Moving Forward (Completed)

Chapter Fifty Eight

"I can't believe she's two..."

Amanda smiled down at Jesse who was rolling a ball back and forth to MJ on the floor. "You can't believe it? I feel like I blinked and this little sassy blond headed toddler appeared in my apartment."

Katherine chuckled as MJ attempted to stop Jesse from throwing the ball after accidentally doing it once. It was a lost cause seeing as Jesse would giggle, yell the word no, and do it again. "Is your mom coming up for Christmas?"

Amanda shook her head. "Kim's living back at home working on herself or something..." she rolled her eyes, "I'd just assume they both stay in Atlanta."

"I figured Beth Anne would insist on seeing her granddaughter."

"Sonny and I are visiting in January and then they'll both be up for the wedding." Amanda looked less than thrilled at the prospect of having both her mom and sister in town for an extended period of time... there was also a possibility that the look had something to do with the large wedding Carisi had convinced her to agree to.

"It's getting close."

"And you better keep me from freaking out and running simply because I've panicked over his decision to complicate what could be a simple ceremony."

Katherine had accompanied Amanda to search for a wedding shortly before school started back up. It hadn't been an errand Amanda had been terribly interested in running, only doing so because the dress would be a necessity with the kind of wedding Carisi was planning. Amanda had looked good in almost every dress she'd tried on, coming out of the dressing room with a 'this'll work' attitude each time. Katherine had had to stand her reluctant form in front of the mirror and asked her to picture Carisi's face as she walk toward him in the dress she had on. The tactic worked and a few dresses later Amanda found what was probably the perfect gown.

From that point on, anytime Amanda grumbled about cake tasting, looking at venues, invitations, table settings, flower arrangements... any wedding planning details; Katherine would simply remind her why she'd agreed to the larger wedding in the first place. While the sentiment behind getting married meant something to Amanda, she would have been content to forgo the production. Carisi on the other hand, wanted that big day. To watch the woman he loved walk down the aisle in an elaborate white dress. To profess their love for the other in front of a room full of their closest friends and family... leaving Amanda muttering something about how close can two hundred people actually be. The day wasn't for her though, she'd have been happy to marry him in a courtroom. It was for Carisi and she loved him enough to give it to him. She just needed Katherine to remind her not to be her stubborn self and screw it up.

"I'll drag you to the altar kicking and screaming if I have to." Katherine smiled, fighting back a grin when Rafael got up from the couch, feigning thirst in an effort to escape whatever Carisi was showing him on his phone.

"Flowers?" Amanda smirked when Rafael was close enough to hear her without Carisi hearing.

"So many flowers..."

Katherine chuckled at her husbands exasperated response. "You didn't have a preference?"

"They were all orange."

"Peach." Amanda corrected, garnering a look from both Katherine and Rafael. "I've heard him say it enough," she shrugged, "everything's peach and green..."

Katherine glanced at Carisi who was scrolling back and forth between images on his phone. "I'll go help him make a decision."

"Best maid of honor ever," Amanda smirked, signaling for Rafael to pour her a glass as well once she noticed the bottle of scotch he'd set on the counter.