Alexa Chapter 41: We’ve Only Just Begun

I woke up to the sound of my name being said with a British accent. And while the voice was familiar, it took me a second to recognize my surroundings. It hit me that I was sitting in Mary’s big overstuffed chair by the window looking out on the lake. I finally caught the gaze of my two bridesmaids hovering over me with huge grins on their faces. “Get up” Katie said. “It’s here.” I sat there for a moment to make sure all of this was real. It had finally arrived. The day I had been fantasizing about for almost four years was here. Jenny Thompson was going to be my wife. If I wasn’t convinced this was real, the smell of the coffee Nikki waved under my nose and her comments were proof.

“Come on get up and get out of that chair. We have to get some food in you” my British sister chided me. It took me a moment to straighten myself out as I rose from the chair, a bit stiff from the position I had slept in.

“How did I get here?” I asked. Katie said she was going to ask me the same thing. I took a moment to remember finding Jenny down at the dock last night about midnight. It seemed that neither one of us had slept. And after sitting for a bit together, we both had decided we needed to head back to our respective, and unfortunately separate, beds. Nikki tried to tease me about it being bad luck to see the bride before the wedding. “We have had all the bad luck there is.” I said with a smile. The pair led me into the kitchen, where the smells of bacon were familiar. But so was the sound of the cook. She was standing by the back door.

“Where do you four think you’re going?” Mom screamed out. I couldn’t hear the answer, but I recognized the voice as that of my future father-in-law. I asked Katie what was going on. “Marty, Rob and your bothers are going fishing.” I could tell by the way Katie said it, that she was not in favor of the idea, and either was my mother. That came courtesy of the dirty look she shot her future daughter-in-law.

“Can’t you control him?” Mom asked Katie.

Katie laughed. “Yeah right Char. We’re talking about a boy who proposed in a fishing boat. They’ll be fine, even if two of them are in BIG trouble.”

I sat down at the table and tried to sip at my coffee, but my stomach was in too many knots. Mom was in her typical morning mood and I just groaned as she plopped the plate of bacon and eggs in front of me. I pushed it away, saying I couldn’t eat anything. Nikki was having none of it. “You have to eat something Alexa. It’s going to be a long day and it’s going to be hot. We can’t have you fainting out there.” I tried to stare down a woman who had been through all this just a year prior, but I was no match for her. I relented and grabbed a slice of toast and a piece of bacon. “Happy?” I asked. She told me no, that I needed to eat more than that. “I already have one mother Nikki, I don’t need two” I grumbled at my ‘sister’ as she slid the plate back in front of me.

I ate a couple more pieces of bacon and a half piece of toast before declaring that was enough. Ophelia came through the back door as I was announcing that was more than I could probably handle.

“Your appetite seems to match Jennifer’s, none.” Ophelia said with a giggle. I perked up at the mention of my soon to be bride and I began peppering Ophelia with questions about Jenny. “I think she is more nervous than you Alexa.”

While I doubted that was possible, I began to worry about her. She gets all jumpy and her palms get sweaty when she gets nervous, making life hard for those around her. I started to reach for my phone only to be told to stop by Katie. “You two will be talking soon enough. Besides we’ll get way behind schedule if you start texting her. Now get in the shower so we can start.” I surrendered to the voice of authority and moved off to the bathroom. The girls thought of everything they could to make this as easy as possible. My usual shampoo, soap, conditioner, etc. were there and while it helped a bit I was still as nervous as I had ever been.

When I emerged, Nikki took control, working on my hair, while Katie got cleaned up. Once she was complete with the beautiful up-do hairstyle, with little tendrils hanging down the side, she took off to get ready, leaving me there with Katie, allowing me to fidget about. IT finally gave the tow of us a chance to talk. “You ready for all this?” Katie asked. I gave a hesitant nod.

“I just want it over with.” I said. “I’m not made for all this. I’m just a small-town girl.” The two of us then shared a laugh. Then Katie got all serious.

“You deserve all of this. All the things you have gone through and all that you have done. You deserve to be put on a pedestal and let everyone see you. You had to put up with Dickhead and Adam and you survived. You had to deal with those jerks like Brandon and that Hurley prick and came out stronger than ever. You have become an incredible person, the one I always knew you were. You helped me back then and now you have helped show me that love is possible.”

I was weeping at this point, but the odd part was so was Katie, this rarely happened. I reached over and hugged her tighter than everybody but one person in the world. I whispered “Thanks big sis” Katie told me how much that meant to her.

Mom entered the room at that point. I saw her and it first there was a smile on her face then the motherly instincts took over. “Kathleen, you are supposed to be dressed by now! Nikki and Ophelia will be down here any minute so scoot!” Katie and I began giggling and I asked her if that sounded familiar. She nodded and gave me a quick kiss before she moved off to get dressed.

Mom stood there in the smart lilac dress she had chosen for the wedding. I don’t remember the last time she looked so pretty. “You look great mom. Glad you toned it down, so Jenny and I will be center stage” I teased. I was told to be quiet as she sat down next to me. She took my hand and smiled we sat there a second and I could see that she was getting worked up. I asked her if she was OK. That’s when the tears began.

“I never thought I would be here. When I was younger, I always dreamed of having a little girl. One I could I could teach to cook, sew and to watch walk down the aisle with the man of her dreams. God had different ideas, but I still thought about it at times. I just hoped you would walk down the aisle with the girl of your dreams, and that’s about to come true. I just never knew that I would get to live both dreams.” I reached over and handed mom a Kleenex as she struggled to keep her emotions. “Alexa you have become the daughter a little girl always dreamed of. I’ll never forgive myself for what happened in the past, but I will always support you, and love you.” That was it. Just when I thought I couldn’t cry any more, I burst in to tears.

