"Cammie?" Joe calls out wandering through the house.
"Garage…I'm cleaning!" he Hears followed by a crash "Ow Fuck! Stupid clubs!"
Joe walks into the double car garage with a laugh. "I dropped them...on my own head." She gestures to the golf clubs scatted on the concrete floor.
"Sorry." He laughs again. "Come with me. I have a surprise for you. The head okay?" he kisses the top of head covered in her worn UCLA Cap.
Um, okay. Do I need to change?" She peers up at him smiling.
"Nah, you're fine. You look pretty."
She grins laughingly her blue eyes sparkling. "I'm not wearing makeup and this was John's shirt at some point you sure?"
: "Perfect." He grabs her hand and leads her back through the house and out to his lifted truck.
"Whatever you say. Can I have a hint?
"Nope. But you do have to wear this." He pulled a red bandana from his shorts pocket.
"You remember when we went through our kinky list? Blindfolds were one of my no gos."
"Just this once babe." He folds the material.
He ties the fabric over her eyes. He whispers near her ear and she can feel his smile. "Besides you had no kinky list."
He leads her off a curb. "Don't let me trip or I will kill you in your sleep."
"Love you baby." He says calmly. She feels his hands spanning her trimly curvy hips.
"Seriously I will go-whoa you picked me up."
He says his breath fluttering across her face before kissing her. "Relax." He commands lowly.
The blind folded kiss is somehow disorienting and hot all at once and leaves her off center so she chatters. "That's not something I do. Where's my child?"
"Your sister." He plunks her into the seat.
"Oh okay."
"He'll be home in the morning. "She follows the sound of his voice around the car then hears a door close the engine revs.
"So what I just sit here awkwardly counting how many turns you make."
"Good practice if you're ever kidnapped." He teases backing out of the drive way.
"Joe!"
"They would un-kidnap you very fast." He says laughing. As he drives.
"So, I'm going to like this surprise right?" It's not like your edible undies surprise is it?"
"Hey they totally tasted like fruit roll ups, I know because I was hungry and you left them in my car. "Joe defends then cracks up. "No I assure you its not."
"Wait you ate them?" disbelief colors her expression and words as he turns.
"Again I was hungry" he declares.
"Baby that's desperate." Cam giggles.
"I'm a big guy; snacks are whatever I can grab."
"No one like saw you did they?" She said embarrassed for him.
"No. Maybe." He hedges.
"Weird, you're a weird man." She teases and the car stops.
"I can't see you, I was teasing, don't leave me!"
"I'm parking baby I shrugged." Joe says beside her.
"We're here?" She asked as he got out of the car.
"Baby is observant and pretty I picked a winner." He answers helping her from the car and leading her up a path way.
He opens a door and they're inside. "Where are we? I smell... popcorn."
"Your sniffer is scary good. No screaming when I unblindfold you." He said undoing the knot.
"Why would i- ahh!" she gives a happy squeal. "I have no idea why we're here but I'm happy." She is standing in the expansive lobby of the Kodak Theatre.
He turns for the main theatre doors. "Buy some popcorn and your junior mints I'll be right back."
"Joey, the Oscars are filmed here. I want to live here."
"We can't its expensive. And a theater." He turns back grin at her gleeful expression.
"Dream crusher." She retorts.
"Popcorn, candy, go now" he refocuses her.
"Ok what do you want?" She asked as he turned away.
"Share with you baby." He calls over his shoulder door swinging shut behind him soundlessly.
She goes to follow him and Luca steps out dressed like a tiny usher. "I have strict instructions to make you not peek Mom. I mean Miss." His response makes happy laughter bubble out of her.
"You're tiny I can take you." She says smiling.
"Kidney." He retorts looking scarily like John with his cocky grin.
Dang it, what do you know?" She pulls him to her in a side hug.
"Nothing and everything." Is his cryptic reply.
"Stop watching old undertaker matches it makes you creepy." She said directing to concessions.
"Love you mom."
"Love you most. Want Popcorn? You're seriously cute in that outfit. How much you make Joe pay you to wear it?" the come up to the stand and wait.
"I got as high as three fifty before he threatened to tattle on me and realized he couldn't."
"Nice manipulation son."
"Eh know my opposition weakness right? His is you. Extra butter?"
"Yes Sir." She taps nervously on the glass table top.
"Be right back."
He opens the door. "Event planner lady you're pretty but you're slower than Christmas the Mama's getting antsy." He calls in.
A faceless woman answers. "The Name is ViviAnne kid, you may bring her in."
