5 Reasons To Love Again

Chapter 129

Spring next year

It was spring again and it was time for our wedding/commitment ceremony. We had rented a lovely plantation for an outdoor event and currently I was seated in a room inside the house getting ready. I was patiently waiting for Gabriel to finish with my makeup. My hair had already been styled into a side bun low on my neck with tendrils of curls artfully escaping. Instead of a veil, I had fabric and lace flowers fastened to my hair above the bun. My wedding gown of cream lace and floaty chiffon, was hanging on the wall. Gabriel had outdone himself with designing the dress and finding a reputable seamstress to produce it. In return, I designed a beautiful pearl earrings and necklace set for his "Trouble". It was a surprise for Sang to wear at her wedding with her guys. They had proposed not too long ago and she of course accepted happily. I had also helped them design a gorgeous wedding ring set with pink diamonds. "There! All done and you look stunning!" he proclaimed with a grin. I looked in the mirror and gave gasp of happiness, "You are a true artist Gabriel!" He bowed and replied, "I had a fucking magnificent canvas to work with of course." We laughed and he left to go join his team as I took off my robe to get dressed. Mavis popped in just in time to help me fasten the back of the dress and sighed with happiness. "I can't tell you how wonderful it is that this day is finally here!" I smiled back at her and said, "I feel the same way." We hugged and air kissed as to not mess up our lipstick before she left the room again to give me a moment alone. I thought back to last week when I had gotten legally married to Preston in the courthouse. There was no big hoopla over it with just our immediate family in attendance. Today, our commitment ceremony was the big event and we couldn't have been happier.

Phil was going to walk me down the aisle and for the first time in a long time, I thought about my biological family. My own father wouldn't be here to do the time honored tradition. My mother didn't help me pick out my dress and my sister wasn't my maid of honor. They had treated me horribly and now they were no longer in my life and I was ok with that. I didn't need them to make me happy. My new family did that for me. Instead of tears there was nothing but joy in my heart. With a smile at my image in the mirror, I picked up my bouquet of pale pink roses and walked out to join Phil. I watched Lexine as she walked down the aisle in her pink dress and scattering petals from her little basket. My five guys were lined up at the end waiting for us. They looked so happy and very handsome, all of them wearing tuxedos.

Even after all this time with them, the sight of them still gave me butterflies in my stomach. Phil patted my hand reassuringly as we started down the aisle. As we passed by Jackson who was being held by Mavis, he called out, "Mama!" making everyone laugh. One of the higher ups in the Academy was officiating the ceremony and he stood there with a pleasant smile on his face as Phil handed me off to the men. At the end of the commitment ceremony, instead of kissing we did a group hug including Lexine and Jackson. The reception was a lot of fun with all the guest laughing, eating and dancing. A little red headed boy about Lexine's age dragged her away from Jenny and pulled her to the dance floor to dance with him. I was dancing with Chase and when he saw that he muttered, "And so it begins..." I laughed and turned his face towards mine and kissed him. "I really don't think that you have to worry about it." I said and nodded in her direction. Chase watched as the boy tried to plant a kiss on Lexine's cheek but she put a hand up to his face and pushed him back. The little boy looked disappointed but Chase brightened up, saying, "That's our girl!"

After the cake was cut, it was time for the bouquet and garter toss. I turned my back on all the single ladies gathered and tossed it over my shoulders. A big cheer went up and I turned around to see that my own little girl had caught it! Her dads gathered around her giving her kisses and praises for a good catch. Then it was time for the garter. I sat on Brady's lap as Preston reached up my dress to slide the garter down. Preston handed it to Chase who in turn handed it to Jake but it was Wyatt who shot it like a slingshot out into the crowd of single guys. They scattered from it like it was a bomb and the little redheaded boy in the center who didn't move, caught it. He looked so proud and waved it above his head triumphantly. "I caught it! I caught it!" he shouted and ran to a couple who smiled and fussed over him. The slightly sour looks on my men's faces made me give them a warning look, especially since the couple with the little boy came over to us so that the two kids could take a picture for the photographer. They immediately straightened up and smiled as they greeted the man and woman. "Justin, Susie, thanks for coming. I didn't know that you had a kid." Brady said to them. Susie spoke up softly so that the little boy who was busy showing Lexine the garter wouldn't hear, "He's our nephew but it looks like we are going to adopt him legally. My sister isn't doing so well and she knows that she won't pull through this so she's willing to sign the papers now so that her son is taken care of."