by T Gephart
“It had been my intention to surprise Alex, as well as all of you, knowing how much it meant to him to be able to share this occasion with our loved ones.” I looked over at Alex’s mother whose eyes had started to mist, her hand clasped tightly against her heart as she smiled at me, nodding gently.
“I am, however, currently without a husband, and I’m not really sure where he is.” My chest tightened as I willed myself not to cry. The hurt of being jilted had taken a backseat to my concern over his welfare.
The side glass door of the lounge room flung open, causing commotion to ripple through the crowd. From the grassed outdoor area a weary Alex, Troy and Dan were lead into the room by James to the sound of more confusion and round of applause.
“Lexi?” Alex moved slowly toward me, his face a mixture of confusion and shock.
“Surprise.” I deadpanned, not having the energy for any more enthusiasm.
“Baby? What’s going on?” He stared at my dress before looking to his mother who was now openly weeping.
“It seemed like a good day to get married.” It was the only response I could give, my power of speech paralysed with overwrought emotion. My eyes stung as I struggled to keep my tears at bay.
“Oh baby.” He bounded for me, pulling me into an embrace. “Yes, yes, it’s a perfect day to get married.” He had barely got the words out before his hungry lips came crushing down on mine.
“You’re getting married again?” Dan asked thoughtlessly, looking ridiculous covered in bright orange body paint and a Syracuse university t-shirt.
“Where the hell were you?” I asked desperately against Alex’s chest, wishing we were no longer surround by a crowd.
“I am so sorry, I am so sorry.” He gently kissed my forehead. “After you left this afternoon, these two losers showed up with tickets to a football game.” He pointed to a sheepish looking Troy and Dan. “Syracuse was playing Duke at Metlife and they got tickets on the fifty yard line. It was my birthday present, I figured we’d be done in plenty of time so I didn’t bother calling you.”
“Seeing as you didn’t approve of the porn I’d given him last year, I had to think of something else.” Dan unwisely interjected before being punched in the arm by Troy.
“I’m sorry Lexi, we lost track of time. It was a really close game.” Troy offered as he shuffled awkwardly on his feet.
“We tried calling you, we tried to call all of you. No one answered.” I looked at each of them wondering how not one of them answered their phones. They can’t have all been flat or off or forgotten?
“Baby, the game went into overtime. The crowd was huge and the stadium was packed. Every cell signal within a five-mile radius of that place was jammed. I took us almost an hour just to get out of the parking lot. I’m so sorry Lexi, I never meant for you to worry.” He wiped away the traitorous tear that escaped from the corner of my eye. I silently cursed, hoping it wouldn’t ruin the perfect make-up Giselle had applied earlier.
“Alrighty then!” Taylah jumped out in front of us waving furiously. “Now we know everyone is safe and sound and more importantly here, how about we move into the outdoor area and let Alex and Lexi get ready for this wedding? I don’t know about you guys, but I think it’d kinda overdue.”
The crowd cheered and ambled slowly as Taylah, with Sydney’s assistance, directed everyone to the open glass doors that lead to the manicured backyard. The huge white tent featured on the meticulously maintained lawn and even from this angle it was breathtaking.
James had a few choice words for Troy and Dan as he led them to where they could clean up and change. Both apologised profusely, insisting neither of them had meant any harm, it was just a bad case of circumstances.
Alex took my hand and pulled me closer toward him. “You look so beautiful Lexi, do you still want to re-marry me?” The back of his hand grazed my cheek.
“Yes,” I nodded as yet another tear fell.
“Don’t cry, I hate it when you cry.” His mouth brushed gently against my lips. “Let’s do this sweetheart. I want to stand in front of our family and friends and leave no doubt that I’m going to spend the rest of my life loving you.”
I regained some composure and pushed Alex up the stairs to go get ready. It might not have been the perfect start, but we were together and that was all that mattered. We had waited long enough and it was time for us both to walk down the aisle—again.
~~~
The ceremony was beautiful. Alex and I had walked in together, our friends were seated around us. The earlier drama was now forgotten as we focused on each other. His dazzling black tux looked amazing partnered with my gorgeous white gown and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house as we renewed our commitment to each other. Dave had been perfect. He had performed the service with an excellent mix of humour and sincerity, throwing in some anecdotal commentary as well as adhering to the Taylah-provided-script from which he had been reading. It was everything I could have hoped for and more.
The food and drink flowed freely as did the ease of the atmosphere. Our guests took their turn in congratulating us again and giving us their heartfelt best wishes. Alex’s mother was predictably emotional. She wished Alex’s dad could have been here for this day, but was so incredibly thankful that she was able to share at least one of our weddings with us. She hugged us both tightly and told me that she was incredibly proud to call me her daughter. The tears I had so staunchly suppressed overwhelmed me. As I was held within the arms of an adoring mother, the fact that it had not been my own held no consequence. I was wanted, loved and cherished, not only by this amazing man, but by his family as well.
