**** The wedding day dawned dreary with dark, rolling clouds. The feel of rain was heavy in the air, and it looked as if the ceremony would have to be moved indoors. Genny hugged her arms and leaned her head against the patio door and sighed.
"If this is supposed to be the beginning, I think I'll just go back to bed and start over tomorrow." She said dejectedly, scrunched her napkin up and threw it in the trash.
"Now, chère," Nico crooned coming into the room and wrapping her in his arms. "De weddin' finery is jus' window dressin' fo' de pictas an' fo' de fam'ly. We're already married in de eyes o' de Lord. We don' ha'e ta go through wit' dis if you don' want."
Genny sighed and leaned back into her husband. "Yes, we do. We owe it to ourselves and to them."
"Oh!" She said and grabbed her stomach.
Worried Nico spun her around to face him. She burst out into laughter.
"Is ev...." The concern she read in his eyes warmed her heart.
"It's fine. Our boys are just very active today. I think they want to be part of the day too and....they were just reminding me that they're with us."
Nico smiled, placed his arm around his wife, his hand on the growing baby mound and said, "Dat's my boys."
Gen grinned as the sound of knocking came from the front door.
"Eeeee!" She squealed, "I told Trish and Brett to come over and bring their baby pictures!"
Nico grinned as he answered the door. "Hey dere you two."
"Hey there yourself." Brett glared at his best friend. "Isn't it against the pride laws or something for you to see her before the wedding?"
Trish elbowed her husband in the ribs. "Since they're already married, that's kind of a moot point don't ya think He-Man?"
"Enough talk!" Genny stated impatiently. "I wanna see my niece or nephew. Trish!" She said holding her hand out.
Trish grinned and held out two ultrasound pictures. Both clearly showed two babies, one looked as if it were waving at the onlooker."
Genny teared up in happiness. "Twins? You're having twins too?" She looked back and forth from her brother to Trish.
Brett stuck his chest out and looked smug as if he had planned it. Nico hit him in the arm and they shook hands, congratulating each other on their manly prowess.
"Wow! We're gonna double the day care just between us!" She said laughing with their happiness.
Brett sobered and looked at his wife, sister, best friend and partner.
"Ya know," he choked up, "a couple years ago....I thought I was going to have to live the rest of my life without ever seeing my family again....I didn't think I'd ever have a family of my own." He looked at Trish and carressed her cheek.
"I couldn't bear to get serious with any woman....because they weren't you....Now, here we are....I have my family back, I have you back," he kissed Trish's forehead and placed his hand over their children nestled under her heart, "and we have our own family on the way. I feel like the Lord has given me back my life."
"He brought you back to us, Brett," Genny told him. "And, you brought Nico to me, I have you to thank for him, and these precious little baby boys."
"Which....by de way reminds me." Nico said before he teared up as well. "You didn't say if dese lil' babies be boys or girls."
Brett and Trish looked at each other and smiled then said together as if rehearsed, "A girls!"
Genny grinned, "Any names yet?"
Trish nodded, "Rebecca Jolie, and Sarha Reine. Our favorite girl names."
The women hugged and the men shook hands and congratulated each other again when Beau came down the hall.
"What's the hold up? Everybody's waitin'."
Genny hadn't realized 30 minutes had gone by. She looked outside and saw the clear blue sky and sun streamimg through the glass doors.
'Wow,' She thought, 'What happened to the grey, murky sky?'
***
Nico looked proud as he watched his beautiful wife and unborn sons being escorted down the aisle by the chosen father she so loved, Yancy. The forman walked tall and wished happiness on the young woman he considered as his own. He smiled when he caught the fragrance of apple blossems swirling in the warm breeze.
He placed Genny's small hand in Nico's large one and answered, "Her family and I," when the pastor asked who was giving the bride in marriage.
The vows were said, the rings were exchanged and Nico began to lift the veil to kiss his bride. The softly scented breeze lifted the material out of his hands and whisked it back away from Genny's face.
"I believe," Brett said, "that you now have the approval of the entire ranch."
Both Nico and Genny looked up to the Apple Tree and smile. There stood two men. A cowboy, and Army Ranger.
With a solute they faded into nothing.
Gen turned back to her husband, "They like you."
Nico grinned, "I like dem also."
With those words he swept her off her feet and kissed her.
