058 - FIN

The morning of the 11th, I crawled out of bed and headed downstairs to the girls already eating breakfast. They all turned and looked at me with huge smiles on their faces. I went around the room seeing who all was there. My mom, Trina, Nathalie, Mel, Taylor, Grandma Crosby and Trina's sister. All the guys stayed at Sidney's house as we followed tradition of not seeing each other the night before our wedding. "So good news darling, your cake toppers arrived this morning, and they were able to get the cake you want," Trina smiled handing me a box as I took the only empty seat around the table. I sighed in relief as I ripped the box open and pulled out the two miniature Mr. and Mrs. Potato Heads. The bride of course had a bandage on her nose, as the groom had a bandage wrapped around his head. "Those are so cute," Taylor laughed looking at them over my shoulder. I set them down on and then dug in to the breakfast Trina had placed in front of me. It was going to be a long day. 

Sidney and I had decided to get married in the same church his parents did, then we rented out a loft in downtown Halifax for the reception. We wanted it to be a small wedding but it seemed like every hotel in Dartmouth and in Halifax was booked full, because of our wedding. Some two hundred people flew in for our nuptials and out of those, thirty were from my side. I had no problem with it, as we asked most of the team to sit on my side to even things out. I was trying to keep my nerves down and allowed everyone around me to work, I wasn't planning on lifting a finger the day of my wedding, I had worked enough. What I really wanted was a drink, but that was impossible. I settled on a nice long hot shower. A million things were going through my head, and I turned the heat up a little bit to clear out my thoughts. I should only be thinking about him.

I was dragged into the living room and told to sit in a chair as a woman I had never seen before in my life started blow drying my hair. The small details that I somehow overlooked started coming out, like how I wanted my hair done, I had no idea. I had Taylor fetch me my veil and I showed it to the hair dresser after my hair was now dry. "Oh I love the birdcage veils, they are so classic and beautiful," she smiled as she placed it on my head. I could see my mom roll her eyes, she still didn't like it. "I think we should pull your hair up, do a messy french twist." I sat there and thought about it. "Sid hates my hair up, he says he can't run his fingers through my hair when it's up. So let's just do big loose curls down, will that still look okay?" I asked as I saw Trina smile. "Of course, we can do anything to your hair and it will look amazing." I was falling in and out of sleep as she worked on my hair. Forty-five minutes later I jumped up and looked in the mirror, I loved it. "How come I am never able to get my hair to look like this?" I asked laughing. 

From my hair I went and got my makeup done by another woman I had never seen before in my life. We kept everything very natural looking except for the eyelashes. I wanted beautiful lashes, so I had fake ones put on. I glanced over at the clock and couldn't believe that it was already one o'clock in the afternoon. Where has the time gone? I sat around and watched as everyone else had their hair and makeup done. I couldn't be happier with the fact that I hadn't gotten sick yet that day, and I could only hope that I wouldn't. "Okay Avery, are you ready?" Trina asked as her, my mom and Nathalie sat on the couch in front of me. "As ready as I'll ever be," I smiled trying to mask my nerves. "Okay, here's your something blue," Nathalie said as she handed me a box wrapped in white paper. A true smile came over my face as I unwrapped it. "Oh wow," I laughed as I pulled out a blue lace strapless bra and matching panties. On the butt of the underwear 'blushing bride' was written in silver. "Oh this are so cute!" I smiled as I got up and pulled her into a hug. "Something borrowed," Trina smiled and handed me another wrapped box. I opened it up and pulled out a very old handkerchief with a 'C' embroidered on the corner. "That's what I had wrapped around my bouquet when I married Troy. Grandma Crosby gave it to me, and I want you to borrow it for today." I could feel the tears building up in my eyes, "why didn't you guys do this before I did my makeup." I laughed and then pulled Trina in to a hug. I looked at my mom who was crying and handed me another box. "Something old," she smiled. I opened it up and pulled out my great-grandmothers brooch. It was two birds sitting on a branch kissing, something I use to take out of my mom's jewelry box when I was a child and pin to my shirt and act like it was my wedding day. "Oh mom," the tears were flowing at this point. "You knew you would be getting this today," she laughed as I embraced her in a hug. "Now if you have a daughter, you will give it to her on her wedding day, that's what my grandmother did to my mom, and my mom did to me." I went and hunted down my bouquet and pinned it to the ribbon wrapped around the stems. 

Time was quickly flying by and at 2:30 it was time for me to get dressed. I stood in the room filled with everyone and a photographer just in my new blue underwear. Trina and my mom helped me get into my dress and I had Taylor zip me up, but she was having some trouble. "Oh no, my dress doesn't fit anymore, I'm getting fat!" I whined as Trina went to help Taylor. All the older women in the room started laughing. "It's not funny, this dress fit like a glove two weeks ago!" "Your belly is growing, did you forget you have a little baby in there. Okay take in a deep breath." I took in a deep breath and Trina zipped me all the way up. Oh great, now I can't breathe!! "Oh yeah, Avery there's one last thing!" Taylor said with a big smiled and handed me another box, similar to the ones the mothers union had. I took the card off of it and ripped it open. 

To my bride on our wedding day. I can't say how excited I am to see you walk down the aisle to me and finally call you my wife. I knew I wanted to marry you and spend the rest of my life with you the day we met in the intersection, even with you covered in blood. There are emotions that I go through that I can't pull out words to describe. You are the love of my life, and I can't wait to start a family with you and love you and cherish you everyday of our lives until the day I don't breath anymore. In this box is your something new, and I can't wait to see you at the alter. I love you Avery. 

Sidney.

