The Girl

FORTY-SIX: DREAMS

"Now I tell you openly, you have my heart so don't hurt me..."

SONG: DREAMS

ARTIST: THE CRANBERRIES

Being with Brianna was probably the hardest thing I've ever been through. I never knew what she was thinking, or what she wanted me to do, nor did I even assume that I was ever doing the right thing. Maybe that's why people always think of the loves of their lives as some sort of adventure.

As the guy, I didn't really have a say in what happened at the wedding. Bryana and Brenda had come over and (after being yelled at for not telling Brianna's mother that I was marrying her first baby girl), they got down to planning everything. Everything except the food, the band, and half of my guests. Did I even know seventy-five people?

Brianna had a lot of family, but that's because she was Mexican. I was white and only one of my brothers had a daughter, my grandparents, and then the cousins that still talked to me frequently even before the band starting getting attention. That was only about twenty-five people. I sighed and stared at my list.

Alyssa, Robbie, Ben, Jack, Celeste, nanna poppy, granpa johnny, feldman + his wife and kids, my mum's sisters + their kids--

I glanced over at Brianna and watched a frown cast over her lips as Brenda spoke to her. I sighed and then licked my lips, staring back at my list. I crossed out my numbering and then at the top of the page wrote 'mom'. It felt stupid, but she would have wanted to be invited either way. I pushed my fingers through my hair and then felt Brianna's warmth move up beside me on the couch.

I lifted my head and kissed the top of hers, glancing over at Brenda who was giving us a cautious look.

"Why does your mum look so worried?" I asked and then looked down at my list, watching her thin, brown fingers trace the 'm' of 'mom'.

Brianna bit down on her lip. "She thinks that we're too young."

"We're getting married in two years, not two weeks," I muttered and reached for her hand, intertwining our fingers. "She knows that right?"

"Perfectly," Brianna told me and then bit down on her lip. "She's just--Luke, I know you're going to be mad, but I told her about the possibility of us never being able to have kids and she thinks that I agreed to marry you out of pity."

I swallowed, a little offended. "Your mum is a always going to think the worst of me. It's not really a big deal anymore. I know you agreed to marry me because of all the free shit they'll send you for being my girlfriend."

"Shit, you caught me," Brianna muttered and leaned up, kissing my cheek softly. "I love you, Luke. You know that right?"

"Nah, I just kind of assume you're in it for the money," I teased and squeezed her hand, lifting it to kiss her knuckles. "I love you, too, baby."

Brianna grinned and then hoisted herself to rest on her knees. I leaned my head back to admire her. She took my list and bit down on her lip.

"You know way more people than this,"

"They're not people that I would invite," I told her and crossed my arms over my chest, watching as she rolled her eyes at me in exasperation.

She took the pen from my hand and leaned back, resting the notepad on the back of the couch so she could write. I received a thoughtful stare.

"How about Alex, Jack, Zack, and Rian?" Brianna questioned, already writing their names down before I could answer. "Joel and Benji? Babe, these guys are basically like your brothers. Oh, and that one guy that Calum is basically in love with. Roy whatever his name is."