Chapter 3

"Where the hell is Rosalina?!" Kristina sighed, glancing around at the rest of her bridesmaids, who were all dressed in yellow dresses.

"She's just running late Kris," Juanita tried to comfort her.

"It's my wedding day and I'm freaking out and I need my best friend to tell me it'll be okay," Kristina complained, locking herself in the bathroom.

"What are we going to do?" Grace asked the other girls in the room. "We need to calm her down."

"She just needs one thing and we're not it," Patty smiled slightly. "Rosalina will be here soon and Kristina will be just fine."

"Ugh sorry I'm late," Rosalina burst into the room, dressed in her bridesmaid dress with her long hair curled down her back. She was still wearing her glasses that she always wore in the morning. "Where's Kris?"

"Mental breakdown in the bathroom," Victoria pointed towards the door. Rosalina's eyes turned worried and she entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

"I'm so sorry I'm late. Chris was not cooperating today and the lady that did my hair took forever!" Rosalina rambled. Kristina turned to face her, tears in her eyes. "No no no, no ruining the wedding makeup! What's wrong? Come on, talk to me."

"I thought you weren't going to show up," Kristina admitted.

"Awh come on Kris, it's my best friend's wedding day, the only way I'd miss this is if I was dead," Rosalina laughed, putting her hand on Kristina's arm.

"Don't say that," Kristina told her. "Let's remember your track record at weddings."

"Sorry, sorry," Rosalina smiled. "You look beautiful. But I think you're missing one thing."

"I thought you forgot it," Kristina watched as Rosalina pulled the necklace out of her purse.

"How could I forget our family heirloom?" Rosalina winked, motioning for Kristina to turn around. She put the necklace around her neck and they both smiled in the mirror. "Chris was right, you look like Cinderella."

"I'm ready for this, right?" Kristina asked Rosalina for reassurance. Rosalina turned her around to face her.

"More than ready," Rosalina smiled, putting her hand on Kristina's cheek. "You look amazing."

"Mommy, are you ready?" Chris pushed open the door to the bathroom with Nat following behind him. They were both dressed in black suits with yellow vest and ties. His eyes grew wide when he saw his aunt in her wedding dress. "Whoa."

"You look awfully handsome there, godson," Kristina grinned, bending down to peck the top of his head with a kiss.

"Sorry, he was getting a little antsy waiting," Nat apologized, kissing his wife. "Man, i never thought Thomas would land a girl like you, Kris. You look beautiful."

"But not as good as Momma looked when you married her, right Dad?" Chris looked up at his father waiting for an answer. Rosalina did the same, expecting her husband to reply faster than he was.

"Of course, son. Your mom is the most beautiful girl in the world to me," Nat beamed, putting his arm proudly around his wife as his son leaned into his side. "We are all ready to go if you ladies are."

"How's Thomas?" Kristina asked. "Is he freaking out?"

"Surprisingly no, this is the most calm i think i've ever seen him," Nat laughed. "Is that the answer you wanted?"

"That was perfect,"

Later that night…

"This song goes out to the happy couple, we love you Thomas and Kristina!" Alex said into the microphone later that night at the reception. "This one is Thump Thump Thump."

"Will you come dance with me, baby?" Rosalina begged her son, who was laid out across two chairs at the head table. "I am all lonely because your father is performing, i'd love some company from a big boy like you."

"I don't want to," Chris pouted, rolling over on his stomach. His face was bright red from running around all night and he had stripped down to his button up and his paints, with no shoes. Rosalina pushed his hair out of his face and started to run her nails up and down his back.

"Please?" Rosalina pleaded, getting really close to his face and peppering it with kisses. She then started to tickle his stomach, making him squirm. "I'll tickle you til you do it."

"Fine," Chris exclaimed, only to get his mom to stop the tickling. Rosalina smiled and took him into her arms, carrying him to towards the dance floor. She started to sway to the music as Chris leaned his head on her shoulder.

"You looked very grown up today, buddy," Rosalina told him, making the boy smile slightly. "Your dad and I were very proud of how you walked down the aisle and held onto the rings."

"That's because Uncle Thomas told me the monsters under my bed were going to get me if anything happened to the rings," Chris admitted.

"Of course he did," Rosalina laughed as the newlyweds moved their way towards them.

"What's up short stuff?" Thomas said to the two. "I meant your mom, not you buddy."

"You look tired, Chris," Kristina said, rubbing her hand on her nephew's back. "You think you can come dance with me for a little bit? I think you might be better than your Uncle Tom."

"Okay," Chris said quietly as Rosalina handed him over to Kristina, who wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close.

"I'm not that bad of a dancer, right?" Thomas asked Rosalina as they started to dance together.

"You're no Nat but you can hold your own," Rosalina told him. "Are you bummed about having to stay home this summer while everyone else is on the tour?"

"Definitely not how i expected to spend my first summer as a married couple," Thomas admitted. "But it's her job so she has to do it, just like i'll be doing my job here."

"Yeah I'm sure the football team will keep you busy enough," Rosalina laughed.

"That and taking your kid everywhere with me, I'm going to be a busy man," Thomas smiled, glancing over at Kristina and Chris dancing together.

"I never said you had to take him anywhere!" Rosalina exclaimed.

"You didn't because you are too stubborn to ask for help but I've already been instructed to overstep my boundaries and help out as much as possible." Thomas grinned.

"Nat?"

"Yes, but i've been catching more of the brunt from my wife over there," Thomas pointed his head towards Kristina. "She's worried about you being alone for the summer."

"I'm not alone, I have you!" Rosalina smirked, patting his chest. "I'll be fine though, I'm just worried Chris thinks his dad is abandoning him and I'd hate for him to feel like that. I should know, that feeling sucks."

"Chris will be just fine, he can come to practice with me everyday if he wants to!" Thomas said. "He will have more than enough men in his life to last him a lifetime."

"Hey R, I think he's running a fever," Kristina rushed over to her new husband and her best friend, her cheek up against his forehead.

"You want to go watch something on the iPad and cuddle up on those chairs?" Rosalina asked, earning a weak nod from her son. She took him from Kristina's arms and laid him back down where he was laying before. "We will go home after Daddy's done playing, alright?"

"Okay,"Chris said quietly before nodding off to sleep. She sat down next to him and watched as Nat and Alex transition to another song. She caught Nat's eye and smiled at him, earning her a smile back with a wave. God, she was really going to miss that man.