“Come with me!” I shouted as I pulled her into the main house, opposite from the reception tent.
“Luke, where are we going?” Bridget asked me.
“Just come on!” I told her as I picked up the pace.
“Slow down! I’m going to fall! I can’t move that fast in this dress!” Bridget exclaimed.
“We’re almost there,” I told her, “I have a surprise for you.”
Bridget didn’t have time to say anything before we were turning the corner into a private suite I had reserved. It was pretty much a sitting room. There was minimal furniture, but a couch, small table, and chairs with a plate of white chocolate covered strawberries sat in the middle of the room.
“What is this?” Bridget asked as she stood stunned by the room.
“Just come here,” I said pulling her to the table and helping her into a chair.
“Luke, we have guests,” Bridget said concerned.
“It won’t take but a few minutes. We won’t miss anything or anyone,” I assured her.
“Alright,” Bridget sighed picking up a strawberry and devouring it.
“First things first,” I said as I went to the closet and pulled out a flowing, white, one shoulder, summer dress, “I thought you might be more comfortable in this for the rest of the evening.”
“Luke, that’s beautiful!” Bridget exclaimed as she pulled me into her arms, kissing me passionately, “Thank you.”
“I knew you would. Brit helped me pick it out,” I admitted to the help I received.
“You were who she was texting all day today!” Bridget said with a grin.
“Yes. Eat the strawberries. I have one more thing for you before we get changed,” I told her acknowledging the button up and jeans of mine hanging from the bathroom door.
Bridget sat back down and I sat across from her. She was obviously hungry since she devoured the strawberries in record time. I smiled at her knowing my next surprise would be the best.
“So, what’s this other surprise?” Bridget asked me.
“Well, it’s something we have talked about for a while,” I told her as I walked across the room pulling a manila envelope out of the drawer of a dresser.
“What is it with manila envelopes?” Bridget laughed.
“I don’t know, but you should really like this one,” I said as I handed it to her.
“What is it?” Bridget asked me as she opened the folder.
The room fell silent as she flipped through the series of papers that were in the envelope. Once she realized what it was tears started streaming down her face. They weren’t tears of sadness or hurt or anger. They were tears of joy and happiness.
“How did you do this without me knowing?” Bridget asked me.
“I’ve had it done for a while. I’ve struggled on how long to wait to give it to you, but after what Kenzie asked me this morning I knew that today was the day. She made the decision for me. I want her to be mine and this will start the process,” I explained to her.
“But how did you get this far without me knowing?” Bridget questioned me.
“It’s only a petition to adopt her. The courts will have to decide to take parental rights from Gavin, but this is the first step and they said that they wouldn’t do anything until we were married. Well, we are married now. There’s nothing stopping me from adopting Kenzie except Gavin and I’ll spend every last penny I have to make sure it happens,” I enlightened Bridget.
“Do you know how much this means to me?” Bridget asked holding up the papers, “Do you have a pen?”
“I know how much it means. It means just as much to me. I’ve loved that little girl from the first time I met her. I want her to officially be a Bryan. But that’s a whole other process and totally up to you,” I told my wife as I handed her a pen, “Are you sure you want to sign it?”
“There’s not a bone in my body that has doubted it since May. Luke, when you called me and told me that she wrecked the 4-wheeler, I heard it in your voice. You were her dad then. Whether or not you or her saw, it is something totally different, but it took that for me to realize that you’ve been her dad for a long time. And this morning, well, that was just icing on the cake. No matter what the courts say, Luke, you are her daddy. You are the one she’s going to ask to go to Father-Daughter Dance’s at school. You are the one she’s going to want to walk her down the aisle the day she gets married. You are the one she’s going to want there when she has her first child. Not Gavin. He hasn’t ever been there for her and you have. It only makes sense that you are legally her father,” Bridget explained to me as I felt tears well up in my own eyes. She was right. I have been Kenzie’s dad for a long time.
“I love you, Mrs. Bryan!” I exclaimed as I pulled her into my arms kissing her while reaching around and unzipping her dress, letting it fall to the floor.
“You know we are going to be late?” Bridget asked.
“I really don’t care,” I told her softly as I picked her up carrying her to the lone couch in the room laying her down.
