A/N: hey everyone! just posting chapt. 10 of How Do You Measure A Year. i'm hoping that there will be anywhere between 20-30 chapts. in this story. but for that to happen, i need REVIEWS!!!! i'm not really happy here, people! i'm very disappointed in you guys! what happened to my faithful reviewers?? you know, the ones who loved Every Ending Has A New Beginning??? this story's not much different than EEHANB. i mean, sure their different plots and all - okay, i'm rambling. i'm gonna shut up now and post this chapt. IF YOU READ, PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!! thank you.
CHAPTER TEN
(Here Comes The Bride)
Roger's Point of View
"July 25th, 2007. Zoom in on my best friend in the entire world getting married." I heard Mark narrate into his camera.
"Mark, put that damn thing away before I take it away." I told him, my tone serious.
"Rog, chill. It's your wedding day. Be nice to Mark." Benny joked. I rolled my eyes and looked in the full-length mirror in front of me – I couldn't believe it was my reflection staring back at me – the reflection showed me wearing a black tux with a white tie, black dress shoes and my usually messy blonde hair gelled back.
"If I wasn't your nephew, Uncle Roger, I would marry you." My ten-year-old nephew Connor said, smiling.
"Thanks, Connor." I thanked him, looking at my reflection in all angles. I can't believe I'm getting married today I thought to myself.
"We ready?" Mike, Justine's father, asked. I nodded and watched both Benny and Mark head out the door to walk down the asile with Joanne, Maureen and Alison.
As I headed to the asile to meet Justine at the alter, I couldn't get over the fact that I would be sharing the rest of my life with Justine Griffin. I knew she was the one for me the first day I laid eyes on her.
Justine's Point of View
Oh my God – I'm so nervous. I can't believe I'm getting married today.
"Oh honey, you look beautiful." Joanne said as I walked over to her.
"Thanks." I mumbled. I was just in shock that I was getting married today.
"You're pretty." Breanne says, picking up her flower girl basket near the door. Taylor, Roger's niece, has already headed to the church doors and was waiting to go down the asile.
"Thank you, Miss Breanne. Why don't you go wait with Taylor, okay?" I suggested. Breanne nodded and skipped over to where Taylor was waiting.
I took a hold of my dad's arm and waited for the Wedding March to play. I could already see Mark, Benny, Roger, Maureen, Joanne and Alison waiting at the alter.
This is it I thought as I watched Taye and Nicki walk down the asile. Next, it was Lizzy and Connor. I kept my eyes straight ahead and smiled at Roger. He looked so handsome.
Before I knew it, the Wedding March was playing and I was walking down the asile with my dad. I felt my smile grow wider as I neared Roger.
"I love you, sweetie." My dad whispered in my ear before giving my gloved hand to Roger. I smiled at him through my tears and the two of us stared into each other's eyes.
No One's Point of View
"…By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." The priest told Roger. Roger lifted the veil off of Justine's face and kissed her passionately. Cheers and applause rose up from the congregation as Roger and Justine headed down the asile as husband and wife, their friends and family following right behind them.
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At the reception, Roger and Justine went around and mingled with the guests while Mark and Alison quietly and quickly went to the stage in the middle of the enormous room.
"Could we have everyone's attention, please?" Alison spoke into the mike. Justine and Roger burst out laughing.
"I believe it's time for the speeches for the bride and groom given by their closest friends." Mark said, smiling at Roger as Alison handed the mike to him.
"I've known Roger since he was twenty-two and I was eighteen. I had been looking for a place to live since I dropped out of Brown when I saw that someone needed a roommate in a music publishing plant that had been divided into 'lofts'. Well, little did I know that Roger and his friends – Collins and Benny – lived there. I dialed the number on the card and I spoke to Roger. We moved my stuff into the loft the next week and sure enough, we hit it off right away." Mark said, smiling at Roger the whole time.
"Give me that!" Alison joked. Mark acted offended as he handed the mike to her and went to sit down at the head table.
"Well, as you all know, I'm Alison Grey – I mean Alison Coffin." She corrected, smiling at Benny. "How I know Justine is simple – we went to high school and college together. She always had a pleasant side to her – smiling, laughing with friends and just the sweetest girl I ever met. I'm glad that she's happy and gonna marry this wonderful guy." Alison felt tears in her eyes as she lifted her wine goblet. "To Mr. and Mrs. Roger Davis – peace, love and happiness." Alison toasted and quickly went back to her seat as Chel, Lizzy and Andi went onto the stage.
"Hi, I'm Andi Davis and I just wanted to welcome our new mom – Justine Davis – into the family." Andi said into the mike, handing Justine a present wrapped in pink paper. Justine tore it open and lifted the present out – it was a framed charcoal drawing that Andi had done of Justine and Roger. The two of them were sitting under the stars, looking up at the night sky.
"Oh Andi, it's beautiful. Thank you." Justine whispered in Andi's ear. Andi smiled and hugged Justine before motioning her sisters to sit back down at their table.
