Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25937 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25937 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
“Not that it matters. It’s your wedding. You can be late if you want to, and Hayden is totally fine.”
Because that wasn’t obvious at all.
“Okay, come down here with me.” Steph leads us all to the doorway we’ll be going through. “So…no flower girl, as you all know. Zane and Gary will walk down first, followed by Frankie and Hayden.” Steph winces, and Derek groans.
“Not important,” Steph says. “After Frankie and Hayden, it will be Evan, because you guys are weird and decided it would be cute to have a grown-ass man as your ring bearer.”
“It is cute!” Frankie adds in defense of his boyfriend.
It was Derek’s idea, and it fits us, so I don’t give a shit what anyone else thinks. “How about we do this without the commentary, Steph?”
“I’m kidding. It’s cute. Just trying to lighten the mood,” she says. “Then the music starts…everyone stands…Derek comes from the left side, Jackson front the right. You meet in the middle and walk down the aisle together, and oh my God, I think I’m going to cry!”
“Me too!” my mom says.
“I might have a little something in my eye,” Travis teases.
Steph continues. “You walk up there. I do a kickass job on the ceremony. You guys read your vows. Blah, blah, blah. Kiss. Poof! You’re married and it’s time to party!”
Everyone cheers, and Derek bounces slightly. I can feel the excitement radiating off him, which soothes my concerns.
“But like, most of the attention will be on me, right? Because that’s the main reason I’m here,” Derek teases.
I kiss him. “There’s my boy.”
“Are we ready to rehearse?” Steph asks.
“Obvi,” Derek replies, and it’s exactly what I need to hear.
Mom, Travis, and Cody head to the pews, our only audience for the rehearsal. “Break a leg!” Cody calls out, and Travis elbows him. “Shit. That hurt. I was kidding.”
Because obviously it’s the time for injury jokes.
We do a couple of run-throughs of the ceremony, which honestly are a bit of a mess. The first one, we thought we lost Evan, who got distracted, until Frankie whistled to get his attention.
When we get to the vows part, we aren’t saying them out loud here, wanting to save them for the ceremony. Derek looks a little green at that part, making me realize his nerves are definitely getting to him.
“You okay?” I ask Derek.
“I’m marrying you. I’m perfect.”
I feel the exact same way.
7
Derek
Everything will be fine, everything will be fine, I tell myself over and over again throughout the rehearsal. Of course, I notice every little fuckup, even if they are the sort to be expected since it’s a fucking rehearsal.
Hayden’s still getting used to his crutches, which threw off the timing of the groomsmen heading down the aisle. Evan, who just has to fucking bring the rings, was so distracted chatting with one of the guests that he didn’t even come out until Frankie whistled for him.
“And then you’ll say the vows here…”
Vows. Fuck.
I’d thought I’d figure out my vows during the time we wound up spending at the hospital. It’s not that I’ve been avoiding writing them. Fuck that noise. I’ve been trying to write them ever since we first became engaged. I have enough reasons I want to be with Jackson to fill a couple of Ted Talks and then some. My issue is with condensing them into a quick, meaningful couple of minutes to convey everything he is to me.
He knows I love him, but this isn’t just about that. It’s about giving him a perfect moment to carry with him for the rest of his life. Even through the toughest of times, he’ll always be able to remember our fabulous wedding. Still, there’s this nagging worry in me that it’s already been spoiled. He was so excited about getting a break from work, only to find himself in the ER because of Hayden’s injury. Obviously, Hayden couldn’t have done anything about it, but it’s almost like the universe is conspiring against us. Between that, the pants issue, and the videographer, it’s all becoming too much for me to handle.
Deep breaths, I keep telling myself along with any stray motivational wisdom I can find tucked away in my memories. Fortunately, once we get to the rehearsal dinner and I get a few good gulps of a vodka Sprite in me, I find I’m able to relax again. And as we laugh and chat, no one seems to pick up on my anxiety—something I’m particularly proud of, considering I’ve spent a lifetime learning to walk through the worst of times with a smile on my face. Of everyone, Jackson seems to notice most, as he keeps pulling me close and offering kisses. But that only has me worrying that he’s putting on a show, acting like everything’s fine when he’s not that impressed with what was supposed to be a fun-filled adventure for both of us.