Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Any and all original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: Song lyrics used within this chapter belong to Amy Grant. The song is entitled That's What Love Is For. Thanks for sticking by the first part of this story and for taking the time to read this sequel. I hope you like what I came up with.
"If any person can show just cause that these two should not be joined here today, speak now or forever hold your peace..."
An exigent wail pierced the stagnant Cancún air and interrupted their appointed minister, overpowering the distant, but constant, hum of waves lapping eagerly at the shoreline. Renner. Stephanie peeled her doting gaze away from Chris's, but not without a few seconds of hesitation, as neither of them had eyes for anyone but each other. Or, in this case, they didn't have eyes for anyone besides each other and their two-and-a-half-month-old son, who was tucked away safely in Linda's arms. As with all babies, his moods were fickle and wouldn't deviate from that norm simply because his parents were in the middle of getting married.
A low tremor of laughter, vibrating like the aftershock of an earthquake, settled in the space around their seated guests and met Chris and Stephanie at the altar, a curving, wooden structure standing tall above their heads and drowning in a sea of pink, peach, and white peonies, which covered the length of the formation. Stephanie released one of Chris's hands only for a second, swiping it over her forehead as she let out a soft groan. "Oh, Renner, did you really have to pick now to cry?"
Stephanie signaled to Linda and pointed at herself, as if to ask whether or not she was needed for baby damage control. Linda shook her head and waved her off, standing with her cranky grandson in her arms and strolling into the distance, bouncing him as she roamed the open sand along the beach. Anything to bring an end to his fussing. Many of their guests had turned around in their seats, distracted by Renner's sudden outburst, but the minister was kind enough to wait until he had regained everyone's attention to continue with the proceedings.
"I believe we can overlook that slight objection, just this once," he smiled. When the resulting laughter died down, he continued. "Stephanie, will you take this man to be your husband, to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love, comfort, honor, and keep him, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"
"I will," she stated firmly, gaze unwavering. She smiled at Chris, watching him through a wall of unshed tears that had formed in a matter of seconds, and he winked, an action imperceptible to everyone besides her. Their lawful union had been official for months, but that didn't make the events of the day any less special.
"Chris," he began, "will you take this woman to be your wife, to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love, comfort, honor, and keep her, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"
"I will," Chris said, giving Stephanie's hands a firm squeeze. Their vows were next to come and had been a subject Stephanie discussed with Chris multiple times before that balmy July day, as they stood with hands clasped. Chris had entertained the idea of writing their own personal vows, thinking of it as a therapeutic project, the same way writing song lyrics was for him. Stephanie, however, was attached to the customary wedding vows most had come to know, and she managed to talk Chris into sticking with tradition.
"As we move forward to the vows, I will ask each of you to repeat after me," the minister requested. They nodded their understanding, and Stephanie sneaked a glance in the direction she had last seen Linda walking, finding that she had returned to her seat with Renner. The brief storm had calmed. With a nod to Stephanie, he began with her. "I, Stephanie, take you, Chris, to be my husband," he said, allowing Stephanie the opportunity to repeat the words aloud. He waited until she was finished to relay the next set of words, stopping each time so she had a chance to say them. "To have and to hold, from this day forward." Pause. "For better or for worse." Pause. "In sickness and in health; to love and to cherish." Pause. "From this day forward, until death do us part."
When Stephanie successfully recited her vows, Chris took his turn at delivering his own, trying in vain to keep the shakiness out of his tone. A part of him was more nervous than he had been when he exchanged his legally-recognized vows with Stephanie at the courthouse in Florida, but he had to remind himself they hadn't had an audience then. It had been only the two of them, three if they counted an unborn Renner, and they had been lost in their own little worlds, just two fools in love. Now he had a son, whose murmurs could be heard across the way every so often, and he had a woman standing before him who he had supported through the most painful, exhilarating, maddening experience of her life, all in the name of welcoming their first child and becoming a real family.
To say he loved her was grossly inaccurate, because love was a word that sorely lacked the depths of what he felt inside. How could a four-letter word be enough to encompass the livening jolt that shot through his heart every time he put a smile on her face, or the flutters that still formed in his stomach when he kissed her lips or held her close? Chris spoke the phrase 'I love you' because it was universally understood and Stephanie could grasp the gist of what he was getting at whenever he told her those words, but, in fact, they didn't even skim the surface of an accurate representation of how alive she made him feel. A knot formed in his throat and accompanied him the entire way through his vows. He resisted the urge to lean forward and kiss Stephanie when he finished, a brutal exercise in self-control.
"It is now time for the exchanging of rings," their officiant directed.