"Hi I'm Breanne Coffin and it's time for the bwide and gwoom to dance together." Breanne said into the mike as the song As Long As You're Mine was played by the string quartet in the corner of the room.
Kiss me too fiercely And just for this moment Maybe I'm brainless Every moment Say there's no future And though I may know
Hold me too tight
I need help believing
You're with me tonight
My wildest dreamings
Could not foresee
Lying beside you
With you wanting me
As long as you're mine
I've lost all resistance
And crossed some borderline
And if it turns out
It's over too fast
I'll make ev'ry last moment last
As long as you're mine
Maybe I'm wise
But you've got me seeing
Through different eyes
Somehow I've fallen
Under your spell
And somehow I'm feeling
It's "up" that I fell
As long as you're mine
I'll wake up my body
And make up for lost time
For us as a pair
I don't care!
Just for this moment
As long as you're mine
Come be how you want to
And see how bright we shine
Borrow the moonlight
Until it is through
And know I'll be here holding you
As long as you're mine
The song ended with Roger kissing Justine on the lips and wrapping an arm around her waist. The two of them headed to the Head Table and sat down as a Ricky Martin song blasted onto the speakers.
"You having fun?" Roger shouted over the noise.
"Yeah!" Justine shouted back. Roger smiled and kissed her cheek.
After a while, Justine and Mike danced for the father-daughter dance. The song that they chose was Somewhere Over the Rainbow sung by Frank Sinatra.
"Wanna dance, Roger?" Dana asked.
"Sure, I guess." Roger told her, smiling as Justine and Mike finished their dance.
"Have fun." Justine mouthed as she sat down next to Joanne on one side and Roger on the other.
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Half an hour later, Justine walked to the balcony to throw the bouquet of flowers to all the single ladies. Lizzy ended up catching the bouquet.
Then it was Roger's turn. Walking to the balcony, he signaled for all the single men to gather round so that he could throw the garter. Taye ended up catching the garter.
Roger smiled and climbed back down the stairs. He checked his watch as he entered the banquet room – he and Justine had been married exactly six hours and forty-five minutes.
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The rest of the night passed in a blur – there was cake, a ton of picture taking, speeches, whining children, people leaving and lots of dancing.
Finally, the wedding guests all left – leaving only Roger, Justine, Benny, Mark, Joanne, Maureen, Chel, Andi, Morgan & David (Maureen and Mark's two month old twins), Adam, Taye, Breanne, Lizzy and Nicki.
"Thanks for coming you guys." Roger whispered. He was holding Morgan in his arms.
"Any time, Rog." Mark whispered back. He was holding a sleeping David.
"Mommy, I sleepy." Breanne whined, tugging on Alison's dress.
"I know, honey. We'll get going soon." Alison told her daughter, tapping Benny on the shoulder – his cue for 'it's time to go.'
"Thanks for inviting us, Rog." Benny quietly thanked Roger.
"You're welcome, Ben. Take care you guys." Roger told the Coffin family, carefully hugging each one of them.
"Rog, let's go. I'm so tired." Justine whined, slumping down in a chair. Roger went over to her and rubbed her shoulders, handing Morgan to her mom. Justine smiled and tilted her head back, enjoying Roger's relaxing shoulder massage.
"Dad, I'll take Lizzy, Nicki and Andi home, if you want." Chel offered. Nicki was spending the night that night.
"That'd be great, honey." Roger told her, smiling at his daughter. He watched her, Andi, Nicki and Lizzy walk out the door.
"Thanks so much for coming you guys." Justine told the guests that were left.
"You're so welcome, sweetie." Joanne told her, smiling.
"So, are you guys gonna move out of the loft?" Maureen inquired. Justine looked up at Roger.
"W-We got an offer on the loft about a week ago." Roger told the group, his tone sad. The loft had been his home since 1978.
"We're looking at houses outside of the city." Justine quickly added, standing up and crossed her arms over her chest.
"You guys must be devastated, huh?" Mark asked. Both Justine and Roger nodded.
"Baby, we should get going." Maureen whispered in Mark's ear. He nodded and put an arm around Adam's shoulders.
"Thank you guys so much for coming." Roger thanked Mark, embracing his friend. Mark hugged him back and put David in his carrier as Maureen put Morgan in hers.
"Have fun on the honeymoon!" Maureen called over her shoulder. Roger and Justine were going to spend three months in Spain and three months in Ireland.
"We will!" Justine told her, burying her head in Roger's clavicle. He smiled and kissed the top of her head.
"Do you two want me to drive you to the airport?" Joanne asked.
"That would be wonderful. Thanks Jo." Roger told her, going to the storage closet and got out four suitcases – two dark blue ones and two light purple ones.
"What time's your flight?" Joanne inquired, walking over and getting one of the light purple suitcases. Roger checked his watch – they had to leave in an hour in order to make their flight.
"If we want to make our flight, we need to leave now." Roger told her, getting both of the dark blue suitcases and headed down the stairs, Justine and Joanne right behind him.
A/N 2: don't own the lyrics to As Long As You're Mine. belongs to respected owner. 'nuff said.