“Ugh. From what I hear nowadays, marriage isn’t all THAT great,” a woman whispered smugly to the man next to her. “They usually end up having affairs or even getting a divorce after just a few years.”

The man didn’t reply. He kept his eyes on the richly decorated altar occupying the front of the old, wooden church.

The reverend cleared his throat loudly as workers scrambled to restore sound to the aging PA system.

“My own parents didn’t even stay married. It’s ridiculous,” she continued. “Just another fairytale.”

The man didn’t say a word and continued to stare straight ahead as if he hadn’t heard her.

A thumbs-up from the balcony prompted the reverend to continue the ceremony. There was an exchange of rings with audible sniffing heard throughout many sections of the church. “You may now kiss the bride”, he concluded.

As the groom leaned over to kiss his new bride he whispered softly to her…

“Well, I guess I’ll be the one to prove you wrong,” he said smiling, then he kissed her passionately.