In a little chapel in the middle of town, two out- of towners, folk just passing through, were pledging their lives to each other.

The late afternoon sunlight poured in through the stained glass windows creating the colorful particles of dust that, along with two rows of empty oak pews, marked the only witnesses to this blessed event.

The happy couple stood before the preacher, the bride in traditional red, the groom in his official uniform. They were looking at each other and doing what came as naturally to them as breathing.

They were fighting.

“I don’t believe in it, I ain’t sayin' it. Ain’t no forever, just here and now,”Zoë said, staring Wash down.

The truth of it was she was almost willing to say it just to get it over with. Zoë did not have the body of the average woman, so finding a dress on such short notice was no easy feat. It was too small, it was itchy and it was souring her mood severely. Worse of all being unarmed, she felt naked anyway. She wanted to get married; she just couldn’t take too much more of the ceremony.

“Hey, you got to take out obey. If you’re not going to listen, I want to know you are at least going to do it for all eternity.” Wash was still smiling.

“This was a fair trade”, she said slowly, like she would to any adversary. “I took out obey and you got to wear the Hawaiian shirt,” she picked up the edge of the left collar like it might bite her.

Wash made himself look as tall as he could. “No, I traded the moustache for the Hawaiian shirt.”

“Making you shave off that moustache was a piece of mercy, you should be thankin’ me.”

“Umm, folks”, the preacher interjected sheepishly. A head shorter then Zoë he was a little fearful of her. And more then a little confused by Wash. “It’s not too late to stop, are you two sure you want to…”

“Yes,” they said in unison, cutting him off.

They looked at each other and smiled.

Wash took both of his hands in hers and brushed his lips against her knuckles. “No forever.” He turned to the preacher, “Can we do as long as we both shall live? People still say that, right?”

Zoë nodded approvingly.

Arguments over, neither objected for the rest of the ceremony. Never losing eye contact, they repeated the vows as they were prompted to. Not the type for jewelry, Wash tied Zoë’s leather necklace around her neck, as a symbol of the new beginnings and new hope she had brought to him.

“Also, if you get out of line, I can just grab it and…” he made a choking motion with his face.

Zoë tried to look angry, but couldn’t hide a smile.

“By the power given to me and by the grace of God, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the…” The preacher shook his head when looked up to see they hadn’t even waited for him. There was one quick second when he thought she might carry him out of the church.

“We done?” asked Zoë, ready to go.

The preacher nodded and said a silent prayer for them, as they walked down the aisle and onto the dusty street, hand in hand.