Once Harold's talk with Richard was finished, he walked Richard to his car and watched him drive off. "I hope that calmed him down," Harold said to himself as he made his way back to his car. He started the engine and backed out of his parking spot before going down the road. He drove himself from the college to City Hall. He parked his car and grabbed the paperwork for the marriage license as he climbed out. He took a deep breath as he looked up at the rather imposing building. He clutched the folder in his hands as he walked up the steps.
Once inside, he went into the same office where he picked up his papers. The same secretary that gave him the paperwork swiveled around and saw him standing at the counter. Her eyes lit up as she said, "Ah, I see you're back. And so soon too. I take it that you and your wife-to-be has filled out the forms."
"Yes," Harold replied as he opened the folder, "I have it right here." He pulled the papers out of the folder and handed them to the secretary.
The secretary examined every paper in the stack looking for any mistakes. After a bit of time, she said, "Well, it looks like everything's in order. Everything's filled out and signed. When do you want your wedding ceremony?"
"Saturday morning," Harold replied.
"Right," the secretary said as she typed something on her computer. Harold waited patiently as he listened to the click-clack on the keyboard. After a bit of time, the secretary turned to Harold and said, "It looks like there's an opening for Judge Thompson at eleven o'clock. Will that work for you?"
Harold thought for a moment and said, "Yes, that will work."
"Good," the secretary replied. "So, everyone, including you, your bride-to-be, the official witnesses, and any family members and guests, need to be here at ten-thirty at the latest. You may be dressed formally if you wish, and..." she paused as she looked on the sheet for a moment, "Virginia may be dressed in a wedding dress if she desires. At eleven, the judge will be ready to certify you as husband and wife, including any vows you want to make and exchange rings if you have them. Once that's done, you'll be given the marriage certificate and you can go enjoy your honeymoon." Harold noticed a smirk when the secretary said that. "So, do you have any questions?"
"How long would this take?" Harold asked.
"It's really up to you," the secretary answered. "Sometimes these marriage ceremonies don't last too long with a simple declaration that both people are willing adults and they just sign the certificate. Other times, it's a whole production where vows are exchanged and rings are placed and the whole works. And sometimes, people come here to legally get married, but then go to a church for the real formal ceremony. Just make sure to clear it with the Judge beforehand."
"That makes sense," Harold said. After some thought, he said, "I'm going to have to clear it with Virginia, but I think we'll probably go with something rather simple and semi-formal."
"Fair enough," the secretary said as she made a note. "If things change, just let me know and we can make arrangements."
Harold smiled and said, "That sounds good. Is there anything else I need to know?"
"Not at the moment," the secretary answered. "Just make sure that everyone who's involved is here before ten-thirty."
"Thank you," Harold said as he made his way out of the door. There was a bit of a spring to his step as he could feel his heart pounding. A smile crossed his lips as he entered his car. He started it up and drove home. He and Virginia had a few more things to discuss, but he felt a bit of excitement as the time of his bachelorhood was nearly over.
Once he got home, he went inside. It was rather empty and quiet at the moment as Melissa and Virginia were both at school. He went to the kitchen to see what was available for dinner tonight. Harold quietly wondered how Melissa would feel about hamburgers...