Alex was unwilling to relinquish my hand as we moved through the crowd. We laughed with Kate, Justin and their brood of four boys. I had been so glad they had made the journey, despite Kate vowing to never get on the plane with the four of them ever again, enabling them to not only share in our celebration, but also carve out some much-needed family time for all of them. Sam, the youngest, begged his Aunt Lexi and his new Uncle Alex to buy him the Beebe gun he’d seen in WalMart that his parents had refused to purchase. He even promised not to shoot his brothers in an attempt to sweeten the deal.
Emma, who had also made the transatlantic journey with her fiancée Jackson, openly wept when she finally made her way to congratulate us. Her beautiful blue eyes welled further as she expressed sincere happiness that we had found each other. I couldn’t have imagined repeating today without her with us. It was appropriate seeing as we had started our Power Station journey together so many years ago.
Chris, Monique and a few of the other Power Station support crew were present as well. The band functioned as a family and these people had been entwined as part of our lives.
Sydney was acting as project manager and oversaw the festivities. We didn’t get a lot of time to talk to each other as she directed wait staff, photographers and the DJ through the evening. I spied her laughing and flirting shamelessly with Dan so I assumed their pseudo date the weekend before had gone well. With the distraction of the wedding, I had completely forgotten to ask. The fact she was still talking to me was promising.
Taylah and Dave mingled with the crowd, as did the rest of the band. Anna smiled passively by Matt’s side as he hugged us both. He thanked us for allowing him the privilege of being able to share both occasions with us and expressed profound happiness in being part of our lives. He was adorable with his broad Texan smile, and I really hoped he was as happy with Anna as I was with Alex.
It was sometime after one am when the last of the guests departed, and Alex and I were finally able to take our leave. The ride back to our apartment had seemed to take forever. As we travelled back into the familiar city grid, the bright ever-constant billboards served as our welcome light. I anxiously anticipated our arrival back home where I had carefully hidden two more gifts to give him. They had been weighing on my mind the whole day and I was unsure of what his reaction would be. So as the silver Maserati pulled into the underground
car park my stomach knotted with nerves.
“You OK?” He glanced over as he eased his prized car into the familiar spot.
“Yep, just excited. It’s my wedding night you know.” I smiled sweetly, pretending to be bashful.
He laughed as reached over and unfastened my harness. “Well, I will endeavor not to disappoint you. This truly was the best birthday gift you could have ever given me.”
“So should I return the other two presents I have waiting for you upstairs?” I asked coyly as I leaned over to kiss him.
“You got me something else?” He asked excitedly, his face beaming like a five year old on Christmas morning.
“Yep, sure did. So do you want to sit in your car and do some more heavy breathing or should we go see what they are?” I ran my hand seductively down his chest, stopping just as my fingertips reached his waistband.
“As long as one of the things I get to unwrap is you.” He smiled as he exited the car.
He walked briskly around and opened the passenger side door, reaching in and pulling me out of the car, sending me crashing into his hard body. I giggled as he abruptly swept me into his arms and lifted me off the ground.
“What are you doing?” I asked as I squirmed within his arms.
“Carrying you over the threshold.” He gripped me tighter, his arms steading my movements and reinforcing that whether I wanted it or not, he intended to carry me.
“We’re already married, silly,” I protested, feeling ridiculous being carried when I was perfectly able to walk. Although if the truth be told, my feet were killing me from wearing my new shoes and the prospect of no longer walking was a welcome relief.
“So therefore I have even more entitlement, wouldn’t you say?” He raised an eyebrow as his mouth twitched into a cheeky grin. I think we were both going to need to revisit the contents of our marriage license. Though I guess if it meant I got to stare at his arse and objectify him, I was willing to relent on him carrying me occasionally.
“Whatever arsehole, just don’t drop me.” I teased, having seen him in the gym and knowing he could bench my weight without working up a sweat.
“I will never do that, Lexi. I promise you.” His voice suddenly became serious as he ran his nose along the edge of my face.
He cradled me in his arms as he walked through the undercover garage, to the elevator and up to our apartment. He shifted my weight as he dug into his pocket for the keys, tickling me as he unlocked the door.
He strode through our apartment and straight into our bedroom where he gently laid me on our bed. The weight of his body pressed firmly against mine.
“I told you I had presents, don’t you want them?” I asked as he pulled the pins slowly from my hair.
“You’re the only present I want, Lexi.” His tongue gently lapped at my collarbone.
“Trust me, you are going to want these first.” I pushed against him, unsuccessfully trying to lift him.
“Is it kinky?” He nipped at my bare shoulder, his teeth just barley scoring my skin.
“No, but we can do kinky later if you like. I don’t have a ball gag, but I’m sure we can improvise.” I managed to wiggle out from under him.
I ran to the closet before he had a chance to pull me back onto the bed and carried out two beautifully wrapped boxes. Both were covered in ornate paper, one the size of a basketball and the other the size of a candy bar.
I presented the larger of the two to Alex and placed it on the bed in front of him. “Can I open it now?” He asked excitedly.
“Of course, sitting here staring at isn’t going to be much fun.” I gently shoved it closer.
He peeled the wrapping paper off painstakingly slowly, savouring the moment.
“You’re not defusing a bomb sweetheart, you can just rip it.” I teased, anxious to see his reaction.
