A Sister's Love - In the Tough Universe

A Sister's Love - The Rehearsal Dinner

A Sister's Love

"You doing okay, Eddie?" Linda asked as the cars parked in front of the Reagan home. They had just come from the rehearsal dinner for Eddie and Jamie's wedding that was to take place in just 36 hours.

"Yeah, everything went off perfectly. It didn't feel as strange walking down the aisle alone as I thought it would. It was really nice of Henry to offer but..."

"You want to let Henry have this moment with Jamie," Linda finished for her. "Well, in anything, in less than two days you will have more family than you know what to do with, huh?" She slid her arm around Eddie as they walked inside.

Jamie came up behind them with Danny and Erin. Frank and Henry were trailing with Frank's detail. He wrapped his arms around Eddie's waist and pulled her close. "That dinner was incredible. I'm so glad I let you pick the place."

Eddie leaned back into Jamie's arms, "Yeah, well, between my excellent taste in restaurants and that cooking class I signed up for we'll get some meat on this bones." Eddie dropped her head back and kissed Jamie.

"Hey, you two," Danny scolded "Keep it clean, huh. You only have to wait until Saturday then I don't care how much you suck face, as long as it is in private."

"You're just jealous," Jamie teased. "Because you've been married so long you two stop to fold your clothes."

"You stop and fold your clothes too, Jamie," Danny teased back. "You're too OCD to enjoy sex if you have clothes all over the floor."

Eddie laughed, "That's what you think. I'm pretty good at keeping him distracted."

Erin was strangely quiet as they entered the house. It was difficult for her to think of her little brother getting married, let alone having sex. In her head she knew that Jamie was grown up, but in her heart he was still the happy, smiling little boy she babysat for extra cash and snuggled when he would fall down and scrape his knee.

Linda put on coffee as Frank's detail delivered the two older men to the house. Eddie put out a chocolate cake Henry prepared and Serbian bread she made in her cooking class. It was braided, brushed with sugared glaze and had berries along the top. It looked pretty.

"What's that honey?" Jamie asked his fiancé. When he proposed initially, Eddie said no. When Jamie pressed her, knowing she loved him as much as he loved her, Eddie tearfully confessed she didn't think she would make a good enough wife for him. She hadn't been taught how to keep house, how to set a table...and then here was the matter of her father.

With love and patience, Jamie convinced Eddie none of that mattered to him. They would work those things out together, they would share the responsibilities of the running the house as a team, as the partners they had been since the day they met. Eddie was determined to learn, however and signed up for cooking classes. This was one of her projects.

"It's a Serbian day cake," Eddie replied. "I made it in class yesterday for tonight. It's made for celebrations and what better celebration than our rehearsal?"

As Linda served the coffee, Jamie made a point of trying a large slice of Eddie's bread. It was good, sweet with a very subtle flavor. "This is really good, Pop, you have to try some of this." Jamie handed pieces out to everyone. His heart soared when Eddie beamed with pride.

"So Eddie, you sure you are up for Staten Island for a couple of nights?" Danny asked. "The boys are really excited about their almost Aunt Eddie crashing with us."

"Yeah, Haley can't get her until late tomorrow night so Linda graciously stepped in to help with the final little touches. I don't know what I'd do otherwise."