Not another word was spoken between us for some time after that. The silence that filled the room was that of love and adoration as we became tangled in one another. Afterwards, we just laid together on the couch enjoying the peace that surrounded us.
“Luke, Bridget, everyone is asking where you are!” Jason shouted through the door as he knocked.
“We’ll be out in a minute,” I yelled back at him.
“You better hurry! You’re momma is threatening to come find you!” Jason screamed back through the door.
Bridget reached up and felt her hair realizing it was a complete mess, “Is Brit with you?”
“I’m here!” Brit yelled through the door.
“I need you,” Bridget yelled as she got up wrapping a blanket around her and going to the door after throwing a blanket over me. She opened the door just a crack, “Only Brit.”
“What the hell?” Jason asked.
“She’s wrapped in a blanket, Jason. Damn, can’t the girl get some privacy?” Brit told him before closing the door behind her, “Lordy, your hair is a mess. What on earth did you do to her, Luke?”
“I had no part of it,” I lied with a smirk.
“Sure you didn’t,” Brit said.
“Come on, Brit,” Bridget said as she grabbed the dress I got her and headed towards the bathroom.
They weren’t in there a few minutes and Bridget came back out by herself, still wrapped in the blanket.
“Something wrong?” I asked her.
“I just forgot something,” Bridget said as she walked towards me.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“This,” she said as she leaned down and kissed me as I still laid on the couch.
“Well, well,” I said as she turned and walked away dropping the blanket that surrounded her on the floor, “You can’t be doing stuff like that. Brit may get more than she bargained for.”
Bridget just laughed as she went into the bathroom closing the door behind her. I got up and dressed while they were in the bathroom. I found myself sitting on the couch staring out the window dreaming of coming back here for vacations with the kids and watching all five of them run around playing. I was happier right now than I had been in a long time. I couldn’t wait to get her alone and get us far away from everyone. I just wanted to be me and her for a few days. My thoughts were interrupted when Brit came out of the bathroom.
“Where are her boots?” Brit asked me.
“I don’t know,” I said, “They should be right around here somewhere.”
“Look under the couch,” Brit told me as we had exhausted all other possibilities.
“Here they are,” I said as I pulled them out from under the couch.
“Bridge, here they are,” Brit hollered at her.
Bridget walked out of the bathroom on a mission to get her boots. She was just stunning. Glowing actually. The dress I had gotten her showed her baby bump and made her even more irresistible to me.
“You are gorgeous,” I said her in a hushed tone.
“You look pretty good yourself,” Bridget told me as she slid her feet into her boots.
“Ya’ll have to keep it PG for the next few hours! There are kids out there!” Brit laughed as she walked towards the door, “Are ya coming?”
“We’ll be there in a minute,” I told her as I pulled Bridget into my arms.
“I’m timing you!” Brit shouted at me before closing the door behind her.
“I wish we could just leave,” I told Bridget.
“I do too, but you know that if we left we would have a trail of people on our tails for the rest of our lives,” Bridget said matter of factly.
“Our parents would be at the beginning of it all,” I laughed knowing it was true.
“No, your momma would be the ring leader!” Bridget exclaimed.
“True,” I said, “Are you ready to face these people?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Bridget said as we started walking towards the door.
“Once in a lifetime,” I said as we entered the hallway.
“Once in a lifetime,” Bridget repeated.
The walk to the reception tent was a short one, but I cherished every second I got to spend with Bridget. I knew the second we got into the tent we would be bombarded with family and friends. I stopped just shy of the tent and looked at Bridget.
“Can we bail early?” I asked, “I’m just not feeling the crowd tonight.”
“Whenever you are ready, I’m ready,” Bridget told me as we turned and walked into the tent.
No more than we made our appearance Jason grabbed a mic, “The bride and groom have finally decided to make and appearance!”
Everyone clapped and cheered. Bridget and I made our way to the front of the tent and took our seats at the head table. Slowly, but surely everyone who was in attendance made their way to our table to offer their congratulations. Bridget and I sat talking among ourselves most of the evening. Evidently I wasn’t the only one not feeling the crowd tonight. Bridget, the most outgoing person I think I’ve ever met, avoided almost everyone except me.
