by Shelly Jones
The barn is breathtaking, an old wooden barn with just enough lighting to make it bright, but yet it has a romantic feel. We decided on the long tables that each seat eight people. Each table has a black runner and a bouquet of wild flowers in the center. There’s a huge dance floor with the DJ area. Our cake is sitting on a wooden table off to the side with a black tablecloth covering the table. I think out of everything, our cake topper is my favorite. Xander came home a month ago, excited as hell, that he found a bride and groom on a Harley. It looks great on top of our three-tiered square cake with white frosting and a blue ribbon around each later. The table is decorated with our bridal flower selection.
As I stand looking out over the property, “This place is perfect.” I say out loud.
“It is, it really is.” Kathy comes up behind me. “How you holding up?”
“I’m good, I wish Mom would have showed up, but whatever. I’m just glad the rest of you guys came.” I say softly. Yes, my mother is still being a royal bitch and has decided not to come to my wedding. I’ve never been so hurt by someone, as I am right now by her actions.
“Yeah, well, screw Mom, you just focus on marrying your man.” Kathy says.
“Thanks, Sis.” I smile and we walk in.
When I get in, all the girls have their hair done already. All of them have their hair pulled back in a low bun. I wanted everyone’s hair down but being that it’s June and we are getting married in Phoenix, that would have just been cruel.
“I need someone to take something over to Xander. Who wants to do it?” I announce.
“I’ll do it!” Reese says.
I smile at her, “Ok.” But my stomach starts to hurt and I start thinking about a week ago at the doctor’s office.
“Miss Hayes?” The female doctor comes walking in while I’m naked and sitting in a gown.
“Hi Doctor Moore.” I give a weak smile.
“So what’s going on?”
“I haven’t been feeling good and I’m not sure what’s going on.”
“Ok, well tell me, what’s going on.” She says.
I tell her everything, “Well, it could be a few things but I’ll bet it’s just nerves.” She tells me, “But we’ll see.”
She does her exam, “Emily, when was your last period?” she asks.
“Fuck, I don’t even know!!” I say out loud.
She laughs, “Ok. Well let’s take a peak.” She brings in this machine. She puts some jelly on my stomach, “Hmmm” She says out loud. She gets this probe thing out and I remember this bitch from the last time. “Fuck! Does she think I’m pregnant?!” I freak out in my head.
“Just as I thought . . .” She says and turns the monitor to me, “You’re 9 weeks pregnant.” She says.
“What?” I almost shout.
“Yep you’re 9 weeks pregnant and it looks like a healthy pregnancy, so far.”
“Oh my god!” I whisper.
So my wedding gift to Xander is the ultrasound picture of our baby. This should flip him out. I hand Reese the envelope and she takes off and gets it to him.
“What did you get him?” Kathy asks.
I pull her off to the side, “I’m pregnant.” I whisper.
“No!”
“Yes!’
“Oh my God, I am so happy for you.” She hugs me tight. “I wish Mom would quit being a bitch!”
“I know, but at least I have my girls.”
When Reese gets back, we finish getting ready. I start to cry when my girls come out wearing their black satin strapless dresses with a blue sash around the waist. Hilary has black straps for her dress. The dresses hit them right above the knee. We’re all wearing Steve Madden royal blue platform high heels with rhinestones on the heel. Reese and I found the shoes, before we found the dresses. I planned the color blue around the shoes. Harlie is wearing a blue satin flower girl dress. Her hair is in a ponytail and all curled up.
I slip into my heels, and Reese and Kathy help me get into my dress. When I went dress shopping, I was looking for a long wedding dress, but this dress had my attention from the moment I walked in, and I had to have it. My dress is all lace, tea length style with a sweet heart neckline. I have an added touch of color underneath the dress, my petticoat is blue. I love my dress and I’m happy I didn’t go with the traditional wedding gown.
When I walk out, everyone in the room gasps. “Holy shit, you’re beautiful.” Kayla says.
