"What do you think of the color?" I asked Ceci when she entered the room, turning down the music I'd been blasting as I painted.
She looked at my work before breaking into a smile. "It's perfect!"
I breathed a sigh of relief since this was the third time I was painting this wall of the nursery in our new Toronto condo. The first time it had looked too much like bubblegum, according to my soon-to-be-wife, and the second trial was too purple. I'd personally thought they were both lovely, but Ceci had a very particular vision for our baby girl's room.
"How's it going with the dishes?" I asked.
"I've got everything on the shelves, so now I'm starting on the pots and pans."
While I had painting duty, she was unpacking the kitchen. We'd found the place in February with my mother's help, but were just now moving in since we'd been in Europe for tour. Our new Canadian home was just two blocks from my first condo, and I was happy to be back in the old neighborhood.
Our home had two bedrooms plus a third room near the entrance that could be used as an office. Ceci said the floor plan was "efficient" which to me meant that it was on the small side. Apparently in architectural terms that meant that no space was wasted on long hallways or unusable areas. The kitchen, dining, and living areas were open and had doubly-insulated floor to ceiling windows with a view of the CN Tower. It was on the twenty-fifth floor but had no balcony or terrace. This was a bit of a disappointment to me at first, but Ceci said she'd never sleep knowing that a balcony rail was all that kept our child from falling off the tall building. Pregnancy hormones coupled with all the tragedy we'd experienced made her a bit overly cautious, and once she'd put that idea in my head, I hated the idea of a terrace, too.
We'd be living in the Los Angeles home for at least six months straight once I was done touring, and I'd painted the nursery there a pale aqua before we'd even found out the sex. This one was pink so that they'd each have a distinct look, not because we were trying to reinforce gender stereotypes. Pink had always been one of Ceci's favorite colors and she was excited to do up the room in the pale rose and sage green shades she'd chosen. The crib, dresser, and changing table would be white and the theme was floral. At the other home, the room would have an ocean vibe with lots of blues and greens with light wood furniture. By the time the A-frame Ceci had been designing for our lake property was done, the baby would probably be walking, so we weren't doing an elaborate third nursery. She wanted the decor for that house to be reminiscent of rustic cabins from the 1950's so there'd be a lot of plaid, leather, and pine.
"Are you hungry?" she asked. "I could make us some peanut butter and banana sandwiches."
"That sounds great, baby. Just let me finish this one section. Maybe fifteen minutes?"
"See you then," she said before blowing me a kiss.
I cranked "Joy" by Bastille up and got back to work, dancing as I rolled paint all over the largest wall in the room. This was what Ceci called an accent wall since the other three would remain off-white. Five minutes later I was startled by a loud crash and right after, Ceci cried out, as if in pain. The paint roller slipped out of my hand and bounced off my cheek and shoulder before falling onto the plastic tarp. I ran out of the room towards the kitchen in a total panic.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" I yelled as I approached her.
She was standing at the sink running her hand under water. "Watch out! There's glass on the floor! Don't worry...I'm fine, Shawn. I dropped a glass baking dish and cut my finger when I tried picking up the pieces."
Thankfully it hadn't shattered all over the floor, but the oval dish was in several broken pieces. I carefully stepped over them so I could see her wound.
"Do you think you need stitches?" I asked.
"No. Just a band-aid. I unpacked them yesterday, so I know they are under our sink. Can you get me one?"
I bandaged her injured finger and then cleaned up the mess on the floor. While I vacuumed the space three times to make sure there were no tiny glass shards, Ceci made us sandwiches. As I sat down across from her to eat, my heart was still beating slightly faster than normal.
"You know you've got paint all over your face and shirt, right?" she observed.
"That scared me," I told her. "I...I thought something happened to you, and the paint roller was the least of my worries."
"The baby and I are fine. She's actually been kicking up a storm all morning."
"And I missed it?" I whined since I loved feeling the tiny movements when she was active.
"I'm sure she'll be womb-dancing again soon."
My phone vibrated in my pocket so I pulled it out. "Andrew just texted. He and Gray just arrived at Pearson. He wants to know if they can help out with any last minute things."
"Not that I can think of," she said as she stood and cleared the plates. Then she let out a big yawn.
"Why don't you go take a nap," I suggested as I joined her at the sink, wrapping my arms around her body so that my hands could splay across her rapidly growing belly.
"I am a little tired, and we won't be cooking in here tonight anyway, so there's no rush to finish unpacking."
"Oh we'll be cooking," I whispered in her ear, "but it'll probably be in the bedroom."
"Mmmm," she hummed. "I can't wait. I wonder if it'll feel different."
"Emotionally, probably yes, though how can it possibly get any better physically?"
She turned around so that she was facing me. "Maybe we should do it now so that we'll have something recent to compare it to."
We'd already done it early this morning and twice the day before, but I wasn't going to argue with her. Ceci could not get enough of my dick, and I expressed silent prayers of gratitude every day for her pregnancy hormones.
We went to our bedroom and I took my time giving her pleasure while enjoying every minute of it myself. When we were done, she rolled on her side and fell fast asleep. I went back to the nursery and started cleaning up since there wasn't time to finish today. Once I finished, I took a shower, shaved the stubble from my face, and made sure my suit was wrinkle-free.
"Ceci...honey, you need to wake up," I crouched by the bed once I was dressed.
Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at me. "You look so handsome."
"Thank you. I've always liked the look of a slim gray suit. Do you need a shower?"