Ted, acting as Chris's best man, presented the rings to the minister. Rather than buying new jewelry, Chris and Stephanie had simply taken their actual wedding rings off so they could present them to one another for a second time. Stephanie turned her head while Ted handed the rings off, smiling softly at her bridesmaids, all lined up in a row behind her. The maize-colored, strapless gowns she had chosen for the women were set on fire and almost glowing under the bold sun's rays. When her dancing eyes met Trish's equally bright ones, she playfully puckered her lips, as if sending Stephanie an encouraging, sisterly kiss from afar.
Chris was first to receive Stephanie's ring, and he held it in his hand, waiting for the instructions that came soon thereafter. "Chris, will you take this ring and place it upon Stephanie's finger and, as you do, repeat after me." Chris brought the ring to the tip of Stephanie's finger, pausing for direction. The minister continued, "With this ring, I thee wed."
"With this ring, I thee wed," Chris said, slipping the ring all the way onto Stephanie's finger. He raised her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to it. Then it was Stephanie's turn, and she returned the gesture, replacing Chris's ring on his finger after saying the proper words. They clasped hands once more while the minister made what was to be one of his final announcements of the ceremony.
He spoke, "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife," he smiled, addressing only Chris this time. "You may kiss your bride." Chris brought both of his hands down on Stephanie's cheeks and pressed his lips to hers, pulling her closer amidst the animated cheers and claps of their friends and family. He hadn't thought it possible, but marrying Stephanie for the second time, albeit an unofficial wedding where their home country was concerned, proved to be even better than the first time. A second round of whistles and hoots rang out when Chris held Stephanie in their kiss a little longer than normal, and when they finally parted and turned towards everyone, the officiant's final words were spoken. "Ladies and gentleman, I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Irvine."
Chris covered Stephanie's hand with his own and led her down the flower-littered aisle.
While the happy couple were whisked away to their luxury hotel's banquet room for the start of the wedding reception, their families followed close behind. Linda was in charge of placing the guests in proper order so they could enter the banquet room and be seated in their designated spots. She handed Renner off to Vince so she could complete the tasks that had been assigned to her, and the normally unreadable expression Vince wore melted right away. He bounced Renner in his arms, talking steadily to him and smiling each time he was able to make his grandson laugh, considering it a genuine accomplishment.
Chris hurried back up to the hotel suite he had prepared for the wedding in earlier that day, and Stephanie, likewise, returned to her separate room with Marissa, who helped to remove her wedding dress. The thought to be modest had occurred to Stephanie when picking out a dress for the reception, but being only a couple of months removed from Renner's birth and having lost a significant amount of weight with Chris's help, she needed that extra boost that would push her over the precipice and back into sexy mode again. That was why she had settled on a beaded, white lace gown that fell softly over her feet and bore a strapless style on top. A satin belt secured around her midsection added a look of completion to her appearance, outdone only by the timeless feel of her white lace, fingerless gloves, bearing a classic, ripple design near the oval of her wrist.
Her hair had been thoroughly curled for the wedding and was maintaining the style well with the help of a generous amount of hairspray, so she perched on the bed long enough for Marissa to pull her coiled locks into a neat, low ponytail, creating a clean finish. She was polished, mature, glowing, and everything she had always hoped to be as a bride. Her professional makeup job had significant staying power, and all she had to do was slick a tube of soft pink lipstick over her lips before she was ready to go. Not only was she anxious to return to Chris, but she felt as if she hadn't held Renner in ages, although, in actuality, it hadn't been more than a little over an hour. When she was satisfied with her appearance, Stephanie started for the door, but Marissa jogged back to the nightstand, calling after her.
"You wanted to switch earrings, right?"
"Oh! Thank you so much," Stephanie heaved a sigh of relief and brought a hand to her chest. "I would have completely forgotten those, and Mom would have been really disappointed. She wanted me to wear these more than anything."
"Lucky we remembered then," Marissa winked, walking the jewelry over to her. In an enclosed case, its glass edges forming the shape of a heart, rested a pair of diamond drop earrings that had been in the Edwards family since Stephanie's maternal grandmother got married. Linda had made her promise she would wear them at her reception to carry on the tradition, just as Linda had during her own marriage to Vince. As she slipped them into her ear piercings, Stephanie couldn't help but wonder what it might be like to hand them off to a daughter of her own someday, but the arrival of more children would come in due time.
In a show of either expert planning or fortunate timing, Marissa led Stephanie down to the banquet room just in time to be announced to their awaiting guests. Chris was already waiting for her near the set of double doors, wearing a formally-tailored black suit, which was a step up from the collared shirt and slacks he had donned outdoors for their wedding. He brushed Stephanie's cheek with the palm of his hand and pressed a light kiss to Marissa's cheek, thanking her for all of her help before she entered the room ahead of them. Stephanie's eyes brimmed with excitement, but there was a hint of anxiety pressing forth in her gaze as she bit her bottom lip. Chris moved his hand to her chin, tugging down on it until she released her unfortunate lip from the tough and unforgiving bite of her teeth.
