We Are Free

Wedding Event

*April 1st*
*17 weeks pregnant*
Halo has a bump now and you can see it when she is wearing a baggy shirt just a little. The kids are on spring break and the wedding is the 5th. Everything is ready we just have to go to it.
We will stay in a hotel. We are fully moved into the new house and the kids love it. They have so much room to run around and play. We have started putting the baby's room together. We are hanging up clothes that Rebel can't wear anymore that are gender neutral.
That is really all we have done. We will use her old car seat because it is gender neutral and still in very good shape. Her bouncer is to. We just need a new crib and a dresser. We also need a changing table.
We have already got a ton of diapers. We have packed for the wedding and are ready to go. We are taking Bowser to a doggy day care while we are gone. The turtles will be fine. We are leaving today. We had our bachelor and bachelorette parties.
We didn't do much. We got together and had some beer and just hung out with a bonfire. Halo and the girls won't tell me what they did but I have a feeling that strippers are involved. We get in the car. We are taking Halo's. I am driving.
We head out and drive for 3 hours. We get to the hotel and meet Zac and Chloe there.
     "Uncle Jace!" Blake says as she runs to me.
     "Hi princess." I say as I pick her up.
     "You and Auntie Halo get married?" She asks with wide eyes.
     "Yeah, we are getting married!" I say and she gets wide eyes and her mouth turns into an O shape. She puts her hands on my cheeks and I do what she is doing. She laughs at me. We go inside and check in girls in one room and boys in another.
Of course the kids will bounce back and forth. We are going out to dinner tonight. Dan will get into town tomorrow. We are going to brunch with him tomorrow. We are so excited for the wedding. We get everything put away in the hotel rooms.
They are connected so we just have a door that divides us. We all chill before going down to the pool. Halo and I go to the deep end and sit on the edge. We feel the humidity stick to our skin. The smell of chlorine and salt fills our noses.
The sounds of the kids laughing and playing while splashing each other fills our ears. She has her hand on her small baby bump. We want this baby to come so bad. When everyone gets hungry we go back upstairs and change. We go to dinner and end up back at the hotel room.
Halo and I lay in bed once everyone is asleep. We just cuddle and hold hands. It's nuts. In 4 days we will be married. I didn't think that we could ever come this far yet here we are.
*Next Day*
We meet Dan round noon and he gives us all a hug as he sees us.
"My gosh you guys have gotten so big!" He says. He sees Halo's baby bump as well. "Congratulations!" He says. He sees Rebel on my hip.
"This is Rebel." I say and he puts his hands to his face. I hand her to him. He is in such awe.
     "She is adorable!" He says.
     "Daddy, who is that?" Zane asks Zac and Dan looks at him. Zac tells him.
     "The last time I saw you you were a tiny little baby." He stands up and looks at Zac. "You have really matured Zac. 3 kids, a wife, house, job, my gosh." He is in such awe at us. "All I can say is wow!" He says. We all go inside and sit down for breakfast. We order our food and talk. Dan is making it big where he is. He met someone and they are dating.
They have not gotten to serious yet. I am happy for him though. Emily and Andrew tell him all about school. They tell him about the new house and that Halo is pregnant yet again. We spend all the time catching up. It feels good to see him again and I'm glad we could do it.
*Later That Night*
We are all in the hotel room. We have our pjs on and we are just chilling. Halo is sitting next to me.
     "What's wrong babe?" She asks putting her hand on my bare shoulder. I can feel the cold metal of her engagement ring on her ring finger. I can feel the ends of her nails on my shoulder. She gets low and I feel her hair on my shoulder as well. She kisses my ear.
All of the kids are with Zac watching a movie. She kisses my neck before her hand, lips, nose, and hair leaves my skin. She gets up and I sink into the bed a little more. I don't look to where she is going.
She comes back about 20 seconds later. I hear the click of a bottle opening and the click of it closing.
     "What are you doing?" I ask her I don't see her smile but I know she is doing it.
      "You will see." She says to me. I smile as well. I feel her hands on my back yet again, but this time they are slick. They have lotion on them. I recognize the smell. She runs her hands up and down my back.
     "Are you feeling okay?" I ask her once she finishes. I roll over on my back and look at her.
     "Why?" She asks me.
     "You never really do that." I say.
     "Well, I figured that, since you go get ice cream for me at 3:00 in the morning, and you rub my feet, and just put up with me while I am pregnant, that I would do something for you. You are stressed."
     "Me, please, I'm not stressed. It's only a baby on the way, a wedding, a house to take care of, three kids, and work. No stress there." I say and we both kinda laugh.
     "Yeah, no stress."
      "Well to be honest, I wouldn't have it any other way. It makes life interesting."
       "You are nuts." She says.
