It was kind of like sitting in a theatre watching a Disney movie, except it was happening in real life right before my eyes. Brian was kissing Heather and she looked happier than she had ever looked kissing me. I was beginning to wonder if we should have a portable oxygen tank on stand-by when they finally pulled apart. They stared in each other's eyes for the longest time before Heather turned to me. She slid off my engagement ring. I held out my hand and she placed it into my palm.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. I knew she truly meant it. I smiled.
"No, thank you."
"Thank me? For what?"
I had over two hundred eyes on me and yet I knew I had to say what I had meant to say for a long time.
"I don't love you like you should be loved. That job," I pointed at Bri. "belongs to this guy. So give him your hand so he can put the ring on your finger already."
Bri grinned at me, a stupid corncob grin that I hadn't seen on his face since this whole fiasco started. Heather turned to him and her hand literally shook from excitement as he held it steady, sliding the ring on. Genuine tears welled up in her eyes.
"This is perfect," she said.
At that moment, her family descended on her like vultures, including Chris who shouldered me out of the way. I staggered back, watching the whole scene play out. I almost expected little forest animals to come out and head over to the happy couple to complete the perfectness of it all.
"Damn," AJ whispered. He held out a cigar.
"I was saving this for the celebration at the reception, but I think you need this now."
I laughed, actually laughed. I waved it away.
"It's okay."
D was staring at me, a whole wealth of knowledge in his eyes. "You going?"
I smiled. It looked like the reception was going to turn into an engagement party. Not to be a party pooper, but I didn't want to be there for it. I ran a hand through my hair and then slid off my tie.
"I don't want to waste the trip," I confirmed.
My plane touched down twelve hours later in Nassau. The temperature was 82, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and I was going on my honeymoon...
Alone.
I grabbed my bag down from the overhead compartment and I paused for a minute, my eyes flicking to the bathroom. I couldn't help but grin, remembering how Lauren looked flopped backwards, her bare chest exposed. I loved the feeling of unknown with her.
A feeling I was going to get back. Somehow, somewhere. I was going to find her.
"Everything okay, sir?" the stewardess asked. I held onto the strap of the duffel, nodding.
The air smelled slightly floral as I walked down the tunnel. All around me, people were either walking hand-in-hand with the person they came with or joyously running towards the person they were meeting. Love was in the air.
Trying not to start a pity party for myself, I walked through the terminal until I hit the escalator. I had my hand wrapped around it, slowly heading down when my eyes caught a familiar sight. I blinked several times, sure I had somehow fallen into a Where's Waldo? book.
Except this book was entitled Where's Lauren?"
There she was, holding a large sign in front of her with big black letters that said 'I Love You, Carter.' She met my eyes and gave me the most nervous smile I had ever seen grace her face.
I wasn't consciously aware of my feet moving, but they did. They took the escalator stairs, too impatient to wait for it to silently coast down. I pushed people out of my way, getting dirty looks and a few 'watch it's!' But I didn't care. I slid to a stop in front of her, my chest seconds from exploding. For a long while, I just studied her face. A wisp of dark hair was hanging in her eye. I brushed it away.
"It's really you," I said in awe.
"Yup."
"How'd you find me?"
"I had a spy."
"A spy?"
"I heard the wedding didn't go as planned."
"It was the right choice," I said.
"Oh?"
I wrapped my hands around the top of the sign. "Lauren, I love you. Just you. My world ended the day you said I'd never see you again. You're the right girl for me."
Glistening tears filled her eyes. "I'm so glad you said that," she whispered. She dropped the sign and I wrapped her in my arms, my lips crushing hers. Her nails dug into my neck and my hands dropped to her waist...
A round waist.
She held onto my lower lip even as I pulled back. I stared down, my eyes widened.
"Laur..."
I hesitated to say what I was thinking. I had already been down this road with Heather and gotten screamed at. Maybe Lauren had just been sitting in front of the TV drowning her sorrow in Ben and Jerry's. Maybe...
"I found out I was the day I learned that Heather wasn't," she said.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want to be your choice by default," she said. I shook my head. I was going to be a...a...dad.
"You'd never win by default," I said. I pulled her to me, my lips pressing into her hair.
"Thank you," I whispered.
Her voice was muffled into my chest. "For what?"
I laughed, blinking back the tears.
"For the happily ever after."
Heather
"This guy...this guy right here. He's gonna be my brother-in-law. And I love him!"
I laughed as Chris crushed his lips onto Brian's cheek. The amber liquid in his glass sloshed over the edge. Dad gave a hardy over-the-head clap and then grabbed his beer. Mom was gnawing on a roll left over from the meal.
My entire family was toasted.
"Now you'll never get rid of me," Brian teased. He looked out at the crowd, searching. When his gaze landed on me, his smile widened.
"To little sugars!" dad declared. Dozens of cups lifted in the air.
"Sugars!"
