When they took their first steps, when they held a spoon on their own for the first time, their first teeth, the first time they learned to tie their shoes. Silly things I felt like writing down would make him a part of it all. He reads every page, every word, and I just watch him. Finally, when he reaches the wedding invite, he looks over at me, his eyes so soft and breathtaking.
“I love you more than anything in this world, beautiful,” he tells me.
The night before the big event, we had a party at our house with everyone in the wedding, a joint bachelor/bachelorette party. It wasn’t anything crazy since it was family friendly, but just a fun time for everyone to share in the event. I felt like I finally had my sister Maven back. After the day she filled me in on the assault, we’d gotten together just the two of us to talk. It was so hard to hear what she’d been through, not only the night with Brayden, but her time in Alaska. Slowly we rekindled our friendship, and it grew stronger. She helped me with a ton of the wedding planning which took a lot of stress off me.
Today’s the big day, and I’m full of jitters. I’ve picked a dress I love, and one people probably won’t expect me to wear, including Joey. The dress is tight all the way to the mermaid skirt, a wide V in the front comes together with lace cap sleeves. The dress itself is ivory lace with some diamonds sporadically decorating the fabric in elegant patterns and a thick strip of satin wrapped around my waist finishes the dress off.
I’ve done my own hair, all of it gathered into an elegant low bun below my ear adorned with a beautiful pearl hair piece. Joey surprised me in the morning with a set of diamond studs to wear, and the gesture had me crying and smiling like a fool. Gwen gave me a diamond bracelet that she wore for her wedding, again I smiled through the tears. The girls and I decorate outside of the clubhouse that morning, with white chairs organized into rows for the ceremony.
White tables and chairs are set up towards the center of the lot for the reception, the tables covered in crisp white linen with centerpieces of lavender and other pale purple flowers. Dornan and Nathan strung twinkle lights above everything from building to building, and I couldn’t wait to see it all lit up tonight. The dancefloor was being assembled by the time I left to go get ready, and I was counting down the hours that felt like an eternity.
We all get ready in the clubhouse apartments, and I’ve never seen the place so girly. I’d picked a soft lavender color for the girls’ dresses, and everywhere I look there’s makeup and hair products. When I see guests arriving and the sun begins to grow lower in the sky, I’m barely able to contain my excitement. My daughters look amazing and I can’t wait for Joey to see them.
When Joseph arrives to the apartment to retrieve me, I know it’s go time. The girls’ line up in the hallway as we walk towards the main part of the clubhouse, and I thank God the weather’s perfect and we don’t have to have it inside. Through the oak doors, I can hear the procession music begin and I step off to the side so no one can see me. One by one the bridesmaids make their way out the doors, and Joseph takes my hand.
“I’m so happy you wanted me to walk you down the aisle,” he tells me.
I turn and give him a soft smile. “There’s no one I’d rather it be.”
He leans over and kisses my cheek. “You’ve been the best thing that’s ever happened to my boy from day one, and now and beyond…what you two have is special.”
“I’ve never gotten to thank you for welcoming me into your home, you and Gwen have always made me feel like I belonged. So, thank you…for everything,” I say, and when I say ‘everything,’ I know he understands exactly what I mean.
He gives me another kiss, and I wrap my arm with his, holding my bouquet of flowers at my waist. The song changes and we step toward the open doors. My heart instantly thunders in my chest as I see everyone looking at me, and then there he is. Joey’s standing there, looking amazingly hot in his military dress blues. The look in his eyes when he sees me makes my cheeks flush, and my eyes water. I don’t know if he can tell from here that my dress is backless, and I don’t even worry about what the guests think about my scars as I walk past.
The years have made my scars not as harsh looking, but still visible. Joseph and I walk down the aisle, and as we get closer I watch Joey run a finger under his eyes. I take a deep breath as we reach him and I can’t stop smiling as sure enough, Joey’s eyes are glassy with tears. An overwhelming, all-encompassing wave of love comes over me and this experience is almost surreal. Joey steps forward to take my hand. He’s trimmed his beard and his hair’s coiffed to perfection. When he touches me, it instantly sparks such strong emotions that I need to take a breath and hold it for a second before slowly releasing.
“You look stunning,” he whispers in my ear as he kisses my cheek.
The entire ceremony I take in the feel of our hands together, the warmth of his body beside mine. When we turn to face each other to recite our vows, our eyes remain locked. So many memories and the struggles we’ve had over the years come to mind.
“You both wrote vows, which you may read at this time.”
I nod at Joey to go first and he clears his throat a little, his hands gripping tighter around mine.
“For years, I heard from my parents about how they met, seeing each other from across the room and just knowing. I believed them but never thought that I too would experience that. But I did, and the moment my eyes met yours across the room, it was like a part of me I didn't know was incomplete became whole. I knew you were my wife, the woman who would give me kids, the woman I'd be with the rest of my life. I can't explain it really, the sensation of knowing you've found the one, but it’s a real thing.
When I think back to us at sixteen and how you tried to deflect my attempts, I almost laugh, because you never had a chance of getting rid of me. During my deployment, I was a part of some important missions, but nothing compares to the mission I had to make you mine. There's no singular word that can describe how I feel for you or how you make me feel. Love, cherished, endless, unbreakable. I love you.”
