All My Life

Chapter 86

Don and Meryl had a nice relaxing morning with their family; and they soon found themselves getting ready for the wedding. Don was in his parents' bedroom of his and Meryl's Mason's Island, Connecticut estate getting ready with Brady, while also visiting with his dad. Don smiled at his dad as he helped him get dressed and Brady was asleep on the bed. "Dad, I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me having you and Mom here. I hope you understand why I wanted to do this so quickly; why I needed to do this so quickly."

"You and Meryl and your children have been through so much; especially these last few weeks." Brad began. "Of course you wanted to do this as soon as possible; as you should. And us being here probably wouldn't have been possible without your wife; she is certainly a force to be reckoned with and God help anyone that stood in her way. I think she was prepared to hire any doctor or medical ambulance or helicopter needed to get me here."

Don smiled at his father; that was his wife alright. He couldn't believe that he thought she was cheating on him when he overheard her phone conversations conspiring on this surprise; that wasn't his wife, not ever. Putting his and their children's needs and feelings first, no matter what, was his wife; and it was just one of the millions of reasons why he loved her more than life itself. "I'm sure she would have; that's how important you and Mom being here is to the both of us. However, you are the one expending all of your energy to be here. I'm sure it is exhausting. I hope it isn't too much; and that you don't end up having any sort of relapse or anything. I want you to take breaks when you need them; and if the kids are too loud just tell them."

"I can sleep on the plane and this next week." Brad teased Don as Don started to get himself dressed including putting on the meaningful watch his wife gave him the night before. "I never thought I would get this opportunity; having missed your first wedding to Meryl, I never in my wildest dreams thought I would get to see you marry the love of your life again. The fact that you are doing it again after all of these years, and that I get to witness it means more to me than you know."

Don had just tucked his white dress shirt into the black pants he was wearing and sat down on the bed to pick Brady up and start dressing him in his little gray suit with matching vest and blue dress shirt onesie. "It means more to us than you know. There is actually something I wanted to ask; had I known you would be here then I would have asked earlier. I talked to M about it, and she said she actually thought about it, but didn't know how to work it out without me learning about this surprise."

"She really wanted us coming to be a surprise." Brad explained with a smile as his son laughed. "You have no idea how important it was to her."

Don smiled as he continued to dress Brady; he would never forget the look of love and excitement on his wife's face when she saw how truly surprised her husband was. "I think I do. Anyways, would you be one of the grooms men? I don't want you to have to stand up there the whole time so we can get you a chair to sit in before, during and even after the ceremony until everyone goes to the reception. It would mean more to me than anything to have you up there with me along with Henry, Larry, Mike and Third."

"Really?" Brad choked being caught completely off guard. "I would be honored."

Don was trying hard not to let his emotions get the best of him; but it was proving to be impossible. "I've always wanted to have my father, a father I am proud to call my dad, there with me when I married the love of my life. You being up there with me would make me feel like my family, in many different ways, is finally complete. You and Mom are such an important part of mine and Meryl's family. We both feel like everything is truly perfect with you two here."

"Me too, son." Brad hugged his son and smiled at his grandson in his suit and hat for the wedding, since it would be so cold outside. "Can I hold him?"