She stretched as she slowly woke up. "No, I took one this morning. I need to do my hair and make-up, but Aaliyah is supposed to be coming over to help me."
As if on cue, the doorbell chimed.
While my sister got Ceci ready, I went into the living room and replied to several texts. My mum was obsessing over the fact that the cake still hadn't been delivered, but I assured her the bakery had emailed that it would be there on time. My friends messaged in our group chat that we'd be doing a shot of tequila together since we'd done that at both Matt and Brian's weddings. It was now apparently a tradition, and even though I wasn't drinking much these days, I'd make an exception for this.
"It's bad luck to see Ceci before the ceremony," Aaliyah said as she walked into the living area. "Why don't you go on ahead and I'll drive her."
"But we decided that was just a silly superstition," I whined since I'd been looking forward to driving over with her so that we could share in the excitement.
"Tough. She changed her mind."
I wagged a finger at my sister. "I know this was your doing, but I'll do whatever my bride wants. Tell her I love her, k?"
"I love you, too!" Ceci called out from the bedroom where she'd obviously been listening to our conversation.
When I got to the restaurant where both the ceremony and reception were being held, I joined all four of our parents who were having drinks at the bar.
"What's going on here?" I asked.
"Oops! You caught us!" Lisa said with a laugh.
"We felt the need to celebrate early," my dad said. "You have no idea how happy we are that this day has finally come."
"I'm just relieved you showed up," Eric added as he clapped me on the back.
It was a good thing Ceci wasn't here, because she'd probably have some sharp words for her father. I was able to take his teasing a little better, partly because I understood his concern. I'd broken his daughter's heart in the past, and now that I had a baby of my own arriving in September, his protectiveness made more sense.
"Can I get you a cocktail?" the bartender asked me.
"No, thanks. I need a clear head for saying 'I do' in an hour. I'd love a seltzer with lime, though."
We stood and talked while the staff finished placing the flowers. When the cake arrived, my mum relaxed. Our families had divided up responsibilities for the wedding since Ceci and I had made the decision to get married just four weeks ago while on a stroll in Paris. My parents handled the food and the venue while Burroughs were in charge of the alcohol, invitations, and securing a justice of the peace.
Ceci and I fell in love this restaurant when we'd met with the owner-manager last week to go over the details and sample a few menu items. My mum found it while searching for a big enough space and was thrilled that they were willing to shut down for the day to accommodate us. It was a restored factory where the existing features had been repurposed, so the place had a sleek industrial look, yet it was still warm and inviting. The fact that it was nothing like the first wedding location was probably a good thing.
Our guests started to arrive half an hour before the ceremony. I greeted Ceci's friends and former-coworkers as well as the people I was close to both professionally and privately. Our extended families rounded out the small party of a little over a hundred. We'd asked that donations be made to a charity in lieu of presents, and had given several suggestions including those committed to gun control in the US.
There was an altar of flowers on the dance floor, and at six on the dot, I took my place in front of the woman presiding over the ceremony with Andrew next to me. Aaliyah entered and stood opposite us, giving me a wink right as the processional music started to play. Ceci appeared with her parents on either side of her, and I was grateful that I'd waited until this moment to see her. She looked radiant in her simple but elegant dress, and as she walked towards me, I felt like my heart might burst with love.
We stood in front of the judge, holding hands as we exchanged our vows. Our "I do's" were spoken, tears of happiness were shed, and then I kissed my wife as our guests applauded.
When the kiss ended, my wife pulled me towards her so that she could whisper in my ear. I was expecting a declaration of love, but instead she said, "There's a little pink paint by your ear."
I couldn't help but laugh, which in turn got her giggling. I gave her another long kiss which caused everyone to clap and cheer all over again.
Hot and cold appetizers were served to the guests while my tour photographer took what seemed like thousands of photos of us. When that was done, we walked around the room so that we could catch up with each person and thank them for sharing our day with us. Eventually people took their seats and dinner was served.
After the delicious three-course meal, drinks flowed freely before the DJ called everyone to the dance floor. I held Ceci in my arms as we swayed to "At Last" just like we'd discussed months ago. As a surprise for my wife, Brian and Matt wheeled out an upright piano and I carefully lifted her up on it. Then I serenaded her with "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" while playing along on the aged black and white keys. When I got to the end, I belted out the lyrics with more heart and soul than I'd ever expressed in my life because my love for her was so overwhelming.
"When did you plan that?" she asked as the piano was moved back to its regular spot and people began filling up the dance floor.
"Honestly? Two days ago. I had to practice the song whenever you left the condo."
"I loved it. Thank you so much for making this day extra special by singing to me."
"I'll sing it to you every day for the rest of our lives if you want," I told her.
Ceci started to show signs of fatigue around midnight. I did my shot with my friends and thanked both sets of parents for the hard work they'd done to organize a wedding in just a month. We bid goodbye to all our guests and walked to my car. As wonderful as the reception had been, it was nice to be alone with my bride. When we got to our condo, I carried her across the threshold and straight to our bedroom.
"You're tired, sweetie," I told her as I unzipped her dress.
"Mmhmm. I'm sleeping until noon tomorrow."
"That's a good idea. By the time you wake up, I'll have the painting done and then I can help you finish the kitchen."
"Or we could take the day off and spend it in bed focused on each other," she said before she stood on her tiptoes to give me a deep kiss. "Actually no...let's not wait until tomorrow. I need your focus right now."
Her plan won out, of course.