I sniffle and blink to clear my eyes, but have to release one of his hands to wipe under them.
“When I think back to my life before we met, I realize it wasn't a life. I wasn't living, I was just existing. I could see in your eyes that nothing was impossible for me, and in you I found the person I wanted to be. I see who I am. I look at how far I've come from the girl you first met. I see it in our beautiful daughters. There's nothing I would change about our story, not one thing. Even though we were apart, it only reaffirmed how much I love you and how I took a chance with you...the same way you wouldn't take no for an answer. I love you so much Joey, and thank you for taking me on.”
Joey’s hand comes up to run his thumb under my eye and I smile at him, feeling like my heart could burst with the way he’s looking at me. When we exchange rings, I slide on a new silver wedding band I got him to replace the old pawn shop one I’d originally given him. When it’s fully placed on his finger, he gives my hand a squeeze. I told him I didn’t want a new ring, but he began sliding on a new wedding band.
The band is small diamonds and it fits perfectly over my engagement ring. I give him a little smile to show him I love it, and then the minister announces us as husband and wife, and that we can kiss. Joey’s big hands cup my cheeks, his thumbs graze my cheekbones once before he leans in and presses a soft kiss against my glossy lips. Everyone begins to clap and I smile as I pull away, watching Joey lick the flavor of me off his lips.
After the ceremony, we take photos for a while, then come back to cut the cake and eat dinner. As we sit to eat and when I hear the music that comes over the speakers, the same songs from the CD Joey made for us to have sex to for the first time, and I lean over and kiss him. We’ve aged a little since then, we’ve changed a hell of a lot since then too.
I can’t imagine how my life would be, or where I’d be if Joey never came into my life. I have to think some higher power put us at that party that night, that
he noticed me and knew we would be together. I think back to how stubborn he was, not taking my no for an answer. Coming to the library every day, sneaking off to the bathroom to kiss him. We’ve been through so much, but I wouldn’t change anything.
“It’s now time for the couple’s first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Pedersen,” the DJ announces.
Joey takes my hand and leads me out to the dancefloor as “Heaven” by Bryan Adams comes on. I curl into his chest as we begin to sway to the music.
“I love that you picked this dress,” he says with his lips at my temple. “How does it feel to wear it?”
“Joey, you always make me feel beautiful, I wanted you to see that.”
He looks down at me. “You made yourself confident and empowered, that’s all you.”
I smile and sniffle, resting my head under his chin.
“You ready for a vacation?” I ask.
We’ve planned a trip to Hawaii, which I wasn’t happy about spending money on. But Joey assured me it was fine, and actually booked the trip without me knowing.
“Hell yes, I saw that little pink bathing suit you packed,” he says softly.
I raise my head. “I wasn’t planning on wearing that much,” I reply.
“Oh you have another one, maybe a bikini?” he asks hopefully.
“No, I was just planning on swimming naked, aren’t you? We have a private cabana, come on now.”
He growls as he kisses me, causing me to giggle.
“How do you like the wedding this go around?” he asks.
I lift my head and run my nose along his jaw. “Just as amazing as the first time,” I answer. “But it’s bittersweet like before,” I say, looking down at his chest.
“Why's that?”
“Because just like last time, you're leaving again.”
He dips his head, signaling for me to look up at him, and I do.
“I'm not going, Katie.”
I stop dancing and furrow my brows in confusion.
“I can't do that shit to you again, but really I can't be away from you again. The money stresses me out, but what's the point of being well off if it means I miss more time with you? I missed the girls growing up, I can't get that time back, I don't want to miss one more moment in what we created together.”
Relief comes over me, and the stress since he told me he was thinking about reenlisting exits every limb of my body. My eyes well up before I smack his bicep.
“You knew you weren't going and didn't tell me? I've been worried sick for weeks, you jerk!” I say with a laugh as the tears fall down my cheeks.
He kisses my forehead with a smile on his lips, pulling my hands down from wiping my cheeks and we begin dancing again.
“I gotta keep you on your toes.”
“No, you just like to mess with me,” I sniffle.
“That too,” he says with a mischievous grin.
“Anything else you’ve been keeping and would like to share? Now’s the time,” I say.
“Well, yeah.”
My eyes widen in fear, having no idea what new bombshell he’s about to drop on me.
“Nathan, Dornan and me, we’re gonna start a business. We’ve already got approved by the bank. While we’re in Hawaii they’re going to hire some guys and when we get back, I’ll be one-third owner of Plantain Construction.”
I inhale, letting it out with a smile.
“This will be good, Katie. I’ll be home from now on.”
I sigh with contentment, resting my cheek on his chest and feeling like for once the world is right and meant to be again. His fingers run along my lower back and the bare skin there, as he places another kiss on the top of my head.
“I love you, Katherine.”
“I love you,” I sigh again, “you’re my fairytale, Joey.”
Epilogue
Thirteen Years Later
I arrive home from the shop and drop my purse on the kitchen table, I shuffle through the mail and set aside the letters addressed to Daisy. Moments later, the screen on the side door claps shut and I hear bags drop onto the floor.