I turn and look in the mirror. My blonde hair like the girls’ curled and in a low bun, my make-up is done light and natural. I stand and take myself in, I feel like a princess and I cannot wait for Xander to see me.
There’s a knock at the door and I fly back into the room, in case its Xander, so he doesn’t see me.
“Hey Em, Dad wants a moment with you alone.” Kathy says. I hear them all leave and I come around the corner and see my dad.
He’s dressed in a grey suit, with a white button down shirt and a yellow tie. When my dad sees me his eyes fill with tears and his hand goes to his mouth. “Wow Emily, you are stunning.” He says quietly.
I’m trying to hold it together but it’s hard, “Thanks, Daddy.” I smile at him.
“I am so sorry for being such an ass in the beginning.”
“Dad stop, it’s ok. It’s the past. You’re here now and I am so happy you’re going to marry Xander and I.”
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
My dad and I talk for a few minutes, and had our moment, it was nice. I wish my mom were here, but whatever. I’m marrying my best friend today and that’s all I give a shit about.
My brother Danny knocks on the door and enters, “Wow! Sis, you look beautiful!” He smiles at me.
He looks so handsome in a white button down dress shirt, black vest with blue tie and baby’s breath corsage.
“Thanks, you don’t look so bad yourself.” I smile. “Both of my men look good today.” I say looking at my dad and my brother.
“Well, shall we go?” He asks and holds out his hand.
“Let’s do this.” I smile. The girls come in and grab their bouquets, Kathy hands me mine.
We stand waiting for our cue to start walking and “Bless The Broken Road” By Rascall Flatts starts to play, Hilary, Dani, Kayla, Mel, Reese and Kathy walk down the aisle. Harlie and Jameson follow Kathy. Jameson looks so handsome in his black pants, blue dress shirt and black tie. Instead of holding a flower basket and a ring pillow, we have them holding a sign. “Here comes the love of your life.”
Danny and I turn the corner and my eyes start to water, “God, he’s hot!” I say under my breath. Danny starts laughing.
“You ready?” He asks. I nod my head and we start walking. We walk to my future, my everything.
When we get to the tree, I get a better look at Xander. His hair is styled in that messy look that I love so much and his eyes are red and watery. He’s looking mighty fucking hot in his black pants, black dress shirt, white vest and blue tie. I look over at the rest of the guys and they’re studs too, all dressed in black button down dress shirts, black pants, blue ties and blue suspenders. I’m loving it.
“Hi,” I whisper.
“Hi Baby,” He whispers back.
“Who gives this woman to this man?” My dad asks with his voice cracking.
“Her family and I do.” My brother says proudly and takes my hand and places it in Xander’s.
“Thanks, man,” Xander pulls him into a hug. Danny whispers something to him, but I can’t hear it.
My dad and I exchange smiles.
“Shall we get started?” My dad asks.
“Yeah,” I smile.
My dad does his introduction, “Emily and Xander have written their own vows. Emily, you may start.”
“Xander, our love story isn’t a typical love story, but our story is ours. We’ve gone through so much since we first met and if someone would have asked me a year and half ago if I’d marry you, I would have laughed. I never thought that on my wedding day
, I’d be standing here marrying you.” I take a breath.
” I know now that when I was offered the job to come here, it was for more than a job, it was my destiny for us to meet.”
“You’re my light, you’re my air, my reason for living. When I’m with you, I’m alive and feel like I can do anything in this world.”
“I promise to love you, to stay faithful to you forever, and to love you even when you’re cranky and being a jerk. I promise to always be your best friend, grow old with you and be you’re everything, just as you are my everything. I love you baby.” I read my vows, trying my hardest not to cry.
He takes a deep breath and blows it out, “Emily, I don’t even know where to start. I never believed in love at first sight, until I met you.” He starts his vows. “The moment you got out of the truck, you lit up the night’s sky. I knew you were too good for me, but you were the flame and I was the moth, I couldn’t stay away. I tried not to love you, but that lasted only a couple of hours.” He breathes
“My heart was yours and will always be yours. You have given me a reason to live. You opened your heart not just to me, but to my daughter as well. I am a better person because of you and my daughter smiles even bigger because you’re in our lives.”
