He runs his fingers through his hair. “Fuck! All right, I’ll try my best.” He sits down on the bed. “Now give me the munchkin. Her dad was hogging her and Uncle Aaron needs his fix.” He changes the subject. He’s frustrating as hell, but I love him and it’s nice to know, above all, he has my back.
“But I just got her,” I whine.
“Too bad, go shower while we play.” He takes Lex from my arms and waves his hand toward the bathroom. “You do have a wedding to get to in just a few hours, you know.”
He’s right. Today, I marry my best friend, who just also happens to be the man I’m head over heels in love with, but too afraid to tell him. There are times when I think he feels it too, but it’s not worth the risk. Not having him and Lexi in my life in any capacity is just not an option for me. I’ll love him silently.
“Oh, sweetheart, you look beautiful.” Mom has tears in her eyes.
“You ready for this?” Dad asks.
“Yeah, I really am. This is the right thing to do. Evan is a good man, you know that.”
“I know, honey. He confirmed it when he asked for your hand.”
Wait! What? “He…what did you just say?”
“Evan stopped by a few days before you all left and asked us both for your hand. Said he wanted to do things right, even under the circumstances,” Dad explains.
Holy shit!
“I take it you didn’t know?” Mom asks.
“I had no clue. I mean, yeah, he asked me.” I raise my hand to show them my ring, as if they needed the proof. They’ve already seen it.
“If I didn’t know any better, I would say that boy’s in love with you,” Mom comments.
“Knock, knock,” Aaron says, coming into the room. He’s carrying a smiling Lexi in her little white dress. “This squirmy little monster is hard to dress. We made it happen though, didn’t we, Lex?” She coos and reaches for his chin. He acts like he’s going to bite her fingers and she grins.
“You dressed her?” I ask in disbelief.
“Yeah, Mom was here with you, and I thought I would help. Easy-peasy once we got the damn thing over her head. Well, and the tights, that was a task,” he says with a laugh.
“I would have paid good money to have seen that, son,” Dad laughs.
“Damn! I should have recorded it. Evan probably would have too. Lexi girl, we could start a side business.” Aaron kisses her cheek.
“Well, looks like we’re ready to go. We don’t want to keep them waiting.”
“Um, hello, minister here, the show can’t start without me,” Aaron says.
“Um, hello, bride here, the show can’t start without me either,” I mock him.
“Good thing you’re all pretty and shit, or I’d be giving you the biggest noogie,” he jokes.
“Let’s go, you two,” Dad laughs.
I reach for Lexi, but Aaron turns away from me. “No way, sister. Mom would kill me if you get wrinkled or something…baby on you. I got her.”
“What about you?” I counter.
“I’m just the guy who says the words. No one’s going to be looking at me.”
“It’s a very small group, Aaron, of course they will.”
“McKinley, have you looked in the mirror? You’re beautiful. I can say with absolute certainty that all eyes, no matter how many are in attendance, will be on you.”
“Stop before you make her cry and mess up her make-up.” Mom smacks his shoulder and Lexi repeats the action.
“Let’s get you married, baby girl.” Dad loops his arm through mine and leads me out to the car.
Chapter 43
Evan
We’re getting married in my grandparents’ church. It’s a private service and the pastor was completely fine when we explained the brother of the bride would be the one marrying us. My grandparents have been members for over fifty years. They handed them the keys and said to clean up when we’re done. Originally, it was going to be in the backyard, which is where McKinley still thinks it’s going to be, but I wanted more for her. I want this to be a day she will remember.
So, we got the church. Mom and a few other ladies took care of decorations and I took care of the photographer. I mean, come on, I’m marrying a photographer who has a true passion for capturing memories. I can still remember that day months ago when she told me why she chose photography. How can I not hire the best to give her pictures—her passion—to remember this day?
I contemplated inviting a few of our friends, but selfishly, I decided not to. I like the idea of an intimate setting, the idea of saying our vows in front of just our immediate family. I hinted around to McKinley about inviting others, and she pretty much said the same thing. The wedding is for us, to pledge our lives—well, for me, my love—but she won’t know that. She said it’s not for the showboat of the event. We share very similar beliefs, and that just made me fall a little more in love with her. I am admitting it in my head now, especially after this morning. Confessing to my daughter and having Aaron overhear it all, there’s no sense in denying it in my head. I know how I feel.
Everything came together seamlessly, and now, I’m sitting in a back room of the church waiting for my bride and my daughter to arrive. I’m not nervous, anxious maybe, but no nerves.
“Come in,” I say to the knock on the door.
“Hey, son.” Dad slowly enters the room and takes a seat on the bench beside me. “You ready?”
“Yes.”
“I’m proud of you, Evan.”
“Yeah, your son who knocked up his girlfriend who ended up wanting nothing to do with him or the baby. The son who has to marry his best friend’s little sister, who also happens to be his best friend, to keep his daughter.” I don’t know where that came from. I guess I’m a little ticked off at the circumstances. I would rather be able to tell McKinley how much I love her as we stand at the altar today.
“Evan, you love that girl. Everyone can see that. You two might be hiding behind this arrangement, but anyone with eyes can see this is more than that.”
“Evan you ready?” Mom asks through the door.
“You can come in,” I yell back.
She slowly pushes open the door, peeking her head around the corner. “They just arrived. To say she is surprised is an understatement.”
“Good.” I gently pat my father’s shoulder. “Let’s do this.” I grin at my parents. Dad doesn’t say any more about our conversation and neither do I. This is just how it has to be.
I follow my parents to the main area of the church where I see Aaron standing. The grin on his face relaxes me.
“Dude, I can’t wait for you to see Lexi. Kinley bought her a little dress. Man, she’s a cute kid.”
I’m excited to see my daughter, but even more so my fiancée. I don’t know what she’ll be wearing, and I don’t care. She could walk down that aisle in jeans and a ratted old t-shirt and she would still be beautiful to me. I would still be having an internal celebration that she was just minutes from being my wife.