Al

Two Months Later (Five days before the wedding)

"Yeah, I was about to put him back. I need to get some work done anyway." I say, putting Caden back in his crib. I moved it to the living room, just to get a change in scenery.

Hannah has been working non-stop on the wedding. Since that night I told her the date. She has been very busy. I've been staying home with the twins. They're still small, so it's basically just them sleeping all day, an occasional diaper change, and feeding.

″How do I look? Like a rat or Attorney? I'm going for that business type of look, so she takes me seriously."Hannah asked, coming downstairs and standing in front of me.

″Your look stunning, baby. She's sure to be impressed.″

″Thanks, babe.″She responded, kissing me and pulling her heels in. She walked into the kitchen and I followed behind. Mostly to get a longer view of her butt.

"Jules, bring my daughter back over here!" She yells

″Okay, I need you and Jules to go to the cake testing and meet the photographer. I would do it, but like I told you, I have an interview with Paula Celine. And I will not miss this opportunity. I've already got everything else together. All that's needed is what I told you, guest listing, and more caters, which I will handle." Hannah says as Blondy walks in. Then starts loading the freezer with breast milk.

"Hell no. I am not going anywhere with a knock off barbie. "

″Please, like I want to go anywhere with you, anyway. Barbie would kill to look like this. If anything, she's the knock off of me."

″Look, Blondy, you don't have to be ashamed of who you are. That's your parent's job."

She glaresat me, which gives me great satisfaction that I had successfully pissed her off. "I hope one day you choke on all the shit you talk."

"Watch out, don't stand too close to the heater, sweetheart. Plastic melts."

″If you're going to be two faced, at least make one of them pretty."

"The last time I say something like you, I flushed it."

″Honestly, come on Hannah. I can just go alone. I don't need this arrogant clown."

"Maybe if you ate some of that makeup you could actually get a man, blondy."

"I'm all natural. You on-"

"Enough! Please, enough! I have watched you people argue about every little thing for months. Who has the most money, who's job is better, who wears the most gel, just shut the hell up why don't you!" She takes a deep breath, trying to calm down. Speaking more softly she continues, "Could you guys please come together this one time to do something I've asked you to do. Please guys, I need you."

″Do I make myself clear?" she asks when neither of us responds.

"Yes." We reply.

″Good. I'm running late so I have to run. You need to be there in about thirty minutes. Monica and Lisa are coming to watch the twins. Their food is in the freezer, pampers, wipes all that is in the nursery like usual. And their schedule is on the counter." she explains, grabbing her purse and walking to the door.

"Also, C-"

"I know, Caden eats and sleeps a little more than Lilly. I know."

"Okay, good. Wish me luck then." she said before walking out.

As I sit on the sofa in the foyer, blondy picks up Caden and lays him on her chest. Then starts to walk around the house, patting his back.

"I'm so glad you got your mommy's looks. Otherwise, we would have been in trouble, wouldn't we?"

″You know, blondy, talking to my son doesn't make you any less plastic."

″Hey, hey, hey, babysitters are here!" Monica and Lisa shouts, opening the front door.

"How the fuck did you get in my house?" I ask and they meet us in the kitchen.

"Oh, you left it unlocked, dear."

"Shit." I go and lock the door while Blondy puts Caden's pack in his crib and we return to the kitchen. "Have a seat." I tell them and they sit at a barstool.

"Alright, here are the rules ladies. Don't go through our shit. Don't take my children outside of this mansion. Follow their schedule and we're good." I order, grabbing my coat and walking over to Lilly and Caden.

"What he means is, their food is in the freezer. Schedule is on the counter. Call one of us if something happens or you need anything, and don't bring my niece and nephew out of this house, okay?"

"Got it!" Monica replies, cheerfully.

"Bye, babies." I say to the twins. Giving each of them a kiss on their forheads.

I open the front door and yell, "Let's go, blondy!"

I wait till she walks out to close the door and we are off.

The ride to cake testing is silent. It began with us arguing over what station it was going to be on, which ended with me listening to 99.1 and blondy on her phone because I threatened her I would throw her on the side of the road and never come back.

We finally made it to the building and walked in the elevator. It was about to go up when someone got on. "Excuse me, don't mean to bother you folks." A guy who appears to be in his fourties says standing on the side of blondy.