“Can I get everyone’s attention please?” Brit said into the mic as everyone started making their way to their seats.
“She’s going to do a toast isn’t she?” I asked Bridget. She just shook her head as we directed our attention to Brit.
“As most of you know, I haven’t known Luke or Bridget as long as most of you, but I feel like I have known them for my entire life. When I first met Bridget, I really didn’t know how she would react towards me. To be honest, I was worried she wouldn’t be that welcoming, but she surprised me. Bridget, and Luke too, welcomed me into their home with open arms. It didn’t take long for me to get to know Bridget. She is the most warm, loving, and outgoing person I’ve ever met. She’s helped me in ways she’ll probably never realize. The turning point in our friendship was not long before they announced their engagement. It was the moment I realized we were more than just friends or acquaintances. I feel like I have gained a sister, and now a brother. I was so honored that Bridget asked me to stand beside her today while she married the love of her life,” Brit said as she turned to Bridget and I, “I have never met two people who are more in love that the two of you. The love that you share is obvious to everyone you come in contact with. I can’t tell you how many times I have overheard people talk about how in love the two of you are. If there’s anyone who doubts that love, they clearly don’t know either of you very well. I couldn’t be happier for the two of you. My only wish is that you continue to live your life together, lovingly, with your family, and continue to run around like a couple of love struck teenagers.”
I looked down at Bridget and she was crying. My little emotional wreck. The simplest things made her cry anymore. All part of being pregnant I guess. Brit came over and hugged us before returning to her seat. Before I had a chance to say anything to Bridget Jason was speaking.
“We all know I have known Luke for a long time. I watched as he has changed over the past few years. Most of the change I have seen in him can be credited to Bridget. He started to change before either of them admitted their love for each other. To be honest the day that they did was just as interesting as any other. I’ll never forget it. I just remember sitting in their kitchen in shock and Luke just shouting ‘Bridget, I love you’ across the room. She didn’t even say it back then, but I knew she felt it though. Not long after that she admitted to me that she loved him. Yeah, I knew she loved him before he did,” Jason chuckled before continuing, “The moment she told him was something I will never forget either. The emotion running through that room was electric. I knew from that instant their love was something that was going to last the test of time. Since that day I have learned that they are not afraid to fight with each other. Lord knows they fight over the stupidest stuff, but they always make up. I’ve learned that no matter what life throws at them, they will come out on the other end even stronger than before. And most importantly I’ve learned what it’s like to unconditionally love your significant other. I can only hope to have that one day. To the man I consider my brother and the woman I consider my sister, Luke and Bridget, I wish you both nothing but continued love and happiness!”
By this point Bridget was in sobs. Jason came over and hugged the both of us, but holding onto Bridget much longer whispering something in her ear. The rest of the toasts were a blur. Bridget cried because that’s what she does when someone gets sappy and I held onto her. It wasn’t long later we decided that we were tired and ready to head to our cabin for the night.
“Thank you all for coming. I cannot express how much it means to Bridget and I to have you here with us to share this moment, but it is time for us to be going,” I spoke through the mic to our guests before grabbing Bridget’s hand and walking towards the exit.
“I’m so ready for bed,” Bridget said as she laid her head on my shoulder, visibly exhausted.
“We’ll be to the cabin in a few and we can get some sleep,” I told her.
We made our way to the front lobby of the main house where the manager, Krista, had a car waiting to take us to our cabin for the night. First thing in the morning we would be off for our honeymoon a beautiful week in Isle of Palms, South Carolina. We arrived at the cabin in record time and both of us went to bed almost immediately.
“It’s good to see you happy again,” Caroline informed me
“I am happy, ain’t I?” I said rhetorically.
“You are. And I’m glad it’s with Bridget. She’s good for you. She always has been. The love you share is just amazing,” Caroline told me.
“Do you think so? I will always love you, Caroline, but now Bridget is my number one,” I said to my first wife.
“I know so, Luke. I will always love you as well. Bridget has been your number one for a long time. Before I was ever gone even. You may not see that now, but you will. It will just take you time to realize it,” Caroline said as she faded into the distance.