After the whole gazebo fiasco, I had changed out of the dress I hated and into a white sundress. The reception had quickly been converted into an engagement party for anyone that had wanted to stay. Nick's sister had left in a huff, but most everyone else had stayed. While dad launched into a story about me getting my head stuck in the stair banister when I was three, I wove around my aunts and uncles, coming to a stop next to Bri. He wrapped his arm around me and I leaned into him.
"So about those sugars..." he teased. I laughed, but the laugh was cut short as his lips grazed my neck. I let out a warm breath of absolute contentment. My thoughts left the chateau.
"I have this hotel suite rented for tonight," I murmured. Bri's soft peach fuzz ran over my chin. His grip tightened on my waist.
"Oh?"
I licked my lips. "Yeah, it's really nice and," Bri's hand dipped lower. The cool autumn air suddenly got warmer. "and big."
"Big?"
I suddenly forgot what we were talking about. I fanned myself and took one step away from him. "Is it warm in here?" Bri's eyes crinkled. "Nope."
"Hunh."
He slid his now free hands into his pockets. "But you know what?"
"What?"
"You look tired."
"I--I do?"
He nodded. His eyes told me that he didn't really think I was tired. "Maybe we should cut out early."
My heart tripped. That morning I thought I would have Nick slobbering all over me by evening's end. And now--
"That sounds like a good idea," I squeaked.
"You're not nervous are you, baby?"
Baby. Not kiddo. Baby. We had officially crossed over. I snuggled back into him, my hands grazing up his back.
"Of course I'm not nervous," I said softly.
"I've been waiting for this all my life."
Brian
“Let me see them one more time.” I took the box back from Nick and pushed the tissue paper aside and stared down at them. I took a deep breath. “Okay.” I started to relinquish my grip on the box, but then I thought of something and snatched it back.
“Bri, do you want me to give them to her or not?” Nick whined.
“Oh hush up,” I snapped. “Gimme a Sharpie.”
Like magic, Howie stuck a Sharpie over my shoulder violently, almost clocking me in the ear drum.
Nick watched as I scrawled my message onto the white leather. A smile spread across his face. “She’ll like that.”
“I know,” I answered. I blew on the ink to dry it, then shoved the box at Nick. “Okay, go.”
He ducked out, a man on a mission.
I was standing on the end of the pier. Chris stood behind me, and Nick behind him with Connor on his hip in a baby sling. Connor had the teeny-tiniest top hat I’d ever seen strapped to his head. Across the pier from me stood Sandra and Lauren, who had Corey on her hip, also with a tiny top hat. Leave it to Nick to go from not wanting any kids to having twins.
Chris grabbed my shoulder. “You ready?” he whispered.
“I’ve been ready since like kindergarten dude,” I answered.
Chris laughed, “A five year old and an infant never would’ve made it.”
I swallowed.
Nick laughed as the last bridesmaid came to a stop behind Lauren and Corey, “There’s no other childhood friends that’re gonna run in yelling stop right? Cos this is their cue if there is.”
Chris turned and stared at Nick.
“Yeah I know, I’m a maggot scrotum, whatever..” Nick leaned back.
Chris laughed, “Actually you aren’t half bad when you aren’t with my sister.”
“Shut up,” I whispered.
They both looked up.
They saw what I saw – I know because they both shut up.
The sunset was splashing pink-golden light across the beach, illuminating the Italian coast like it was liquid. She’d just reached the end of the pier in her white gown, with the teal sash around the waist. Her hair was down, curling across her shoulders. She held a tiny bouquet of wild flowers that she, Marietta and Lauren had gone picking that morning. Mr. Johnson had his right arm crossed over his body to hold her hand and his left around her waist from behind. He was whispering in her ear as they came to a stop at the end of the pier.
The wedding march started, played on a keyboard by my mother.
Everyone shifted to look at her – bathed in the light of the sun as it reached across the ocean towards the city beyond. Mr. Johnson began leading her up the center between the people. Her eyes never left mine.
’I love you’ she mouthed as she walked.
’I love you more’ I mouthed back.
’Thank you’ she answered. Then she cast her eyes down and lifted her skirt ever so slightly.
I smiled as the pair of teal Converse that I’d made Nick carry over to her dressing room earlier peeked out from under her skirt… on the right toe, I’d scrawled out a heart with the letters B.L. & H.J.… on the left, I’d done the same… except I’d made it H. L.
After all… she would be after she’d worn them.
Mr. Johnson and Heather arrived at the end of the pier, and he turned her in his arm and hugged her tight to his chest. He lifted her hand softly and placed a kiss on her center knuckle, staring into her eyes with tears in his own. “I could not have chosen a better man to take my place in your life,” he whispered.
“Oh daddy,” Heather whispered back, “Nobody’ll ever take your place.”
Mr. Johnson lowered Heather’s hand and turned to me, gently led his daughter to me, and dropped her hand in mine. “Take care of her, Brian,” he said.
“Yes sir,” I whispered, “I will, sir.”
He smiled, “I know.” He turned and moved to Marietta, who he squeezed a little extra tightly when he wrapped his arms around her.
I looked at Heather.
She looked back at me.
And we said our vows.
