You Had Me All Along

You Had Me All Along - Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Four Months Later

"Do you remember that day that we were at the skate park, that August before I left Seaside?"

   I looked up at Carson, who was standing in the bedroom doorway of the apartment.  Our apartment. I'd moved in a month ago, officially.

   I remembered most details from that summer that he and I spent together, every day. I remembered when he held my hand, as we walked. I remembered when he kissed me, so rarely yet always at the right times. I remembered being high, and how he looked at me. I especially remembered how he made me feel like I was important.

   "We were at that skate park a lot," I told him, smiling in his direction.

   It was the night before our wedding. We'd spent the last few months - the entire summer, actually  - planning and preparing and getting excited, but we knew we wanted to do the wedding in the fall. We picked the second weekend in September, and booked the reception hall that had an outdoor spot for the ceremony. We had done cake testings, and food samples, and booked a DJ, and picked out flowers. It was going to be a some what small event, under fifty people, but we knew it was going to be a party.

   "Yes, but I'm thinking about the day that I told you... if I was ever going to get married, I would want it to be to you."

   I'd already looked back down at my phone, as I was answering emails and texts at the end of a long day, after the wedding rehearsal. But now I was staring at my fiance - soon to be husband. He was grinning, that dark hair swept across his forehead. He'd gotten a haircut that week.

   "What?" I asked, surprised. For some reason, that day didn't come back to me. "You said that?"

   Carson laughed, walking towards me, then nodded. "You don't remember? You were watching me skate, and when I came over to the bench for some water, you wrapped your arms around me. I was just standing there with you hugging me, and it hit me that you were... it for me."

   "I remember that day, because it was so hot. I was sweating and I thought you would think it was gross," I laughed. "But I don't recall you saying that, about marrying me."

   "Maybe I didn't say it... maybe I just thought it," Carson said, laughing too.

   He now wrapped himself around me, squeezing tightly. As he kissed the top of my head, I sighed.

   "I would have remembered that," I told him. "I would have told you that I would marry you in a heart beat."

   "You're a dork. You were fifteen."

   "Yeah, but I would have done anything for you, you know that," I said, nodding.

   "It scared me, you know?" he asked, still holding me close.

   "What?"

   "Knowing that you loved me that much." Carson sighed. "It doesn't scared me as much, now."

   I let out laugh, then pulled away to look at his face. "Oh, not as much?"

   "I love you," he grinned. "I cannot wait to marry you tomorrow."

   "Me either."

   

I woke up alone, which felt odd but also exciting. It was my wedding day. Carson had gone to sleep at Kaden's apartment the night before, so we didn't see each other until I would be walking down the aisle. Tradition, right? My mom was all about the traditions, and I was more than on board. After a shower, and packing up my make-up, extra clothes and whatever else I knew I'd need, I set off to my parents' house.

   "My baby is getting married today," my mom said, tears in her eyes, as I wandered into the kitchen.

   She'd already done this numerous times over the summer, as we planned the wedding. She was excited and over joyed and likely a bit sad that I would be moving out of her house. After my birthday - and the proposal - Carson and I went back to have dinner with her. There, she cried, hugging me tighter than she ever had.

   "Today," I repeated, taking in a deep breath.

   "Are you nervous?" she wanted to know.

   "No, just excited. We have a few hours before we need to get there," I told her.

   "Right. Okay. The boys and Trinity will be here in an hour, I just talked to them," she went on, pulling off her robe and tossing it over the chair.

   "Awesome."

   And then she was hugging me, hard. "I love you, Arden. I'm so proud of who you've turned into, and... I'm so glad you are getting your happy ever after."

   Tears filled my eyes at her words. "Thanks, Mom."

~~~   

"So, everyone is here. They are getting ready to start, five minutes? Are you good?"

   Kaden peeked his head into the room where I was getting ready, in the building where we were having the reception. Trinity and my mom were there, as well as Rylee, Lacey and Hunter, who was now six months old. We were all ready. I was just touching up my make up, because my mom had made me cry, again, moments ago.

   "We're good," I answered, nodding at Kaden.

   He'd been going back and forth between me and Carson for the past hour. He was my "maid of honor" but also Kaden's "best man". And he was making it work.

   "Oh my god, Arden, you look..." His was speechless, which did not happen often.

   "Aunty is beeuuutiful!" Rylee yelled, twirling around in her flower girl dress.

   "She sure is," Kaden agreed. After taking a deep breath, he went on, "Okay, I'll see you out there?"

   I nodded again. "Go, I'm sure Carson needs you."

   "He's doing good, actually," Kaden laughed. "Dalton and Dylan are keeping him pumped. I think they are listening to some heavy metal music right now."

   Trinity laughed, and I rolled my eyes. "I'm not surprised. Kade?"

   "Yeah?"

   "Thank you."

   "For what?" he asked, looking confused for a second.

   "Everything," I finished.

   It was a gorgeous, sunny day. As I walked down towards the area that was set up for our ceremony, my dad by my side, a feeling of gratefulness washed over me. Everything that had happened to me since I met Carson had led up to that moment, and it felt amazing to finally be there.

   I saw all of our guests, seated in white folding chairs in the grass. I tried to see everyone, but the moment went quickly. I saw my dad's family, Finn and his girlfriend, and the girls from JumpFit. I smiled at Patrick and his girlfriend, Tania, Tyler, and a few other guys from the shop. And then the music was playing, and I watched as Rylee walked down the aisle, tossing the pink flower pedals out of the basket in her hand. Once the song I'd picked out to walk down the aisle to began, my dad was crying, squeezing my arm tightly. And then we were walking.

   At the front, Carson - who was wearing his black suit with gray vest and bow tie, stepped forward to hug my dad. I heard him whisper a thank you before he took my hand.

   The ceremony went by in a blur, but Carson's words during his vows - similar to his words when he proposed - made me cry again. There likely wasn't a dry eye in the whole crowd.

   When it was time to say I Do, we both answered eagerly, and when we were pronounced husband and wife, Carson lifted me off my feet and kissed me hard, both of us in tears.

   "We did it," I whispered, holding his hand tightly as we went back up the aisle, everyone clapping and cheering around us.

   "We did it," Carson repeated. "I've never felt this happy, in my entire life."