“I thought that was one of the worst days of my life up until we got to the bar,” I tell him.
“What was one of the worst days of your life?” Ava asks from across the room.
Damn, these women have ears in the back of their heads.
“Your wedding day,” I quickly reply, sarcastically.
She sticks her tongue out at me, then turns around and goes back to talking to the girls.
“Dinner’s ready, everyone,” my mom says, coming out of the kitchen carrying a large tray of lasagna.
“Let me get that for you, Ma,” I say, jogging over to her.
I set my beer on the table, then take the tray from her and set it in the center. I glance at the table and notice the vacant seat at the head of the table. That feeling of loss in my chest is still as fresh as the day he died.
We all take our seats and enjoy our meal. It’s loud, and crazy, and chaotic, and one of the best tasting meals I’ve had in a long time. I’m not sure if it’s because I have the love of my life sitting by my side, happy and healthy, or if my mom changed her lasagna recipe. Either way, life couldn’t be more perfect.
I stand and clink my fork against my wine glass.
“If I could have everyone’s attention,” I say, then put the glass down. I take Savvy’s right hand and smile down at her. “Savvy and I have an announcement,” I continue.
“You do!” Willow gasps excitedly, looking at Savvy.
Savvy’s shoulders come up in the air in a I have no clue what the what he’s talking about, then she looks up at me.
“Savvy and I are engaged,” I say, looking around the table.
“We already know that dill bucket. We were there, remember?” Willow says, rolling her eyes. “Damn. I thought you had some other exciting news,” Willow continues, wagging her eyebrows at Savvy.
Savvy’s eyes bug out of her head at Willow. Holy hell! I know we Wellington’s do everything in hyperdrive, but what did Willow think I was going to say?
“Well, the rest of you all got to clink glasses and make a spectacle out of yourselves announcing your engagement at family dinner. I didn’t want to be left out,” I tell them and take a seat.
“Oh, the poor baby didn’t want to feel left out,” Ava says across from me, in a condescending baby voice.
I take my fork, dig it into my peas, turn it around, put my finger on the top of the tines, and launch a forkful of peas straight at Ava’s head. About ten of them land directly in her face with a thud, and fall onto her plate of food. Her mouth opens, her eyes close, then she scoots her chair backward without saying a word and stands up.
“Oh, no, no, no, you just did not do what I think you just did,” she says in a calm voice. “Jax, hold my napkin,” she continues, slapping her napkin on Jax’s chest.
“FOOD FIGHT!” Adrian shouts.
“No!” my mom screams, grabbing a bottle of wine off the table.
“Too late,” Ava says, then digs her hand into the Caesar salad bowl.
She hurls a handful of salad in my direction.
I duck out of the way, but it hits Savvy in the chest. Shay busts out laughing, points at Savvy’s face, grabs a dinner roll then ducks behind Adrian.
Ava shrieks in frustration that she missed me, then she digs her hand into the butter dish, grabbing a fist full of soft butter. I quickly grab my nephew, Noah, and pull him in front of my body.
“You wouldn’t hit your innocent, adorable, little nephew now, would you?” I ask, peeking around Noah.
“Do it, Aunt Ava,” Makayla shrieks, jumping up and down.
“No, she wouldn’t. But I’d walk around the table and do this,” Jax says, standing next to me.
I turn my head to see him reaching for my pants. He pulls the back of my pants out and shoves an entire handful of mushy lasagna down my backside. Ava stands on her chair clapping and breaks out in a fit of giggles.
My mom comes walking out of the kitchen banging a wooden spoon on the side of a pot.
“Children!” she shouts. We all cease-fire, hands midair, dripping with food and look at my mom. “Honestly, I thought you all knew better than this!” she continues.
“I’m sorry mom, but Aiden started it,” Ava says.
“Aiden started it,” I mock in a sarcastic sing-song voice back to her.
“No, I mean this is the way to get back at the person who started it,” she says, putting her hand on Savvy’s shoulder.