He brings her in and the stage is covered in white with randomly placed stained glass lights twinkling around them.
"I saved you a seat." A row of three seats sit up on the stage before a giant screen.
"That's my job Joey." Luca complains.
"You wanted to see your Mom I took over."
"What is going on Luca John?" She demands her Mom voice,
"He said you'd ask that and I can't say but I can tell you the lights are made from the sea glass we collected in Savanah and all the other beaches."
What lights?" Cam looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary with the Kodak theatre lighting.
"Look up Mom over the stage." There over the seats were tea lights in stained glass globes.
"That was my idea,"Luca adds.
"Bub, that's really sweet honey."
"Watch your step." He leads her up the steep steps.
"You sit in the middle Joey doesn't share the popcorn if you don't." He directs her.
They all sit down and as they lights dim she notices Joe's hands are shaking. She looks up as the WWE logo appears and then A Campbell Greer production follows.
Then Dierks Bentley steps out to play Joe and Cam's unofficial song Riser. "What in the world?" A slide show starts to play beginning with their first date.
Cam can't help the tears that sting her eyes. As it shifts to one of them from behind holding hands on one of their many courtyard midnight strolls. A rare beach date, one of Joe reading to Luca as she slept at the foot of his hospital bed. The stinging tears now fall slowly.
There are more pictures even a few videos she'd forgotten about. The last one is a photo of their paper lanterns taking to the sky on their one year anniversary.
"Will you marry me? It's what I wished.-Joe." The screen reads and the lights slowly come up. He gets down on one in front of her chair.
"Mom breathe." Luca whispers.
"I'd take our boys advice Mama. I love you and no matter how many challenges we have met that never changes. You make me laugh; you completely blow me away with the resilience of your heart. I don't want easy, I want complicated, I want fascination not boredom, and I want love that will set something in your soul on fire. I want you will you marry me?"
She uses the stupid blindfold to mop her tears. "Yes I will." He kisses her. "Good." He takes the ring out and slips it on her hand.
-/-/-/-
Nikki walks over to John. "Hey look at this." She shows him a picture on Cam's Instagram. Luca making a shocked face with Cam's hand covering his mouth her ring glittering in the light outside the Kodak theatre. "Time for a name change?" the caption read.
"Oh I know, Luca told me that picture is cute though." John grins returning to tying his gym shoes.
"Thanks for telling me John!" Nikki laughed. She texted Cam a congratulations and liked the picture
"It was a secret He slipped." John explained.
"I'm happy for her. For them." Nikki ran her fingers down John's neck lovingly.
"Even with Luke? Marriage isn't something I want Nicole. To me? It's nothing more than a contract." He said before she could get her hopes up/
"I wasn't even thinking that John I was just happy for my friend, God John!" She gets up stomping off.
-/-/-/-
"Wait so you lied when you said Luke was with Maclaren? You left him with the party planner?"
"She has eleven siblings and is a lesbian. I tried to ask her out." Luca said from the backseat as they drove to a local farm to table restraint to celebrate with their combined families.
"Meeting Eva boosts your confidence Big Man?" Joe grins at him in the rearview.
"No he's John's child but that's not the point you left our child with a stranger." Cam said.
"Our child. I love that." Joe says smiling.
"Stop deflecting Joey!" Cam gripes.
"He was fine and she was very personable and warm. Besides she wasn't leaving till I paid her." Joe explains then continues on. "So you liked it, I wasn't sure until you said yes. I love you too and you're welcome. The planner did all the hard work. We get to keep the sea glass lights for the wedding." He leaned over and kissed her at the stop light.
"You can hang them from the trees Mom stick in some little solar led's and it'll look like you trapped a firefly. Like I said my idea." Luca said proudly.
"And it was a great one. Well when do you want to do this?" Cam smiled. "The sooner the better in my mind."
"Cam, baby, slow down. Let's get through dinner and talk in the morning." Joe said laughing lightly.
"Joe? How do you say Dad in Samoan?" Luca asked piping up.
Joe swallowed a little thickly. "Why Luca?"
"In case I get tired of calling you Joe, ya know future reference." The boy said easily leaning up between their seats.
"It's Ta'mah."
"Huh, Ta'mah…did I say it right?"
"Yes." Joe said quietly glancing over at Cam hiding a soft smile.
Luca considers the matter handled and changes the subject. "Ok can I have pizza and root beer Mom?"
"Yes bud. Tonight it's okay."
-/-/-/-
Palos Verdes Trump Golf Course- Wedding Day mid October.