“Mom, you have always supported me. It had to be hard with dad on the warpath, but you tried. I’m just sorry I never told you my feelings before.” I said through the tears. I didn’t want to let go, but as Nikki came in I realized it had to end. I leaned Mom up and thanked her for everything she had done.

“You never have to thank me Alexa, I am your mother.” She said and gave me a kiss on her cheek. We shared one more hug before letting go of each other.

Katie came in shortly after that. This was the first time I had seen my two bridesmaids in their dresses. We had bought them so long ago. I almost had forgotten about them. The strapless knee length purple dresses were perfect for the day. We had received a little heat from Sarah about buying dresses, but when we reminded her that she didn’t have time to make all four dresses plus our wedding dresses plus finish school, she relented. “You two look great” Mom returned to being Mom, “Figures they would be purple”

As Ophelia entered the house, Katie took control. “OK get up Quinn. It’s time.”

I stood and made my way to the bedroom where my dress awaited. Ophelia produced a small stand she had somehow procured and told me to get up it and drop the robe. I followed the orders and braced myself for the bone crushing I was about to endure. I whimpered for the three of them to be nice. It wasn’t that bad, but I was having a hard time breathing. Nikki had decided to wait to do my make up until everything was done so the next step was the dress. Nikki and Katie held the dress for me while Ophelia helped me step into it. As it was slid up my body, the chills began. While I had worn it just a few days prior, this was a different sensation. It was really happening. My heart raced, and I began to breathe heavily. Katie was there and whispered to relax. I tried but it was hard. I was led over to a stool and Nikki went to work. Every stroke of a brush caused my anxiety level to rise. I wanted to scream at my British friend to hurry up but thought better. Finally, she was finished and led me to the mirror.

I stood transfixed staring at the beautiful woman in the mirror and it took me a moment to realize it was actually me! I could hear Mom start whimpering behind me. I turned to face the four women who were there with me to experience this moment. “Ophelia, this is even more beautiful than I even imagined the other day! Thank you so much for all your hard work.”

Ophelia nodded and let a small smile form. “It was an honour to help two such beautiful young women on their special day. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of it.” I couldn’t help but give the usually stoic woman a hug, and for once she didn’t seem taken aback.

Mom kept going on how wonderful I looked, and Katie just beamed as I looked at my proud big sister. I knew I couldn’t turn at look at Nikki, because the two of us would become our usual bawling selves. “I’m not looking at you Nikki. I don’t want to ruin this make up.” But I couldn’t help myself and turned and gave the British woman who had been so much help to both me and Jenny a hug. Both of us keep telling the other to stop crying. Just then I could hear a door shut. A second later I could hear Danny admonish me.

“Christ Alexa, pull yourself together” I heard him say. I did and turned to say something. But rather than an annoyed older brother I instead found both of my brothers standing there. Their mouths agape as they looked at me in my dress. Danny tried to stammer something, but Adam just stood there in shock. Then it was my turned to be shocked. “You look beautiful Alexa” Adam said. Danny had to quickly reach for our mom as Katie and I were now standing there with our mouths open. I mumbled a thank you to my oldest brother. I wanted to go over and give him a hug but knew that would be pushing it. If it wasn’t for the fact that I was about to be getting married in a few minutes, that may have been the best moment of the day. Our little trance was interrupted by a fourth Quinn.

“Oh my god Alexa!” Ashley screamed as she ran over to me to give me a hug. “You look gorgeous! Do I get to borrow that when I get married?” She asked. I told we would see and then began to ask her how things were going with Jenny. “She is a mess, but it looks like you are too. Nikki can you fix her up?” our personal attendant asked. “Jenny sent me over to see how you were doing and to see if you were ready.” I nodded, and Ashley told me that it was just about time and went to let Mary and Brian know I was ready. ”You really look incredible” she told me before she ran off to tell the major players that all was ready on my end.

It was Zero hour. The hyperventilating began again.

Ophelia told me to relax as I stood there waiting to get this over with. Slowly everyone left the room, except Katie. We didn’t say anything to one another, we didn’t have to. We just shared a hug and left the room to get ready for the biggest moment of my life.

Danny and Adam stood to the side like true gentleman and let the women leave the house first. Katie gave Danny a quick kiss and told me to be nice. The last three people in the house were my brothers and me. I can’t remember the last time that had happened. The pair were trying to wave me through, but I stopped. “Danny, can you give me and Adam a second?” I asked. Soon it was just the two of us standing there. I tied to speak up, but words wouldn’t come out. Finally, I croaked a thanks for coming. Adam smiled as he looked at me. He smiled! What was next almost made me faint.

“Why wouldn’t I come celebrate my sister’s special day?” I didn’t know what to say. I tried to stop the tears, but it was hard. “I haven’t been the best brother, and I still don’t understand but I am trying. Just give me a chance.” He told me. I stood on my toes and wrapped my arms around him and he didn’t try and get away. In fact, he hugged me back! I don’t know if Adam had ever hugged anyone in his life. Our moment was broken by Danny, who had popped back in. He started to say something but stopped. I could tell he wanted to say something, but he couldn’t. Adam nodded at me and walked out the door to join up with Mom. “You ready?” He asked, and I nodded and took his arm.

The pile up began. We were all standing behind a trellis that separated the gathering area from the guests. There were also two rows of plotted trees that were set up to keep Jenny and I from seeing each other. It had been decided, by the bride’s maids and protested by me and Jenny, that we would not be allowed to see one another until we were in front of Brian. I got a chance to share a quick hug with Julie and Sarah, before I let her get back to fixing her wife’s makeup. That is when the nerves really kicked in. Was I going to make it through this day with out looking like a racoon? Danny took me by the arm and drug me behind the bushes. Jacinta was there in a flash, taking on the role of makeup artist. “I don’t know who is in worse shape, you or Jenny.” Jacinta teased me. As she finished cleaning me up, Brian’s voice could be heard.