She climbs on top of Savvy’s chair, then with both hands, she raises the pot over my head and pours an entire pot full of water over me. It wasn’t just water, either. She took the time to dump an entire container of ice in the pot first.
Savvy
When the food fight started, I didn’t know what to think. The one thought running through my head is that these people are freaking awesome! I watched in awe as food sailed over the table and splatted on people. I watched Jax stick his bare hand right in the lasagna dish and take a huge scoop. Then I watched him slink away from Ava with a monster grin on his face. Aiden never even saw him coming because he was too focused on making sure Ava didn’t pelt him with food. Samantha also walked around the table, tugged on my arm to stand up and move out of the way. She disappeared into the kitchen, but came back out holding a metal pot and a wooden spoon just as more people started throwing dinner rolls at each other. She banged her spoon on the pot, then put her hand on my shoulder so she could stand on my chair. Then she turned to Aiden and dumped the water on his head. I think I peed my pants a little from laughing so damn hard. Mrs. W is a freaking awesome chick.
Everyone joined in laughing after that. Asher walked over to Aiden, put his hand on his butt, and gave him a good squishy pat on the ass making sure to smear the lasagna into his ass.
“Congratulations on getting engaged, bro,” he says, as he gives one last good squish.
“Dude, really!” Aiden says.
“I thought about doing it myself, but I didn’t want to touch your nasty ass,” Amelia says.
After the food fight everyone cleans themselves up, then everyone helps clean up the mess. And it’s a huge mess. There are peas in the blinds, lasagna in the curtains, and dinner rolls in the china cabinet. After everything was clean, Samantha comes back out of the kitchen with a cake and sets it in front of Aiden. His face quickly lights up with a beautiful smile.
“Congratulations, son,” she whispers teary-eyed, then looks at me with a smile.
“I didn’t get a cake when I got engaged,” Asher whines.
“Actually, I think you did, you big baby,” Willow reminds him.
“No, I’m pretty sure I didn’t. I think I would remember getting something as important as a cake. Can you make me one when we get home,” he asks, giving her puppy dog eyes.
“Uh . . . yeah, you did get a cake, but I’ll bake you one anyway,” she replies.
After cake, there are kids passed out on just about every sitting surface in Samantha’s family room. One by one, everyone collects their children, says their goodbyes with kisses and hugs, and leaves. Aiden and I are the last ones here.
Aiden disappeared a little while ago, but I’m not exactly sure where he went. I take a seat at the table, and look around at Samantha’s large, family dining room table and smile. Someday I hope to have my own large, family dining room table, and have my children, their spouses, and my grandchildren, all gathered around for Sunday dinner. I look down at my engagement ring and smile. I’m positive one day that will happen to Aiden and me. Samantha pulls out a chair next to me and has a seat. She takes my hand in a warm squeeze and smiles.
“Have you seen Aiden?” I ask her.
“I think he’s in Samuel’s study. The kids like to spend time in there. I think they feel the closest to their dad in there,” she replies in a broken whisper. “I’ve never seen Aiden so happy. Have you two thought about where you’d like to get married?” she asks in a more chipper tone.
“Gosh, we haven’t. I have no clue where to begin. Where d
id you and Samuel get married?” I ask.
Her eyes instantly glaze over, and I think I may have asked her something I shouldn’t have. After about thirty seconds, her lips turn up into a smile.
“Samuel and I got married at Elliot Bay Marina here in Seattle, at a restaurant called Palisade. It was just beautiful. For extra cash while Samuel was in college, during the winter months he used to care for a few of the boats down in the marina. One of the boat owners owned the restaurant and gave us an incredible deal. He also gave us an incredible and beautiful wedding. The food there is just outstanding. We snuck out of the reception and stood hand in hand by the waterfront, and there was the most spectacular sunset that night. The hues of pinks and purples were like none other I’ve seen before. It was the most magical night of my life,” she says, remembering her special day like it was yesterday. “Samuel took me back there every year on our anniversary for dinner.” A single tear rolls down her cheek. She quickly wipes it away, then looks at me with a smile. “Oh, just listen to me carrying on like an old fool.”
