Bittersweet

~ ~ Sweet, Sweet Endings ~ ~

~ ~ Jenna ~ ~

EIGHTEEN MONTHS LATER...I fastened the last button on Janelle's dress as she turned to face the full-length mirror in her bedroom.

"So, what do you think?" she asked, tipping her head from left to right, holding her arms out to her side.

I stood alongside her, placing my hand over my chest. "I've never seen you look more beautiful." I could feel a swell of tears prick my eyes. "Perfect."

"Don't you dare cry, Jenna Valentino! Not when your make-up is flawless." She reached for my hand.  "And if you start—I'll start and then we will both look a mess!"

I blinked repeatedly to fight them back. "Sorry, I'm just so happy for you. And I still can't believe we're here, getting ready for this!"

Today was Janelle's wedding day. A day I thought would never happen. Janelle was and always had been fiercely independent, stating marriage would never be for her.

But then Jake bulldozed his way into her life and swept her from her feet. He too was another anti-marriage cheerleader... had the badge and the tee-shirt. But together they found something in each other they didn't want to lose.

That's not saying they haven't had some ups and downs. She dumped his sorry ass when he demanded she not act as a surrogate for our best friends Frank and Adam—asking her to make a choice. Him or them.

She chose them.  And rightly so!

He quickly wised up and followed her around for three months, begging her to reconsider and give him a second chance, which she finally did—her already being a month into her pregnancy.

It even brought them closer together and as a bonus for Jake, it reinforced Janelle's thoughts on never wanting kids of her own, claiming she had enough godchildren to keep her happy.  

And on Frank's birthday she gave birth to a 7lb 4oz beautiful baby girl whom Frank and Adam named Janelle Jenna or JJ for short. 

And then six months ago, two days before mine and Gabe's wedding, Jake proposed to her whilst he was holding her hair as she threw up in our guest bathroom and all over his new shoes - having drank way too much wine. 

For Janelle, that had been a deal clincher. He had seen her at her worst and loved her, regardless.

"And this won't just be a nice wedding—this will be a great wedding!"

"Yeah, but I still wish I could have catered it," she grumbled.

"You know you can trust Malcolm. He's almost as good as you and you know it!"

She scoffed.  "I know. It's... you know what I'm like—"

"—Control Freak?" I interrupted.

"No, I just like things to be perfect, done my way."