Crazy Little Thing Called Love

MCD-Epilogue

A Considerable Amount of Time Later

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

It was the wedding of the century. The world had long since awaited the beautiful ceremony to join the celebrity and his longtime ordinary girlfriend. Paparazzi was just barely being contained. One often would wonder why they would not wed in a private ceremony, away from all the cameras and reporters. They would have; except they wanted the public eye to witness the beauty of their love. It had to be in-your-face. They had never for a second believed it would work between the two of them, but it had, in fact.

Now the bride stood beside her groom, absolutely beaming. She looked breathtaking in her ivory gown, even if her stomach was slightly swollen from her recent pregnancy—quite the scandal. Her intended gazed at her as if she was the most beautiful thing in the world and all he had ever and would ever want. He could hardly believe his luck! And yet the public eye would have you believe she was the lucky one.

Her golden brown hair was curled and piled at the back of her neck in a stylish updo. The gown was old fashioned with a modern touch; an odd look for someone so young, but beautiful all the same. No one could have looked more stunning.

I smiled as I stood by her, tears in my eyes as I watched the exchange between bride and groom. It was the second time in her life Natalie Baker Thornton had pledged her life and love to someone, but this was the man she had always intended to marry; and she was the woman he had waited eighteen plus years for.

It was over in the blink of an eye, and I was struck by how unfair the ceremony could be so short when we had spent so much time and stress preparing for this day. The pastor pronounced them man and wife—finally!—and the two met eachother in a sweet and passionate kiss that didn’t last nearly as long as they would have liked.

I couldn’t be sure, but I thought my applause and hoots stood out the most among the crowds; even more so than the many camera crew just outside the gates which were holding them back.

I was the first to congratulate my parents, hugging each tightly while freely crying. My mom was a mess, of course, but a happy mess. She and Brad just couldn’t stop gazing at eachother in that lovesick way that I knew they had to have exchanged long before I was in the picture.

"I’m so happy for you two!" I gushed tearfully. It had only taken them almost two and a half years—not to mention the many years before that time—to finally tie the knot.

It was Brad I held onto the longest, though. He, after all, had suffered the most in my book. "I love you, Dad," I murmured.

It was the first time I had said it out loud, and I could tell that it’d thrown him. In fact, if I wasn’t mistaken, his eyes were a little too glassy to be from any type of light glare.

He opened his mouth a few times to try and say something, but seemed to always fail. In any case, someone shouldered their way through us to congratulate him enthusiastically.

I nodded to him and he nodded to me. Our silent exchange was enough for the both of us.

I didn’t get very far before strong arms caught me from behind, squeezing the life out of me. "Trick—you’re crushing me!" I laughed.

He planted a loud kiss on my neck and cheek. "Have I told you you look beautiful in that bridesmaids dress?"

I giggled, staring down at the knee length satin pink dress and thought he must be crazy. "Thank you."

"Hey," he said with a mischievous lilt in his voice. "Wanna go make out in a coat closet?"

I couldn’t help laughing, not entirely sure he was all joking. "Yes, but I’m not going to."

He turned me around so I could face him and he could hold me tighter against him. "You’re no fun."

Smiling, I reached up on my tippy toes to plant a slow kiss on his lips. "You’re supposed to wait ‘til you’re sufficiently drunk for all that stuff."

"So…..later, then?"

I rolled my eyes. "You’re nuts."

He reached down to entwine our hands, playing with the ring on my finger. "And you’re gorgeous." Trick leaned down, having not the self control to resist kissing me.

I giggled against his lips, my stomach alight with butterflies. It was amazing that only a few months from now we’d be standing where my parents were just minutes before. Well, not literally there, but in another location with a pastor marrying us. The engagement had been kept quiet so far, as it was only a few weeks old, but eventually it would get out. It didn’t matter now. We had fulfilled our goal in waiting until my mom was a Jameson.

"Patrick!!" a shrill voice called, and I knew it to be Charlene, Trick’s a-little-too-affectionate mother.

Trick groaned under his breath. "I’ll be right back." He planted a quick kiss on my lips and went off.

"I love you!" I called after him teasingly, knowing that he hated it when I did that to him in public.

Sure enough, he turned to walk backwards and shot me a frowning face. Nonetheless, he called back, "Love you, too!"

I stood there, giggling like a moron. A happy moron. Two years ago I couldn’t have told you with certainty that I would ever stay with Trick Garrett—let alone plan to marry him! Life was exactly like a movie for the moment. My mom and Brad were finally married, among developing a sibling for me, and I was marrying a hot Australian I never would have dreamed of ending up with.

In a word it was perfect.

For now. I knew that would change from time to time. We’d have our ups and downs, just like Mom and Brad would. But I knew we’d always love eachother one way or another. And that was what was really important. Love.