Aiden walks down the hall into the dining room, leans down and kisses me on the lips, “You ready to go home?” he asks in a soft voice.
“Sure. You don’t need any more help cleaning anything up do you Mrs. W?” I ask.
“No, you kids head on home. Congratulations you two, have a good night,” she says, standing from her chair.
She pushes her chair under the table, then looks down to the head of the table with a loving smile.
“I’ll see you soon, Ma,” Aiden says, bends down, and kisses his mom on the cheek.
Aiden and I walk hand in hand to Jade. He opens the door, then turns me against the car. His thumb comes to my cheek and his eyes sparkle in the moonlight.
“I love you, Savvy,” he whispers, then kisses me softly on my lips.
“Aiden Wellington, I’ve collapsed in love with you,” I reply, roll up on my tip toes, and return the kiss.
Pulling away, I give him one last peck on the lips, then he opens the car door for me. As he gets in his seat, he reaches to start the car but stops. He rubs his hand up and down his thighs, then he turns his body toward me.
“I was just in my dad’s study, and I was doing some thinking. I was sitting in his favorite cigar chair, and I was thinking about him and how much my life has changed over these past few years. I know we haven’t talked about where we’d like to get married, or even when, but an idea hit me. But I’d like to hear your thoughts on it first before I tell you mine,” he says in a hushed, shaky voice.
I strain my eyes in the dark to get a better look at his face. Hearing him talk about his dad makes me tear up.
“No, really, you go ahead. Tell me what you were thinking,” I reply.
It doesn’t matter what I was thinking about for our wedding. I’d do anything Aiden asked. I’d go down to the Justice of the Peace dressed in a potato sack if he asked.
“I . . . I need to hear what you think first,” he says again.
I’m surprised by his hesitation. He’s a lot like his sister, Ava. They’re both so calculated and on top of everything they say and do.
“Alright. Actually, I had no idea up until about fifteen minutes ago. I was sitting at your mom’s dining room table by myself, looking around at all the chairs. Some of the family has to sit in folding chairs or mismatched chairs from around the house, because there are just so many of you. None of that matters, no one minds. As long as you are all together, it’s like you’re all sitting in the palace with the Queen. You’re all just one amazingly happy family. It felt happy, I felt happy. It felt like something I needed to make happen with you and our family one day. In our house in the future, I need a huge, big ass, table that can fit twelve . . . no, twenty people. And the chairs don’t even have to match. I want it full with our children and their spouses and our many, many grandchildren. I want to have food fights and laugh until I pee my pants because I’m old and incontinent, not because I did it when your mom dumped water on your head,” I say, looking in his eyes.
“What?” he asks, confused, with a smile on his face.
“I was sitting there thinking all of those things when your mom sat down with me. She asked me if we’d thought about where we wanted to get married, too. I told her I had no clue where to even begin. Then I asked her where she and your dad got married. Her eyes glazed over, then they filled with something magical. The way she described their wedding melted my heart. I was thinking we could get married at the same marina at that same restaurant where they got married, if it’s still around that is. I don’t know, it just seems right somehow. You’re the last of the Wellington siblings to get married, why not finish it at the first place where it kind of all started,” I finish.
I look up at Aiden’s eyes, and they sparkle with what I’m sure are unshed tears.
He wraps his hand around the back of my head and pulls me to him as he takes deep breaths.
“Aiden,” I say, pulling away from him. “Was that the wrong thing for me to say?” I question.
“No, not at all. That’s exactly what I was going to suggest. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard my parents tell us kids about their wedding day. I think I can recite their vows word for word,” he says, chuckling. “Then it’s settled. We’ll get married at Palisade on the marina. Now, what about the when?” he asks.
