couldn't - but think of Gwen and Skylar. Her heart hurt for her friend, but she knew that right now, she had to put her life with Pat first. He deserved it...and so did she.
"May you always need one another, not so much to fill the emptiness as to help each other know your fullness," the older man continued. "May you embrace one another, but not encircle each other. May you succeed in all important ways with each other, and not fail in the little graces. Look for things to praise, often say, 'I love you,' and take no notice of small faults. May you have happiness and may you find it in making one another happy. May you have love, and may you find it in loving one another."