❤ Innocent Rebel ❤

Chapter 74

α^α^α^ don't forget to remember me α^α^α^α^
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Mia
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Things are happening in a fast-forward. Between telling everyone and starting to plan, I barely have time to catch my breath. I arrive back to our hotel room after my lunch with Mawmaw, Alice, and Jessy, to find Oscar and Lex pasted out on the bed. Bless them.
They are as exhausted as I am.
Cake tasting.
Flowers.
Bridesmaids dresses.
My dress, it's all exhausting and exciting. But my poor boys, they definitely aren't into all this 'girl' stuff, as they put it.
When I had gone to the bridal shop, to look at some options for my dress, Lex notices being allowed to come with me, they decided to return here to play some kinda game. Chris had joined them but apparently returned to his own room to wait for Jess.
And speaking of Chris, of course he is on cloud nine. The night Jess had told him the news, he had been shocked, and silent at first. But it didn't take long for him to become over joyed and declaring that he was the luckiest man alive. Which caused Lex to laugh and me to tear up.
Jessy had begged us to be there when she told him and then she had surprised both Lex and myself by asking us to be the God parents to their baby. Well, it didn't surprise me so much but it did Lex. And I swear that I saw a glisten in his eye.
I lay down next to Lex. His arms curl around me. I sigh with contentment. Shortly, I'm fast asleep in the arms of my man.
A text wakes me up. Lex and Oscar are nowhere to be found. I check my phone to see a text from Jessy. Reminding me of our dinner party with John and his Italian friends. If I don't hurry I'll be late. Lex returns and tries his best to distract me. But I don't have time for that right now and I hurry him along as well. On the elevator ride down, Lex pulls at the tie I asked him to wear. By the time the doors open the tie is now in his pocket.
John waits for us at the entrance of the restaurant downstairs. It a five star restaurant and I can't even get Lex to wear a tie. I barely even got him to wear a nice shirt.  Which I find strange, he's never put up a fight before about dressing up.  I get the feeling that he isn't very excited to see his father's friends.
John introduces me to two large very Italian looking men. Both in fine trailered suits and clean shaven and hair combed to perfection. They welcome me with pleased smiles and the one named Tony introduces me to his wife.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," I say as I shake hands with her.

She smiles happily. "The pleasure is mine. And what a pretty girl you are, it's no wonder Lex fell in love with you!"

My cheeks turn a shade of pink and I lower my gaze. Lex holds out my chair and I sit beside the lovely woman. After several questions about me and my life the men, including Lex  join up in conversation, leaving me with the only other woman at the table.

"I just can't wait for the wedding! You're going to make a beautiful bride!"

I grin. "I hope so. I'm excited."

"Well, of course you are! Oh, before I forget.... " she leans down to pull out a photo album. "I brought so pictures of Lex for you. His mother and I were the best of friends and I have some old shots for you to look at."

The woman is kind and motherly, I can tell that right away. I also could tell that this woman means a lot to Lex, just by the way he looked fondly at her and kissed her cheek when they  said hello. Now, it makes more sense, she was close to his mother, Miranda, and therefore means so much to him. 
I'm thrilled to look at Lex's baby pictures. She opens the book and my eyes widen.

"Is that him?" I ask and look over at my future husband.

She nods. "Wasn't he a beautiful little baby?"

I nod. She is absolutely right. The chubby little cheeks and tiny little face are that of an angel.

"And look here..." she points. "Here he is when he first started to play T-ball!  That was a good day. After his game his mother and me cooked out and that was the first time Chris ever came over to spend the night. Oh and here.... It took Lex weeks to learn to ride a bike. Chris taught him. And it was the funniest thing!"

I flip through the pages of his happy childhood. He was so happy and then it was as if a chunk was missing. It was during the time that his mother died and she hadn't wanted to take pictures of the dark time. So,  the next pictures are of him much older. I can the difference in the happy boy who turned into the troubled teen. His eyes seem dark and distant. He doesn't smile in any of the photos. It's easy to see that he was in pain.

"That was a dark time. Right before he started using," she says.

The next pictures are of him a bit older. Maybe seventeen or eighteen and he look terrible. He face all sunk in. Eyes lost in space. Hair long and stringy.

"I only took a few photos of him like this. I didn't want him to be remembered like this. He is so much more than that time."

I nod in agreement. My poor Lex. So lost. So unhappy. But there are more pictures. Of him opening the tattoo shop. Smiling up at the camera as he filled in a tattoo. Speaking of tattoos, it's funny to see pictures of him without all his ink. It's become so much a part of who he is.
Dinner is over soon, I say my goodbyes and that I can't wait to see them at my wedding. Lex takes my hand and walks me to the elevator.
Having seen so many pictures of him from so long ago, I feel a warm fuzzy feeling creeping up inside me. Yes, he didn't have the best younger years but look at the man I'm getting now! And I realize, as I lean my head on his shoulder, that everything we go through just makes us stronger and better. Life was never meant to be easy.

"What has you in such a good mood?" he asks suddenly.

I shrug. "Just thankful that I'm so lucky."

I don't see it but I know he is smiling. The doors open and we enter our room. He pulls off his shirt and finds a old T-shirt. I kick off my heels and turn to find him looking at me.

"What?"
He holds up his hand, wanting me to come to him and I do. His hands travel up my legs, my heart starts to race.

"With all this wedding stuff, we haven't got to spend much time together," he says.

I run my fingers through his dark wavy hair.

"Well, then, I guess I'll have to make it up to you," I grin.

(Okay new cover.... What do u think?  I loved the old one but it came to my attention that another story had almost the exact same one. I felt like I had to change it. I hope everyone likes it and enjoyed the chapter. Next update will be a little more exciting. At least I think it will be. Thanks for reading! Please vote and comment, it makes all this worth it for me! Much love, j$)