‘OK everyone it is show time.” He said. The string quartet began and that was his cue to begin walking down the aisle. I peaked around the bushes and watched as Brian took his place. He was followed by Adam and mom and then by Mary and Rob. Danny and I worked our way towards the processional line and were able to watch Sarah and Nikki make their way down. Just before Katie and Julie began their march, Katie ran over and gave Danny a quick kiss and me a big hug. “Knock ‘em dead” she whispered before returning to her spot. I watched a proud smile spread across Danny’s face as his fiancée walked down the aisle, the second most amazing thing happened. Danny turned to me, “Adam was right, you do look beautiful Alexa. Thanks for letting me be a part of this.”

I had to use every part of being to stop myself from breaking out in tears. Before I could say everything, the music changed to the bridal march. It was time. Danny started forward.

I froze.

I couldn’t move! My legs felt that they were made of cement. Danny turned and told me to move in a whisper and I finally found the strength to begin the march down the aisle. The guests wee all standing, and the smiles they had were all genuine. All the people who had been so supportive of me and Jenny were there. Not just all our friends from London, but The Hamilton’s and the Rosato’s. Even Paul Edwards and his wife were standing there with large smiles on their faces. As I made it closer to the front, I saw Debbie standing there and could see that emotion had begun to take control of her. She was dabbing her eyes as I walked past her. I neared the row where my mom and brother were sitting, but I noticed something odd. There was a woman sitting next to Adam. As we passed the row, I couldn’t help but look down and see who it was. I should say I was surprised, but to be honest I wasn’t surprised to see that Bethany was standing there next to Adam! And they were holding hands. Bethany had a huge smile on her face and nodded. I knew there was going to be a long talk of the ‘club’ at the reception!

We reached the front and Danny handed me off, but as he was moving off, he did something that I will remember until the day I die. He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek! I had to use every ounce of will I had to not break down in tears right there, but I think Mom took care of the crying for both us. I heard a little gasp come from her and whimper. I looked up at Danny and mouthed “Thanks”. As he moved off, I turned and saw Katie standing there in shock. We looked at each other for a moment and whispered ‘wow’ to each other followed by giggles. Our moment of mutual shock was interrupted as we could sense the guests turn and face back up the aisle.

I will always wonder if the gasp I let out was heard by everyone. Jenny was stunning. The smile that melted me was on full display as Marty led her towards the front of the group and to me. While her dress matched mine, I was still in shock over how beautiful she made it look. I looked over at Sarah and gave her a nod of appreciation before turning back to watch the smiling father and daughter approach me. As the pair reached me, I held out my hand to take Jenny’s. She instantly clamped down on mine, showing me just how nervous she was. Marty bent down and gave Jenny a quick kiss on the cheek, which didn’t surprise me, what did was when he leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. Ah collective ‘aww’ could be heard from the guests as Marty made his way to his seat. Jenny whispered our favorite line “I think he is coming around” We both began to giggle, but our giggles were interrupted as Brian took center stage.

“Friends and Family, we are gathered here to celebrate the love of these two incredible women, Alexa and Jenny. They come before all of us today to express that love in the deepest and most spiritual way possible, in the bonds of matrimony.” Brian said very formally before he paused and seemed to comeback to the man who had been there since two Christmas’ ago. “My name is Brian Martin and I need to make a little confession” he told the guests as he laughed at his own joke “while this is the first same-sex union I have ever officiated, this is not my first wedding. I was a Roman Catholic priest for 12 years before I decided to follow a different calling. So, if I start falling into some old habits, I have given permission to Alexa to give me a swift kick in the shins.” The guests, me and Jenny, all shared a laugh over Brian’s admission. It was perfect timing for the man who always seemed to have the right words at the right time.

After saying a brief prayer, Brian stepped aside and made way for Debbie to step forward and to do the reading we had decided on. As Debbie stood there she looked down at me and Jenny with a smile much different than the one last night. It was like that of a favorite aunt or big sister. There was a joy in her face that I had never seen. Jenny and I sat to the side of the stage and took it all in. Debbie began “A reading from the Book of Ruth. Wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you live, I will live. Your people shall be my people and your God will be my God too. Wherever you die, I will die and there will I be buried beside you. We shall be together forever, and our love will be the gift of God.” You could hear people whispering behind me and Jenny as Debbie finished her reading. I watched Jenny mouth a thank you to Debbie and dab at her eyes. She leaned over and whispered to me “That was a perfect reading. Nice choice babe.” I looked into her eyes and could feel the love radiate from her.

We sat back as Debbie took her seat. We then heard the music from the string quartet begin. This was go time. There was so much going on, I had forgotten to ask if the replacement singers had shown up. Jenny must have had the same thought because her hand tightened on mine again and we looked at each other. We had chosen the song “Evergreen’, by Barbara Streisand to play at this moment. We didn’t know how much of a chance the replacement singers had to rehearse, so we braced ourselves and that’s when it happened. One of the singers let go with the first lyric “Love, Soft as an easy chair”. The voice was very familiar to one we had heard several times. Jenny and I looked at each other in shock. “No way” I said as the other singer began. “Love, Fresh as the morning air” Our looks of shock turned to smiles of surprise. We could hear a slight squeal come from the crowd. Jenny and I turned and there at the microphone were two more of our friends from London, Stephanie and Kayla! Jenny and I turned back to each other and smiled. Jenny took her handkerchief and wiped the corner of my eyes. I hadn’t even realized I had begun crying. We turned back to watch our friend’s performance. I didn’t think it could get any better. Boy was I wrong.

