The Morning After

This morning I woke up, and breathed a sigh of relief.  The wedding had come and gone, and I had succeeded in helping my friend have a wonderful day.  Nick had to leave for work early, and so after breakfast, I packed up our hotel room while the kids watched TV.  When the car was finally loaded, it was time to say goodbye to the newlyweds.  They were beaming, and wrapped in the happy glow that comes when you have promised to love someone forever.  We hugged and kissed, and promised to talk soon, and then I loaded my little crew into the car, and headed home.  As we drove away, I looked back at my newly married friends.  They were leaning into each other, their hands interwoven, and their sleepy faces smiling.  I remember the morning after my wedding vividly, as if it were yesterday instead of nearly a decade ago.  I'm sure we had the same happy glow, and I know it's still there.  In that moment, they didn't know what the next decade would bring, but I had a pretty good idea.  If they are lucky, as I have been, then they have many wonderful days ahead of them, starting with this beautiful morning after.