Looking for 'THE' Kiss

    He was terrified and had no idea how he’d ended up at the altar.  There seemed to be several hundred people in the small church, and he knew maybe twelve of them.  He loved the young woman he was marrying, but he wasn’t old enough to be married.  Neither was she for that matter.  Years later he would look back at the few wedding pictures they had and think, who the hell let those kids get married?

    He had been told by most people that had known his soon to be bride that since she was a little girl she thought the best part of the wedding was when the bride and groom kissed.  He wasn’t sure what everyone had been trying to tell him, but he thought it was probably important.  Most of her family, except her father, had told him numerous times.  Consequently, as the wedding got closer, he felt there was something he was missing.

    He had no idea if he was a good kisser or not.  He went so far as to seek kissing advice from his younger sister.  He hadn’t actually kissed her mind you, just asked her what a girl thought constituted a good, romantic kiss.  She had not been very helpful.  When she was done laughing, all she told him was, “Brush your teeth and don’t slobber all over her face.”  He wasn’t sure this was particularly helpful.  He already knew to brush his teeth and didn’t think he had much of a problem regarding drooling.

    He went and asked the best friend of his soon to be wife.  She never did stop laughing.  He couldn’t have kissed her even if he had wanted to.

    He was feeling desperate, this was really bothering him.  He didn’t want to disappoint his bride before they were even out of the church.  He asked his aunt and cousin, again just to be clear about this, he didn’t kiss them.  His aunt was a kind woman and smacked her daughter after fifteen or twenty minutes of laughing.  She said be gentle and kiss her with tender passion.

    He said, “Oh, okay.”  He left, blushing, wondering what the hell that meant.  He was nineteen and didn’t have a clue.

    Still clueless, the boy, extremely embarrassed and humiliated by now, went to his mother.  After beating around the bush, so to speak, for a bit, he asked the question of his mother.  Prepared for the worst he was greatly relieved when she smiled kindly at him.  She was quiet for a moment and then said, “Honey, don’t worry about a thing.  Has she complained about your kissing before?”

    He thought for a moment, mortified that he had even asked his mom this question.  “Uh, no I guess not.”

    “I didn’t think so, you’ll be just fine.  Don’t worry about it.”  She then stood on her tiptoes, hugged him and kissed his forehead.

    His bride came into the church, and his fear left when he saw her.  Coming down the aisle with her father, he forgot everything and could think only of her.  As the ceremony progressed, he forgot about everyone in the church but her.  It was just the two of them and he was alive.  Then the priest said, “You may kiss the bride.”  He lifted the veil from her face and they smiled at each other.  He took her in his arms and leaned in to kiss her.

    Their lips touched, she was warm.  And four thousand cameras flashed and continued flashing.  He laughed.  It was horrible, the big moment, the most important moment starting their life together and he was laughing.  Then she smiled and laughed and others began to laugh.  He stopped and looked at her, she returned his intimate smile.

    He kissed her, starting slow and then they increased their passion.  It was only them amidst all the guests.  It got quiet.

A bit more than 28 years later.  Christmas day 2006.

(647 words)