Once Steph and Kayla had finished, Brian rose from his chair and began speaking. “That was beautiful, both the song and the performance. But also beautiful was the sentiment, Love. Love is why we are here today, to celebrate the incredible love these two women share. To show our love for them. Now as I said earlier, I was a priest and that is how I met Alexa. It was Christmas Eve 2016. She came to mass at my church and she looked terrible. Sorry Alexa” He said with a smile before going on. “She was at one of the lowest points of her life. Most of us are aware of what Alexa has gone through so I am not going into that, but she was there because she felt no love. She came to a place where she thought she could feel love or find love. When I was informed of her unique situation, I was shocked but not appalled or anything like that. I wanted to help her find that love again. Now it wasn’t just her family that she felt had forgotten that love but one other person, Jenny. Jenny was in Florida, celebrating the birth of the one man who taught the world more about love than anyone. Little did Alexa know that Jenny had decided to take a tour of America’s airports rather than stay with her family.” The crowd laughed. They laughed even harder when he said, “And I think that was the last night the two you were ever separated by more than 10 miles, right?” he asked the two of us. We blushed hard.

As the laughter and the whispers of the guests died down, Brian continued to stand over us with the smile that had helped me on the first meeting. The one where I was at my low point. “But it was that love that eventually prevailed over everything else. A love that only two people so deeply committed to one another can share. Before I came up with this little homily, Whoops!” He said putting his hands to his mouth jokingly. I decided to join in on the fun and jokingly kicked my leg out in the direction of his. “Before I decided on this sermon, I talked with Jenny and Alexa’s friends and family. The one theme that came from everyone was the love these two have for one another. They have been through some hard times, but that love has always brought them to the top. The all said that they had never seen two people who lived for the other like these two do. That is a love that we all should strive for. Jesus said to love one another, as I have loved you is the greatest commandment. And these two have lived that commandment to the outmost. And that devotion should be celebrated, which is why we are all here. To show the love we have for them as they move forward together.” With that, Brian stepped back to his chair for a moment and sat in prayer. He stood up and nodded towards us.

That was our cue, Jenny stood and reached for my hand. Her smile was bigger than I ever remember seeing. I took her hand and the two of us stood in front of Brian. Our bridesmaids flanked us on either side. “Jenny and Alexa have prepared their own vows. Jenny?” Brian asked. Jenny turned and handed her bouquet to Julie, and I quickly turned and gave Katie mine. Jenny took me by the hands. Those magical blue eyes stared into mine. The look of love was there, but there was something more. It was more tender than they have ever been, more loving. The tears started instantly. Jenny gave a little smile and began speaking. “Lex you are my world. Every day with you is better than the last, because you are in my world. You are not just my love but my best friend. I promise that I will love you and cherish you, through thick and thin for the rest of our lives.” I could feel the tears on my cheeks as I realized that everything I had ever dreamed of was coming true.

“Jen, before I met you I had no idea what the word love meant. I never knew that I could love anything like I love you. You are my love, my partner, my soulmate. You have made me the happiest person in the world and I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you the happiest, most loved person that I can.”

We both tried to pull it together, but it was tough when you had four of you closest friends standing next to you weeping. We turned and faced Brian, who began in on the magical moment. “Jennifer Ann Thompson do you tale Alexa to be your lawfully wedded wife?” Simple and to the point. Jenny looked at me once again with those beautiful eyes that have mesmerized me for nearly four years.

“I do” Jenny said in the softest, most caring voice possible. My heart soared over those words. Then Brian spoke again.

“Alexa Marie Quinn do you take Jenny to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do”

As much as I wanted to scream out in joy I held it in, but there was no hiding the excitement that either Jenny or I felt. We looked at Brian expectantly, urging him to go on. Brian gave out a slight chuckle over our eagerness. “By the power invested in me by the Catholic Apostolic Church and the State of Minnesota, I now pronounce you partners for life. You may now share a kiss”. Jenny and I didn’t have to be told twice and the latest of special kisses between the two of us was shared. As we parted from this kiss, it sounded like the ‘Minneapolis Miracle’ had happened again from all the cheering that was going on. We both blushed a bit and took each other’s hands and proceeded to head back up the aisle. When we were out of sight, we shared another kiss before being enveloped by our bridesmaids. Katie and I got a chance to be together and it was crazy seeing her crying in joy. She was the strong one! I started to say something, but all she said was ‘later’

Before I could even have a chance to find out what she meant, my family arrived. Mom was all over both me. The smile on her face showed just how happy she was. I got a hug from Danny and then Bethany. “We are talking later” I told her. She tried to give me an innocent smile. The hardest thing was Adam. He gave me a hug and then Jenny! That might have been the toughest point ever! Was Adam really happy for us? Jenny looked at me as Adam gave her a hug. She was as shocked as I was.

It was then the Thompson family descended. Mary practically pushed everyone aside before she came to me and Marty went to Jenny. “Its official, you are now one of mine” Mary said. I teared up over her comment before she let go of me to go to her granddaughter. Those tears though were nothing compared to the tears I had when the towering man who had been like a father to me came and wrapped me in a hug so tight I was glad I was wearing the corset because it gave my ribs some protection. Marty whispered, “It official. I have two daughters!” I hugged Marty as tight as I could before I was enveloped by the rest of the Thompson clan. We shared hugs with Rob, Bridgit, AJ and the twins as they all congratulated us and welcomed me officially to the family.

Jenny and I cozied up to each other as Mary got us organized for the receiving line, it provided to be the perfect respite as we prepared for the one event of the whole day that seemed like a whirlwind. I knew most of the people who came through when I saw them, but if you had to ask me who came through the line, I couldn’t have told you. All I know was that I never stopped smiling.

When all the guests had made their way through the receiving line, Jenny and I thought we would be able to have a moment alone, but Mary had other ideas. We were whisked away for wedding pictures. Thankfully, Ashley was waiting for us with a bottle of water as we spent the next half an hour getting various pictures of us and the wedding party taken while the guests got to enjoy themselves. I looked at Julie at one point “I should have taken your advice” I told her. She looked at me dumbfounded for a second until I said, “we should have gone to Vegas.” We shared a laugh over that that got Jenny demanding to know what was so funny and when we told her she laughed and agreed. We suffered through the various posed moments. Some were a pain, but some were moments that would be displayed in our house forever.

