The wedding had been beautiful! T was looking all kinds of handsome in his black tux and Sarah was a beautiful bride.
The wedding reception was now in full swing at Club TBD. Everyone who was anyone in Salem was there. Marlena and John were there and they were sitting at a table with John's sons Brady and Paul. Along side Paul was his fiance Derrick. They were all discussing Paul and Derrick's wedding, which was happening in a few months. All of a sudden a blur of pink and white came running up to the table.
"Gramma! Guess what I am?" asked Arianna
"Hmm let me see..a princess?" answered Marlena
Giggling Ari said "No Gramma...guess again!"
This time it was John who guessed. "A genie?"
"No grampa John..you're silly too!"
Paul looked her up and down, then turned to Derrick. They both looked at each other then Ari. Paul then said, "I know! You are Arrianna Grace Horton and you are the most important lady, other than the bride here. You are the Flower Girl!"
"Yay! You got it right ! Soon I will be your flower girl when you marry Derrick right?"
"Yes you will Ari and then you WILL be the most important girl because there won't be a bride."
Ari looked at Paul for a little while, then Derrick. Then she said . "No you won't have a bride but you'll have Derrick, like daddy has Daddy Sonny and that is way more important..right ?"
"You are right Ari! How did you get to be so smart?"
Ari holding up her hand that had four fingers up.."Cause I am four now ." With that she ran back to her daddies on the dance floor. Will and Sonny both picked her up and held her between them as they danced.
"That is one smart kid Doc."
"Yes..yes she is and she is so happy now that her daddies are back together and happy. This has been a tough time but I am so happy that everything has worked out the best for everyone."
Turning , Marlena gave Paul and Derrick one of her beautiful smiles. "You boys are going to have a wonderful life together too, I just know it."
"Thanks Marlena. So much has changed in my life since that whole ariticle came out and the story about Will and I." Paul reached over and grabbed Derrick's hand, then looked back at Marlena. "I now have a love of my own that makes me so happy, " he kissed Derrick's hand then looked at John. "I have found the father I thought I had lost all those years ago ,a brother who is a little bit of a pain but since he is older, I will respect his comments and suggestions." He looked at Brady who, with an eyebrow raised , is giving Paul, what Derrick calls "the Look", but then grins at Paul. "I don't think things could get much better. T has become a good friend as well and all was forgiven by Sonny. So yeah, I think we will have a wonderful life together."
On the dance floor Will , Sonny and Ari are laughing and swaying to the music. Soon Ari get's bored and wants to go play. After they lower her to the ground, they watch where she is headed...right over to Abby and Ben , who look at Will and nod, telling him they will watch Ari. Will turns to Sonny and wraps his arms around his neck. Playing with Sonny's ear, Will says. "Can you believe she is four already? Where did the time go?"
"I don't know but she is one great kid. Ask anyone, they'll tell you." Pulling Will closer, Sonny laid his head on Wills' shoulder and closed his eyes. Their favorite song has just started to play , Yes to Love by Stefano and everything else disappears but the two of them. Will whispers in Sonny's ear, "If it weren't for you, loving me the way you do, forgiving me for being a major idiot..twice in our relationship, we wouldn't be where we are today, Ari wouldn't be the happy little girl she is. You are the reason we are all happy. You are the reason for all my happiness. I PROMISE Sonny I won't screw up like I did, ever again." "
"Babe, we have been through this. I believe you. We have been through too much already. We are due some major happily ever after. Plus you know if you mess up again I will go all Lorena Bobbit on your ass!"
Grimacing Will looks Sonny in the eyes and says ."Yeah that threat always makes me cringe and is VERY effective!"
They both chuckle and continue dancing, in their own little world.
Across the room, T and Sarah, wrapped in each others arms , are looking at no one but each other.
"Tad I am so very happy!"
"Me too Sarah. I had given up hope of ever finding someone I could love and who would love me as much. The day you surprised your Uncle Rick at his wedding to my Uncle Tim, was the best day of my life." They laughed because as T said the last part, the singer was also singing it. T raised and eyebrow at Sarah."See , even Stefano knows that this is a great thing." Laughing the pulled each other close and continued their dance. Not knowing that everyone was watching them and smiling at how happy they looked.