With my encouragement he ripped off the remaining paper and lifted the lid of the box. He looked at me curiously as pulled out wads of tissue paper, which I had used to protect the fragile gift inside. He lifted out the simple glass frame and stared, his eyes wide as he looked at the photograph housed inside.
It was a photo of a young Alex. He had been maybe three years old and had been holding a full sized guitar, which dwarfed him while he sat in his father’s lap. The photo had been a candid shot, both were mid laugh and neither of them were looking at the camera. Their focus was on each other, and it was a perfect example of the adoration and love they had shared.
“I know it hurt not being able to share today with your father. He sounded like an amazing man, and I would have loved to have met him. I know he raised an extraordinary son and because of that, he will always be with you.”
Alex swallowed as he studied the picture. I knew the loss was still fresh, and it was times like these that he missed his dad the most.
“You,” Alex paused as he swallowed again, “are an extraordinary woman, Lexi.” He lowered the picture carefully onto the nightstand beside the bed. “He would have adored you. Thank you, baby. I love it.” He tilted my chin as he pressed his lips to mine, his kiss urgent.
“You have one more to open.” I mumbled against his mouth knowing the window for opening presents was closing by the second.
Alex sighed. “I already have enough. Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”
“No,” I insisted. “Open it now.” I picked up the smaller box and placed it in his hands. “Just don’t take forever.” I laughed hoping we could get to the part of the wedding night we’d both been eagerly anticipating.
“What is it?” He asked curiously as he tore open the package, the contents cascading onto his lap.
He picked up the foil package and stared cautiously at the pills. “You’re giving me birth control?” He turned them over, inspecting them more closely, not understanding why I had given him a month’s supply of partially used birth control.
“It’s my birth control arsehole,” I clarified, excited about what it represented.
“Then why are you giving it to me? I thought this was supposed to be my present?” He chuckled, still not piecing together the significance of the gift. Perhaps I had been too obscure, though I would have thought the meaning would have been evident. Why else would I be giving away the pills?
“Look at the pills Alex, I stopped taking them a week ago.” I pointed to the parts of the package that still housed the hormonal pills that would inhibit pregnancy.
“What are you saying?” He dropped the pills as he focused on me. The penny had dropped but he wasn’t going to second-guess it. He wanted to hear the words. He needed for me to tell him what I knew he thought he’d probably never hear from my lips. He had been so incredibly patient and I knew he believed that any chance of us having a family had been destroyed after my sexual assault. He had never mentioned it, but I saw it when he held Noah; the look of resignation and possibly regret. He desperately wanted a family and yet he never said a word. He never broached the subject, refusing to pressure me and reassuring me that I would always be enough for him.
“I’m saying that I want to have a baby with you. I’m ready. I know you are going to be an amazing father and hopefully that will balance out the fact I will probably be a mediocre mother. I want to get pregnant Alex. I want that for us.”
I wasn’t doing it for Alex, although it was for sure a large mitigating factor. I was doing this because I wanted it. I wanted a baby. I wanted to create a life, to watch a child grow and love him or her.
“Baby, you know that you don’t have to do this. I want you to be sure.” He looked at me sternly, reinforcing what he had already said to me so many times before.
“I know and I am sure. Make a baby with me Alex.” I pulled off his jacket and loosened his tie. He stared at me curiously as I shuffled up the bed.
“So you have been off the pill for a week?” He slowly unbuttoned his shirt. I watched intently as his nimble fingers moved to each buttonhole until the shirt was hanging open in front of him, revealing a sliver of ton
ed skin underneath. He pulled off the shirt and tossed it to the floor.
“Yeah, I know we should have probably spoken about it, but I guessed you would be OK with it.” I felt his hands move to my back and slowly unzip my dress.
“Oh I’m more than OK with it.” He smirked as he gently peeled the dress from my body, taking care to not catch the delicate lace on anything. He shifted from the bed before standing up and carefully draping my gown over a chair. The concession he showed my clothes was not paid to his own. I laid back down on the bed, clad only in a strapless bra and panties. I watched him hungrily stalk back to the edge of the bed. He lifted each one of my legs and delicately removed each of my shoes, placing them on the floor before kicking off his own. His hands moved to his tuxedo pants and he pulled down the zipper. “I’m guessing I need to try harder then.”
“Harder at what?” I asked as he stealthily continued to move, pushing the tuxedo pants down his legs to reveal his usual Calvin Klein trunks. I couldn’t help but stare at his incredibly toned and muscular body. He kneeled above me on the bed, his strong torso was blanketing me, and I needed to feel him. I reached my hand out to touch him and he captured it with his own. He pulled on our linked hands and laid them on his heart, so I could feel the strong rhythmic beat thumping underneath.
“Well you aren’t knocked up yet so I obviously need to try harder.” He smiled as he brought my hand to his mouth, kissing my fingers before releasing it.
“You know, I might already be pregnant. It could take a few weeks before it shows up on a test.” He placed his knees on either side of my body and moved his hands to my back. He kissed my bare shoulders as he unhooked my bra and tossed it casually to the side. I guess he was done being considerate with my clothes. It was underwear and all bets were off.