As soon as we were done with the pictures, we were ushered along to our next stop. This time it was to the main table. Once again, we had places to be, at least according to Mom and Mary. When I tried to whine that I just wanted to sit in peace, I was told to stop my complaining by my mother. “You two have your whole lives to sit. Today you have obligations.” As much as I wanted to yell at my mother, I knew she was right, so we made our way to the head table. What I didn’t realize, is that without us there, the meal was in a holding pattern. We did finally get to sit though, and a server came up with champagne for the whole bridal party.

That’s when it began. We could hear it in the distance, the clinking of the glasses with silverware. Jenny and I smiled at each other and stood up and shared the first of many kisses that afternoon that were demanded by the hoards.

Like the receiving line, I barely remember what we had to eat. I remember that I spent more time talking with everyone who stopped by than I did just getting to talk with Jenny. It was as the dishes that were being cleared that it seemed like the reception was finally moving into more of a relaxed mode, though we heard the tinkling of glasses for the fifth time.

As the bridal party moved off, Jenny and I decided it was time we made the rounds. “I hope I can remember who was here” Jenny confided in me as we moved off to greet the guests, holding hands the whole time. We stopped at a table that was filled with some of the upper level employees od the Thompson Company, including Archie Christian from London and his wife Jane. We had met her at the reception back in London in the fall, an event that seemed like a lifetime ago. They were excited to hear that we were coming to England for part of our honeymoon. “If you need anything when you are visiting, do not hesitate to call’ Archie said. “But seeing some of the guests in attendance, I think you have plenty of people to call.” We thanked everyone coming before we moved on.

We came upon the Quinn table next. My Uncle Bob was the only one who had come, and from his body language it was reluctantly, but he had come and was polite. My Aunt Karen though was much warmer, she politely welcomed Jenny to the family. Both me and Jenny put on our best faces as we tried to deal with my relatives. It was when I turned to the next guest that the real fun began. Bethany started to give Jenny a hug, but I tried to stop her. “Okay girly, before we go any farther, what the hell is going on?” I said with a grin to my face. Jenny was all confused as to what was going on.

“Well I told you at the Bachelorette Party that I had begun seeing someone” Bethany said with a smirk on her face. Jenny was still confused and asked what I was talking about. “Didn’t you see who she was sitting with? I asked my new wife. She shook her head and when I told her, she had a brief freak out “You were sitting with Adam?” Jenny asked. Then after a moment another reason for my deep love for her. She gave out a little squeal and gave Bethany a hug. “As long as he is treating you right and you are happy that’s all that matters” I relented too and soon I was sharing a hug with Bethany as well. We did break our rule and sat down to get all the dirt. Bethany explained that she had run into Adam a few times, and he was not the same guy that had been at the end of their previous relationship. “He was the sweet boy I fell for years ago. He cared about what I said and what I liked. It didn’t happen all at once and we have kept it quiet until now. I think that you have had a big impact on him Alexa.” I blushed but Jenny had a proud smile on her face. She wrapped an arm around my waist and declared “That’s my girl” she said with a smile and for probably the first time all day, we kissed without being told to.

We continued to make our rounds, thanking all the guests, and other than either shaking hands with one of the attendees or sharing a hug, Jenny and I never broke our loving grasp of each other. The comments of how happy we looked seemed constant. And they were right. As we made our way to the two tables occupied by the English guests, we were joined by our personal attendant. She had brought us each a bottle of water but the anxiousness she displayed showed there was another reason she had come up. “Do you want to meet Steph and Kayla?” Jenny asked. The teenager nodded enthusiastically. ‘Well come on then” I told my cousin as me and Jenny led the way.

A loud squeal came up as we approached. Jenny and I instantly went to the two ‘substitute’ singers. “I thought you weren’t coming?” I practically screamed a I shared a hug with Kayla before moving on to her ‘secret’ girlfriend’.

“We had planned on coming all along, as a surprise. But when Nikki called the other day it was set in stone” Steph explained. As if on cue, Jenny and I turned to find the conspirator in all of this. Not surprisingly she and Sarah were talking with Jenny’s grandmother. The three of them each raised their glasses to us. Jenny’s smile faded for a moment and muttered under her breath that she should have known better.

As we talked with the two singers, I kept catching my cousin practically bouncing up and down in eager anticipation. It was getting so bad I had to stop. Jenny turned and saw what was distracting me and pulled Ashley forward. “Steph, Kayla there is someone dying to meet the two of you. This is Alexa’s cousin Ashley.” Ashley suddenly turned a bit bashful as she extended her hand to half of her favorite band.

“So glad to finally meet you Ashley.” Kayla said. “We keep hearing about you from your cousin all the time, how you may big our biggest fan in the States” The blonde singer said. Ashley was practically jumping out of her skin. Steph had to add her typical two-cents in “Are you keeping these two in line?’ she said as she eschewed the extended hand to give the teenager a light hug. I thought we were going to lose Ashley right there.

‘Oh my god! Stephanie Abbott just hugged me!” Ashley squealed. Steph gave me a wink and both Jenny and I mouthed a thank you to our friend. “Can I get a picture with you two?” She asked. The couple went into a well-planned act, putting on the show like they were trying to decide.

“Tell you what. We will take a picture with you if you will take a picture of us with the brides.” Kayla said. It was like telling the you girl that she had won the lottery. Jenny and I moved next to our two friends and smiled for the camera phone. Jenny and I switched spots with Ashley and let her pose with the pair. I think Ashley’s smile rivaled mine and Jenny’s. Just as they were finishing up, Stephanie called out. “Hey Stuart, can you come here for a second?” The groups producer came over, commenting that he was on holiday and didn’t have to deal with the pair. “Oh, be quiet. We want you to take a picture of all five us.” Stuart obliged as we joined the three for one final shot. We told the pair we would talk later and continued our tour of the guests while Ashley stayed to get more time with the pair.