“I promise that I will love you, no matter what. I will be faithful until our last breaths. I promise to be your best friend and listen to you, even if its things I don’t understand. I promise every month to take you out on a first date for the rest of our lives. I love you Emily, and I cannot wait to start forever with you as my wife.” He’s trying hard not to cry. My eyes are so wet, I can’t even see.
“Can we have the rings?” My dad says.
Kathy and Blake hand my dad our rings.
“The wedding ring is an unbroken circle. It symbolizes neverending, everlasting love. It also symbolizes unbroken promises and unbroken love.”
“Xander and Emily’s relationship has been just that. When Emily was involved in a car accident almost two years ago, it could have torn them apart, but instead it brought them closer.”
“Emily has told me from day one that Xander saved her. She only lived because his love was so strong for her and it brought her back to life. But I also believe, that her love for Xander and Harlie kept her fighting.”
“The love these two share is without a doubt everlasting and unbreakable.”
He hands us the rings, “You may place the rings on your fingers.”
“Do you Xander take Emily to be your best friend, your wife from now until eternity?”
Xander laughs, “Without a doubt in my mind, I take her to be my everything.”
My dad laughs,
“Do you Emily, take Xander to be your best friend, to be your protector, to be your husband? From now until eternity?”
I wipe tears from my eyes, “I cannot believe I get to say this to you,” “I do, Baby! I do!” I almost squeal.
“It is with great honor to announce Mr. and Mrs. Hunt. You may now . . .” My dad says and Xander doesn’t even let him finish, he gently grabs the back of my neck, pulls me to him and kisses me.
“You’re my wife.” He says looking into my eyes.
“I am. And you are my husband.”
“So, a baby, really?”
“Yeah, really.”
“Best news ever.” He says quietly, giving me another kiss.
We turn and face everyone and walk down the aisle as husband and wife.
Our reception was a blast. I haven’t danced this much in a long time. I told Xander he could pick our song and again, my baby did good. Real good!
We danced to “Thinking Out Loud” By Ed Sheeran. “This, this song is so perfect.” I pull his neck down so I can kiss him.
“I know, that’s why I picked it.” He kisses me sweetly. I wrapped my arm around his neck, his hands around my waist, staring into each other’s eyes, we see no one. It’s just Xander and I.
He also chose “You And Me” By Lifehouse, as a second song. It was one of those songs that gave us goose bumps. So it had to be played.
“I love you Husband.” I smile.
“I love you Wife and Baby Momma.” He laughs and I giggle.
For my Father/Daughter dance, I chose “I Loved Her First” by Heartland. It’s always been me and my dad’s song.
“Dance with me, Daddy?” I ask him. He stands straight up and tries to hide his emotions,
“Of course.” Is all he could say. I place my left hand on his shoulder, he holds my right hand and I put my head on his chest and we danced. “Don’t tell your sisters, but you’ve made me the proudest. Thank you for letting me be a part of today.”
“Of course dad, I just . . .” I start to say and he stops me.
“Don’t worry about your mother. This is her loss and no one else’s.” His tone is stern. Pretty sure my mom is going to get an ear full when he gets home.
I look over and I see Xander and Harlie dancing, she’s smiling at her daddy and her daddy is smiling and singing to her. My eyes fill with tears. I love these two with everything in me and knowing that Xander and I are having a baby together, is one of the greatest feelings in the world.
As the song ended, I looked up at him, “I love you, I will always be your little girl.” I lean up and kiss him on the cheek.
Xander and his dad grabbed his mom and they danced to “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison. He told me that has, and will always be, his mom’s song. Ever since he was a baby, the two of them have danced to that song. I think it’s cute, but when that song was over, Xander and his mom danced to “Thank You For Loving Me” by Bon Jovi. I put my hand on my belly and swayed to the music with my little one in my belly.