Reading her mind, he said, "Renn's fine, babe. I peeked inside earlier, and he's back with your mom. She took him from Vince after she got everyone seated, but you should have seen him with your dad. Vince really is good with the kid."
"I'm not surprised," she shrugged. "He was a great dad to me, so I always knew he would be great with Renner." Her hands fell to rest on Chris's broad chest, and she walked her fingers up to his neck, where she adjusted his tie and leaned in for a kiss. She grazed his bottom lip with her teeth and pulled away entirely, smirking. "By the way, you've looked exceptionally handsome all day. Just wait until I dig my claws into you tonight."
He wore a matching smirk as he brushed her hair down at the crown of her head. "You're looking really delicious yourself." His eyes trailed over the length of her body and, for a brief moment, they glazed over with a raw hunger that convinced her Chris was going to drag her off to the nearest deserted corner and have his way with her. Passion took over lust, and he returned to her face, pressing the tip of his nose against the side of her cheek as he whispered in her ear, "I can't put into words how happy I am that you married me. Between our wedding and giving birth to Renner, you've made me the happiest man alive."
"Honey..." her eyes glazed over, and she reeled him in for another hug, covering the side of his neck in a torrential downpour of gentle nips. She curled her hand around the back of his head, scratching the hair at the base of his neck. "You've made me way happier than I could ever put into words. We've come so far after the past year that we had, and we're nearing one year to the date that I first told you I was pregnant. If you would have come to me at this time last year and told me we would be married by now, I never would have believed it. Thank you for seeing the good in me again, even after all we went through."
"I hate it when you thank me," he said, marking his words with a smile.
"Why?"
"I just do," Chris said. "You don't need to thank me for anything. I told you before, this is what a man does for the people he loves. I hope you can start remembering that. I do what I do because you and Renner are the two best things that ever happened to me."
"So sweet," she complimented, patting his cheek. As an afterthought, she held up her left hand, flashing her wedding ring. "You know what this ring represents, right? You're never, ever allowed to leave me now that you put a ring on it. I won't let you get away, not even if I have to hunt you down myself."
"I wouldn't want to get away," he replied. Slipping both arms around her waist, Chris pulled her close, resting his lips against hers as they stared into one another's eyes, nearly going cross-eyed from standing so close together. The distinct sound of the microphone being patted by the DJ's hand silenced all excess chatter inside the banquet room, and Chris and Stephanie remained in their embrace until they heard their names announced, which came along after he lightened the crowd with a few jokes, some of them corny but still earning laughs.
"All right, let's kick this party off," the DJ, a young man in a fedora hat and checkered shirt, began. "Ladies and gentleman, I would like to reintroduce you to the man and woman of the hour. Please give a warm and hearty welcome to Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Irvine!"
Stephanie entered through the doors hand-in-hand with Chris, met with a raving round of cheers, whistles, and applause. All nerves had fizzled out, and their DJ was partly to thank for that, having been directed to keep the vibe lighthearted. There was no real script for him to follow, which allowed for his own creative juices to flow as he conducted the event the way he saw fit, within a few restrictive guidelines, of course. One of the only requests they had made of him was to announce everything in a particular order, and he had been supplied a list of events to touch on, including, but not limited to, each of the dances that were to follow Chris's and Stephanie's initial couples' dance.
Stephanie caught sight of Renner in Linda's arms and blew him a kiss, but her efforts went unnoticed, as Renner's eyes flitted from one end of the room to the other, looking everywhere except at her. It came as a surprise to Stephanie that he was still awake, but he would likely be nodding off against her mother's shoulder very soon. Her gaze lingered on him a little too long, only breaking away when Chris gave her hand a gentle squeeze and led her onto the dance floor. Their first dance as man and wife would kick off the festivities, and Chris was eager to get it underway.
Dancing in a formal setting with Stephanie carried along with it tender memories of the night they had gotten engaged and danced together on the wooden dance floor he had paid to have installed in his backyard. While they waited for the music to begin, Chris slipped his hands onto Stephanie's hips and rested them there, touching his forehead down on hers. A murmur of 'aww's' rippled through the room, along with the erratic flashes of cameras going off to capture the moment, but this was one time when they didn't mind a rather private gesture being seen by all of their family and friends. Chris had no issue with putting his love for Stephanie on full display and was also particularly eager to dance because Stephanie had chosen a song that held a deeper meaning for her, and, in turn, for him.
