The morning light invaded Sharon's hotel room in golden patches. She covered her eyes with her palms and let out a long, whiny moan as she turned away from the source of light, burying her face under the pillow. A knock on her door made her groan deeply and her fingers pushed the pillow further down over her head.
"Mom, it's me! Wake up!" she heard Emily's voice from the other side of the door. Sharon huffed and pulled her head from under the pillow. Her body felt heavy as she got up, and she wobbled a little as she walked to open the door. "Finally," Emily called out and walked into the room. "Your appointment with the hairstylist is in half an hour, Mom! Why are you still in your PJs?" she asked and handed Sharon a summer dress that was hanging on a rack in the closet.
"I'm sorry. I fell asleep while I memorized my vows," Sharon said and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and take a quick shower.
"Don't apologize to me, apologize to Andy, who's gonna be thinking his bride got cold feet and ran away," Sharon heard Emily saying through the bathroom door and realized that her daughter sounded a lot like her. "Thank God you had your nails done yesterday. We're already running late."
"I'm done, and we even have time to eat breakfast before he arrives," Sharon said as she came out of the bathroom a few minute later, all dressed up.
"No, no breakfast for you today," Emily said. "You're on a 3-day cleanse, remember?" Sharon groaned. "You can have some water." Emily said and opened the minibar. She took out a bottle of water and opened it for her mother. Sharon looked at the water with a sigh. As soon as Emily heard that Sharon wanted to lose 5 pounds before the wedding, she decided to help her mother with that. Sharon now realized what a bad idea it was to put her daughter in charge of her diet, because after a week of only eating dull salads and drinking mineral water, she couldn't care less about whether or not she lost those 5 pounds. She fit into her dress just fine with or without them, and Andy loved her just the way she was. "Mom!" Emily waved a hand in front of her face. "Stop daydreaming and drink up," she called out.
"You're so bossy," Sharon smiled. She knew her daughter took this from her. They heard a knock on the door and Emily rushed to open it.
"It's the hairstylist, Mom," Emily announced and Roger the hairstylist came into the bridal suite.
"Good morning to the beautiful bride, and her lovely daughter," he called out cheerfully. "Are you ready for your big day?" Sharon smiled politely. Truth was she wasn't ready. She was tired and hungry and she missed Andy whom she seen for the last time at the rehearsal dinner the night before. They parted for the night because she insisted to have a traditional wedding, and that meant they couldn't see each other for at least a day before the wedding. Since the rehearsal dinner made that impossible, they resorted to sleeping apart the night before the wedding. After almost 2 years of sleeping by his side every night, she missed his warmth against her and the soft sound of his snoring. She wondered what he was doing right now, if he was excited, if he already memorized his vows, what he looked like in his tux. Oh, did she love it when he wore a tuxedo. She bit her bottom lip to stop herself from moaning at the mental image of Andy in a tux.
"Mom?" Emily's voice invaded her thoughts. "I'm sorry. She memorized her vows until late at night. She's a bit tired," her daughter apologized to the Roger. "So, why don't you start with my hair first, so that when the photographer comes, he can take photos of you doing her hair," Emily suggested.
"Is that okay with you, Sharon?" Roger asked and Sharon nodded quickly. "Good, so why don't you rest for a bit while I make the magnificent Emily here even more beautiful?" he offered. Sharon nodded slowly and Roger followed Emily to her own hotel room. Sharon smiled to herself as she realized what a Bridezilla Emily was being on her behalf.
The sound of an incoming message on her phone made her grab it from the night table by the bed. It was a message from Andy, who texted her how much he missed her and sent her several heart emojis. Sharon texted him back, letting him know that she felt the same and sent a kiss emoji.
With a swift flick of her finger, she opened her photo album on her phone and began flipping through photos from their rehearsal dinner. It hadn't gone very well, as Rusty decided to skip the event. The day she and Andy told their children about their engagement, Rusty became distant. She tried to approach the subject with him, both directly and indirectly, but the boy was putting up a wall. She wished he could have been happy for her and accepted Andy as a permanent fixture in their life. But instead he was scornful and bitter about it. She knew that Rusty hated anything that could threaten the stability of his life with her, but she expected that he'll understand her desire to spend the rest of her days by Andy's side. He did not. And so, while Gus arrived at the rehearsal dinner, Rusty was absent. Closing the photo album on her phone, she scrolled to the Favorites in her contact list and pressed on her youngest son's name. Putting the phone to her ear, she prayed to the heavens above that he picks up and tears welled in her eyes when she heard his voice.
