Adam

I'm sitting in an empty room, a bar actually, upstairs from the large dinning hall that's been converted into a wedding venue just for us. Fitzy went outside to smoke and to give me a couple of minutes to myself before everything gets started. I stare at the bottle of Jack on the bar, we did a shot just before he went outside, to settle the nerves dancing around my body. He's a good friend. My hands haven't shaken this hard since before Mia came back into my life, back in those dark days I never want to relive again. This time though, they're not shaking from fear, more like anticipation. I'm ready to start, ready to go, ready to marry the love of my life in front of everyone. It's kind of how I used to feel in the early days of Shooting Star, when we started playing shows, the anticipation, the rush I would feel before going on stage. That feeling of such extreme anxiety you might just throw up. I stare at myself in the mirror for a minute. I'm wearing a black fitted suit, vintage of course, with a skinny black tie, an off white button down shirt, and in the spirit of Denny Hall, a pair of vintage black wing tips.

I hear people walking in and taking their seats. I can't help the insane smile plastered all over my face, then I hear Fitzy shout Mia's name from the distance and my stomach almost bottoms out. She's here. and it's time. A few seconds later Liz is running up the stairs with a shit eating grin plastered all over her face, she stops up right when she sees me.

"Whoa." She says looking momentarily shocked.

"You clean up real nice 'Wilde man'..." she laughs.

I glare at her for a moment, Liz of all people knows how much I hate that nick name. That name belongs to another time, an ended time. It doesn't belong here.

"Watch it..." I mutter, "..and thanks"

She comes and straightens up my tie and gives me a once over

"Wait till you see your girl" she smirks. I see Mia's face flash in my mind and have to make a valiant effort to steady my breathing.

"Ready?" She asks.

I nod, smiling back,

"am I ever."

As formalities go this wedding isn't much different from most weddings. There's the ordained minister guy, or Fitzy, who's marrying us. There's my 'best woman' Liz, who is now crying, at my side. I must give her a strange look cause she mouths the words 'oh shut up' to me. There's Mia's made of honor Kim who is losing the battle against her own tears Standing off to my other side. All of this I'm barely registering because suddenly everything goes silent, there's electricity in the air, but not a sound. Or it's a fuzzy sound, like the static on a tv after a movie ends. I hear the pounding of my heart beat thrumming in my ears, because suddenly there's Mia, walking up to me and standing directly in front of me.

I'm not shocked because I've always thought she was devastatingly beautiful, but this is different. She is strikingly so, I'm mesmerized, and I can't stop staring, I'm falling and it's her eyes that catch me, her hand slips into mine and she gives a subtle squeeze, it wakes me up and roots me to the ground. This isn't a dream, this is real. She is all I see, she is all ever want to see. I smile wide and whisper to her across lessening space.

"Your so beautiful"

She blushes bright red and returns my smile.

"Thank you" she whispers back.

The whole ceremony was maybe twenty minutes tops. We said our vows, which we each wrote out ourselves. I had to fight against my own tears as I listened to Mia's words, her vows to me. Even Fitzy got a little choked up, but he played it off. When my turn came, Mia lost the battle as a few rebel tear drops ran down her face. We both stood there grinning like goofball's the entire time. The comedy relief came when our son, who had decided he'd had enough of waiting, said the word 'mommy' rather loudly, in the middle of my vows. Everyone started laughing. The rings were a gift, an irreplaceable gift, from Her Gran and Gramps. These were Kat and Denny's wedding bands. They have been resized, and now fit perfectly. At first I was against it, I wouldn't take something so sacred from them, but Mia's grandparents insisted, stating that it's what THEY would've wanted. So here we are wrapping up the last of all the formalities, as Fitzy says the magic words, and I'm allowed to kiss my bride. I grab her face, staring into her eyes for a moment, and with as much restraint as I can gather, given that we're standing in front of family, press my lips to hers.

The party kicks into high gear right away, there is food, and music, and dancing. Everyone comes up to congratulate us. Mia has Teddy in her arms, he's been rather clingy to her all day. Now that the first shock has worn off, I really take in all of her. Her dress is floor length and this kind of champagne color, her hair is down, with the long dark tendrils in waves cascading down her back. Her upper back, shoulders, and clavicle are exposed, as her dress is strapless, and she's glowing. Every time our eyes meet we both can't help but laugh, and I can't help feeling so incredibly lucky. I get to wake up to this beautiful creature for the rest of my life, she is mine, and I am hers, forever.

We have a DJ, who will spin records in between sets, and there's a band, some old musician friends of mine, who are starting to set up. I have a surprise for her a bit later, but now I'm content to bask in the glow of Mrs. Mia Wilde. She takes my hand, her long slender fingers entwining with mine, and pulls me towards the outdoor deck. With Teddy still on her hip she leads me outside, Liz and Sarah, kim and Alex, and Fitzy, they're all out there, along with some others, having drinks, just hanging out. The second Sarah sees us she smiles and everyone starts clapping, Mia blushes, then she hands Teddy to Sarah, who's waiting for almost any moment to hold him, Liz rolls her eyes and chuckles a little.

