+chapter.twelve+

I looked at Jenn and caught her giggling at me. I smiled and laughed a bit myself. “Well, this is it,” I said.

Jenn smiled back. “Yea, I’m going to miss you until I can see you at the wedding.”

“Yea. Me too. I better get going though if we want to stay on time.”

I got up and threw on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. I grabbed a duffel bag so I could throw the clothes I was wearing now in later and I was ready. My tux, shoes, and such were at Gary’s. That’s where Justin, Zac, Tay, Mac, and I were getting ready. Jenn, Morgan, Chloe, Susan, Jess, and Megan were all getting ready here at Jenn’s and my place.

“Okay Baby, I’ll see you in about an hour and a half,” I kissed Jenn.

“Alright. Miss you,” she replied.

“Bye.”

“Bye,” she said as I walked out of the room.

Just as I opened the door, Jessica and Chloe walked up. “Hey, Ike,” they both said.

“Hey, Jenn’s up in our room,” I said to them. “Jenn, Jess and Chloe are here.”

“Okay! Send ‘em up!” Jenn called back.

“You heard the woman,” I smiled.

Jess and Chloe said goodbye and headed upstairs. I closed and locked the door behind me and headed out to my car. I got in, started it up, and drove to Gary’s, getting more anxious than I already was.

I arrived at Gary’s to see Zac’s and Justin’s cars in the driveway. “Oh, this is gonna get a lecture.”

I knocked on the door and waited a second, if that. Zac opened the door and pulled me in by the sleeve quickly. “I can’t believe you’re the last one here! You’re the groom for cryin’ out loud!”

I laughed. “Zac, chill. We still have an hour and a half to go!”

“Yo, Dude,” Gary entered the room.

“Hey,” I replied.

“Tay’s up in the bathroom primping—I swear to God. He denies it though. Justin’s getting dressed in the spare room. Your stuff is in the bathroom down here and if you don’t mind, Mackie’s gonna take the bathroom in your room.

“No, course not. This way if he needs help with his tie or whatever,” I replied.

“Okay. Cool. Well, I’m gonna go get ready,” Gar said.

“Me too,” Zac agreed.

“Okay,” I replied. I walked up the stairs, thinking of what today would be like. I smiled, thinking of Jennifer. She had showed me the dress, of course not with her in it. She’s real superstitious when it comes to that. She even followed that old, new, borrowed, blue. The dress was new, shoe were borrowed, earrings were old, and the garter ::grins:: was blue.

“Hey Mac,” I called as I entered the room.

“Hi, Ike!” my brother came running out in his jeans and dress shirt to give me hug.

I laughed. “You gonna be all ready to be ring bearer?”

“Yea!” Mac smiled proudly. “What I really want to know is if that hottie Megan has a boyfriend.”

I laughed. “I think you’re a bit younger than her, Mac. She’s older than Jenn!”

Mackenzie smiled. “Your point being?”

I laughed again as I pulled off my shirt. I sprayed on some cologne and put on my dress shirt.

Mackie walked back into the bathroom to finish changing, smiling. I smiled, pulled my jeans down and got my slacks. I tucked my shirt in then pulled them up and zipped them. My stomach did a couple flips. The butterflies were working double time. I wonder if Jenn had the same things happening. I pulled on my socks then my shoes. I put my jacket on as Mac walked out, dressed. “Whoa! Ike! You look so different!”

I smiled. “Thanks. So do you.”

Mac smiled triumphantly. “Do you think Megan will like it?”

I laughed. “You never know.”

Mac smiled and headed downstairs. I looked at my watch and was surprised to see that an hour had passed already. I must have spaced out a couple times while getting dressed.

I smiled and walked out of the room to the downstairs living room. Everyone was in there waiting.

“Ike! Only twenty-five more minutes!” Zac smiled.

I laughed. “Zac, relax. You’d think you were getting married.”

Tay grinned. “He’s been like that all morning. He got up at like, six.”

I laughed again as Zac smiled his toothy grin. He had gotten braces a few years previous to fix the gap between his front teeth.

Gary and Justin laughed. Zac was definitely acting like a thirteen-year-old again. I smiled. Never changed. Taylor got maturer, if that’s possible, yet funnier. The six of us sat down and talked for awhile, trying to get rid of our nervousness.

Tay looked at his watch. “Guys, we better get going.” Ten minutes had passed and the limo had just arrived.

“Yea,” I agreed. We all got up and picked up our jackets. We walked outside and got in the limo as Justin locked up.

He jogged over to the car and got in. We drove to the church, which wasn’t very far.

We got there and took notice the girls were there already, most likely primping.

Jenn is just the cutest when she primps.

Fr. Johnson instructed Zac, Tay, Gary, Justin, Mackie and I to go to the front of the church since we only had a few minutes left. I saw Chloe in the doorway with Megan behind her. I could see Jennifer’s dress, and I knew she looked beautiful.

