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The days of waiting were finally over. Today was Kathryne’s wedding day, and, Carlita was helping her with the gown.
“Señorita, this is a happy day no?” she asked.
“It’s a very happy day Carlita,”Kathryne. replied. “Mr. Johnny is happy, isn’t he?
“Oh, si Señorita, he is very happy., I have never seen him so happy. He loves you very much.”
Kathryne looks into the mirror at herself in the beautiful dress. She was a lucky woman to have such a wonderful man to become her husband.
Across the hall, Johnny was putting on his suit jacket. He is standing in front of the mirror staring at his image while he’s trying to ty his tie when. Pedro walks in the room.
“Señor Johnny, por favor, let me help you with the tie.”
“Pedro,” he said, “you should have seen her at the Cheyenne camp. She was so happy. eating this stuff, she had no idea she was eating rattlesnake and liking it.”
“You did not tell her?” he asked.
“I didn’t want to tell her,” Johnny replied. “She may have caused an embarrassing moment for all of us.”
“Do you think you’ll ever tell her?”
“I’m not sure Pedro., Not sure at all.”
Pedro finishes up with the tie done and they head out the door and downstairs. The chairs were set up in the living room, as the dining room was already prepared for the reception. Reverend Dapson was speaking with Mrs. Rollins, who was inquiring about her daughter Emma’s wedding next month.
Suddenly the music starts and everyone is getting in their seats. Carlita appears at the doorway, and looking lovely in her bright green gown. She makes her way to the center where the reverend, Johnny, and Pedro are standing. As she arrives at her spot, the wedding march begins and all heads turn to the back where Kathryne is standing, looking only at Johnny.
This was the day she had waited for all her life. The day she had prayed for. Miss Goldington was so right when she had always told the girls, “Pray for what you want girls, and the good Lord will give it to you in good time.”
She had prayed when her mother died, she had prayed when her father killed himself. She had prayed for someone to never make her feel alone again, and there he was. There, across this room, was the man who she had prayed for. That one soul that would be there for her and never leave her alone. It was just like Gray Wolf had said; they would be together for all their days.
When she reaches the front of the room and smiles at Johnny, he whispers to her, “Are you ready?”
She nods as the Reverend Dapson smiles and looks at the congregation.
“We are gathered here today to join Kathryne Goodwin and John Wilson in marriage,” he started.
He looks at Kathryne,
“Repeat after me Kathryne, I, Kathryne, take thee, John‒..”
He didn’t need to continue, as Kathryne was already saying the lines from memory.
“‒as my lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward. For better or worse, for rich
or poor, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish all the days of my life.”
The reverend looks at Johnny
“Ok Johnny, it’s your turn, “he prompted.
“I, John, take thee, Kathryne, for my lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or worse, for rich or poor, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish for all the days of my life.”
The reverend smiles
“You two knew this all by yourselves. I’m beginning to feel that I’m not needed here.” He then turned to Pedro. “Do you have the rings?”
Pedro is handing the rings over to the reverend, and he passes them on to Johnny and Kathryne. Johnny places the ring on Kathryne’s finger.
“With this ring, I thee wed,” he began, “and with it I bestow upon thee all the treasures of my lands, my heart, and my soul.”
The reverend looks at Kathryne and nods that now it was her turn.
“With this ring, I thee wed,” she echoed, “and with it I bestow upon thee all the treasures of my lands, my heart, and my soul.”
The reverend then looked out at the congregation.,
“By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. Johnny, you may kiss the bride.”
And so, Johnny Wilson kissed his wife for the very first time, and it was more than well worth the wait. It was all his dreams come true and more. The reception was one that would be talked about for many years to come. As Johnny was dancing with his wife, it still sounded so strange, but he liked the sound and was planning to say it every day of his life from now on.My wife, he smiles and to see how happy she is.
“Have I ever told you that I love your smile Mrs. Wilson?” he asked.
“No, Mr. Wilson,” she said, smiling up at him. “I don’t believe you ever have.”
“Well that matter will be taken care of every day now, and maybe even more than once a day,” he said. .”
“Tell me are you happy?”
“Very happy,” she replied. “I want everyone to be as happy as I am right now. I’m soaring above the mountains of Wyoming and I’m not ever coming down.’’
“Oh, but you have to come down,” he said. “I would be alone here without you. You don’t want to leave me alone, not again. Not after all we’ve had together. Stay with me here Kathryne. Stay with me for all our days and that we will never be lonely.”“
They stop dancing, and Johnny takes her in his arms and kisses her.
He then steps back, but not that far.
“For all my life Kathryne, I will love you and will be by your side until my days here are done.”
They leave the house and take a walk outside.,
“Sometimes I close my eyes and think it’s all just a dream,” she said.
He looks back at her,
“You’re not another dream Kathryne, you are my dream. The one I’ve been waiting for all this time. No more broken dreams.”
“We’ll have to change the name of the ranch,” she teased.
“Yes, Gray Wolf told me when we were there,” he replied., “He said that the ranch should be called ‘Dream Catcher’ instead. Do you know what a dream catcher is?” he asked, seeing her shake her head. “It’s an interesting little object. It’s like a circle with a web inside the circle. It looks like a spider’s web, with a tiny hole in the center, and hanging down are feathers attached to rawhide strips that are attached to the web. Do you know the story of the dream catcher?”
Again, she shook her head.
“It seems the dream catcher has a very important job,” he went on to explain. “It’s more like a spider’s web. We all dream good and bad dreams every night. These dreams pass through the dream catcher. The bad ones get caught in the web, unable to find their way out, and then they melt away in the morning sunlight, whereas the good dreams float through the small opening in the web and slide down the feathers and to the one who is sleeping, giving them only but the good dreams.”
“Is this a true story?” she asked.
“I wouldn’t say it wasn’t, but I do know that Gray Wolf’s son has one over his cradle,” he replied.
Kathryne thinks about this and then looks at Johnny.
“Well, it does sound better that Broken Dreams. I like the idea of Dream Catcher. It sounds like a place where only good dreams remain.”
