Something Amazing

by M. Clarke

  “A date?” Max asked. “I thought he was engaged? Or was it just a rumor?”

  Feeling like Max had just squeezed the living daylights out of me, I couldn’t breathe. Hearing Jax was bringing a date was bad enough, but to hear that he might be engaged just killed me. Please don’t let this be true.

  “I have no idea. With Jax’s record, who knows?” Matthew said.

  “There’s nothing wrong with Jax’s record. We’ve all been there,” Max commented.

  Jenna cleared her throat, narrowing her eyes at Max. Max surprised Jenna by planting a kiss on her lips. The kind of kiss that would make anyone forgive him. Watching it made me feel hot, and I was sure Stacey was, too. She had told me over dinner that she didn’t know who was the better looking brother. And of course, I told her I didn’t know either.

  “Babe, that was me before we dated.” Max curled his lips into an innocent, boyish grin. Damn! He looked hot doing it. It was no wonder Jenna couldn’t resist giving in to his relentless chase after her.

  “Rated PG,” Matthew threw in, covering Addison’s eyes just to make a point. Just then Connor covered his eyes, too, and said, “Peek-a-boo.”

  We all started laughing. The adults were acting more like kids, but I loved the humor that filled this room, along with love and laughter.

  Chapter 22

  Rachel

  “Mom. Dad.” I waved, speedily walking toward them. They had just entered the front of the hotel with Carlos by their side. After giving them a hug and a kiss, my parents turned their attention to Becky, Matthew, and Addison.

  “Look how much she’s grown.” When Mom picked up Addison, she squirmed and whined in her arms, and my mother had no choice but to put her back down.

  “She’ll warm up to you.” Becky picked up Addison, whose hand reached out to her. “It’s been a while since you last saw her.”

  “Let’s get settled in our rooms, then we can talk,” Dad said.

  It hadn’t been that long since I saw my parents, but every time I did, they seemed to get older. Dad had more gray hair this time and Mom looked tired, with defined wrinkles on her forehead.

  “This way, Dad, Mom.” Matthew guided my parents to the elevator. They seemed so distracted by the beautiful ambiance that they weren’t heading in the right direction. I had to laugh at that, and so did Becky.

  “We don’t need such a big room,” Mom said as we walked in.

  “This room looks too expensive,” Dad grumbled, glancing around.

  “It’s okay,” Matthew assured. “Becky and I wanted to make sure you’re comfortable.”

  “I know, Matthew, and we appreciate it, but it’s just too much,” Mom explained. Mom and Dad always made sure to budget their income, to save for rainy days or thunderous storms. Thank goodness we’d never had to worry about finances, but they weren’t well off like Matthew’s parents either. I was sure it was the reason they looked so uncomfortable.

  “Well,” Becky draped her arms around Mom’s shoulder, “we can’t change a thing. We’re here. We’re safe. We’re comfortable. Let’s enjoy.”

  “Okay.” Dad nodded, and Mom finally agreed.

  Becky knew just the right words to say to our parents to help them ease their minds. It had always been that way. Ever since she’d gotten sick from her kidney disease, they had catered to her needs and wants. Not that I was neglected, but there were times when I felt like I was pushed to the side. I could understand, though. There were several occasions when we’d thought she wouldn’t make it.

  “Have your parents arrived?” Mom asked Matthew.

  “Yes, they’re right across the hall from you. They are excited to see you both. I told them I would let them know as soon as you are ready for company. I know you had a long flight.”

  “I think I need a nap,” Dad said, heading to the bedroom. “Wake me up in an hour.”

  “Your dad thinks I’m his alarm clock.” Mom shook her head. “It’s probably because I know how to use my phone better than he does.”

  We all laughed at her comment until there was a soft knock at the door. Max’s family entered when Matthew opened the door.

  “We wanted to peek in to say hello,” Jenna said.

  “Jenna, Max.” Mom embraced them, and then bent lower. “Look at Connor. He’s such a handsome boy.”

  “Thank you.” Max looked so proud, giving Mom that sexy grin. It didn’t matter what kind of smile Max gave, a short one or a long one; it pulled you in.