As we moved on, we found Jessica and Paige. The pair rushed up and gave us hug hugs. “That was a beautiful ceremony” Paige told us as I exchanged hugs with her. Jessica commented that they had to scramble now to make there wedding in six weeks as wonderful.

“You wedding will be just wonderful or even better because it will be you two sharing the moment.” Jenny said. Paige whole heartedly agreed “Aye, it’s been a long time coming and it will be beautiful because of my bonny blonde lass.” The pair shared a smile.

“Well I can’t wait to see it.” I said excitedly. “And we will be there just like you were here for us. I can only imagine how tough it is for you to make the trip Paige, but it means a lot to us.” The Scottish girl, who tried to wave it off.

“And it has just been coming to this, you have been such a help to Lex, we don’t know if we can ever repay you” Jenny said. Jessica smiled and put an arm around me.,

“Just take care of Hayley and we will be even.” I agreed, and we shared one more hug. As I we were walking away, I turned and ran back to the couple and gave them one more hug. As much bluster as there is between Jessica and me, I knew that there was a bond between the two of us. And the same with Paige. We said nothing, and I moved off to catch up with Jenny.

We continued to make the rounds, taking time to personally thank all the guests. As we were making our way back to the head table, we noticed that Marty and Archie were engaged in a conversation with Jamie. I wonder what that was about? Before we could even get close, Mary came up to the trio with her look of admonishment. The two men shook hands with the model and went their separate ways. We intercepted Jamie as she was heading back to her daughter and asked what the conversation was about. “The Thompson Company is planning on doing some promotional videos and were looking for a spokesperson and were asking if I was available. I told them they had to talk with Joshua, but your father is very persistent.” We both laughed at that, but I noticed something when Jamie said that, she was looking right at me. It kind of hit me at that point, he was now my father. I began to tear up again. Jamie got a horrified look on her face, “Did I say something wrong Alexa?” she asked. Jenny instantly knew what it was.

“I think that is the first time that some referred to daddy as her father. But you know what? Its true.” Jenny said as she pulled me close. We let our friend go back to her daughter and husband while we continued to make our way to the front, where we intercepted by our maids of honor. They appeared to be on a mission. “Time for the first dance ladies” Julie told us as we were led to the small dance floor. As the two of us began to dance under the view of all, I could tell Jenny was a bit embarrassed to be so much center stage, even though we had just been standing in front of all these people a few hours before. I took Jenny in my arms and tried to ease her concerns as the DJ played “Wonderful Tonight’. Mentally, I was transported back to that night back in December when Jenny and I had danced at The Bunker when we were celebrating the end of the semester. That was our first true slow dance together, and now here we were dancing again to the same song. We held each other close through out the song and felt like we were alone. There was no one watching us, just the two of us holding each other. I kissed Jenny on the cheek and was rewarded with that wonderful smile.

As the song ended, it was announced that it was time for the two of us to step away from one another. It was time for what they normally called the Father-Daughter dance, but out of respect for my situation Jenny had demanded it be called a Family dance. I stood waiting for Danny to come out and join me, but the latest of the great shocks of the day occurred as Danny led Mom on to the floor and Adam came to me. I fought to hold it together. Adam had a smile on his face like I had never seen. It was genuine! I allowed my oldest brother to begin to lead me around the wood floor. And even though I think he wanted to pull me in a bit, he ‘saved room for Jesus’ as we were always told when we young. We even joked about it. As we moved across the floor Adam began to speak. “Alexa, I still don’t understand all of this, but you are my family and I am trying. And I no longer blame you for Dad. Everyone has impressed that on me.” I asked if one of them was Bethany. He chuckled at that “Yeah. She has been very vocal about that being one of the conditions as we try and work things out. That and accepting you as my sister.” If Jesus would have been between us, he would have been squished as I wrapped my arms around him and did something I thought I would never do, I gave him a kiss on the cheek. I heard a sniffle from behind and turned to see my bride wiping tears on her father’s dinner jacket. As Adam and I broke the hug, he stepped away and Danny took over.

“What the hell was that all about?” Danny asked as he began to take the lead. The smart-ass grin came out and I told him to shut up. “We have all been on his case and he is getting it.” Danny told me. Emotion was still messing with me and I stood up on my toes and kissed him on the cheek. “Danny you mean so much to me and Jenny and I don’t even know how to thank you. You have been there since Dad died watching over us, being our protector. I really wish there was something we could do for you” Danny smiled down at me.

“The only thing you two need to do is love each other until you are old.” He said. “That and be the best two aunts any kid could have.” Leave it to Danny to same something nice and then get me thinking another way. I began to question him if there was a reason he and Katie had gotten engaged. He began laughing loudly. “Hell no. Both Mom and Barb would shoot me if Katie was pregnant.” I agreed with him on that point. We danced to the rest of the song, which I though was going to end our center stage dancing for a bit, But the DJ moved right into another slow song. Without me knowing, Danny had guided us near Jenny and Marty. And as the song changed, he kissed me on the cheek and stepped aside. The next thing I knew I was dancing with my father-in-law. This wasn’t a first for us, but it was not expected.

“Are you holding up OK?” Marty asked. And I just nodded as I was too broken up to say anything. The mood between Marty and I appeared much different than Danny and Jenny. They were laughing while Marty seemed to be a bit tense. I teased him a bit about that. “Give me a break” Marty said in defense. “I am a bit nervous to be dancing with my newest daughter” he explained. “And that’s exactly what you are Alexa, my daughter. You might not be blood, but you are part of my family.” This was as serious as Marty had ever been with me about me and Jenny. “You have one role in this family, and it is one that I am handing to you today. Please take care of Jenny and keep her grounded. Don’t let her go off in her flights of fancy. You seem to be the only one who can do that.” I was getting a bit worked up over Marty’s words and realized I need to try and get control of myself.

