*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter they were greatly appreciated thank-you all so much*

"I'm sorry," I say as I hang up my phone as I am talking to our wedding planner. "He's still not answering his phone. I told him he needed to be here by noon. I'm not sure what he's doing."

"It's okay," says Natalia; our wedding planner. "Do you want to give him a couple more minutes to get here or do you want to get started?"

"I guess we could get started. I can fill him in later on everything. I don't want to take up too much of your time," I say. "Hopefully he shows up."

"You're my only appointment today so we can take as much time as you need," she says. "We can wait for Joe if you would like."

"No, let's just get started we already waited a half hour for him. Let's get started without him." I say pretending not to be annoyed with Roman's lack of respect for our wedding planning. I reminded him earlier this morning before he went to the gym that we had an appointment with our wedding planner. He promised me he would be here and 30 minutes later, 10 phone calls and 5 texts later he still isn't here and he's not responding to me. He knew this was something I wanted to do together because it isn't just my wedding but his wedding too even if he had the wedding he wanted. I want this wedding to be just as special for both of us.

"Well, as long as you're ready to get started we can get started," she says. "So you're thinking of a Christmas Eve wedding? Are you looking for an afternoon wedding or an evening wedding maybe even a night time wedding?"

"I was thinking early evening around 4 or 5 in the evening time and a reception shortly after. We're getting married on my father's ranch. We want to keep it small maybe 100 guests at most nothing over 100."

"I have never heard of a small wedding being 100 people," she laughs.

"Have you ever planned a wedding for a Samoan? Joe has a large family and he wants them to be there. It is going to be about 100 people and the reception will be shortly after and that's an open amount of guests. There are some people I want to come to the reception that aren't invited to the wedding."

"I see," she says taking notes. "So you're getting married on your father's property in Texas?"

"Yes," I answer, "and the reception will take place there as well. Joe and I are taking care of travel expenses and my dad is paying for hotel rooms for everyone so that's one less thing everyone has to worry about."

"That sounds wonderful," she said, "so you're looking at the evening time?"

"Yes it is hard to get married on Christmas Eve with church services and everything but that's what we want."

"Do you have your color scheme chosen? I'm seeing reds," she suggests.

"I was thinking more like a dark blue and silver," I say, "but I want to use white Pointsettas for my flowers and their pots wrapped in dark blue foil. I was also thinking of blue and silver ornaments inside a vase on the table with a dark blue bow wrapped around it."

"Very nice," she says taking notes.

"My ring bearer will be my little sister Kaia," I say. "I'm not going to dress her in a tux or anything. She will still wear a dress like my flower girls. I also want to put the baby it in somehow."

"I'm sure you can figure something out. Do you plan to use flower petals or the flower girl to hold a bouquet."

"I like the idea of them dropping flower petals. I know I promised Joe I didn't want to go over the top but I want it to sort of be a winter wonderland theme. Honestly living in the south all my life I have never experienced snow. I want fake snow I even want reindeer at my wedding," I say with a smile. "I want to make it like a real winter wonderland."

"I think we can make that happen," she says with a smile. "Do you know what kind of music you want to walk down the aisle to?"

"Christmas music of course, I love Christmas which is part of the reason I chose Christmas Eve to get married. I was thinking of possibly using Angels We have Heard On High as I walk down the aisle."

"Good," she says writing it down. "Okay, I'm going to give you a name of some caterers to use in the Houston area. You'll want to book now because of it being Christmas Eve and parties happening. I also have a list of florists and bakers in Houston for you as well so they can take care of your flowers and your cake."

"That would be wonderful," I say with a smile. "Thank-you."

"You're welcome. For everything you want to do not including the prices of the caterer, florist, baker and DJ we're looking at about $2,000. This doesn't include your photographer. You still have your dress, the hotel, the travel and others to add which could be well over $20,000 by the time you are finished with everything."

"That's fine," I say. "My dad is paying for the wedding. He told me to do whatever makes me happy. $20,000 is change in his pocket compared to his annual income," I say hating myself for talking about money that way. I have never truly been about money but I don't lack any. My father opened a bank account for me when I was first born and the money is just building up and helped put me through college. I have about $200,000 in my account from my father he randomly adds money to my account. I am grateful but I rarely touch it unless it is for an emergency. Money to me is material and I can get through life without being worried about it. "We aren't worried about the cost."