  “Well, I can’t wait to find out where my daughter is getting married. Do you know?” Mom asked Max.

  Max offered a light laugh. “I might have an idea, but you’re going to have to ask Becky.”

  “There was no location on the invitation except that the reception would be held in Four Seasons.” Mom raised her brows at me as if she could get it out of me.

  “Don’t look at me, Mom. I have no idea.”

  “Nobody does,” Matthew intervened, placing his arms around Becky’s shoulders. “It’s a surprise. Only the immediate family will be there. Everyone else will join us at the reception.”

  “All right.” Mom let out a chuckle in defeat. “Let me unpack and take a quick nap before dinner.”

  “We’ll be in Becky’s room. We’re just a floor below you.” I opened the door and walked out last.

  Three days later

  “Becky, you ready?” I knocked. After a few long seconds, the door swung opened.

  “She’s right over there,” the makeup artist said.

  “Thanks.” I raised my black dress with both of my hands to keep from tripping and headed into her room.

  “I’m in here, Rachel.”

  “Oh, Becky….” I clasped my hands together and took a deep breath, stopping the tears from streaming down my face. “You look absolutely beautiful.”

  The bridesmaid dress I had on was the same design, except Becky’s was white. Hers fluffed out more with small crystal beading along the top. With her hair up and a long veil that flowed down from the tiara, she looked amazing. Her face glowed with the perfect amount of makeup. There were no words to describe her beauty or how I was feeling right then. When Becky’s eyes started to water, I felt a teardrop fall from the corner of my eyes.

  “I knew this day would come, but I never knew I would feel like this,” Becky started to say. “I’m so lucky to have found Matthew. I love him so much, and Addison…she’s a miracle. I wasn’t supposed to be able to have children. I can’t imagine my life without them.”

  “Don’t cry.” I reached over to give her a Kleenex. “Matthew is lucky to have found you, too.”

  “Damn right he is.” We both snorted at the same time. “Give me a hug.”

  I wrapped my arms around her and released a long sigh. “I didn’t want to touch you because I was afraid I would cry.”

  “It’s too late. We’re both crying,” Becky sniffed, then released me. Wiping her tears, her eyes flowed from my head to my toes. “You look fabulous, sis. There will be plenty of single, hot men there. Some of them have worked for the Knights. You might even be taking pictures of these models.”

  “I’m sure there will be.” I only said those words to end the conversation. Honestly, I didn’t care about models, and I never wanted to start a relationship with a co-worker.

  “Where’s Stacey?”

  “She left early with Hendrix.”

  “I’ve never met Hendrix, only saw pictures of him, but I can’t believe Stacey hooked up with him. What are the odds?”

  “I know,” I mumbled, debating whether to tell her about Jax. Hearing footsteps, I kept quiet.

  “Rachel, you look beautiful,” Jenna said, walking in with Addison and Connor. Since Jenna was the other bridesmaid, we wore the same dress. No matter what Jenna wore, she always looked stunning, but when she dressed up, she was drop dead gorgeous. Addison wore an adorable white dress that had pink ribbons along the waistline, and Connor wore a child’s black tuxedo with his hair slicked back. They looked
so absolutely endearing; I couldn’t help but gawk at them.

  “Thanks, Jenna. So do you. And look at them.”

  “They’re going to be the highlight of the wedding.” Jenna cooed, unable to look away from them as well. “I was in the other room with the kids so Becky could get ready without any distraction from Addison.”

  A soft knock made us turn our heads. “Excuse me for the interruption. The limo driver, Carlos, is waiting by the door.”

  “Now that we’re going to the wedding site, where are we going?” Jenna asked.

  “You don’t know either?” I asked.

  Jenna narrowed her eyes at Becky. “You think she could at least trust her sister and her best friend.”

  Becky wrapped her arms around Jenna and me. “You two mean the world to me. I’m so happy we’re together one last time before I officially join Jenna and become Mrs. Knight and her sister-in-law. Who would’ve thought in a million years we would get married to brothers? I have to say that I’ve been fortunate with family and friends. I love you both very much. Thank you for always being there for me.”

  Seeing Becky’s teary eyes made mine flow down my cheeks, and Jenna’s as well.