“Are you pregnant?” Reese asks whispering in my ear.
I turned and looked at her and nodded my head, yes. She smiles big and wipes a tear from her eyes. “Holy shit woman! Is that what I delivered to him?”
“Yep.” Was the only word to come out of my mouth.
She wraps me in a hug, “I’m so happy for you and him. I love you, Em.”
“I love you too, now stop making me cry, Bitch!” I wipe the tears. She lets out a laugh, and we turn our attention to Xander and his mom.
Our wedding was the best day of my life, except for the fact of not being able to drink, I couldn’t ask for a better day. After tonight, I have no mother. I’m done with her and her jealously shit. Besides tonight was about Xander and I, and I can’t believe I got to marry him.
Xander surprised me with tickets to the Bahamas for our honeymoon. We leave in two days and will be gone for ten days in paradise. . . . Yes, please!
January 12, 2015 11:45 pm
“XANDER, WAKE UP!” I snap at him.
“What?” He whines,
“Fuck, this hurts!” I say almost screaming.
He sits straight up, “It’s time?” he asks.
“Yes, we have to get to the hospital NOW.”
I have never seen a guy move this fast before. He was up and had everything in the car, including me, within fifteen minutes. He speeds to the hospital, I had three contractions on our way, but with his driving, we made it in record time. I texted Reese, Mel and my sister Kathy to let them know it was time and Xander called my dad to let him know.
We get into the room at 12:30am, they come in and get me hooked up the monitors and the IV.
Xander is on his phone responding to text messages. The doctor comes in and checks me, telling me it’s going to be a little while yet. They give me some pain medicine to help me relax.
“How are you feeling baby?” He asks me.
“I’m ok, the medicine is helping me.” I grab his hand.
“Is there anything you need?”
“Come sit with me?” I ask.
He laughs, “You don’t have to ask me that dork, but is there anything else you need?” He asks getting in bed next to me. He wraps me in his arms, “Nope this is all I need, and this is all I’ll ever need.” I wiggle deeper into his chest. Ye
p, my happy place. I say to myself. We sit and talk, I take a nap and try to get some sleep, and relax.
I’m woken up by a lot of pain, “Fuck!” I shout.
“Emily?” Xander jumps up and comes over and sits on my bed brushing a piece of hair out of my face.
“Get the doctor.” I start crying.
He flies out and gets the doctors they come in and check on me. “It’s time.” She smiles at me.
“It’s time?” I repeat. She nods her head.
They clear the room and get it set up, “Xander,” I say quietly.
“I’m right here, Baby.”
He grabs my hand, kisses me on the forehead, and we stare at each other.
Doctor comes in “Are you ready?” She asks.
We look at each other, “Yeah, let’s meet our little man.”
After 45 minutes of pushing, our baby boy is finally here, screaming at the top of his lungs. They lay him on my chest and all I can think it’s “Eww gross, but fuck, he’s adorable!” Xander goes with the nurse to the heating table to get him cleaned up and to cut the cord. He walks back over with tears flowing out of his eyes. I haven’t stopped crying since I saw him.
“Say, Hi Mommy,” He whispers in his ear and hands him to me.
“Hi Nathan,” I can barely say.
Nathan James Hunt. Born on January 13, 2015 at 9:30 am. Two years, to the day, that I was laying in this same hospital after almost dying in a car accident.
“Thank you for letting us name him after my brother.” Xander says quietly.
“Perfect name, for a perfect baby.” I kiss the top of his head. I grab his hand with mine and he wraps his hand around my index finger, I never thought I could love someone so much as I do this little man right now. I don’t ever want to let him go.
We sit on the bed together, “You did amazing, Baby.” He leans in and kisses me.
“Thanks,” I smile and look down and Nate. I start to get really tired, Xander takes him, so I can get a nap.