Mr. + Mrs.

March 13th, 2009

Going to the Courthouse ....

Brian (left), waiting on the southbound train, Saturday March 7th, 2009.

We were headed downtown to the Daley Center to acquire our marriage license. It had been raining since we woke up at 9AM. We would joke later on in the day just how the thigh area of his pants managed to get wet; the rest remaining dry.

Me: “One trout, one sea bass.”
Brian: “The cooler was broken.”

Brian’s throat had been hurting throughout the week. It was especially scratchy on this morning. We left with a travel mug of throat coat tea, in hand.
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Since my lack of internet, Brian and I were camped out in front of a thick, neglected copy of the Yellow Pages and a couple Chicago tour guides, as we sipped our morning coffee.

Me: “Well, it must be where I get my state ID …I just don’t remember exactly how to get their via train …”
Brian: “This marriage court number isn’t answering …”
Me: “They must be open on the weekend. It’s City Hall!”
Brian: “Let’s try again at 10AM.”

10:04AM

Phone: “Ring. Ring. Ring.”
Woman: “Richard J Daley Center …”
Brian: “Ah hi! Ah, is this the number for marriage licenses?”
Woman: “No, that’s a different department.”
Brian: “How late are they open today?”
Woman: “They’re open until Noon.”
Brian: “Ok, thank you very much.”
Phone: Click.
Me: “What’s the number for the other department!?”
Brian: [jaw drops]
Me: [jaw drops] “Honey! WHERE is it!? That’s why we were calling!”
Brian: “Honey! This is why you shouldn’t have had me call!”
Me: “We FINALLY get a hold of someone and you forget to ask for the information we need!”
[fits of laughter]
Me: “I will just ask the CTA attendant what stop to get off at.” [putting on pants + cap]
Brian: “We have until Noon!” [putting pants + socks on]

We were out the door, umbrella + tea in hand, 5 minutes later.

[on the train]
Brian: “What time is it?”
Me: “I don’t even want to look!”
Brian: “We’re going to make it …We’re really doing this!”
Me: “We really are …I’m being cautiously optimistic. About getting there, honey, not about the marriage …I just don’t want us to get our hopes up.”
Brian: “We’ll make it, honey. You’re going to be my wife!” [leg shaking uncontrollably]
Me: [refusing to look at the time]
Brian + I: [smile] “We’re doing this.”

11:14AM

Brian: “I have to have my last cigarette as a single man.”

After a couple detours (and puddles), we made our way into City Hall. We were greeted by a somewhat stern woman at the metal detector. We emptied our coat pockets, I placed my bag on the conveyor belt. The stern metal detector woman pointed towards an escalator.

I should note that the City of Chicago City Hall’s marriage license office is located at the end of the longest + darkest hallway imaginable. There’s was an almost Lynch-like feel as Brian + I walked arm in arm towards our destination. A lone security guard sitting at a card table, nibbling at a sandwich, wordlessly pointed us towards the light at the end of the tunnel.

The set up was much like a bank, with drab furniture and teller podiums. There was a Korean couple, who seemed to be having a communication issue with their teller. Another couple, with the blonde leaned over the counter, sniffling here and there as she signed her certificate. To Brian + I’s left, a man who had been there earlier was arguing with a teller about why his wife-to-be wasn’t present. Brian + I looked at each other with a look that said “We’re a team” and stepped up to the closest open teller.

Man: “First things first, have either of you ever been married?”
Brian + I: “No, never.”
Man: “All right then. That’s done then. Good job! Congrats!”

1133AM

Brian + I walked up the same dark hallway, smiles ear to ear with our newly processed marriage license.

Brian + I: “We did it!”

As we reached the top of the escalator, the rainy grayness of the windowpanes shaking the darkness of our marriage license voyage …The (formerly) stern metal detector woman called us over …Her voice had taken on a completely new, near sweet, tone as she asked to see our license.

Woman: “Aww …When you two gonna do it?”
Brian + I: “Next week.”
Woman: “You just going to the courthouse?”
Me: “Yeah, for now …”
[at this point two other security guards join us to look at our marriage license]
Me: “ …We’ll have a more proper ceremony + reception later on when we are more financially secure.”
Security Guard: “That’s a good idea.”
Woman: “Aww …[looks Brian directly in the eye] …You love her right?”
Brian: “Yes, yes I do.”
Woman: “How long you two been together?”
Brian: [laughs]
Me: “…The first of the year.”
Woman: “Hey, all right now …[looks Brian directly in the eye] …Love at first sight, right?”
Brian: “Yes, yes it was.”
Woman: “Hey now, that can work …I’ve known people who have been together longer and they’re marriages didn’t work out. I see that you two are in love.”
Me: “Aww …Thank you, my parents were high school sweethearts, married 17 yrs and are divorced.”
Woman: “See? [looks Brian directly in the eye] You not gonna divorce her now are you?”
Brian: “No, no I am not.”
Woman: “Ummhmm, that’s good . Aww.”

All three security guards congratulated and wished us the best as Brian + I walk towards the exit. I quickly called my Mom + left a voicemail, as Brian + I opted to catch the train back. As the train neared our stop, Brian kept leaning over to kiss my cheek, both of us exclaiming “We did it!” and sneaking peeks at our license. I noticed a woman seated behind us.

Me: “Sorry …We just got our marriage license.”
Woman: “Oo congrats!”
We decided to head to the grocery + pick up a few celebratory sandwich fixings. I texted Lisa + invited her over to join us. We checked out with turkey, mock-turkey (for me), chips and a celebratory splurge on beer.

Me: “We just got our marriage license …We’re going to celebrate with turkey + beer.”
Check-Out Cashier: “Congratulations!”
Brian + I: “Thank you!”
Me: “I can’t help it, honey!”
[laughing]


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Later the next evening, as Brian + I headed out to meet a few friends for drinks, it had been another day of rain. We were skipping puddles on our way to the train …When it occurred to me that since I’ve never had a driver’s license, our marriage license was my first license ...for anything.

Me: “Honey, this is my first license ever!”
Brian: “It is!”
Me: “Look at these puddles …That’s a lake over there.”
Brian: “We could go fishing.”
Me: “I don’t have a fishing license!”

Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss(ter)