Emma smoothed her shirt and took a deep breath. She'd just finished touching up her make-up in the bathroom at the City Hall and was now appraising herself. She looked nervous, but that was to be expected, and other than that - well that and the bucket hat, but again that couldn't be helped either - she looked good. It felt surreal... all of it did. But surreal in a good way.
She'd been up all night making love to Brian over and over and over again until he'd finally fallen asleep in her arms, curled into her, his cheek pressed against her chest and his eyes fluttering with dreams she hoped were of her.
As she stepped into the hallway, she felt him stand up at her elbow. She turned and smiled up at him and he leaned close and kissed her forehead. "You scared?" he asked quietly.
Emma shook her head, "No."
"No?" he asked, pulling back. He looked at her curiously.
Emma shook her head, "If it was anyone but you I might be."
Brian smiled. "Plus," he said quietly, "It's not a real marriage right?"
Emma nodded, but inside she'd gone numb like someone had dumped ice water down her spine. It wasn't? She knew originally it hadn't been real, but when Brian had taken hold of her in the hotel room and made love so passionately to her - and so many times - she'd assumed that the dynamic had changed, that it had crossed the line. She suddenly felt stupid, and she looked at her toes as Brian wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Part of her wanted to push him off her, to tell him to go to Hell, and run away... but the other part of her knew that at this point that'd be silly, she really did need the insurance help, and what was so wrong with being Brian Littrell's booty call, really? She wondered if there was anything wrong with it.
Of course there is, her heart answered, Because you don't want to be a booty call, you want to be his wife.
Brian led the way to the waiting area outside the office where they'd sign the papers to finalize this thing. Emma sat down on a bench, feeling a little dizzy from the new revelation and fanned herself with her hand.
Brian paced. He was gnawing on his lip. He'd expected Emma to say that it was real when he'd said that. He hadn't expected she'd nod and agree that it wasn't real. He, too, had thought everything had changed over the past two days - he'd put so much effort into trying to make her feel it, but she'd felt nothing. He wondered if she'd really felt nothing or if she'd just acted like she felt nothing, so she could get out of talking to him about it without breaking his heart.
He stuck his hands in his pockets and felt the box. He pulled it out, his back to her, and lifted the lid, looking in at the ring. He glanced over his shoulder at her.
Emma was sucking on her lower lip when Brian suddenly spun around, dropping to his knees in front of her. He grinned up at her, with his bright blue eyes glistening. He held out his hands and set in his palm was the open ring box, the bright blue stone set in heavy stearling silver that she recognized so well. Brian's 1991 graduating class ring, with the music note on the left of the stone and the baseball on the right. She felt a lump grow in her throat.
"I know it's not a lot," he said, "And it's not a diamond but -" he paused, "This seemed more appropriate. Considering everything."
Emma's eyes filled with tears. "It's perfect," she whispered.
Brian moved to sit on the bench beside her as she took the ring box from his hand and pulled out the ring. Brian had gotten it polished and bought a chain for it to hang on and she slid it around her neck. It settled against her chest, low enough she could hold it and look at it, but not too long to be annoying. She wrapped her hand around it and looked up at him.
"It looks good," he said.
Emma gathered up her fears and opened her mouth to ask him if it would be so horrible if it was a real marriage... when the door to the office suddenly opened and a short, pear-shaped man came out and glanced around. "Brian and Emma?" he called.
"That'd be us," Brian said, turning away from Emma.
She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and followed as Brian stood up and led the way into the little office beyond. It was decorated in mostly dark green and brown and Emma felt a bit intimidated by it. The walls were covered with book shelves with heavy books about law filling them. She reached for Brian's hand and he grave hers a squeeze.
A few short words and they'd be married. Whether it was "real" or not, Emma still couldn't help feeling like she was quite possibly the luckiest woman in the entire world.
Nick and Baylee were playing football in the yard in the dying evening light when Brian's truck rumbled into the yard. Nick had just released the ball and Baylee charged away from the game to meet the car, abandoning the ball to go sailing into a bush. Nick trotted after it while Baylee ran toward the truck.
Brian slid out of the truck just as Baylee reached him. "Where were you?" Baylee demanded without so much as a hi for a precursor. Across the yard, Nick tucked the football under his arm and started over to the truck himself.
"I was in Nashville," Brian replied. He pulled a small bag from the dashboard and handed it to Baylee. Inside was a ton of hard candies from a general store he and Emma had stopped in on their way home. "I stole a root beer barrell on the way home," Brian confessed.
"What's in Nashville?" Baylee asked, pawing through the bag.
"Just some work I had to take care of," Brian answered.
Nick was staring at Brian, his eyes squinted.
"Work?" Baylee asked. "That cancer girl wasn't there, was she?"
Brian sighed, "Don't call her Cancer Girl, buddy," he said. "Her name is Emma."
Baylee turned and headed inside quickly before either Nick or Brian could stop him.
The moment the front door closed, Nick turned back to Brian. "You got laid."
Brian blinked in surprise. "What? How the hell do you know that?"
"Because you're happy," Nick said, "You're glowing. You had sex with the Cancer Chick."
"So you're where he learned that phrase," Brian said in an amused, accusing sort of way.
"Dude, you so had sex."
"So?"
Nick grinned, pleased with himself for having been right. "Ah Brian, I knew getting you laid would help." He patted Brian's back as Bri grabbed the shopping bag of dirty clothes out of the front seat and slammed the car door shut. Nick paused. "So...er... did you - you know, did you get --...?"
Brian nodded, "Yeah I did it."
"Already dropped her off, huh?" Nick asked.
"Yep. I told you, Nick," Brian said, "It's not a real marriage."
"Uh huh. But you got laid."
"Yeah."
"By your wife I presume."
Brian felt a fissure run through his heart, and his felt droopd for but a split second. Nick's eyes lit up - he'd noticed. Brian quickly started for the door.
Nick trotted alongside him. "Hold up, hold up," Nick chanted, "Wait. It isn't more than just the insurance bit-thingy right?" he asked, "I mean... yanno, you're still just there for that, right? It's not like more, right?"
"No," Brian said, "It's not more."
"Then what was that face about."
"What face?"
"This face." Nick imitated Brian's expression. "What was that about?"
Brian hesitated.
"Oh shit," Nick muttered. "You want more...but she doesn't?"
Brian had to hand it to Nick... as much of a stubborn dumbass as he could be, he wasn't terrible on the upbring in such conversations. It could only leave Brian to wonder how it was that Nick always managed to fuck up his own relationships when he could so easily read everyone elses. "It doesn't matter," Brian said, "She doesn't want more than this."
"Chicks always want more," Nick answered, thinking of Lauren inside packing her crap up to go back to Los Angeles.
"Not this one," Brian answered.
"I'll trade'ja," Nick muttered.
Brian studied Nick for a long moment. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.
"Lauren's bringing up the M-word," Nick answered. "And yeah, thanks for that Mr. Romantic."
"How is this my fault?" Brian asked.
"Cos Emma and that Molly chick have been talking a lot since you've been gone and it's usually on the topic of you and Emma and how great ya'll are and I think Lauren decided she wants to get married. She's never brought marriage up before. I blame you."
Brian laughed, "Well you have been together forever," he pointed out.
Nick shook his head, "Oh hell nawh," he said, "You can stop right there. You know me. I ain't never gettin' married." Nick shook his head. "Never."
Brian shrugged and pushed open the front door.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Nick demanded, following him into the house.