I wiped away a tear and ripped the paper off the box. Inside was a stuff baby penguin and then a ring back. I showed the penguin to everyone and then opened the ring box, it was a new thumb ring. I had been looking for one. I pulled it out and noticed it was engraved along the outside. 'Mo anam cara, XI VII MMIX'. "What does it say?" my mom asked. "My soul mate and then todays date in Roman numerals," I smiled as I slipped it on to my thumb. I took a deep breath, checked myself over in the mirror and I was ready to go. "Let's go get you married!" my mom smiled as we all headed out front to the limo that was waiting. 

As we pulled up to the church a huge smile came over my face as I show Sidney's car parked on the side of the building. I don't know why but that got my nerves up through the roof. Just knowing that he was inside, waiting for me got me all rattled. After getting out of the limo I was rushed into one of the small rooms in the church. My nerves turned to excitement and I wanted to get out there as quickly as possible. I was left alone in the room with Taylor, my mom and Trina, then there was a faint knock on the door. My mom opened it and Robert walked in. "Hi Av," he smiled pulling me into a hug. "Robert," I sniffed into his ear. For once in my adulthood I was happy to see my brother. "You look beautiful Avery. Sidney is one lucky guy, you've turned into such an amazing person." "Thank you Robert, that means a lot to me," I smiled and then pulled into one more hug. I watched him leave, and as he opened the door to the church I peaked inside to see the place was full, there were even people standing along the outside edges. I turned back around and poured myself a glass of water. We should be starting by now, what's taking so long? I took a sip of water, set the glass down and Jack bursted through the doors. My eyes grew wide and my heart sank to my stomach. "What's wrong Jack?" I demanded more than asked. "We . . . he . . . we can't find him." I pushed passed Jack and ran outside, I ran to the side of the building to see Sidney's car was now gone. I turned around to see Jack, Troy and Colby standing there looking at me. They all looked terrified. "I need car keys, somebody give me some car keys!!" Troy took the keys to his truck out of his pocket and handed them to me, he pointed me in the direction of his truck and I ran to it. 

My mind was racing a million miles an hour and I didn't care that I ran every red light and every stop sign to that park, that was the only place he could be. I was going to find him and find out what the hell was going wrong. I will not allow him to leave his pregnant fiancee at the alter!!!!!! For a moment I felt like my life was over. I pulled into the park and saw his car. I didn't know what I was feeling, relieved, excited, nervous, pissed off. It was all just one big feeling of numbness. I got out of the truck and made my way up to the picnic table where Sidney was sitting in his tux. "Sidney," I said as I approached him. He turned around and immediately bursted into tears. "Avery, I am so sorry. I feel like such an asshole right now." He pulled me into his arms and kissed me on top of my head, on my veil."Why did you leave?" I asked looking up at him. "I looked in the church and just got overwhelmed. Half of those people in there are against me getting married, why would I go in there with them there? I just want you." I reached up and wiped away his tears. "If they don't want you to get married they wouldn't have shown up. Sid, you have me, and I have you. Now today we are getting married, we're doing this together ya know. You were just suppose to wait up front then I would come to you," I couldn't help but laugh but I didn't know what to tell him. For a millisecond I thought I lost him forever, so as messed up as he thought he was right now all I could do was smile. "You really want to marry me? I mean come on, I'm standing here crying like a girl." I leaned up and kissed him. "I do want to marry you, but you need to figure something out about this crying busy, I need a man not a girly man." He finally smiled then kiss me once more and we headed back to the cars. "Hey Avery," Sidney shouted before he got into his Range Rover. I turned around and looked at him. "You look like an angel in that dress, you're glowing you know." I blushed. Sidney still makes me blush. I blew him a kiss and climbed into Troy's truck. 

When we got back to the church our families, Jack and Colby were standing outside. I walked up to them and I pointed my finger to Jack and Colby, "you were suppose to keep an eye on him!" "He's a sneaky son of a bitch, sorry Avery," Colby said as he hung his head. I smiled and then pulled them both into hugs letting them know things were going to be okay. We all walked into the church and I gave Sidney one more assuring kiss before he took his parents into the church. Colby walked my mom down the aisle, Jack took Taylor and I stood there with my dad waiting for my cue. "He got scared?" my dad asked as we patiently waited. "He got overwhelmed." "How did you find him so fast?" Just then the doors swung open and everyone turned to look. "I just knew that's where he would be, that's where he goes to think." It was a long aisle and a lot of people were looking at me, but my eyes never left Sidney. There he stood, with that huge smile on his face. All I could think was how I wished our baby would have his lips. His lips, hair, eyes, nose, personality, humor, laugh . . . everything. Except for his ass, maybe a smaller version of his ass. I laughed as I approached Sidney at the alter. He shook my dad's hand then held onto my hand.

I held his hands in front of me and looked deep into his almond-shaped brown eyes. I wasn't fully paying attention to the minister as I was too caught up in Sidney, but I knew what to say when he stopped talking. "I do." The smile he already had on his face somehow got bigger and he did the same, "I do." "By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride." Sidney pulled me into his arms and dipped me as he kissed me with passion I hadn't felt since the first time we kissed. Everyone cheered and Sidney brought me back up and I looked at the mom's, all three were crying. As we started our trek down the aisle I started laughing. "Did you tell them to play this song?" "I did," he smiled. I squeezed onto his hand and walked down the aisle to my new, happier life with Sidney, and we did it walking to "You Can Leave Your Hat On" by Joe Cocker. The music sounded sweeter than before, colors were more vibrant. I was the happiest girl on earth at that moment. Once we were on the other side of the doors, Sidney swept me up into his arms, kissing me deeply. "I love you babe." "Love you too."