“So, does that mean we can’t fly first class on our honeymoon?” I asked. Marty began laughing.

“No, you two are flying first class.” We continued to dance and chat about the day through the rest of the song. I asked him if his mother was driving him nuts yet. “Not quite but getting close. She has been a bear the last few days.” I agreed, saying my own was being the same. As the song ended, Marty leaned over and wrapped me in his arms. Marty had hugged me before, but not like this. This was like the hugs mom gave me after my accident. One of protectiveness and love. And then he said something that made me lose it. I laughed and cried at the same time “And Alexa one more thing.” He whispered as he held me. “You can call me Daddy” I kissed him on the cheek and he in turn kissed me on the forehead. Jenny came rushing over as she saw the state I was in. Marty kissed her on the forehead as well. As he led us of the dance floor, Jenny asked me what had happened. Through the tears I answered

“You know I think he is coming around. He said I could call him Daddy.” We couldn’t hold back our laughter as we stepped to the side of the dance floor, where we met by the woman who had worked so hard to put all of this together. As the guests were allowed to take over the dance floor, Mary led the two of us to an empty table and had us sit down. As soon as Jenny made sure I was set, she took a seat next to me and instantly reached for my hand. Mary watched this, and that Thompson smile came out. “I just wanted to make sure you two enjoy yourself the rest of the day. That and I wanted you two to know how happy you make me. You have given this old lady more joy in the last few years than you will ever know. Thank you” She said. Before I could even speak up, Jenny began talking.

“Grandma, you have always been there for us, ever since Thanksgiving. You were there when Alexa was going through all her issues with her job and you have been there as I have dealt with Mother. You have been our guardian angel. I know I speak for Lex when I say that we probably wouldn’t be here with out you. Thank you for everything.” And for once I saw Mary break down and cry. She reached out and pulled us in. “Love one another, don’t let the world get you two. You are the two most special people in my life. Just keep the love you have now, and you will have paid me back more than you will ever know.” Mary excused herself and went towards the guest house. Jenny tried to get up and chase her down, but I pulled her back. I didn’t say anything, but I could see a look of acknowledgment come over Jenny. Our ability to communicate without speaking was still there.

Before we could even move, we were joined at the table by my mother. She had a smile on her face that would not stop. I asked it her if she was having fun. “The best time.” She seemed more than happy with everything that was going on, which was a relief to me. She looked at the two of us and took our hands.

“Jenny, thank you for taking care of Alexa. I never felt so low as a mother as I did when all of that stuff went down. I kept imagining Alexa sitting there feeling abandoned, but you were the one who helped her more than everyone combined. I owe you more than you can ever imagine. I now not only have a daughter, but I have two.” Mom began to tear up a bit and before she got too emotional, Jenny stepped over and gave her new mother-in-law a hug.

“It was more than a pleasure, Char. Your daughter is the most incredible person in the world. I am just lucky she found me.” The two women who I owed so much to both began to tear up as they held each other.

I fought the tears myself, but the battle was over when I heard Mom whisper to Jenny, ‘Take care of my baby.” And as Jenny promised to, I bawled like a baby. But leave it to Mom to try and find a way to get out of it. She let go of my wife and stood up and addressed me.

“And you, young lady, listen to your wife!” Mom said as only she could but then a smile came out. I stood up and gave Mom a hug. We didn’t say anything but just held each other. After a kiss on the cheek from Mom, she stood back, took both our hands and smiled. It was like the almost cliché, but it was a smile that only a mother could give. She moved back to festivities, leaving the two of us alone, or so we thought.

Two streaks of purple sat at the table where we had been sitting. Each with two glasses of champagne in front of them. Jenny and I took a seat and were each handed a glass by our two bridesmaids. Nikki started to speak, but I stopped her. “I get to give toast here, not you, Nikki” I mockingly scolded my friend. “Seriously, I don’t know if the two of us would have made it this far without your friendship and support. Thanks. I raised my glass and the four of us all took a drink.

“You two have become as dear of friends that we have. You have literally expanded our world. And the love you show each other has deepened our love for one another. We owe you just as much thanks as anything.” Sarah nodded next to her wife and the four of us took another drink.

“Wow neither of you two started crying during that” Sarah teased her wife and myself. Jenny commented that maybe they are growing up.”

“Not too much I hope” I stated as I took Jenny’s hand and nodded for our best friends to follow us. The four of us hit the dance floor and began to celebrate. It was a little harder to dance in the wedding dresses than the short dresses of the other night, but at least it covered a lot more. It was great to just unwind after all the craziness of the last few weeks. We danced, shared a few drinks and just had fun as the party went along.

At one point, Nikki leaned over and said, “Who would have thought that trying to find the Disney Store would lead to this?” That did get me to weep and my mentor and I shared a hug. Jenny and Sarah came up and said they knew the two of us wouldn’t last.

I kissed my wife and told her to be nice, it was my wedding day. She giggled and returned the kiss. ‘Let’s get something to drink” Jenny announced and took me by the hand. Sarah did the same to Nikki and the four of us moved towards the bar.

Before we could barely get off the dance floor, we were interrupted again. Again it was by Julie, who had taken the microphone from the DJ. She began telling all the single women to line up for the tossing of the bouquets. Jenny groaned, and I reminded her that Julie was her choice as Maid of Honor. Jenny teased me a bit by reminding me that I had stolen her first choice.

