Same script, different cast

I Do!

Epilogue

Friday

“Annie, the girls will be here soon, get up baby” I shout out of the nursery towards our bedroom whilst trying to wrestle Poppy into some cute clothes I found but she like her mother is not a morning person, she grumbles and cries crocodile tears as I try to get her chubby little legs into a baby gro, she’s as stubborn as a mule though keeping her legs kicked out straight.

I’m on the verge of taking her to the studio naked when Annie walks in “Here let me help” she tuts moving me gently to the side and they both grumble together about how shitty mornings are but Poppy finally relaxes, letting her legs go floppy and Annie dresses her for me.

“Do you have everything Marshall, bottles, nappies, spare clothes” Annie enquires as I pack our precious bundle into the front seat of my car, the shit you have to carry with you when you take a baby places is not fucking normal, I don’t remember carting half this shit around when Hailie was a baby.

“Yes Annie” I reply huffing, wanting to get the hell away from the house before it was filled with gossiping women getting stuff done to their bodies, the thought of witnessing any of that filled my mind with horror and also I had to get away before I spilled my guts to Annie.

We are getting married this afternoon, I’ve sorted everything with the help of Violet and Paul, no one else knows about this and I’m just hoping Annie won’t hate me for it. It’s going to be small just the way she always wanted it to be and not far away so we can spend our first night as a married couple away from Poppy but not so far that Annie would panic.
I was shitting a brick worrying she wouldn’t turn up once Violet let her in on the secret and had given her the dress we’d chosen for her. I had Poppy’s dress and Violet had the girls as well as her own.

“Gimme my baby!” Denaun rushes over to me as I enter the studio taking Poppy away from me and stalking off towards the mixing desk with her “Yeah I’m fine, thanks for asking Porter” I say sarcastically as I set all of the baby shit down. He looks up at me confused “huh?” I shake my head in reply to him and set about getting my clothes ready and laying out Poppy’s dress to change her in a bit. He doesn’t even look away from my baby as he fusses over her and question why I’m laying out a suit and a dress.

“Yo Porter, can you go home and get a suit man or something nice to wear?” he looks again confused at me “do we have uniform now Em?” I sigh in response “No dipshit, I’m getting married in two and a half hours. I want you to carry Poppy down the aisle for me” he’s speechless for once glancing between me and Poppy as he processes what I’ve just told him before he gets up, putting the baby back in her car seat “Damn Em, I need to go shower, shave, get ma hair done and change and I’ll be back OK?” I nod at his retreating back as he moans about springing this big of a surprise on him and how a man needs time to present himself properly, I roll my eyes before shouting after his retreating figure.
“Yeah can you hurry cos I’m getting nervous man” I start pacing the studio thinking I’m alone but the door opens and Denaun strides back towards me quickly, enveloping my body into a big bear hug, patting me on the back before pulling away and leaving shouting out “It’s about damn time, I'm proud of you Marshall.”


“What have you done Marshall?” a text message from Annie disturbs me as I’m trying to write some vows like I’d write lyrics to relieve the stress I was feeling.

Another message from Violet follows the  shortly after “I just told her, she’s not happy Marshall, locked herself in the bathroom.”

Oh shit my poor girl she’ll at defcon nine by now with anxiety, she hates surprises but I’m hoping she’ll come round and be at the little church waiting for me in an hour or so. I’m leaving this situation in Violets capable hands if anyone can get her out of the bathroom and to the church it’ll be Vi, she’ll just dig her heels in if I try to get her out.
It works Violet messages me an hour or so later to tell me that everybody has on their dresses and that they will be leaving in thirty minutes.

Gathering Poppy up in my arms, I notice she’s been awake all of this time trying to suck her own toes and so after cleaning her up a bit and changing her, I put on her lovely bridesmaid dress and set her back in the car seat, hoping she won’t throw up and she'll stay happy until after the ceremony, before stripping off myself and climbing into my suit it feels alien to me itchy and scratchy, but I’m wearing it for Annie, I’ve got something to change into at the hotel for after the ceremony so it’s all good I think as I pace waiting nervously for Denaun.

He arrives back ten minutes later “You ready dude? Ready to put a ring on the best thing that ever happened to you!” it’s a rhetorical question and requires no answer. Porters voice is thick with emotion as he speaks.
I nod afraid to open my mouth unless a whole bunch of sappy shit comes out but he just nods knowing how I’m feeling as I pick up my baby girl and we all head out towards my car.

Annie looks stunning as she floats down the aisle on towards me, her smile mirrors my own. I wonder if her cheeks are hurting with all the smiling as she comes to a standstill in front of me, all of my nerves dissipate as I’m overtaken by a different emotion, my eyes begin watering  and my heart swells in my chest, I feel light headed suddenly before pulling myself together.

“You look  absolutely stunning baby” Annie’s head dips as she blushes before peeking up at me from under her eyelashes, her pale blue dress looks amazing and I know Violet and I did good picking this one for her.

Annie leans over as we wait for the service to begin and whispers in my ear “I love you and you deserve all of the happiness you’re feeling right now” before kissing my cheek and turning back looking towards the minister, I swallow the lump that has formed in my throat, internally begging myself not to break down before I say my vows at the very least.

I listen in awe as Annie recites her vows to me, her warm soft hands gripping onto mine tightly, I catch a glimpse of Poppy in Porters arms behind me and she is very nearly my undoing but I pull it together as I glance over Annie’s head at Hailie, Alaina and Whitney.
Emotions overwhelm me as my whole world witnesses me joining union with this gorgeous, loving, kind, courageous and forgiving girl. I could weep and I know I will in the safety of Annie’s arms later.

I must surely be the luckiest man on the entire planet right now.

“And they lived happily ever after, The end”

I have truly loved writing Annie, she's very similar to me in some ways.
I always hated the thought that people might think she was weak for sticking with Marshall even though he let her down so badly.
I don't agree with staying together with someone who is a serial cheater and I'm a big fan of the saying 'A leopard can't change his spots' but very occasionally there are reasons that I'd like to think I'd be able to forgive and forget eventually any wrong doing. I'm proud that Annie stood up for her man she loves him to death and he her and I'm glad she was strong enough to be able to put all of that in the past and move forward with her life and I'm glad Marshall moved forward with her and forgave himself.
Thank you to everyone who read this, voted and commented. It means a lot to me. Thank you.