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If you asked Josh Lyman if he ever thought he would be getting married, not to mention getting married in the Rose Garden of the White House, he would have thought you were crazy.
But now as he stood there, with the love of his life by his side, along with their family, friends (who were basically like family), the members of Congress that they could actually tolerate, the DNC members they could tolerate, and a few good Republicans, he wouldn’t change anything for the world.
While most people thought that he would be the most panicked on this day, he was quite calm. This was especially surprising, even to him, given the fact that things like this tended to trigger his anxiety.
He knew why this was though. It was because he was marrying the love of his life.
He was marrying Sam Seaborn.
He was marrying Sam Seaborn and would be able to tell the whole world.
He was snapped out of his reverie by the sound of Chief Justice Evelyn Lang turning to him and saying:
“Joshua? Would you like to start?”
Josh nodded and took a deep breath as he took the microphone from Donna, who was standing next to him. He felt a small tide of panic begin to rise
“Breathe in and out,” she mouthed. “You got this.”
He turned back around and faced Sam. As soon as he looked back into Sam’s eyes, he instantly knew that he wouldn’t be able to make it through the vows without crying.
So before starting, he cleared his throat and said, “Just want to let everyone who is in Congress and is in attendance that if any one of you tries to use my tears against me, there will be hell to pay.”
He felt a whack at his back from Donna, but based on the loud laughter coming from the crowd (especially from President Bartlet) and Sam’s now rolling eyes (that were still filled with euphoria), they understood why he made that statement.
Smiling and feeling the panic subside, he picked up the microphone and began again.
“I don’t remember the exact time I fell in love with you, but I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t. I remember bumping into you in Cannon House when I was just starting in Earl Brennan’s office, and you were an intern. And we both immediately assumed the other one was a Republican and therefore wouldn’t have anything in common.”
There was a small smattering of laughter from the crowd, but Josh reminded focused on Sam, who closed his eyes and smiled, remembering the moment.
“How, even when you moved to New York, you were my best friend. Then I came to New York because you told me to come to get you if I found the real thing. And I did. In Jed Bartlet, a man who was supposed to be a waste of time, and turned out to be the real thing. And I also discovered I found another real thing. My real thing in someone who I had known since 1987: You.”
He felt the tears begin to come to his eyes and saw Sam look a little teary. He closed his eyes immediately and took a breath. He almost completely broke down when he felt Sam’s hand wrap around his wrist, but it also helped ground him, so he opened his eyes and started the final part.
“I want so badly to be able to explain all the love I have for you. Not the love of butterflies and stomach knots—but more the blurring of self and the entanglement with another soul. Love is a word that is much too soft and used far too often to describe the fierce, infinite, and blazing passion that I have in my heart for you. And yes, I did get that last part from Toby, because he is your favorite writer, besides Charles Dickens of course. You are a million dreams, and a million prayers come true. You are kind. You are silly. You are intelligent. Your laugh is contagious. You are also a perfectionist, stubborn, and sometimes naive. But you love me for me, and you don’t care about my baggage and I am so happy that I can spend the rest of my life loving you, raising children with you, being the co-conspirator with you in any schemes you might have, supporting you, growing old, and just being by your side. I love you so much, Sam Seaborn.”
He took a deep breath, tears running down his face.
“Falling for you wasn’t falling at all—it was like walking into a house and knowing you’re home. It was always hard for me to open up because I always felt that if I let anyone in, something bad would happen, and it would be one more disaster added to my generous supply. I used to never truly enjoy moments because I was always waiting for what’s next. The next thing to happen. Kind of living life in fast forward. Now that I have you, I enjoy the moment. Every moment. I want to end by telling you how much I love you. Yes, I love how handsome you are, and how you’re cut like an action figure, but that’s just the icing on the cake. I cannot promise I will always be the perfect husband, but I promise to love you through the good times and bad. Everything in me recognizes your heart as my home and your arms, my shelter. I vow everything you could ever wish for to you.”
He passed the microphone back to Donna and shook his head when she mouthed if he needed a pill. He turned back to face Sam and smiled as Sam lifted a hand his cheek; he instinctually nuzzled into it.
The Chief Justice cleared her throat and shook her head, trying to get rid of the tears in her eyes discreetly.
“And Samuel?”
Sam turned to Toby and took the microphone, clearing his throat and shuffling his papers a bit before beginning.