"Rusty," her voice shook. "How are you doing, sweetheart?"
"I'm fine, Mom. How are you?" he asked.
"We missed you last night at the rehearsal dinner. And I'm waiting to get my hair done, so I thought, maybe you can come over and spend some time with me before my turn is up?" she asked.
"I don't know, Mom, I have…"
"Please Rusty, we need to talk, and I need to see you. You've been so busy lately," she said.
"Okay, I'll come over. Do you need me to bring you anything?"
"Nothing, honey. Just bring yourself," she responded softly and ended the call asking him to drive safely. She let out a shaky breath and wiped her tearful eyes.
When she heard the knock on the door, Sharon practically leaped from her seat and ran to open it. Rusty stood there, looking more exhausted than she's ever seen him. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek gently.
"I'm so glad you're here, Rusty," she said softly.
"You lost weight," Rusty commented.
"Yeah, I'm on a 3-day cleanse," Sharon replied with a shrug.
"Is that because of this stupid wedding?" Rusty sighed as he walked into the room. He looked around him in surprise. "That's a huge hotel room," he commented.
"It's a bridal suite. It's supposed to have enough room for the bridal party to get ready for the wedding," Sharon explained. "Although technically, it's just Emily and me. Nicole needs to get her step-sons ready, so she'll get ready for the wedding on her own."
"Why would you spend so much money on a wedding, Sharon? A second wedding!" Rusty asked. "After you weren't able to hold on to your first marriage, why would you even want to do it a second time?"
"That's not fair, Rusty. I love Andy, and we want to share the rest of our lives with each other. You live with us now, but one day you're going to spread your wings and leave me behind. And that's perfectly normal, but when that day comes, I don't want to be alone. I've been alone for so many years, and at this point of my life, I want to have someone who would comfort me, and tell me an empty nest is not the end of the world. I need that someone to assure me that you'll be safe on your own. I want that someone to hug me and make me hot chocolate when I'm sad, and to share my happiness when things are going well. I want someone who will get old with me, and to see every morning when I wake up. And for me, this someone is Andy." Tears were streaming down her face as she spoke, but she didn't bother wiping them. "So please don't say that my wedding is stupid. It may be stupid to you, but it's so important to me, as is this marriage."
"I'm sorry, Mom. That was out of line. I… I think I understand how you feel now and I let my fear blind me to your needs," Rusty admitted, "And I'm so sorry for being such a jerk about it."
"I love you, Rusty. I always will," Sharon said and wrapped her arms around her son's body.
"I love you too, Mom," he replied.
"You know, the first time I got married, I didn't have a ceremony or a wedding gown, or bridesmaids. Jack and I were two broke students and we eloped after my parents told us getting married at 19 was a very stupid idea," Sharon said. "That's why I asked Andy to have a traditional ceremony."
"I thought it was your sense of occasion," Rusty grinned. Sharon shook her head, but smiled.
"You know, traditionally, when a woman gets married, her father gives her away to the groom. But my father passed away 6 years ago, and I don't have any siblings or uncles, so I've been wondering if you would agree to give me away to Andy?"
"Me?" Rusty pointed at himself and blinked several times. Sharon nodded softly. "I'm not sure I understand."
"Well, giving me away to Andy is a way for me to honor you, and a way for you to give our marriage your blessing. It's something I've been wanting to ask you for a while," Sharon explained.
"But why not Ricky or Emily?" Rusty wondered.
"Ricky is the ring bearer and Emily is my bridesmaid. I want you to be the one who gives me away on behalf of our family," Sharon replied.
"If it's that important to you, then I will," Rusty promised. Sharon nodded slowly and her hand went to his hair, gently caressing it.
Sharon looked at herself in the big renaissance mirror in the bridal suite and took a deep breath. It was weird wearing a wedding dress for the first time in her life. Well, not the first time, as she tried it on several times before tonight, but this time she was going to spend several hours in it. It was hard recognizing herself. The makeup was perfect, and made her look fresh and radiant, the dress complimented her body and clung to all the right places, a pearl hair piece decorated the side of her half-updo, and a pair of delicate pearl earrings completed the look. For the first time that day, she felt the exhaustion lifting and the excitement setting in. A soft knock on the door made her turn away from the mirror. She went to open it. Her three children stood there, looking dapper. The sight of them took her breath away.