"I just wanted to let you know that destination weddings can cost a lot of money."

"It's okay," I say.

"Do you plan to have a large wedding party?"

"I don't think so. I was going to have my best friend as my maid of honor and Joe is using his brother or his best friend as his best man. I think that's all we really need so it's nothing huge."

"I see. We'll work out the details and come to more of an idea of what is going to happen. I'm sorry I didn't get to meet Joe today hopefully next time."

"Hopefully," I say. "Thank-you for meeting with me today, I really enjoyed it. I figured this was the easiest way to go so no one's feelings are hurt but to hire a wedding planner plus you know what you're doing."

"I have had some experience," she says. "I have some Christmas wedding ideas here if you would like to look over them and we can discuss more ideas."

"Okay," I say with a smile as she hands me a book of Christmas weddings. I smile as I look at the pictures some of them are really nice but I like my idea of a winter wonderland with snow, reindeer and stuff along those lines. I find some more ideas I would like to use so I inform Natalia and when the session is up I make an appointment to meet with her again but the thing that upsets me the most is Joe never showed up.

When I get home the house is empty and Joe isn't there. Our dog Romeo greets me at the door and I take him outside on a leash so he can do his business before I go back inside. I sit down on the couch and he cuddles with me as we watch Neflix together while we wait for Joe to come home. As I am in the middle of a Grey's Anatomy binge Joe walks into the living room. "Hey," he says.

"Hey," I say not taking my eyes off the surgical procedure occurring with Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd. "Did you get busy?" I ask.

"I was at the gym working out," he answers.

"Did you forget something today?"

"Damn it, I forgot about the meeting with the wedding planner. I'm sorry, Willow."

"I called you and texted you but you never responded."

"I was at the gym," he defends himself.

"ALL day you were at the gym? I know you like to work out but I never saw you spend an entire day at the gym Joe," I say taking my attention away from the TV. "I wanted you there today but you weren't."

"I'm sorry, Willow. I have to keep in shape."

"You look like you're in fine enough shape to me in fact you're looking buffer than usual and treading some of the extra weight you put on off."

"I'm just working harder than usual," he says.

"But working hard shouldn't mean you miss something that is important in our lives. It was for our wedding."

"Willow," he says quickly escalating his temper. "I told you I am down for whatever you want. I want this day to be about you."

"It isn't just about me, Joe it is about you and me. It is OUR wedding. I'm sorry that I don't want to make all the decisions."

"What do you want me to do?" he asks. "What do you want me to do when I'm working?"

"You weren't working today. You know I had a father in this business growing up. I understand the demands that it takes hell I am in the business I know the schedule is chaotic and hectic. I understand, Joe but you get down time and lately during your down time you're distracted. You're not sleeping, you're irritable and restless. What is going on with you?"

"Nothing, Willow," he says, "sometimes you're demanding. Maybe I just want to spend my days off relaxing not dealing with the demands of my wife."

"Oh, I demand you?" I ask. "How do I demand you? By asking you to attend your daughter's school concert? How about asking you to come to a parenting class or a doctor's appointment? I'm sorry I must have been too demanding when I asked you to attend a meeting about OUR wedding in December. That went well in case you were wondering."

"Willow, I don't mean that you're demanding I am just saying that you expect a lot from me. I am one person," he says raising his voice.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Joe. Why don't you ask me how I feel?"

"Why is everything turned into being about you?" he asks.

"I'm sorry. I forgot I was selfish. I'm sorry, Joe."

"I'm not calling you selfish, damn it, Willow. You're always making something out of nothing."

"You just told me I turned everything around on myself which is the same thing as calling me selfish, Joe. I'm sorry that I care about you being a part of the wedding planning or being a part of our child's life. Every time you don't show up to our support group or an appointment for our wedding planner I feel like I am alone. I feel like your support isn't there."

"Willow, you know I support you in every way that I can."

"But you don't show it, Joe. Actions speak louder than words. You say you support me but you have yet to come to our support group for parents with children with Down Syndrome and you can't come with me to an appointment with our wedding planner. To me that doesn't show me that you support me or that you care about me."

"Willow," exhaustion in his voice as he rakes his hands over his face, "I do support you. I'm sorry I am just busy."

"Joe, I understand that you're busy but I hate going to a support group for parents talking about my child having Down Syndrome alone. We were supposed to be in this together yet I feel like I am in it alone, Joe, that's how I feel." I say as tears fill my eyes and my vision blurs over. "I hate it, Joe."

