Life After Claire

The Wedding

"Claire and I will see you when you get home. Claire says hi." I tell her and she takes the phone from me, "Hi Uncle!" She yells louder then needed but I hear Cole talk to her until she gets bored and wants to go play with the things I left unpacked for her and I hang up with my brother.

Eighteen minutes later I'm alone in the apartment with Claire because the guys started moving stuff into the new house and unpacking boxes. We left the TV and DVD player so I could put on movies for Claire and myself because I'm staying the night here in the apartment for the last time, but I'm having Claire stay with Drew and Kelsey because all of her stuff is packed and she has a few things that I leave at Drew's house.

I hear the door open and I ignore it because I think it's another one of the guys getting more boxes to put in the car for the house. But clearly I'm wrong when I hear Cole's voice. "Where the hell is everything?" He says in a panic.

"Watch you mouth!" I say threw my teeth because Claire is with me. "Almost everything is at the new house. We packed last night."

"You guys went threw my stuff...." Cole says uneasy. I knew he had stuff that he didn't want me to see.

"Yeah, and found everything." I say with a smirk while Cole avoids eye contact. "We only found one dirty magazine. Oh, and your stash of report cards." I fold my arms in a parent like way.

"I'm trying to get them up I swear." I roll my eyes and sit down on the floor because it's the only thing left to sit on.

"Just get them up before Mom finds out please." Is all I say and he sits on the floor across from me.

"Why are we moving the day before our sisters wedding?"

"I just wanted it out of the way; I got the keys early and tonight is the last night anyone is staying here."

"You going  to miss living thirty seconds from your girl?" Cole asks.

I shrug, "Space might be good for us." I say thinking about Hannah.

"DADDY!" Claire screeches.

"Right here baby, what's wrong." She runs in and lies down on my lap.

"My room is bye-bye." She looks up at me with tears in her eyes.

"It's at our new house. You're going to love it sweetie pie." I don't know how to explain moving to a two year old so I just lay her down on my lap. She hasn't stayed like this probably since the first day I brought her home. Claire isn't one for sitting still for long periods of time. But I love it when she falls asleep in my lap like this.

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You ready for this?" I ask my sister as she puts the finishing touches to her hair. My sister looks like a beauty queen, if her future husband isn't completely speechless when he sees her, he doesn't deserve her.

"Nervous." She turns and looks at me.

"Don't be, you'll be okay." I give her a sympathetic smile so she relaxes.

"How do you know, you've never gotten married." She protests.

"That was exactly the words you told me when I first brought Claire home." I tell her and bring her into a hug. I know she's nervous but she shouldn't be.

She doesn't let go of me until Cole comes into the room. "Shane can you help me with my tie-oh, um, should I come back later?" He says awkwardly.

Brittany wipes a tear away from her eye and says, “No, its fine. Come here I'll fix your tie."

"Where's Claire?" She asks my brother who had her last. I'm not worried though because it's pretty much a bunch of family and friends here who all know Claire and me.

"Courtney's got her." Courtney and Claire are Brittany's flower girls.

Our mom sticks her head and almost starts to cry. "My babies aren't babies anymore." She says with a sad sigh. "One's married and one has a baby of his own." After she says that she starts to cry and my brother hands her a tissue.

"It's time sweetie." She says between sobs.

Brittany takes a deep breath and we walk out of the room to the chapel. My mom opens the double doors and she walks down the aisle and the music starts to play. Next Kelsey and Drew walk down because Kelsey is Brittany's maid of honor. A few of Brittany's other friends walk down ands then Courtney and Claire. Finally it's our turn and Cole and I walk Brittany down the aisle. Everyone stands and looks at us. I see everyone in the crowd, my dad and his new wife, Adam and Logan, Noah and then next to her is Hannah. I knew that Hannah would show up. I'm glad she did, I need to tell her I love her.

I'm zoned out on the fact that Hannah's here because I haven't seen her in almost three weeks. I wasn't avoiding her or anything I've just been busy unpacking my new house and saying goodbye to our apartment. I love Hannah it's finally time I actually told her. I've said it before but this feels different. Since I zoned out I missed all of the ceremony, the only part I paid any attention to was the 'You may now kiss the bride'. My sister went from Brittany Cooper to Brittany Ridgestone.

I'm having a good time with my friends, and getting caught up with family I haven't seen in ages. Everyone always tells me how much Claire has grown up. I'm sitting at one of the tables taking in the whole scene. Everyone is dancing and laughing and having a great time, Claire is running around with some other kids at the party. I haven't been able to talk to Hannah the whole wedding.

I spot her talking to Noah and my brother. I walk over there, "Can I have this dance?" I ask her and she blushes and takes my hand and pulls me on the dance floor. She wraps my arms around my neck and I put my hands around her waist.

"I love you." I tell her.

"I love you so much, I've missed you."

"I've missed you too baby."

"I'm sorry about not telling you about the twins father-" I cut her off with a kiss; it doesn't matter now I just want to spend this moment with her. We end up dancing for three or four songs before she pulls away.

"Shane I need to tell you something." She says with a sweet smile on her face.

"What is it beautiful?"

"I'm pregnant."