The procession music started up and the butterflies I had in my stomach tripled. Chloe walked slowly followed by Megan and Susan. Mackie had a smile on his face at the sight of Megan. Tay’s heart had to have skipped a beat when he saw Susan. Jessica was next; her red hair tied back in a French braid. Once Jessica was about five pews up, they began to play the “Here Comes the Bride” theme. Morgan walked slowly, tossing flower petals on the floor as she proceeded to the front. I smiled as Jennifer slowly made her way to the front, Nicholas escorting her. She was smiling and slightly blushing as she approached. She kissed her father gently as they reached the altar. Nicholas turned and took a seat next to Angela who was crying already. I took her hands in mine when she stepped up.

That’s where I got caught up in the moment. I kind of spaced out up until the vows.

“Do you, Clarke Hanson, take this woman, Jennifer Anderson, to have and to hold, to love and cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer till death do you part?”

“I do.”

“Do you, Jennifer Anderson, take this man, Clarke Hanson, to have and to hold, to love and cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer till death do you part?”

“I do.”

Fr. Johnson smiled. “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Those last three words were the best three words I had heard in my life. I kissed Jennifer passionately, using a bit of tongue.

We smiled as everyone clapped. The recession song played and we all started out.

Jenn and I were holding hands and smiling. As we walked out of the church, a ton of rice was thrown our way. Jenn and I laughed.

We got to the bottom of the steps to be told to go back up. The photographer was there already. He lined us all up in the right order. Jennifer and I were in the top center. Jess was next to Jenn, a step down. Susan was next to Jess, then Megan, Chloe and Morgan.

To my left were Zac, Taylor, Gary Justin, and Mackie. We were each standing on our respective steps as the photographer took a few pictures. After about two or three pictures, we were free for a few minutes until we had to go to the park to get more pictures taken.

Everyone was approaching Jennifer and I, saying congratulations. We smiled and replied with a polite, “Thank you.”

Angela found us standing by the limos. Her face was a deep pink color from crying. I noticed my mom was right behind her, having the same tear stained face.

Angela hugged me, while Mom hugged Jenn. “Welcome to the family,” they both said.

Jenn and I smiled. “Thank you,” we replied.

Then Mom started to talk to Jenn and Angela to me. “Take care of her, okay? I trust you.”

I smiled. “I love her more than anything. I’d never let anything happen to her.”

“Good,” was Angela’s simple reply.

Jenn told me later that the short convo my mother had had with her was very much the same.

“You will take care of my baby, right?” my mom asked.

“Of course,” Jenn replied, bewildered.

My mom smiled her soft smile. “Thank you.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Hanson, I’m sorry to interrupt, but we really must be going,” the photographer said.

“Okay,” I replied. Being referred to as Mr. Hanson with a Mrs., being Jenn, hooked onto it sent chills down my spine. “Guys, c’mon, we have to go!” I called to the rest of my party.

They all came and divided into the two limos, the bridal “team” in one, and the rest in another.

I decided to have a glass of champagne on the ride there. One glass wouldn’t kill me.

It took maybe ten minutes to get to the park. I got out of the limo and walked to the other.

I opened the door for the girls. Tay was helping Susan out on the other side as I helped Jennifer out from the side I was on.

She smiled at me, took my hand and fixed her dress.

I grinned and walked to where the photographer was calling us.

We all got in the same line up we had been in at the church. Only this time, we had a group of trees behind us. I think they came out very well. Jenn seemed to have liked them too.

“Okay, now I’d like to take a few of the flower girl and ring barer,” Jake, the photographer, said.

Mackie and Morgan went to where Jake directed them. They smiled for a few pictures. Then Zac and Jess had a picture taken. After that, Tay and Sue, then Megan and Gary, and finally Justin and Chloe.

“All right, now if Mr. and Mrs. Hanson could come with me,” Jake said.

Jennifer picked up her dress with her left hand and started walking with me. I took her right hand in mine. She looked at me and smiled. “I love you,” she mouthed.

I smiled. “I love you too,” I mouthed back.

“Okay. You two can stand here. Act natural, but look affectionate.”

Jenn and I smiled at each other and held hands. “Perfect!” Snap. We came in for a kiss and right before our lips met, “Freeze!” Snap. We kissed quickly then I put my left hand in Jenn’s curled hair. “Okay! That’s great!” Snap. And so we continued, trying to do things naturally affectionate, but kept getting interrupted. We were glad when Jake finally told us that was it. We were just about to give up.

We walked back to where all the others were.

They were all just standing around, talking. When we emerged from the woods, everyone started to separate into the two different limos again. This time, Taylor, Susan, Zachary, Jessica, Gary, and Megan all went in one. Justin, Chloe, Mackenzie, Morgan, Jennifer and I went in the other. Jenn sat next to me and put her head on my shoulder. I slipped my arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “I love you,” I whispered.

She looked up at me. “I love you too.” She put her head back on my shoulder and I rested my head on top of hers. We sat like that for the rest of the car ride, talking softly to each other.