"Willow," he lets out a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Beautiful," he says taking a seat next to me on the couch and turning off the TV. "It's not that I don't support you I do but I'm so busy with my job that I am making sacrifices all the time."

"Will our child be a sacrifice because of your job and what about our marriage is that a sacrifice? I feel like the baby and I are getting in your way of being the superstar you always wanted to be. I never meant to get into your way. We were supposed to go through this together but I got pregnant and we can't. Now I'm home while you're living the life you have dreamed of and I am here being the nuisance because I need you and I want you to be there. I want you to be here with me too."

"Willow, I can't just walk away from the business you know that. I admit lately things have been hectic since I became the champion but come September everything is going to calm down and I'm going to be home."

"For a few months then you're back on the road and then what about the baby and me? I can't do it alone, Joe. I don't want to do it alone."

"And you never will do it alone," he says, "I promise. I'm always here for you maybe not as much as I wish I could be but I am here. I support you. I want to go to a support meeting for the baby. When is the next one?"

"Tomorrow," I say, "but you're leaving in the afternoon."

"No I'm not," he says, "I'm going to take a red eye flight out tomorrow night and go to the meeting with you. Willow, I don't want you to feel alone. I'm sorry if I made you feel that way. It was never my intention. We have to find a balance. I know it's hard with my job but I need to find a balance. I'm losing time with Alani too."

"But you chose the gym over the appointment with the wedding planner today so how am I supposed to feel about that?"

"I'm sorry is all I can say. There are no excuses for that. I should have been there and I am sorry. Just don't feel like I am abandoning you."

"You're just different lately, Joe. I can't describe it but you're not the same man. Your personality is different. You're just different."

"It's probably my workload, Willow, it's nothing more than that."

"But you're so irritable lately and restless. I don't understand who you are anymore."

"I don't think I have changed."

"Because you're not looking from the perspective I am, Joe. You're easily agitated, irritable, restless," I say, "you're not the same man I married. What's going on, Joe you know that you can tell me anything you want. Anything you ever tell me will stay between us please just tell me if something is going on? Are you using certain meds to make your personality change?"

"NO!" he snapped. "Why would you accuse me of something like that? You know the drug testing policy. If I was using something against the wellness policy I would have violated it already."

"Okay, Joe but know if you're going through anything or anything is wrong don't hide it from me. We're in this together remember? There is nothing you are going to go through alone. I love you, Joe."

"I love you too, Willow," he says. "I'm sorry if I have been out of sorts lately. I'm going to try to do better and make more time for you. I want to take you out on a date tomorrow night before we have our support group. Is the support group nice?"

"I would love that and yes they are wonderful. I have made a couple of friends in the group. You'll like everyone. It's a good group. I'm sorry if I seem selfish but I just want you to be there."

"You're not selfish, Willow, I promise. I just had a poor choice of words. This marriage thing isn't easy I'll tell you that."

"I don't think marriage is meant to be easy. I think marriage is about getting through the tough stuff together and not giving up together. No one ever said it would be easy but it is enjoyable none the less because we love each other. If we can't get through the tough stuff how can we enjoy the easy stuff, you know the bad times make the good times better."

"You are right," he says with a smile. "I love you and I am sorry I have been so busy lately but I will make it up to you and I'm going to find a balance."

"I love you too," I say before he kisses my lips softly. "Now can you order some Chinese food?" I ask.

He lets out a small chuckle, "so that's what it is all about?"

"It's about our child wanting Chinese food and wanting to eat. I am starving."

"All right," he says before he kisses me again. "I'll order us some dinner."

"Thank-you, Baby," I say with a smile. "Love you!"

"I love you too," he says as he gets up to get the menus for the Chinese restaurants in the area. I can't help it but I still feel like something is wrong with him. I don't know what it is but something is different. He definitely is not himself.

*A/N: What did you think of Willow's ideas for their wedding? Is she going over the top? What do you think about Joe not showing up for their appointment? Did Willow have the right to be upset? What about their fight? If Willow knows what it's like to be in the business why is she giving Joe such a hard time? Do you blame her for being upset? Should she feel alone in everything? What about her accusing him of using a substance to alter his personality? What did you think of his reaction? Are you seeing the same change in him that Willow is seeing? Please review and thank-you for reading.