In a corner of Club TBD Rick and Tim are also slow dancing. Soon another song starts to play..they look over and see T and Sarah smiling at them. They smile and return to dancing to THEIR favorite song, A Thousand Years by Christina Perri.
"Just think if I hadn't come to town to visit T, he and Sarah never would have met."
"Nor would we my sweet man and that would have been a horrible thing." Rick reaches up and kisses Tim, while still dancing. Smiling they pull each other closer and enjoy the fact that fate had been kind to them. Bringing them together. If Tim hadn't been dumped by his ex, and decided he needed to get away for a while and visit his favorite nephew, ok so T was his ONLY nephew , like he always made a point to clarify, so many lives would be different now. Four people would still be alone and unhappy. It always amazed Tim how so many things just seemd to have fallen into line so love could connect four people to the one they were meant to be with. A little too Harlequin romancy maybe...but who would argue with what works?
"I think that everyone in this room is very lucky to have found that special someone when they did. Who knows if we had met at a different time in our lives things might have been very different. "
"Then again, had we all met earlier we would have been happier that much sooner." said Rick. Tim could not, would not argue with that. He was just grateful that he found the man who now held his heart and happiness in the palm of his hands.
Soon glasses were being tapped for the bride and groom to kiss. T took Sarah in his arms and dramitically draped her back over his arm and kissed her, much to the delight of the entire crowd.
"Ok everyone it is time for T and Sarah to cut the cake and since we all know how much T loves cake.."
"Hey now just because I...ok ok so what can I say I am a cake guy." grinning he and Sarah high fived for Sarah was a huge cake lover herself.
Everyone laughed and Will continued.."We have the cake all ready if you two love birds would please come over here."
Walking hand and hand to the cake table, T and Sarah broke into a run and slid easily behind the table. Laughing , everyone crowded around and watched as they cut into the cake, then fed it to each other. "OK the line forms behind my wife and myself people! No pushing or shoving." T grinned at Sarah and they both grabbed a huge piece, then got out of the way. Smiling as they watched their friends and family, literally fall onto the table and grab a piece. Caroline Brady made the cake so everyone in town knew it would be amazing.
"We would like to have everyones attention please."
Everyone looked at where Will and Sonny were standing , holding glasses of champagne.
"As the Best Men for T and Sarah we would like to say a few words. Sonny and I were honored when T asked us to be co- Best Men. T has been my friend since I was a kid. We grew up together, played together, checked out girls together." At this Sonny gave Will a mock shove."Hey I didn't say I enjoyed it as much as T!"
"Since my HUSBAND has gone down memory lane about T and all the fun times they had and is getting into trouble." at this Sonny winked at Will. Everyone chuckled. "I will finish. T is a great friend. He has been there for us and was the Best Man at our wedding three years ago. Then he met Sarah and I have to tell you I have never seen T speechless. You ALL know what I am talking about right?" Ever single person nodded their head. T raised his glass and acknowledged the truth in that statement. "So to Sarah, who came to see her Uncle Rick get married but stayed when she found the love of her life, and to T who was smart enough to not let her go. We wish you many , many happy years together filled with love, laughter and good times. Cheers!"
Everyone raised their glass in T and Sarah's direction. More "Cheers!" were heard and the party continued way into the night.
The first to leave were Will, Sonny and an exhausted Arianna Grace. Slowly everyone left. T and Sarah had left quite a while ago to much ribbing that always happens when the wedding couple leaves. They took it all with good humor and winks of their own.
Now, Club TBD sits in darkness, after seeing so much happiness throughout the day . A person could reflect, if they had a mind to, about how this club, that started out a dream of Sonny's to have a coffee house where everyone could gather . Didn't matter if they were gay , straight or indifferent and be comfortable just being who they are. Common Grounds had become that for so many people. It had brought together Will and Sonny, in a way Tim and Rick, since Rick met T here and became friends which led him to Tim, Derrick and Paul had their first coffee date there after leaving Will and Sonny's after what they now called "The Great Takedown of Zoey", and T and Sarah met there at their uncle's wedding reception.
So one could say that Common Grounds /Club TBD was the catalyst to some of the greatest romances in Salem's history.