Protecting Leah

The Big Day

Leah's P.O.V

The day was finally here, mama and mommy were getting married. I was really excited because then they were going on holiday and I got to go and stay with grandma and grandpa. Which was cool because they were always really nice to me, so are mama's sisters Aunt Kim, Aunt Kariann and Aunt Kristine who always take good care of me when I stay. But this time Aunt Kristine isn't staying she said she has to go back home which makes me sad. "Leah, are you here?" mommy calls. "It's time to get dressed." I giggle and run downstairs towards mommy and Aunt Lena and Uncle Jack who are helping mommy get dressed. Aunt Leah and Dixie are coming later too but for now it's just us three. Which isn't so bad until Aunt Cara bursts in looking for the veil that Aunt Gigi lost. I laughed and mommy sent me off to see mama. I gladly left and arrived to see mama still in her pyjamas with her hair and make-up done. It was funny to see. I watched as mama turned to face me. "Hi there bug, why aren't you with mommy?" I laughed.

"Mommy sent me here to see you." Mama laughed as she turned to get dressed and Aunt Gigi helped me get changed into my dress too. I spun a few times and mama laughed and said to go back to mommy. I laughed but did as I was told. Running off through the house to mommy who was completely ready.

Taylor's P.O.V

It's been just over eight months since Karlie proposed to me and a lot has happened since, it was all good things though. I went back to the studio and began the fifth album and since Karlie was away for fashion shows Leah and I just stayed in the city for a week at a time, by August we released the first song and music video 'Shake It Off' and things were going well. Our managements helped us to squeeze the wedding in before release week and the album drop because after that it was meant to be all go. Promotions would start, tour details made, Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in London, and not to mention my twenty fifth birthday and our first family Christmas. We didn't really care about things but we badly wanted to be married so we made it happen and after the wedding we were going straight on holiday to Fiji which was beautiful at this time of the year. Nice and warm. Finally after preparing for a few hours people started to arrive and fill seats. It was beautiful, no word from my parents and that was the way I liked it, I did feel bad at certain times that they weren't here to experience the joy that Karlie brought to my life, or experience Leah's special moments like last week when she graduated from her kindergarten class into first grade. It was a huge moment because Karlie and I for the first time in two weeks were actually home and her parents surprised us by arriving at the ceremony too. I remember just looking at Karlie and saying, "What..." to which she just kissed me and said, "For our baby." I knew right then that Leah was the best thing that ever happened to me, because she led me to love with Karlie and I would never be able to thank her enough. Karlie's family were always wonderful to me and so supportive of my career they had even offered to come and house sit for us when I was on tour and Karlie was away and that way Leah could still go to school. It was amazing to think that family could be so important.

Half an hour later I was waiting, waiting to walk out to my one true love. We had invited many people to share the day with us, Karlie's family, my management, Karlie's friends, my friends and my crew. Anyone who had supported us through our lives to this point and man there were a lot of them. We had decided to get married at our house since the gardens were looking perfect. Our wedding planner worked in conjunction with Tree and my security to keep it a paparazzi free zone but we were providing camera's for guests to take pictures as well as having professional pictures taken. All of the guests were lined up and when I heard the music play, Al took my arm and started to walk me down the aisle. There had been arguments and debates among my band some thinking they would do a better job but in the end it came down to either Al or Scott Borchetta because they were both huge influences in my life. Al since I was just starting out and Scott since day one but in the end I went with Al because he was my rock on tour when Joe dumped me, he supported me through adopting Leah and even when he left the band before the RED Tour he still kept in touch and that was how I knew, of course Scott understood my reasoning and joked about not being important but Leah piped up at the rehearsal last night and stated. "You are important, you're Uncle Scott."  I laughed and watched Scott feign shock and delight as Leah squealed with laughter but now as I face the doors I can't help but think to the future, I feel Al's steady presence and then he whispers. "Are you ready for the best days of your life?" I look at him in amusement, quoting Kellie Pickler's song that I helped write. Slapping his arm he chuckled and I said, "Of course I'm ready." He nodded and said, "Hold on baby, this is it." I looked at him and smiled and then the doors opened and all I could see was Karlie standing in a white dress, she had mentioned after we got engaged that it was her dream to see me come down the aisle and so I agreed and went with what she wanted.

Our eyes met as I walked to her. We link hands as Al hand me off stating he gives me to Karlie before he sits next to Leah in the front row. I turn and look at Karlie, her green eyes are shining with love and happiness and I laugh. Her thumb makes circles on the top of my hand absentmindedly calming me down. The celebrant begins to speak but I'm only looking at Karlie until she says to Karlie, you may say your vows. I watch Karlie take a deep breath before looking me in the eye and saying. "Taylor, you are the most extraordinary human being I have ever met. The way your smile lights up the room or your voice fills a stadium it's something I never get tired of. Your love it the one thing that I know is constant in my life, it never changes and when I'm away from home all I have to do is call you and you are there, instantly calming my mind getting me through fashion week or a shoot in Paris and you do it without a care in the world. Late night airport pickups are our thing since we do it so often, sometimes with Leah but more often than not she goes to Lena and we drink coffee at Starbucks before crawling into bed at home." She stops speaking at this time and looks me in the eye before saying. "You're my best friend and I love you." I feel my heart burst with happiness as the celebrant turns to me and says, "Taylor, your turn." I flash a smile at Karlie before saying to the guests, "I don't know how to follow that but I'll try..." Everyone laughs as I look at Karlie, "Karlie from the moment I saw you walk down that runway I knew there was something there, at the time I thought it was friendship but we became closer than I've ever been to a friend before. I told you things I'd never told a friend, how my relationships had wrecked me and you told me it was life experience and something told me you were right. But everything changed the day you picked me up from the airport, I didn't know what to do, I was lost but I remember thinking that there was no way I would escape the city without telling you how I felt and I was shocked when you loved me back." I breathe in quickly looking at Karlie who is smiling. "You build me up when I'm weak and make me stronger when I'm doing fine, you've taken to my daughter in ways that I could only have imagined. We have built a life together and you've accepted me into yours, your family accepts me and I finally feel free and that's because of your love Karlie." She pulls her hand to wipe a tear on my cheek before the celebrant says, "Do you Karlie take Taylor to be your wife?"

"I do."

"Do you Taylor take Karlie to be your wife?" I look at her and then turn and say,

"I do."

"With the power vested in me by the state of New York, I pronounce you wife and wife, Karlie you may kiss your bride." Karlie's eyes light up as she moves towards me. Her lips meshing with mine as clapping erupts around us. Pulling away we meet Leah and kiss her face before Karlie's parents hug us and we leave in the SUV provided by security for the airport for our honeymoon in Fiji. Nothing could be more perfect than what I was feeling at that point.