I see him wrap his arm around her waist and when she says stop he doesn't listen. He does this The entire ride. The elevator stops, and it was our turn to get off, "No means no." Balling my fist I punch him in his mouth, sending him stumbling against the elevator wall. Careful not to hurt him to mad, only to send him a message. Hannah made it clear this morning she didn't want me to get in any fights.

Blondy looks shocks as she walks out of the elevator. I follow behind.

"What the h-"

"We never speak of this again."

After hesitation she nods, "Agreed."

Hannah

″Yes, I um designed Hotel Crossroads, you are correct."

"And you went to school for fine arts?"

"Yes. Two years exactly."

"This is all good, Hannah. Fantastic actually." Paula says across the desk.

"Thank you so much!"

"I have just one question, why aren't you making millions?"

I laugh nervously and answer "I don't know."

"Seriously Hannah, you have the education, experience, and your work is phenomenal. What the heck, woman?"

I had to think for a minute because Paula Celine. The Paul Celine had just called my work Phenomenal.

″Well, you know I've had-"

"Yeah, I know excuses."

"Excuse me?"

″Excuses. Your life was messed up, you were sick, blah blah blah. Hear it all the time. This is someone's excuse not to achieve their dream. Scared. Scared of failure. You don't think I was? Hell yeah, shaking in my bones. But I didn't let that stop me."

I needed to do this. Not only for me, but for my children and the love of my life.

"You're right. No more excuses. I promise."

″Good. Now that that's done. You're hired Hannah. Welcome aboard. You are now the partner to Paula Celine, owner of Design Nations."

I dropped the pen I was gripping and stared at her as if she had just shot me.

"Oh my fucking gosh, really?"

"Mm-hmm. You start January 20th."

"Wait. That's two days after my wedding."

"Well, make it work. I need you to be here. Why are you getting married so quickly, anyway? Don't brides usually wait like twelve months or something?″

"Yeah, that's what I said. But Al wants to get married as soon as possible."

"I see. Well thank you for your time, Hannah, I'll see you then?"

"You can count on it." After shaking her hand, I grabbed my purse and walked out of her office.

As soon as I made it out of the building, I did my snoopy happy dance on the street. Not caring who was watching, I continued until I was out of breath.

Then I called Al to tell him the news. He answered on the first ring. "Hey. Where are you?″

"Just got done with the cake testing. I think you'll love what we chose."

"I'm sure I will."

"Anyway, what about you?. How did the interview go? Did you get the job with Paula Calvin?"

"Paula Celine, babe. And yes. I did. She just told me. I'm going to be her partner for design nations. Rusty old me is her partner. I could just explode right about now, Brick."

Chuckling, he answers,"I knew you could do it, baby. I knew it. You're an amazing artist and designer. The role was practically made for you."

″Thank you, Al. For always supporting me."

"That's my job, woman. And my other job is to kiss this photographer's ass, so I'll call you later when I'm done alright?"

"Okay. Love you."

"Love you too, sweetheart. Text me when you get home."

"Okay," I reply hanging up.

Al  (2 days before the wedding)

"Baby, he shitted! He just let out a piece of shit on my damn thumb!" I yell shocked as I changed Caden's diaper.

"Seriously Brick, you have to stop changing them on the ground, even if it's on a towel. It was bound to happen." she argued, coming down the steps in her signature outfit. Gray sweatpants, long black tee, white air forces, and her handbag.

"Woah. Forget about Caden. Where the hell are you going looking that beautiful?"

"I told you already. Jules and I are going to get my wedding dress. And then Lily and I  won't be home tonight or tomorrow because we can't spend the day before our wedding together." she said, walking to the door.

"You haven't gotten your wedding dress yet?"

The look she gave me showed that was the wrong thing to ask. Which was totally understandable since she had been so busy planning the wedding. I truly didn't deserve her.

"Anyway. You're going to spend the rest of the day here with Caden. And then tomorrow you can spend it with your friends and do whatever guys do together. And I'm spending tomorrow with Lilly and my friends. Then we get married."

I cleaned off the poo from my leg with a wipe, knowing I'm still going to need a shower later. "Why do we have to do that, anyway? I want to spend the night before I get married with my woman. Is that too much to ask?" I ask, putting Caden back in his crib and walked over to Hannah, wrapping my hands around her waist and pulling her toward me.

"Because it's bad luck."

"Fuck luck."

"Al. It's two days, you'll be fine."

"That's the point. I can't see you or Lilliana for two days."

"Because the next time you see me, I'll be walking down the aisle. Now stop being a baby and carry her to the car please," he orders kissing my cheek and walking out the door.

