Dear Nick

Date Night

"It's not a big deal & it's not like we did anything scandalous. We just had a little disagreement about when I wasn't talking to her for six months. She's still very hurt by it & finally got it off her chest, exactly how hurt she was. She was drunk & said some harsh things, but we're fine. It's just something that is now out there, but over time we'll forget the conversation happened." I said, proud of the fact that I was half telling the truth, but not hurting Beth by telling her something that would devastate her.

"Okay... that's a relief. A part of me thought you got drunk & ended up in bed together." Beth said, watching me from under her lashes.

"Baby..." I walked to Beth, quickly, putting my hands on her hips. "I'd never do that to you. Please know that."

"I know. It was a small part." She smiled, bashfully, pinching her fingers together to show me how small the part truly was.

I kissed her passionately, then hoisted her up, on the island, in the middle of the kitchen & we had a small make out session before we finished cleaning up. We went to bed that night & I smiled, as I held her, thinking about the fact that this time next year I'd be married to her.

Over the next few months, I worked & went to classes, while Beth planned our wedding. We were doing a small ceremony in a theater that Beth was able to get, through the dance company. Afterwards, we were having a reception at Demi's parents' house. My mom was excited when I gave her the news & I was so proud that she was still doing so well & that she would actually be there for my wedding. Her & Beth were getting close, as well, which I loved. They'd go shopping & Beth would invite her to dinner once in awhile. Demi & Lydia were both busy with wedding stuff & they also spent a lot of time with Beth, which forced me to hang out more at the gym.

Beth also had Demi & I doing stuff together alone, because she knew our tiff on New Year's eve drove a slight wedge between us & she wanted us to be the way we were. Over time, things between Demi & I did get better, but I still tried to keep my distance as much as I could.

In April, Beth, Denny & Lydia all got cast in a huge production that was like a Cirque de Soleil kind of show. They were pumped when they got the news since it was a big production that was going to run from the middle of June until the end of September. It did put a damper on our honeymoon plans, but nothing had been set in stone at that point. We'd just go on our honeymoon later in the year. The night that they got the news, we all went out to dinner to celebrate & I had never seen Beth more excited about something. She was cast in the lead role, so it meant a lot of rehearsing, which meant time away from me. When I saw the smile on her face, though, I knew I'd be supportive of her & I'd deal with not seeing her as much.

Rehearsals started at the end of April, so it slowed down her moving in with me, a bit. I didn't care, though, since she spent the night at my place most nights anyway. Slowly, she'd bring over some of her things when she had a day off from rehearsing. The show was scheduled to start the week after our wedding, so June was going to be a crazy month for us. There would be six shows a week, with Mondays being the only day where there wasn't a show.

Because Denny, Lydia & Beth were so exhausted from rehearsing so much, we decided not to have bachelor parties of any kind. I didn't care, since I had seen enough strippers, during my first several months in the Marines, to last me a lifetime. Beth was a dancer herself, so she saw plenty of male dancers everyday & didn't need to see them get naked.

Four weeks before our wedding, Beth & I had a date night planned since she was getting done with her rehearsals that day earlier than usual. We took full advantage of any time we could get together, since our lives were so crazy. I was at home, getting ready, when there was a knock on the door. I opened it & was surprised to see Demi. "Hey. What are you doing here?" I asked as Demi walked in behind me. I went to the mirror in the dining room, so I could finish tying my tie.