It's Quiet Uptown

Chapter Forty-Four: Wedding Planning

Lin's POV

    As soon as Hamilton was finished out and the cast that would be assuming the roles for the rest of the tour got their acting up to par, the OBC was free. As we left the theater with a few wistful glances, the exhaustion hit me like a sledgehammer, making me stagger. Jon looked nearly as bad - his normally tan skin had paled and he had huge dark circles under his eyes. Since I'd been so hyperfocused on making my rendition perfect and wasn't in the practiced swing of things I'd had after months of doing the show a few years ago, he'd taken up the parenting duties. Feeding, playing, watching... And our kid was nothing if not high energy.

    As a thank-you, I'd organized a last-minute week-long cruise for just him and I. My mom had promised to watch Sebastian, so we'd be truly free to sleep, eat, and repeat.

    We had a stop almost every day - US Virgin Islands, St Martin, Guadalupe, St Lucia, and Barbados. Though we were both sleep-deprived and physically exhausted from Hamilton, Jon dragged me off at each spot to marvel at the natural beauty of the islands.

    Jon especially was awed. "Who would've thought that a boy from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, would get to see this?" he said one day as we sat on a white beach in St Lucia, readying to snorkel. "I mean, look around! I've never been to a more beautiful place in my life."

    My heart swelled with happiness. I tilted my head onto his shoulder, smiling. "I'm glad you like it."

    He tilted his own onto mine and twined our fingers. "I'm just happy to be with you in paradise."

    "Doesn't matter the location - your presence makes it paradise." I countered.

    His blue eyes melted. "That is too cute and has to be rewarded."

    "Oh yay! Kissy time!"

    "...Shut up."

    "Okay."

* * * *
Lin's POV

    As soon as we stepped off the plane from San Juan to NYC, still relaxed from the cruise, the storm hit.

    AKA the Schuyler Sisters + Lea.

    "Ohmygod!" Lea shrieked, throwing her arms around Lin before racing over to kiss me on the cheek. "I can't believe it!"

    I beamed. Lea had been the one to psyche me up before I proposed, and was a shoo-in for my Maid of Honor.

    Renee giggled as Lea began to exclaim over the ring.

    "So," she teased. "How's engaged life?"

    I snuck a sneaky glance at Lin and decided to have some fun with him. "Horrible!" I complained, putting on a face of dismay. "He's already trying to control everything about the wedding, demands I bring him coffee in bed, insists I change all of Sebby's diapers -"

    Lin chatted animatedly with Lea and the other two Sisters. His hand, which he'd been using to tell a spirited story, smacked me upside the head and returned to his extravagant gestures without missing a beat.

    Renee snickered as I rubbed my head. "You deserved that."

    "Well, okay," I amended. "But the coffee thing is true!"

    "Yeah, yeah, deal with it," Jasmine said offhandedly, leaving Pippa and Lea to talk with Lin. I gave her an appraising look - muted red pants, a leather jacket, white crop top, checkered Vans, and a hat. To put it simply, she looked badass. Especially compared to Lin's hoodie and jeans and my flannel and khakis.