“Not many people can say they indeed married the love of their life, but I can. We were kids when we met. You were older, and you were accomplished; you knew everything about DC, and even though you were just starting, everyone knew you. And now, all these years later, I finally get to call you my husband. When we first met, I remember thinking about how different it felt for something so new and exciting to be so obvious and easy. How whenever I talked with you or laughed with you it was like our dumbest jokes had found the right audience. While sometimes your confidence wavered into cockiness, I knew it was always for the right reasons.
I’ve heard it said: ‘It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not be able to keep it.’ Therefore, I know what this commitment means. To help shoulder our challenges and celebrate all of our little wins. To tell you every day how much I love you and appreciate all that you do.To continue to learn from you and to follow the examples of patience and respect that you sometimes choose not to exhibit, because you are just as stubborn as I am; But more on that later. To continue to build upon the trust that we have and to be by your side fully and faithfully.To put you first and above all, always. To try my hardest, to step away from my stubbornness, and accept that I make mistakes and that I am (to my dismay), not always right.
With that said, as your husband, I will never keep score, even though I am winning, because everything is always a competition. With kindness, respect, and trust, I promise to stick by your side through the challenges and triumphs to create a wonderful life together. I promise to take care of you. Because if I don’t, you would eat pizza for every single meal for the rest of your life, forget to go to sleep (even though I know I’m a pot calling the kettle black in this regard), and drink something that isn’t coffee.”
“Another instance of the pot calling the kettle black there, Sam.” Josh teased
Sam rolled his eyes but continued as there was a small smattering of laughter from the audience.
“I promise never to get angry at you for making honest mistakes, even if I asked you to turn the lights off every night for the past week.”
Sam winked at Josh before continuing.
“But in all seriousness, I love you. I love the way you still give me butterflies every time I see you. I love the way you care for not only for me but for everyone around you. I love the way you’re patient with me. I love how much you’re willing to try new things with me to make me happy. I admire how hard you work to help others, and above all, I love how you love me.
You acknowledge my strengths and accept my faults. You make me want to be a better person every day. I take you as you are now, tomorrow and for eternity to come, to be my husband. Even when the day comes that we’re old and gray, I promise to always see you with the same eyes and the same heart that I see you with at this exact moment. You always say that I was your real thing, but that’s not true. Because you are mine. Regardless of what I was running away from, you always came and saved me. Even when you were so tired of having to save me, you did it anyway. You saved me from a life of going from corporate law firm to corporate law firm. You saved me from myself even when you desperately needed some saving of your own.”
Sam wiped a tear away and kept going.
“You have taught me so much these past years about how to love and how to be loved that all I want is to be in love with you forever. I see these vows not as promises but as privileges: I get to laugh with you and cry with you; care for you and share with you. I get to run with you and walk with you; build with you and live with you. I promise to love, respect, protect and trust you, and give you the best of myself, for I know that together we will build a life far better than either of us could imagine alone. In your heart, I see the start of every night and every day, and I get lost, I get washed away. Just as long I'm here in your arms I could be in no better place. Most importantly, Joshua, I choose you.
I’ll choose you over and over and over, without pause, without doubt, I’ll keep choosing you. Because I still remember you showing up, soaking wet in that boardroom, and then again all those years later in California, when you saved me again. I choose you because you're simply the best. Better than all the rest and better than anyone I ever met. You are my real thing. Your arms are the ones I want to be wrapped around me at the beginning and end of each day.
Your infectious smile is the one I want our kids to have. You’re the one I want to love completely and forever.”
Sam handed the microphone back to Toby, and while he hadn’t taken as many pauses as Josh, it was clear that tears were running down his face and if he still had a microphone, it would probably pick up the small hitches in Sam's breath
The Chief Justice cleared her throat. “May we have the rings?”
Charlie stepped forward and handed one ring to both Sam and Josh.
“Gentlemen, please join hands. Joshua? Do you take Samuel to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?”
Josh looked up into Sam’s eyes before turning briefly to Chief Justice Lang. “I do.”
He promptly slid the ring on Sam’s finger.
“And Samuel? Do you take Joshua to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?”
“I do. I really do.”
Sam’s hand shook a little as he slid the ring onto Josh’s finger, but it got there. Sam didn’t dare to let go of Josh’s hand.
“Then by the power vested in me, by the District of Columbia and the Constitution, I pronounce you lawfully wed. Gentleman, you may now kiss.”
Samuel and Joshua Lyman-Seaborn didn’t hesitate at all.