“Hey Mom,” Grayson says, coming up beside me and placing a kiss on my cheek.
“How was baseball practice?” I ask.
The fridge opens behind me, then I hear the snap from the opening of a sports drink lid. I wait for him to chug the drink before replying, “Good. What’s for dinner? I’m starving,” he pants then burps.
“Seriously?” I ask, shaking my head.
“Excuse me.”
“Dad’s grilling, but have a bowl of cereal or something in the meantime, he’s not home yet,” I tell him.
I look over at my sixteen-year-old son. He looks so much like Nathan; I can’t get over it sometimes. Although he has no beard, and wears his hair shorter than his dad’s, the resemblance is uncanny.
“I’ll grill.” He walks outside and I hear the grill being moved out from the garage. Coming back in the house while it warms up, and grabbing a cereal box from above the fridge.
My son towers over me, actually, all my children tower over me, getting that from Nathan also.
“Is Daisy home?” he asks.
“Yeah, what happened last night?” I ask.
I’d been at the yoga studio I took over about ten years ago, not getting home from work until after eight. Before I even walked into the house, I heard Nathan and Daisy arguing. Walking in to see the two of them in the kitchen, arms folded in a standoff of wills. I opened my mouth to ask what was up, when Daisy throws her hands up, stomping past me while saying, “He doesn’t understand anything!”
I watched her walk out the door, before turning my attention to Nathan. We’ve aged, but Nathan barely looks any older than he did when we first met, bastard.
“That one, I don’t get.” He put his hands up and then also walks past me, then the sound of his bike engine blasted through the air.
I went to bed before he came home, and when I got to the shop for work the next morning, he’d already left for a job. I knew trying to contact him to find out what happened was useless, knowing he needed the time to decompress. The two of them had been fighting non-stop lately, ever since Daisy declined all her college scholarships.
She said she wanted to take time off school, not knowing what she wanted to do with her life. And boy could I ever relate to that feeling. I’ve always let our children make their own decisions as they got older, a point of contention between Nathan and I. He always accused me of being too chill with them, but I remember being that age and I just wanted to raise strong minded and able bodied grown-ups.
“Isn’t it always the same argument?” Grayson asks.
He grabs his bowl, ready to sit.
“Uh, clean your stuff up by the door first please,” I tell him.
He grumbles something then does what I’ve asked. Again the noise from the side door alerts me to another member of my family arriving home.
“Move asshole!” Abbey says to her brother.
Abbey, our youngest at thirteen, is going through…well, you know. She’s been hell on wheels the last few months, and I’m trying to remind myself she’s becoming a woman and all that…but she’s a bitch, let’s face it.
“Abbey, chill,” I say.
At the same time Grayson says, “Aw, I really missed your abuse today.”
“Shut up,” Abbey sneers.
I walk over towards the entryway, arms crossed with my eyebrows raised. As Grayson cleans up his mess, Abbey drops her gym bag and bookbag on the floor.
“Do you think a maid lives here? And enough with the attitude Abbey, I really don’t want to take volleyball practice away as a punishment.”
She grumbles something also.
“What’s that?” I ask.
“It’s so good to be home, Mother.”
I shake my head and return to dinner preparations. Abbey stomps up the steps announcing she has homework, while Grayson sits at the table, inhaling his cereal.
I look over towards the garag
e where Daisy took over residence of the loft on her seventeenth birthday. I wanted her to be independent and have privacy, since as you can see little Miss Abbey is so delightful as of late. But now I was wondering if the move was not a good idea. The rumble from a motorcycle still gives me a flutter in my stomach.
Nathan and I have been together almost nineteen years, it blows my mind to think of how fast the time’s flown, but I’ve loved every moment of it. I tuck my hair behind my ears and wait for the bike to shut off, heavy boots ascending the steps to the door.
“Hey,” Nathan announces as he enters and again I move to the entryway.
My husband still has a beard and long hair, streaks of grey here and there, and fuck if it doesn’t make him hotter. His eyes devour me, it’s like I can feel his hands all over me as he scans up, licking his lips as they pause at my chest. My lips part as my breaths quicken, and I instantly wish for an empty house.
“Hey good lookin’,” I reply.
“Uggggh,” Grayson groans, dropping his spoon into his bowl with a clatter.
Nathan smiles at me, coming closer to kiss me. My hands trail down his leather jacket, and we hear Grayson go outside. I take my opportunity and cup Nathan’s crotch, his erection growing. He groans and rocks up into my palm.
“Can the kids go somewhere?” he mumbles against my lips.
The sound of screamo metal music blasts from outside, knowing it’s coming from the loft and it’s turned on as a way to piss Nathan off. It’s like a bucket of ice has been thrown on us, and instantly we cool. He lets out a long sigh as he pulls back, running his hands down my hair.
“Why don’t you go talk to her,” I suggest.
He looks up at the ceiling and nods.
“I just don’t know what to do with her, it’s like I ask her a question and she jumps down my throat. Abbey does too, but at least I know why with her. Daisy though,” he shakes his head.
Take On Me: Plantain Series Book Three Page 25