As we made our way to the stage, we realized that we didn’t have our bouquets. As if by magic, Ashley appeared holding them. We both gave her a hug and thanked her for being there for us. As we walked up Jenny asked if I had remembered to do something special for her. “Oh, don’t worry about that. When Out of Heaven has their first show in the States, Ashley will be front row of the VIP section.” I told Jenny, who smiled at that “And so will we” I finished which caused an even bigger grin.

We stood above the assembled crowd of young women as they began jockeying for position. Our married friends, or in the case of Paige and Jessica, soon to be married stood off to the side and cajoled the women. Julie was still at the mic and began teasing both Mom and Mary to get out there since they were both single only to be met with a trademark Mary comeback about being too old to get married again. “Besides, that might mean more grandchildren like you three girls.” The three of us on stage had to take a moment to control ourselves we were laughing so hard. Finally, we had gotten it together enough for us to begin the ritual. I was the first to go. I turned my back to the crowd and began an exaggerated toss over my shoulder. I stopped and checked out the group, looking for the one person I wanted to catch it. I turned back and made my toss.

As if the wedding gods had ordained it, the girls parted, and the bouquet made a perfect landing right in Katie’s hands. Katie was as excited as I had ever seen, while her fiancé shot me dirty looks. I stuck my tongue out over his pouting as me and Jenny giggled away over his unhappiness. Then it was Jenny’s turn. She began to do the same exaggerated moves I had, but rather than a pre-planned toss like mine had been, the bouquet bounced around. Hands were all over, either trying to grab it or trying to keep it bouncing along. Eventually, it landed right in the arms of Kayla. The diminutive blonde singer looked a bit embarrassed by the results and Stephanie looked a bit concerned. But they both still had smiles on their faces and cheered the results.

We left the stage and the dancing and the celebrating continued. I grabbed Jenny by the hand and led her over to an empty table. I was starting to feel a bit run down. We barely got a chance to sit, when we were joined by a third. Sitting there was a woman who had done more for me than almost everyone. She had been there when the confusion had begun and helped me to find myself. She had been there to guide me through all the trials and tribulations as I embarked on this journey to become the woman I am today and will be there as I become the woman I want to be. Debbie sat down and the counselor she had been was gone, now here was the friend she had become. “This was simply perfect you two. Thank you for letting me be a part of this” Debbie told us.

Jenny told her with all confidence that none of this would have been possible without her help. “You helped Lex find herself which allowed me to find my soulmate. We should be the ones thanking you.” And the pair shared a hug before Debbie turned her sights on me.

“You are incredible young woman Alexa. I never thought that a patient could get to me, but you did.” She said, “I don’t know if that’s good or bad” She said with a giggle and we shared a hug. I was lost for a moment. I didn’t know what to say. I mumbled out a thank you, but I knew that wasn.t enough. Debbie in her typical manner told me there was no need to thank her. “Keep loving Jenny is all that I need, besides remember you pay me.” The three of us all laughed. “Seriously, remember that there are lots of people who care about the two of you. You two bring such a joy to those around you from the love you share. Keep that alive OK?” I nodded, and Debbie shared one last hug with each of us.

As Debbie was leaving, she stopped and turned again. “Oh, there is one thing you can do for me Alexa. Try and get her to show up to work sometime. I mean it has been a year already. My filling is all over the place.” A smile from my doctor and tongue being stuck out by wife made the conversation a perfect one.

The two of us sat there holding hands and enjoying just being alone, before we were distracted again. But this distraction was more than appreciated. Katie sat down with us and it felt like we were home again. Katie looked at us “Well I can’t believe the two of you made it through the day without losing it.” My ‘big sister’ teased. “Seriously, I can’t even tell you how happy I am for you two. I have said it a million times, but four years ago, I couldn’t have imagined you two together, now I know you will never be apart.” Then completely uncharacteristically Katie began to cry. “I love you guys. You are my family. And I want you two to be the happiest people in the world.” Jenny stepped up and hugged Katie for what seemed like an hour. The two who had been such polar opposites when they met had formed a bond that was unbreakable. I could see Jenny was in just as bad a shape as Katie as the two parted.

As soon as Katie and I locked eyes, I joined there crying. Katie didn’t say anything and just reached for me and me for her. After all the two of us had been through since we were eleven years old, to be here at my wedding was a miracle. “Long way from Faribault Junior High and Mr. Fraser History class.” I laughed and just held Katie. As we released our hug, Danny showed up and asked Katie to dance. She slowly got up and our eyes never left each other. She blew me a kiss before allowing my brother to lead her on to the dance floor as another slow song began to play.

I sat there lost in the moment. It had been a long journey. Two years ago, I was a boy named Alex. I was scared of my own shadow and had a huge crush on my best friend’s roommate. I was a lonely guy living in a big old apartment by myself with very few friends. I thought sitting at home on a Friday night eating pizza and playing video games was as good as it could get. Then one simple favor set me on the path to the person I am today. I had sunk to the lowest point possible on that day my father had discovered ‘Alexa’, so low that I actually considered killing myself. Then there was the whole fiasco with my job as I had decided to move on from being that boy. Then the car accident. But along the way I made new friends and formed bonds that would never be broken. I regained my family and now felt I had two brothers who cared for me and a mother who was more a part of my life than ever.

And through it all there had been one person at my side. As I had said in my vows, I never really knew what true love until Jenny came along. She stood by me, she comforted me and yes, she loved me. I was so dumb to know that I hadn’t had an effect on her. I watched a person find themselves as the two of us had took on the world. I had seen her eyes go from sad to ecstatic as we shared our love.

And I wasn’t lying when I said I would spend the rest of my life trying to make her the happiest person in the world. I squeezed Jenny’s hand a little and looked at those beautiful blue eyes once again. I gave her a tired smile.

“You OK, Lex?” Jenny asked. I nodded.

I just can’t believe we made it” I told her. Jenny leaned over and gave me a loving kiss. She stood up and reached for my hand.

“Made it? We’ve only just begun babe.”