"Mom, you look amazing," Ricky said as he walked into the suite.
"I told you," Emily said with a wide smile. "She's the most beautiful bride ever." Sharon smiled at them. Here they were, talking about how beautiful she was when they were standing in front of her looking like movie stars right off the red carpet at some luxurious award ceremony.
"So I know you have your makeup on and you're not supposed to drink, but I thought that maybe we could make a toast," Emily handed her mother a bottle of champagne.
"I'll have just a sip, and then at the wedding later, I will have a full glass," Sharon said as she took the bottle from her daughter. Emily went over to get a tray with champagne flutes that were placed on top of the minibar. Sharon quickly unwrapped the cork and extracted it with a loud pop sound. It flew all the way to the ceiling and then dropped at her feet. She poured the bubbly liquid into the flutes and handed them to her children.
"I'm not 21 years old yet," Rusty warned her.
"You will be 21 in a month," Sharon said. "And I think you and I can share a glass." Rusty nodded slowly and took one flute while Sharon filled it for him.
"To Mom and Andy, may your love be everlasting," Emily toasted and the sound of glasses clinking filled the room. Sharon smiled. It's been a while since she saw all her three children in the same room, celebrating. It made her happy just as much as the thought of marrying Andy. These were the moments that made her life worth living.
The small church was almost packed with people, and it surprised Sharon. Her family wasn't big; both of her parents passed on and she was an only child. Her relationships with her cousins weren't tight, and she wasn't surprised when most of them declined her wedding invitation. Her friends weren't many; most of them were lawyers and judges, but some were cops. Most of the wedding guests were Andy's. He had a big family: an older brother and a twin sister, and many Irish and Italian cousins who came from all across the country to celebrate with them. Sharon met some of them at the rehearsal dinner and there were so many of them that she couldn't remember everyone's names.
Some of their guests were people they both knew well: Chief Pope, Fritz and Brenda, Gavin, Andrea Hobbs and the Major Crimes division, with their significant others. She was happy to see that Julio brought his adopted daughter with him. Some of her colleagues from her days at IA also arrived.
"Mom, everyone is ready, if you are," Emily gently touched her shoulder as she stood in the entryway of the church.
"I am," Sharon replied.
"Okay, I'll let them know we can start," Emily said and went through a side door Sharon didn't even notice was there. Sharon turned to her side to look at Rusty, who seemed nervous.
"It's gonna be just fine," she assured her youngest son.
"I never thought I'd be excited about your wedding, Mom," he admitted. "But you look great. I've never seen you so radiant. You look like an angel," he said, knowing Sharon's immense love of angels.
"You look handsome too,"she said with a smile, taking his hand and gently squeezing it.
"Everything is set," Emily and Nicole came through the side door. Sharon looked at the two young women. They were beautiful in their lilac bridesmaid gowns and with their hair and makeup done.
"Sharon, you look incredible," Nicole walked over to her and hugged her.
"So are you, sweetie," Sharon replied and gently kissed her soon to be stepdaughter's cheek. They smiled at each other and then Emily took Nicole's hand and pulled her over.
"Get ready, sis," she smirked at Nicole who smiled widely at her. The two girls weren't even sisters yet, but they were already excited of having each other. Sharon couldn't help but feeling a flutter of happiness inside her stomach as she saw their interactions. The first notes of an instrumental version of Hallelujah were heard and Nicole threw one last look at her future stepsister before she started walking down the aisle, a huge smile on her face. Emily followed her. Sharon watched the two girls reach the end of the aisle and kiss Andy's cheek before they took their places. Sharon smiled at Rusty, who took a deep breath and entwined his arm with hers. They started walking down the aisle, and Sharon felt the frenzied flutter in her stomach growing with each step she took. She looked at Andy, who stood at the end of the aisle, his face glowing with excitement and his eyes shining with love and adoration for her.
When they reached the end of the aisle, she turned towards Rusty, her lips inaudibly mouthing the words "I love you," before she wrapped her arms around him.