"Please," she breathed airily against his lips, "remember why we chose this song. If you walk away with nothing else after this dance, just hold onto the meaning behind the song and what it represents for us as a couple." Chris opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by the opening chords of the selected tune. He slid his arms around her waist, and Stephanie moved hers upward, encircling his neck. She traded in their touching foreheads, instead placing her temple down on his shoulder and closing her eyes as they swayed to the touching music, lost in their own little words; lost in each other.
Sometimes we make it harder than it is, we'll take a perfect night
And fill it up with words we don't mean, dark sides best unseen
And we wonder why we're feeling this way
. .
Sometimes I wonder if we really feel the same, why we can be unkind
Questioning the strongest of hearts, that's when we must start
Believing in the one thing that has gotten us this far
. .
That's what love is for, to help us through it
That's what love is for, nothing else can do it
Melt our defenses, bring us back to our senses, give us strength to try once more
Baby, that's what love is for
. .
Sometimes I see you, and you don't know I am there
And I'm washed away, by emotions I hold deep down inside
Getting stronger with time, it's living through the fire and holding on we find
. .
That's what love is for, to help us through it
That's what love is for, nothing else can do it
Melt our defenses, bring us back to our senses, give us strength to try once more
Baby, that's what love is for
. .
Believing in the one thing that has gotten us this far
That's what love is for, to help us through it
That's what love is for, nothing else can do it
Round off the edges, talk us down from the ledges, give us strength to try once more
Baby, that's what love is for
. .
That's what love is for, that's what love is for
Melt our defenses, bring us back to our senses, give us strength to try once more
Baby, that's what love is for
Stephanie held Chris in her arms long after the song's final notes faded into the background. Her eyes remained closed as she nestled her head against his chest. Chris was fine with spending the extra time with her so she could come down from the high, and he rested his chin on the crown of her head, stroking her hair while they stood in silence. They parted only when small clusters of their friends crowded onto the floor to grab them, and the happy couple sneaked in a quick kiss before the sea was parted and they were led in two entirely different directions.
Stephanie huddled up with her loved ones; Trish, Linda, Marissa, Lindsey, and a number of childhood friends who had flown down for the wedding. Chris, likewise, stood in the center of a circle of his closest confidantes; Rich, Billy, Paul, Frank, Ted, Vince, and a couple of his cousins from Winnipeg. There were a large amount of their mutual friends from work in attendance: John Cena, Randy Orton, Adam, and Jay, to name a few. Even amidst the complimentary remarks about their luxurious destination wedding and the congratulatory hugs, Stephanie still managed to sidle up to Linda's side, and she pulled a sleeping Renner into her arms, ever the doting new mother.
His crafty tuxedo, complete with a yellow bow-tie meant to match the wedding colors Stephanie and Linda chose, had been a major hit, and Chris had done it all on his own. He had put in the time and effort to have the outfit made and, though not quite as flashy as the light-up jacket he walked down the ramp with in the WWE, the eye-catching colors were more than enough to make Renner stand out amongst the group. Stephanie brushed her hand in a continuous motion over the top of Renner's soft, brown hair, smiling at multiple conversations going on around her to blend in, but her focus was elsewhere. Her attention shifted across the room to Chris, just as he tossed his head back with uproarious laughter in response to something Rich had whispered to him.
"Are you even listening, Steph?" Trish's voice pulled her out of the haze of distraction.
"Sorry," she shook her head free of her intrusive thoughts, "what?"
"We were asking what comes next for you, Chris, and Renner," she reiterated as all the girls stood around watching her. "What are you guys doing with the rest of your summer?"
"Some of you know this already, but for those of you who I haven't gotten a chance to tell, Chris has an overseas tour with Fozzy that starts next month," she explained. "He'll be gone for two weeks, and when he comes back, he has a pretty big US tour the following month. That's the one Renner and I are going to join him on. We're making it a family affair and traveling on his tour bus. It'll be fun, and I'll have a little break from work, so I'm looking forward to it."
Trish's fingertips grazed Stephanie's forearm, and she tilted her head, eyes softening immensely. She asked a question Stephanie hadn't seen coming, but she understood why, as her best friend, Trish would feel the need to get verbal confirmation. "Are you happy, Steph?"
An involuntary smile quirked her lips out at the corners. Stephanie shifted her head downward, breathing in Renner's fresh scent and pressing a kiss to his light smattering of hair. Next, she glanced across the room at Chris, who was still engaged in animated conversation, and her entire being warmed. In her family, she found wholeness and knew what it meant to truly be alive. Her primary roles were no longer defined by her designated place in life as a daughter, sister, or girlfriend. At the root of who she was, those titles would remain but were replaced by three much bigger ones; wife, mother, and aunt. When Stephanie caught Trish's eyes again, the answer to her question already showed loud and clear on Stephanie's face, but she said it aloud for good measure.
"No, I'm not. Happiness isn't a big enough word."