       "Maybe." I say shrugging my shoulders. "Now get over here and kiss me."
*Wedding Day*
"Jace!" Zac's voice rings in my ears. "Wake up or I will jump you." He says. It is 5:30 in the morning. The morning of our wedding. All the boys in this room and all the girls in the next. Andrew's foot poking my hip as he tries to get comfy in the bed.
Ryker in a playpen across the room. Zane and Zac in the same bed. Zane is awake and so is Ryker. I get up and rub sleep out of my eyes. I gently shake Andrew. He wakes up.
"Uncle Jace, is Aunt Emily my date for the wedding?" Zane asks me.
"You walk down to the alter with her." I say to him. "You don't have to hold hands with her, or spend all night with her."
"Okay good." He says. We laugh and I get dressed. We get everyone up and dressed. We go down to the lobby for a quick breakfast then we head to the wedding alter. It is decorated with flowers and the seats are all ready.
Outside and across the way is the dining room with the dance floor and stage. I have a huge surprise for Halo. We all get dressed in our tuxedos and I help Andrew tie his tie.
"Jace, isn't Halo's daddy suppose to walk her to you?" He asks me.
"Yeah, but her daddy isn't here." I say to him.
"Can I walk her down the isle?" He asks me making me smile.
"Sure honey, go get her." I say and he hops off the chair. I sit and my hair gets done. Just gelled and put back so it looks nice. Rebel comes to me. She has a small box in her hands.
"Here daddy?" She says to me. She is in her dress. It is beautiful. Her hair is in a pony tail on top of her head.
"Thank you." I say taking the box from her. I open it. It is a present from Halo. Mine is coming but not yet. Inside the box is very expensive diamond studded earrings.
"Holy crap." Zac says and I laugh.
"Yeah, no kidding." I say. No one but me knows what I got Halo. Dan knows though, he helped me with it. He knows a guy and it went from there. Finally we leave the dressing rooms and go to the alter. I stand there.
With Zac, Andrew. Ryker, and Zane as my best man's with Dan we stand there. I stand there with Dan and Dan only. The priest gets ready and the room of people hush to small whispers.
"If you going to run you better do it know." Dan says to me.
"No, I want this. She is my girl." I say. The music starts and Zac comes down with Chloe in hand. The bridesmaids dresses are purple. They are fluffy down after the waist and they have a sleeve on one arm that is lace trim and see through.
The other side is a spaghetti strap. Their shoes are flats that are purple as well. Emily comes down with Zane. Andrew with Blake, and Ryker with the fake rings. Zac has the real ones. We will put the fake ones on for now and the real ones later.
Rebel comes down with Ryker she throws flowers on the ground. Andrew runs back to where Halo is. The familiar song of here comes the bride sounds and the doors open. Halo comes out holding Andrew's hand.
She has her bouquet in her hand and she looks stunning. She doesn't even look pregnant, but she isn't that far along either. Her dress is a white version of the others. Anna stands at the alter with everyone next to her. This is the day.
Tears brim in my eyes and flow over my cheeks as she comes down the isle. Finally what I have been waiting for has come. She gets to the alter and looks at me. I can't believe this moment is here, I don't regret anything and I don't want to change anything. I just want to say I do.
     Everyone sits down in their seats as we sand there holding hands. The priest talks for about 5 minutes then he looks at me.
      "Jason, would you like to say your vows?" He asks me. I nod and look at her.
      "The day we met I didn't think we would come this far. You always stood by my side. Even after every arrow has pirced my skin and my world was caving in. You stood by my side. I waited for you to run and I waited for you to hide. You didn't. You stood by me and helped me when I asked.
      You clean my cuts and never asked. You knew where they came from but you didn't care. Your heart is made of gold. You didn't see the danger of being involved with me you only saw me. You saw Emily and you saw Andrew. You didn't see a small weak 16 year old boy just trying to make ends meet.
     You saw a strong, independent, 16 year old boy and for that I will be forever grateful. I promise to be everything you want and more. I promise to love you forever and be there for you. You are my world." I say and a tear runs down her face. I wipe it away. She smiles.
      "Halo, you may say your vows." The priest says to her. She smiles.
      "The day I met you I thought this boy is cute." We start laughing. "I thought that you were out of my league. You were younger than me, you had both parents, a sibling, you had everything I wanted. Then tragedy struck and suddenly you lost everything, or so you thought.
     You didn't lose me. Not now, not ever. It killed me to see the bruises that covered you and the cuts across your skin. It killed me to watch you get hurt. I knew it wasn't my fight but that didn't stop me from wanting to help.
     To me you will always be that 11 year old swinging on the swing. You are are not just the one that caught the basketball, but you also caught my heart." Another tear rolls down my cheek and she wipes it from my cheek. We smile at each other.