"I love you too, Mom," he whispered into her ear before they parted and he took his place by Andy and his son who served as his father's best man. With a great smile on his face, Andy walked the few steps that separated them and took Sharon's hand, his fingers caressing hers as they walked towards the altar and faced the officiant.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to unite this lovely couple, Andrew David Flynn and Sharon Agnes O'Dwyer-Raydor in the bonds of matrimony." The officiant said and then went on, quoting verses from the book of Genesis and telling about the creation of Adam and Eve and the importance of love to the human soul, but Sharon could not concentrate on anything but the love she saw reflecting in Andy's eyes and the beautiful, gentle smile that graced his features. "The bride and groom will now take their vows," the officiant announced.
"My dear Sharon, some weeks ago, when I sat down to write my vows, I tried to find a word that would describe exactly how I feel about you, and I found it impossible. Love is a beautiful word, but it's not big enough to explain the way my heart flutters every time I see you, and the way my skin tingles every time you smile at me. You are a part of me, bone of my bone, blood of my blood and I feel blessed to stand here today and promise to always cherish and honor you, and to be by your side forever and for always." Andy spoke and Sharon tried to suppress the tears that welled in her eyes. Andy gently cupped her cheek and wiped away a tear that began rolling down her cheek.
"Andy, our journey towards this moment has been long and eventful. We started out as colleagues, then became 'really good friends' and ended up right here today, surrounded by the people who love us. I stand today before God and before our family and friends and promise to be there for you as a friend and as a lover, in good times and bad times, in sickness and in health, and to share your hopes and dreams and bring them to fulfillment. But above all, I stand here today and promise you my heart for as long as I shall live. I love you." Andy's features softened as he listened to her vow, the muscles of his jaw relaxed and the color of his eyes brightened with joy. His fingers gently caressed hers as he mouthed a silent "I love you too" to her.
"The bride and groom will now exchange rings," The officiant declared and Ricky stepped forward on Sharon's side while Andy's son stepped forward on his father's side. Each of the young men carried a small lilac colored pillow with a ring on it. Andy's son took the ring and handed it to his father, while the officiant instructed him to repeat after him.
"Sharon, with this ring I pledge my love to you as I have no greater gift to give. I'll be proud to be your husband and your best friend and honored to call you my wife. With God's help, I offer myself to you, with my faults and my strengths, I'll always be true to you, and be by your side forevermore. In the name of the father, and of the son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen." Andy slid the ring down Sharon's ring-finger and the bright smile that spread across her face made his heart skip a beat. Sharon gave his hand a quick squeeze before she turned to Ricky who handed her the ring. She repeated the same words for Andy and then slid the ring down his finger.
"Sharon and Andy, in the presence of God, your family and friends today, you have spoken the words and performed the rites which unite your lives. By the power vested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride," The officiant said. Sharon and Andy leaned forward and captured each other's mouths in a soft but powerful kiss, while their family and friends cheered for them. Their gazes remained fixed on each other when they pulled apart. Taking each other's hand, they turned towards their guests together. "Ladies and gentlemen, let me present to you for the very first time: Mr. and Mrs. Flynn," the officiant announced and Sharon and Andy began walking down the aisle together, followed by their bridesmaids and groomsmen – their children, out of the church to the sound of Pachelbel's Canon in D Major.
The sun was in the middle of the sky, a true LA summer sun, big and bright, but neither of the Flynns, Raydors, or Beck cared for the weather. Sharon and Andy turned towards their children and smiled at them.
"Nicole, Daniel, Emily, Ricky, and Rusty," Sharon uttered their names softly. "Before we turn around and take pictures, Andy and I just wanted to congratulate all of you. We know each of you had different experiences in your lives. And we hope that now that you are all brothers and sisters, you will share the love that siblings share. Andy and I will always be there for each of you, regardless of you being our biological child, adopted child or stepchild. You all have a place in our hearts and we want you to know that," her voice was soft as se spoke to them.
"And we're proud of each and every one of you," Andy added. Sharon wrapped one arm around Andy and spread open the other arm for their children to join a group hug. The new family remained this way for a long moment before they pulled apart and began posing for their photos to be taken. In that moment, Sharon couldn't help but remember the meaning of the word 'family' as defined by Rusty before she adopted him: "the people in your life who you've decided to love no matter what, and the people who are going to love you back no matter what."
There she was – a mother of 2 biological children, 1 adopted child and 2 stepchildren and the wife of one, very special Lieutenant Andy Flynn, and she loved them all – no matter what. And she knew that they all love her back - no matter what.
THE END
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