I buckled Lilly's car seat buckle and went to put it in the backseat of blondy's car. Hannah sat in the front with her.

"Blondy."

"What do you want?"

"Take care of my girls. I don't want to see them looking like you."

"And how is that?"

"ou know, unattractive, Don't act dumb, you hear it all the time."

"That's not what David said-"

"Alright bye, love you baby."

"Love you too!" Hannah yelled as they drove off.

When I walked back inside, Caden was still up. "Well, looks like it is just me and you dude. At least until those weirdos come tomorrow. But until then we are going to watch the godfather in the movie theater."

Hannah

"Come on, Jules. I don't even want to wear a dress. Lilly and I can just walk down the aisle with shorts and flowers. Simple."

"No. Absolutely not. You guys are wearing a dress. I will not have my niece dressing like a tomboy in the wedding pictures.″ she started looking through the rack at the bridal shop. Lilliana was sitting on the bench next to the dressing room in the stroller.

"What? Tomboys have a cute style. Take it from me."

"Here, try these on," he said, handing me a stack of wedding dresses.

"Lady we have been in this store for nearly five freaking hours. We left at one its four-fifty-seven and I've tried on like thirty dresses already."

"I know. I know. But I have a feeling that one of these dresses is the one. Trust me."

"Yeah, and you said that the last thirty times. But whatever. Watch Lilly for me please."I said, walking into a dressing room.

First, I tried on a white puffy dress and had skinny straps at the top.

"Too puffy. Go back."

The second one I tried on was like a nightgown. It was also white with spaghetti straps.

"Too plain. Go back."

The third dress I tried on was big and puffy. It had sleeves that went past my hands.

"Way too long. You're too short for that. Go back."

The fourth dress I tried on was perfect. I didn't think I would ever use the words perfect and dress in the same sentence, but it was absolutely gorgeous. It had sleeves that only stopped mid-arm. Laced. Had a slit on the side. And was only slightly puffy at the bottom.

″Perfect″ Jules said as I stood in front of her.

Then I stood in the mirror and said to myself, "Perfect."

After that, Jules bought Lily a blue small dress with a matching bow and little flats.

By the time we get to her house, it's seven.

"Wow. I forgot how much I missed this place, Jules. It's been a while." I said, walking into her house and setting Lilly on the couch in the living room.

"Yep, last time you were in here... let's just say you were going through some bad times."

"Yeah."

It got quiet for a while as we sat down on her couch. Lilly started crying, so I began breastfeeding her.

"I'm thinking of selling it." Jules blurted out.

"What? Why?"

"I don't know. You're getting married, new house, twins. I think it's time to move on. Maybe move into a small apartment, get a different job. I was thinking of being a model again anyway."

I nod in understanding, "So many memories here. Some bad, some good. But I'll support you either way. You're my best friend. Ride or die."

~~~

January 17th (Night before the wedding day)

"No, you're not piercing her ears, Jules. Especially not with a freaking bobby pin."

"Fine. Let me at least paint her nails."

"No. She looks gorgeous already. Bad enough you got her a personal stylist. Do you know what I was doing in two months? Eating my own shit."

"Actually, now that your parents are somewhat in your life, which you didn't bother to tell me, I had to find out from your fiancee, Is Daniel walking you down the aisle tomorrow?″

"I haven't talked to either one of them since that night, so I don't even know if they're showing up. I invited them but I guess we'll see."

Al

"How does it feel, man? Tomorrow, you are going to be considered a married man. Locked down. Key is thrown away." George asks, throwing an invisible key across the room.

"Well, when you meet someone like Hannah, it seems kind of amazing to finally get married."

"Shut the fuck up. Grow some balls." David says.

"Enough of this marriage bullshit. Let's play twenty-one"' Matt says,  pulling cards out of his jacket pocket.

We play twenty-one for about an hour and David wins, even though everyone knows he hid a card in his pants.

"Alright, I'm going to put Caden in his room, he fell asleep. I'll back alright?"

"Cool." I hear one say as I walk upstairs. When I put him in the crib, I make sure to give him a kiss on the cheek and cover him up. Then I head back downstairs.

But when I make it down there, not even five minutes later, they're all asleep. David, Matt, George and Tyler, all passed out on separate couches.

"And they say I'm getting old. Can't even stay awake."

I get some blankets out of the hall closet and throw them on each of them. Deciding not to walk back up the stairs again, I grab one for myself and take my place on the carpet.