“I have no clue how long it takes to get this sort of thing planned. I don’t know, two months?” I reply.
“That’s perfect timing, you’ll be out of your cast by then. I doubt you want to get married in an orange cast,” he says, taking it in his hand.
“What! Are you kidding? I can picture it now: me, wearing a beautiful white dress, my awesomesauce orange engagement ring, and an orange cast. What a conversation piece. I’d love to get married with it still on.”
“You’re a nut! Alright, then it’s full planning ahead. I’m sure my sisters will be dying to help. No, they’ll most likely insist on helping. Scratch that. Actually, I’m sure they’ll take over the second they find out.”
“That’s fine by me. I wouldn’t want it any other way,” I tell him.
Chapter 12
Aiden
The next morning, I wake up next to my beautiful girl and groan. It’s Monday, back to work for me and back to school and work for Savvy. I’ve always been so eager to get up, get ready, and get into work early. Now I just want to snuggle in and stay with Savvy in bed all day long.
Savvy rolls over on her side, her eyes open, and her smile lights up her face.
“Good morning,” she whispers.
“Good morning, beautiful,” I reply.
“What time is it?” she asks.
“Just a little after seven.”
“Can you drop me off at school this morning on your way to work?” she asks.
“Sure. What time do you get out?”
“The usual,” she replies.
“Do you have to work at the bar tonight?” I ask, but she doesn’t answer.
Her eyes turn away from mine and look up toward the ceiling. Then she does that finger picking thing she does when she doesn’t want to talk about something.
“What is it? You can tell me anything,” I encourage.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I’ll just go get in the shower,” she says and starts to get up.
I gently grab her right wrist before it leaves the mattress. She turns around and looks at me.
“Do I need to tickle it out of you? Because, I can do that if I need to.”
“No, don’t do that! I have a weapon, remember?” she shrieks, holding up her cast.
She slides back in bed, snuggles her backside into my front, and wraps my arm around the front of her.
“I’ve been doing some thinking,” she starts.
“Thinking? About us getting married?” I ask, shocked.
“NO! Oh, God, no! Not about that,” she says, turning her face to look at me. She turns back around and takes a deep breath. “About the ba
r,” she says and pauses.
“What about the bar?” I ask, giving her a squeeze.
“I don’t want you to think this has anything to do with being carjacked, or Reno, or not feeling safe, because that’s not at all what this is about. And I feel extremely guilty for wanting to do this to Gary. I’m thinking about quitting at the bar.”
“If it’s not about what happened, then why?” I question.
I’m excited she wants to quit, don’t get me wrong. I hate Savvy working at that bar.
“I love working at that bar and I love Gary. He gave me a chance and hired an inexperienced bartender when he probably shouldn’t have. I’ve made so many amazing friends. That’s where I first met Max. It’s where I met Chloe, and how I met you. I owe so much to that bar. Part of me is being selfish. I don’t want to work nights anymore because that means not spending that time with you. I was thinking of asking Max if my old job is still available and maybe I can work part-time as his receptionist again. I need to save up some money for a new car. Well, not a new car, but a new to me car,” she finishes.
“First, I know for a fact that Max will give you your old job back. He hounds me all the time to talk you into coming back to work for him.”
“He does?” she asks, surprised, looking at my face again.
“He does. Second, you don’t need to buy a car that’s new to you. We can buy you an actual new car. You’re going to be my wife. What’s mine is yours now, not after we say I do. And third, I have to admit, I’m a little too happy you don’t want to work at the bar anymore. I have mad respect for Gary and I know he loves you like a daughter. And don’t think I’m a chauvinistic pig or anything, but I don’t like all the men looking at you like they do.”
“Oh, stop it, no one looks at me like anything,” she says, swatting my arm wrapped around her.
“You don’t see it do you?” I ask, turning her over so I can see her face.
“I don’t see what?” she asks.
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