  “We’re going to be a mess and ruin our makeup,” Jenna murmured, wiping her tears.

  “That’s okay. You look beautiful with smeared makeup or not.” Becky winked. “Ready ladies?”

  “Make sure you have everything you need,” Jenna said.

  “Everything is in my bag. I’ll ask Carlos to take it.” Becky glanced around, then spoke out loud. “I have the blue garter; that is something blue.” She lifted her dress and stuck out her foot. “My shoes are old…well, not that old since I only wore them a couple of times, but old enough.” Pointing to her wrist she said, “The diamond tennis bracelet is something new from Matthew. He gave it to me when we arrived here.” Then she pointed to the tiara. “This tiara is something borrowed. It’s the same tiara our mother-in-law let Jenna borrow.”

  “Then you are all set,” Jenna said.

  Becky inhaled a long breath. “Why do I feel so nervous?”

  “Because you’re the bride. And you’ve worked so hard to arrange everything.”

  “I did have help from our mother-in-law. Thank God, she loved doing it. She saved me a lot of headaches, and without her connections, I don’t think it would have been possible to have our wedding there.”

  “She knows?” Jenna squealed, frowning at her.

  Becky gave her a guilty laugh. “I had to. I had no choice. She had to help me get what Matthew and I wanted.”

  “All right, all right. We better get going or we’ll be late. Addison. Connor. Let’s go.” Jenna stuck out both of her hands. As I watched the little ones take one hand each, I followed.

  Chapter 23

  Rachel

  Except for Becky, none of us had any idea where Carlos was taking us. I wanted to wipe that smirk off her face, but I had to be nice. After all, it was her wedding day. Staring out the window, I admired the street signs, the structure of the buildings, and the atmosphere of being in a different country, and I couldn’t wait to venture out again. We had shopped and eaten at the local restaurants, but we’d hardly had any time.

  Connor and Addison sat in their car seats, each holding a container filled with snacks—blueberries, strawberries, and apples. It was refreshing to see them eat healthy snacks instead of candy or junk food, but knowing Jenna and my sister, they would go for the organic food.

  From afar, I could see the Eiffel Tower and wondered if we were headed there. Having a wedding there would have been lovely and memorable, but when the car took a U-turn, I knew for sure my hunch was off.

  “Here we are. Welcome to Pont des Arts,” Carlos announced, trying his best to say it with a French accent, but it only made me crack up.

  When I looked at Becky to see if she was laughing, too, I saw that she was taking obvious deep breaths. She’d seemed calm through the car ride, but suddenly she looked like she was going to hyperventilate.

  After helping Jenna get the little ones out of their car seats, I offered my hand to Becky. I couldn’t help wondering where we were since all I could see was a bridge. Why would my sister get married here of all places? When I looked closely and recalled the story she’d told me about the lock and key, everything became clear.

  Becky had told me that when she was trying to leave Matthew because she thought she couldn’t give him the happy family he deserved, Matthew tracked her down. She finally told him that she was not only pregnant, but it was most likely that she wouldn’t be able to carry their baby term. She wanted Matthew to leave her, but he wouldn’t accept it. He stuck by her side, through every step of the way. He even proposed to her on this very bridge. The way she described it was like a fairy tale dream come true.

  “Oh…Becky.” Jenna looked utterly amused. “I should have guessed. I can’t believe it didn’t cross my mind.”

  “I know, I know. Not where you would think I would have my wedding, but Matthew really wanted it here. It’s where he first proposed to me.”

  “First?” I questioned.

  “The official was on his parents’ yacht,” Becky reminded.

  “Oh yeah.”

  “Oh, Becky,” Jenna gushed, looking like she had tears in her eyes. She pulled my sister into an embrace. “It’s going to be so beautiful. It’s perfect.”

  “Thank you, Jenna.” Becky inhaled a deep shuttering breath, rubbing Jenna’s back. “Don’t cry, or I’ll start crying.”

  “I’ll tell them we’re here,” Carlos said, clearing his throat to get our attention. Then he got everything we needed out of the car. Sometimes Jenna and Becky acted like they were the only two people in the world when they were in a deep conversation. It reminded me of how Stacey and I were.

