The Road Gets Tough (Synyster Gates Series: Book 2)

All I Ask Of You

As he escorted her out to join the rest of the wedding party, she came across her mother who seemed to have been crying.  Although her mother made her cry in the past, she had no intention in making her own mother cry for whatever reason.

"Mom, what's wrong?" She asked, stopping her mother from walking any further. 

"Nothing sweetie. Can I speak with you in the restroom really quick?" She asked, taking her daughter by the hand and leading her into one of the country club's many restrooms. 

"Mom, what's up? You don't seem okay." Jackie commented on her mother's whimpers as she held a napkin to her nose. 

Carla leaned against the counter, wiping tears that fell faster than she could allow them to. "Sweetie. I spent the last few hours helping you get ready for the most important day of your life. I spent the past five months helping you plan this wedding. Now that the time has come to see you walk down that aisle and marry the man that you  love, it makes me utmost happy. And it hurts because I can't seem to let the past go. I'm sorry. I've never seen you so happy and so nervous. I just went outside to see how everything was and I came across Brian." Carla giggled and rolled her eyes, "He looks even more nervous than you do, hunny." 

"Don't cry mom. Look," She took her mom by the hand and held it, "The past is the past. Remember? Even Brian says the past needs to be left behind. We're starting a new chapter in our lives together; all of us. You, me, him, my dad, his dad, even Suzy. I know at some point you did force me to do something I didn't want to do. But mom, in the end I didn't and now I'm here. Please be happy." She begged of her mother. 

"I'll try." Was her only response because at that moment, if she spoke anymore, she'd end up bawling tears.

Outside, Brian stood on the side of the alter as everyone took their seats. 

Matt was helping him fix his bow-tie, which he just so happened to put on wrong and no one seemed to notice. 

Brian just so happened to be suffering from a bad case of the nerves as well, even though he hadn't been nervous at all for the past couple of days. What he was nervous about? Her totally running out last minute like she did at her wedding with Jesse.

He trusted her, but there would always be that little speck of her that he couldn't trust until she said yes, instead of running out. It's what he feared the most. His heart pounded with fear and nerves. His palms were sweating. It was slowly killing him. 

"Brian," Jimmy's mother Barbra said, walking up to him at the alter, "Do you mind if we have a little chat?" 

He shook his head,  "Not at all. Let's have some privacy." He led her to the very back of the ceremony site, under some shade, shielding her pearly white skin from tanning. "What's up, mom?" 

She chuckled, "I just wanted to personally congratulate you. I know I did over the phone but I wanted to tell you face to face. Jimmy would've been so happy to see you getting married to Jackie. It's what he wanted from you. He told me himself." 

That made Brian's lips form into a smile, "Thank you. I needed that." 

"Remember how he said he knew he wouldn't live past thirty?" He nodded, "Well, he also knew he wouldn't live to see you get married. I've kept this letter around since the day Papa and I went to his house and took some of his things. It said not to open until the day of your wedding. That day is today. I wanted to ask, do you mind having it read at your reception?" She pulled out an envelope with the words Open on Brian's Wedding Day  on it in Jimmy's beautiful cursive.

He nodded again, "Can you read it?" 

"Of course sweetie. I want you to remember, Jimmy is here today. He's not going to miss this. Even if he's here spiritually or in your heart, he's here, seeing how nervous you are. Ask God to send Jimmy's blessings to you. Ask him to have Jimmy by your side. I know for a fact that you would've wanted Jimmy to be your best man. You two have gone through too much together. I promise you, when you're standing right in front of all those people, Jimmy's going to be right there next to you, being your best man." She tried not to break down as she spoke about her son. 

Brian felt himself tearing up, "I miss him so much." He covered his face, using his hands. 

Barbra welcomed him into her embrace that distinctly reminded him of Jimmy's. "It's going to be okay. Now wipe those tears away. Jimmy didn't want you to cry. Let's get you back to the alter. I think it's time to get married." 

"Jackie, it's time." Her father said, fixing his jacket. 

Around her, everyone was getting  lined up and ready to make their way down the aisle. However, she felt like she was at a stand still, not sure what was happening. 

The double doors opened and the wedding procession began, making Jackie feel nauseated and light headed. This was the moment she'd been waiting for and now, twelve years later, it was finally here.