Here Comes The Bride

Saturday morning Reed spent most of his time down the beach with Devon and Alexis, I'm not really sure what they were doing because I got sucked into hair appointments and all that jazz with Reed's mom.

When I finally got home around 1:30, I had to go down to the beach to get them to come up to the house to get ready, the wedding was at 3.

Reed was upstairs taking a shower, Lucinda was in her room doing god knows what and I was in the bathroom giving Alexis a bath. "You are going to be the prettiest little girl at uncle Devon's wedding today Alexis, and the best behaved too, right?" Alexis giggled and slapped her hands down in the water, splashing some upwards. "I'm going to take that as a 'yes'," I told her.

"You know talking to yourself isn't a good thing," I turned to see Devon standing in the doorway in just a pair of sweat pants that he changed into after his shower.

"I wasn't talking to myself," I told him as Alexis tried to lean around me to see him. "I was talking to Alexis."

Devon came into the bathroom and joined me on the floor next to the tub, he smiled at Alexis and then looked at me. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No," I turned to Alexis again. "We have everything under control, don't we snuggle bug?" Alexis looked like she was thinking about it and then she smiled as if to say 'yeah sure mommy, whatever you say!'

"Are you sure?" Devon asked. "I figured I should learn some of this stuff now that way I'll actually be helpful when the baby comes."

"Devon," I started but he didn't let me finished.

"I know what you are going to say Amber but please don't, I've made up my mind and nothing is going to stop me from marrying Annette today; it's the right thing to do."

"Ok," I smiled at him. "Hey Alexis, do mommy a favor?" She just sat there staring at me while she chewed on her facecloth. "Tell your uncle Devon that mommy thinks he could be happier if he only let his heart do its job," I tilted my head his way. "But I guess if you are determined to do this, then I wish you luck and all the happiness in the world Devon."

"Thanks Amber," he said and then did something that surprised me, he hugged me and not one of the really quick ones, he actually held the hug and told me that he was happy that we were friends.

"Well this looks cozy," Reed's voice came from the doorway as Devon jumped back from me. "What's up?" He asked, looking back and forth between Devon and me.

I didn't really pay much attention to what he said, my mind was somewhere completely for Reed was just wearing a pair of shorts and his damp skin glistened in the light; I was imagining me going over there, removing his shorts and attempting to 'dry' his skin with my hands, all of his skin.

"Amber?" I heard Reed call my name and I snapped out of my fantasy. "Are you ok?" He asked. I nodded, gave him a heated look while licking my lips and letting my eyes trail down over his body again before I met his gaze again.

"Ok, that's my cue to leave." Devon said as he jumped up, "I feel dirty just witnessing that little thing just now," he joked as he disappeared.

Reed came over to me and sat down where Devon was moments before, he asked me what I was thinking about just then and when I told him, he groaned. "I knew I shouldn't have asked but it looked like you were enjoying it too much not to share."

Not long after, I handed Alexis over to him and went to finish getting ready. When he had her dressed he brought her upstairs with him so he could get dressed and I could do her hair. "What do you think?" I asked him. "Should I leave it down or put it up?"

"How about little pig tails?" He asked, "I think she looks so cute with pigtails, the really curly ones that you do sometimes."

When we were all ready we went downstairs to see if Lucinda and Devon were ready to go.

Reed and Devon disappeared into one of the back rooms when we got to the church and I didn't see either one of them until they walked out with the minister to take their places at the front of the church.

And then the thing they rehearsed the night before started. Organ music played as Annette's bridesmaids walked in, followed by the flower girl and ring barer. Then the moment everyone was waiting for, the opening notes of 'here comes the bride' came from the organ and everyone stood to get a look at Annette in all her wedding finery, everyone that is except me, I was watching Reed and imagining that I was the one walking down the aisle towards him and that this was our day.

"Amber," I heard Lucinda hiss and with a quick glance around I realized that everyone else was sitting.

"Oh!" I sat down and tried really hard not to turn red and I would've made it too if I didn't make the mistake of looking at Reed who mouthed 'we're next' before he turned his attention back to the minister.

As the minister spoke I couldn't help but think that this was another reason I didn't want to get married in a church, the really long service. Even though Devon and Annette insisted on a short service, it still seemed to take forever for it to get to the good stuff, the part where the minister asked if there was anyone who had any reason they shouldn't get married.

I waited....

...but no one said anything! I couldn't believe it! I thought for sure that some one was going to stop this farce of a wedding but no one spoke, every one's peace will be forever held.

The minister went on to the next part in his service. "Do you have the rings?" He asked, they did. He told Devon to take Annette's left hand and slip the ring half way on her finger, "And repeat after me. 'I, Devon Lu -"

"Stop it!" A voice came from the crowd. "I can't let you do this Devon, I just can't!"

I almost dropped Alexis when I realized whose voice it was.