  As I glanced around, I noticed that the street that led us to the bridge was closed. Not only that, there were a few police cars nearby. As we walked closer to the bridge, a lady dressed in professional attire came toward us with my dad. She must be the wedding coordinator Becky had told me about. What was her name?

  “Becky, Jenna, and you must be Rachel, please stay right here.” Her accent got my attention. “When you hear the music, that is the little ones’ cue, then Jenna, Rachel, and finally, Becky and Dad.”

  “Hi, Dad,” Becky said.

  “My beautiful daughters.” He looked so proud, looking at the both of us. “I can’t believe today is the day.”

  “Me, too,” Becky agreed. “Kim, is everything all set?”

  “Yes. And it looks amazing over there…just like how we discussed.” Kim smiled, appearing elated. “The sun graced us today just as we hoped, and the weather is perfect.”

  I had to agree with Kim, the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. Clearly, the stars had aligned and their wedding was meant to be. I didn’t know why that thought crossed my mind. Stupid Jax and his stars invaded my mind. I shook off those thoughts when the music began.

  “Okay. It’s time,” Kim said excitedly, waving at Connor and Addison.

  “Connor, hold Addison’s hand and take her to Daddy,” Jenna directed, pointing, then gave him a little nudge. “Daddy has a surprise for you.”

  Connor’s eyes lit up. “It’s a toy?”

  “Yes, but it’s a surprise.” Jenna handed a small basket of flowers to Addison. “Can you take that to Uncle Max for me?”

  “Yes,” Addison nodded sweetly.

  After Jenna watched the little ones disappear, it was her turn. Then, I was directed to go next. Standing on the entrance of the bridge, the locks that covered every inch of the bridge caught my eyes first. Then, straight ahead was the wedding party. Hendrix, Max, and Matthew were on the right, and Jenna and the little ones were on the left. Mom, Stacey, Mr. and Mrs. Knight, and a few close relatives on Matthew’s side stood nearby. I had to admit, it was surreal to have the bridge all to ourselves.

  The walkway wasn’t that long, but it seemed that way when all eyes wer
e on me. If I felt like this, I could only imagine how Becky would feel. And there she was…a vision of elegance, gliding to the sound of the harps with our Dad. Step-by-step, her eyes were glued to Matthew, and Matthew’s eyes were locked on her. I could feel their love radiating through their eyes and their smiles. I’d always known how much they loved each other, but at that moment, on that bridge, on their wedding day, their love for each other outshined the sun. When she reached the front by the pastor, Dad handed her hand to Matthew.

  “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man, Mathew Knight, and this woman, Rebecca Miller, in matrimony.”

  It was strange to hear my sister’s name when we’d been calling her Becky all of her life. After the pastor said more words, it was time to say their vows.

  Holding hands, Matthew said, “Becca, you are the center of my life. You are the heart and soul to my body. I was dead before I met you, but you gave me hope again. You made me want to live and love again, and I can’t thank you enough. We are perfect together in every way. I know this because we created a miracle together. I’m the luckiest man and father alive. From this day, I will cherish you, protect you, and honor you. You are not just my wife; you are the mother of my child. You are the other half of me. Together, we are complete.”

  Seeing Becky’s chest rise and fall quickly, I knew she was desperately trying to hold back her tears. As I wiped mine, I could see her hand move to her eyes. Tilting my head to get a better view, I could see my mom and Mrs. Knight with teary eyes, and that made me tear up even more.

  “Matthew,” her words trembled. Taking deep breaths, she tried her best to compose herself. “You came into my life like a shining Knight. You battled my anger, my insecurities, and sometimes my stone cold heart. I will always be grateful that you stuck it out. We might have created a miracle together, but the truth is, you are my miracle. I can’t wait to make more miracles with you. I will cherish you, honor you, and be your other half till the end.”

  After the rings were exchanged, Becky and Matthew secured a lock to the bridge, adding another one to the countless number of them already there. However, theirs stood out from the rest. Their lock was massive, bigger than the size of my hand. It was engraved with not just their names, but Addison’s as well.