"You do realize that's their baby right" she says, jokingly.

"Oh shut up! She's the bride! She needs to party it up, not worry about mom stuff.. We need to get her nice and drunk!" Everyone shouts and yells in agreement.

I wrap my arms around Mia's waist from behind and pull her closer to me,I bury my face into her hair, and breathe the smell of her, she sighs.

Fitzy suddenly emerges with the bottle of Jack.

"Speaking of..what do you say, a shot to the bride and groom.." he holds the bottle higher. Mia grimaces. She's never been a big drinker, and definitely never into hard alcohol.

"What the hell Fitzy, whiskey?" She says in dismay.

"Aww c'mon Mia! Live a little!" Kim shouts from the back.

Mia mocks in horror.

Fitzy starts pouring out shots for everyone, and she concedes.

"Yeah c'mon Mia, you gotta start working on baby number 2!" Liz exclaims.

Mia turns bright red and looks so mortified, that for a second I think she might actually run off and cry. But then she composes herself and spits back.

" yeah well, why don't you worry about working on your own baby" as sarcastically as she can.

There's an evil genius glint in Liz's eye when she smiles wide and responds

"Done!"

For a second I think she's joking, but then Liz looks at Sarah, who is still holding Teddy in her arms, and who is also coincidently the only one of us without a shot glass in front of her and smiles. Everyone goes silent, and looks back and forth between Liz and Sarah and back again. They both just stand there smiling like idiots. It's kim who breaks the silence,

"Oh my god, are you..." But before she finishes, Sarah blurts out,

"I'm pregnant"

Everyone erupts in some form of cheer.

Mia goes over to Sarah and gives her a big hug,

"Holy shit! This is amazing! Why didn't you tell me!" She exclaims whole heartedly.

"I'm sorry. I wanted to, but it's your big day. I didn't want to rain on your parade, you know.."

Mia pulls her in for another embrace. After everyone's calmed down a bit we take the shot.

"To Mia and Adam.." Fitzy says raising his glass. I look to Mia, who is smiling at me.

"..and to Liz and Sarah, god help that baby.." He laughs. Liz elbows him in the ribs and calls him an asshole. I can't help but laugh.

There are some moments in life that I wish I could freeze frame, and live inside forever... that first night back together with Mia in Brooklyn, making love on her couch- I'd told her I loved her again right then and there, without missing a beat, she'd said it back-, the night Teddy was born, the night I asked her to marry me, and this, THIS night is definitely one of them.

We take the shot, Mia grimaces.

"Ugh. Whiskey" she says while shaking her head.

And with that I take her hand and we return inside, to the rest of the party, to our family, and with some of our friends who have become family.

The night carries on as the band plays their set, we all have a great time dancing and singing along. More drinks are shared and I'm feeling pretty good. Eventually Liz, Fitzy, and Myself start jamming with the band, who are some of our friends from the old days. we even play some old shooting star songs. Mia's dancing around with Teddy, who looks totally content, passed out, sleeping in his moms arms. We start to play an acoustic version of this song I once wrote for her, and she smiles at me. I silently wish I had a cello here so she could join in and play with us.

Over the years she's become more comfortable playing music with me, sometimes in hotels, sometimes at home. We used to put Teddy with all of his toys in the middle of the room, and just jam out, until we were both out of breath and Teddy was asleep. These days it's a little harder since he's getting bigger and is now walking. He likes to try to grab at my guitar. I've never lost the urge to want to play with her, the surprise of how good an acoustic guitar can actually sound with a cello. And Mia just keeps getting better, her skill level far surpassing my own. Every now and then I tell her how one day were both going to quit our solo careers and start our own band, just me and her, a cellist and a guitar player, and we'll take our kids on the road with us, and it will be this happy little tour bus with babies instead of groupies, and love songs instead of rock ballads. She always rolls her eyes and laughs, she knows I'm joking, but part of me thinks it would be a lot of fun, just me and her on a stage. I have yet to convince her to play on my next album, though I'm working on it. I have a song I think would be perfect with some cello in the beginning. Although maybe I'm just subconsciously writing songs for the cello, because i like the idea of me and her putting something out there together, professionally speaking.

It's starting to get late and the band has finished their last set, most of the guests have started to leave. Mia's grandparents are long gone and she's talking to Kim and her boyfriend Alex by the bar. Teddy's still passed out in Mia's arms, I see Liz from the corner of my eye, she gives a whistle and I look at her and nod. The party may be over, but I've still got one more surprise for Mrs. Mia Wilde, and right now it's time to go.