      "Jason Mathew Parks, do you take Halo May Arther to be your wedded wife? For richer or for poor, in sickness and in health, and for better or for worse. So long as you shall live." He asks me. I finally get to say the words I have waited 10 long years to say.
      "I do." I say.
     "Halo May Arther do you take Jason Mathew Parks to be your husband? For richer or for poor. In sickness and in health, and for better or for worse, so long as you shall live?" He asks her. He looks at me.
      "I do." She says. I slide her ring on her finger and she slides mine on my finger. It feels weird but in a good way.
     "I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Parks. Jason, you may kiss your beautiful bride." He says and I grab her waist. I pull her close so her small baby bump is against me. I kiss her.
      Everyone claps and we run down the isle together hand in hand. We go behind the doors she came out of and we kiss. I lift her up and kiss her like it is the last time I will ever be able to kiss her again. Tonight we leave for our honeymoon.
      We will board a plane and go to California. We are going to a little beach house. We go back out. We go to the dining room. Halo stands on the stage. The dj calls all the ladies over and she throws her bouquet.
      It goes missing like it did at Chloe's wedding. Rebel is in my arms and Blake comes to me. She holds the bouquet at me.
"Uncle Jace, why did Auntie Halo throw her flowers?" I can't help but laugh at her.
"It's what you do at a wedding. You caught them you get to keep them." She gets a smile and runs to Chloe.
"Mommy, I caught the flowers!" She says as she runs to Chloe. I go up on stage and ask the dj go get the surprise ready. I go to Halo and have her come to me.
      "I have your present ready." I say. Zac goes around handing everyone glow sticks and flashlights. I turn mine on and point it at the sky. Everyone follows behind me. The whole room gets dark except for the flashlights pointing at the ceiling.
     Halo looks so confused. I just smile and grab her waist. I hold her close to me. We hear a piano and some drums then lights on the stage turn on. Halo gasps and puts her hand over her mouth.
      "How?" She asks me.
      "Dan knows a guy." I say and our song starts playing. Rihanna herself came to perform Diamonds for us. Halo starts crying. We stand there and enjoy the show. When she is done she takes the microphone off the stand and the music stops playing.
      "I want to congratulate Jace and Halo on their wedding and the new little one on the way. You two are really diamonds. After hearing your story, you deserve all the happiness you have and the happiness in years to come. You deserve all the good coming your way for the years to come and you two are shining bright because you two are diamonds in they sky." She says before she exits the stage. We all clap and Halo kisses me.
      With her heels on she doesn't have to stand on her tip toes to kiss me. The dj starts playing music and we dance. Halo and I go outside. We hold hands and we dance outside slowly.
      "How did you even get her here?" She asks me.
      "You know, some questions are better left unanswered." I say to her she just smiles at me.
     "Hey, love birds it's time to eat." Zac says. We go inside and sit at our table with Rebel on my lap. Emily and Andrew next to us. We all get some food and sit down with drinks. We starts eating.
     Music plays softly. People go up at talk about us. Zac goes up. He holds a glass of wine in his hand.
"I always knew you two would be together. Even if you didn't want to admit it." He says and we start laughing a little bit. "Now let's get serious. Jace you are my brother from another mother. You are my rock, when I had Zane you helped me. When I didn't know what to do or where to go you helped me. You have been there for me through everything. Being able to call you my brother is one of the best things I have ever been able to do.
     You mean more to me than anything in the world, well next to my wife and kids, but they are my family as well as you. I wish you the best of luck with everything always. If you ever need me you know where to find me."
      "Yeah, at the strip club!" I yell, his face drops and everyone starts laughing. He steps down and comes to me. He flips me off. He sits down next to Chloe. Chloe goes up still in her bridesmaids dress.
      "You guys are one of the strongest people I know. You guys have made it through thick and thin. Up and down and as I have watched you guys make it through all the stuff you have, it has made me a better person. It has made me want to be a better wife and mother everyday seeing you two.
      Halo you jumped into Jace's life knowing it was a mess, but that didn't matter to you. You just saw him, Emily, and Andrew. It came naturally and having to raise two kids was okay with you because you loved them.
      I think I speak for everyone in this room, that at some point you two have taught us a very important life lesson." She steps down and everyone claps. Anna goes up, Halo's uncle, Dan, and Emily. We take wedding pictures and dance on the dance floor. I dance with Emily, Rebel, Blake, Chloe, and Halo. I dance with Anna. Halo changes her clothes.
     She puts on a shirt and a t-shirt that shows her baby bump. I put on some shorts and a tank top. We grab our luggage and put it into the car. We say goodbye to all the kids and Anna takes us to the air port. We get our things. We hug her and get on our plane.
"You ready Mrs. Parks?" I ask her.
"I am Mr. Parks." She says taking my hand.