With nearly one hundred guests waiting on her arrival, Cam and Luca waited for their cue. Mac, Trinity and two of her friends from college had been escorted down the aisle laced with fallen leaves in colors of golden yellows, burnt orange and red with the hints of olive green.
"Ready Mom?" She fiddled with her something blue and something old. A bead necklace Luca had made her in the second grade.
She takes Luca's hand. "Yeah you ready? If you don't want me too…"
"I gave him permission Mom…" Luca says as though she is dense.
Joe stood tall at the alter waiting for his bride. Beside him were Jon and his brothers. Today was about family and building one of his own. He looked over to Mac, patiently waiting for her sister in her chocolate colored dress, tears already brimming.
The music began and Joe turned to see his bride coming down to him, Luca by her side. He was brimming with tears, chest busting with pride. This was it, their moment. Joe watched as Cam passed their guests and saw her eyes glance at the man who gave them their pride and joy. John and Nikki smiled as the blushing bride passed them, Luca giving a subtle thumbs up to the pair.
"Who gives this woman to be wed?" The pastor asked.
"Mom can only give herself, but as long as you keep the promise you made I don't mind sharing her. Because nothing lasts forever and everyone needs to be loved." Luca said and Joe is reminded of the promise and a lump rises in his throat at the boy's wise thoughtfulness.
"I promise Luca."
Finally, the moment she'd waited for was upon her. She stood before Joe, her guests behind her, Luca beside her. It was then that Joe took in the elaborate detail of her gown.
The peekaboo material exposing shoulders with beaded pearls garnishing certain places. The material hugged all the right places and her hair was beautifully pinned at the back of her neck. She was an angel, stunning and graceful.
Cam passed her bouquet of burgundy and orange flowers to her sister. The calla lilies were Lucas pick.
They join hands and face each other the ocean behind them for their cliff side nuptials.
"Which one of us goes first?" Cam whispers
Joe squeezes her hands lightly. "I will. From the moment I saw you Campbell I knew, I knew you were going to be the only white girl in the Anoa'I family pictures. More importantly I knew you were mine, no matter how many times you shut me down, I knew to try harder. It wasn't that you didn't like me, you just didn't trust me. Your heart was so scarred and broken… but it still worked so I knew I had a chance. My favorite thing about you is how fiercely and deeply you love, I promise to never abuse that, or take it for granted. I promise I will always put our family first, I promise to make you laugh and teach you to chill the fuck out occasionally. "She laughs at that. " I promise to be honest, to offer my hand when you fall both literally and figuratively. I will love you for eternity because I choose, you. Because everything I will ever need I find within you. I will always be steadfast and faithful to you and you alone. I love you more than you can ever know. That's all I got." He shrugs and she grins. She daps at her eyes with a Kleenex.
She takes a deep breath. "Joe I have never met a single person including my son, who is more stubborn and willful than you. I never thought I'd get someone like you. People tell you no enough you slowly start to believe it. You have taught me to trust more than just you. You taught me to trust God with the one person I have ever loved completely Luca. Thank you for teaching me that. I'm still working on relaxing but I'm sure you'll get your way you always do. Thank you for loving Luca. Because you didn't have too, and you didn't do it for me, you just loved him. That means the most to me. I love you doesn't begin to cover it, not even close there's not a word in any language I know to describe the way I love you. It's deep and abiding and will never change. I promise to tell you when you need to slow down, I promise to make you laugh and let you teach Luke those disgusting habits you say every boy must know. I promise to treasure your kindness, your strong silence and that smile only I get. My faith to will be a fact not ever an option. I promise to think before I speak, to pray for you and to love you for whatever is left of this life time. And that's all folks." She says beaming.
They exchange rings and kiss while Luca cringes behind them causing the crowd to laugh. The photographer snaps the cute image and then gets one of just the bride and grooms kiss.
Cam turns to Luca. "Your turn." "Mom he whines. "Just on the cheek. He caves. He stands on his tip toes to kiss her cheek. He'd recently had a grown the spurt. The top of his head now reaching her shoulders when she was bare foot.
With the guests enjoying cocktails and appetizers on the club house veranda, the bridal party completed their photos.
Before the guests were escorted into dinner, Cam and Joe got a peak at their reception set up. Drapery in cream floated through the room with lights entwined. Each table was adorned with pine cones and colors of the essence of fall. The ambiance was warm and inviting. The newlyweds saw their cake for the first time as the six tired cream colored butter cream cake sat near a window. The baker took extra time etching leaves by hand into the butter cream and adorning the top layer with their topper. Their monogram, given to them by Nikki and Brie as a shower gift. Their table, just for two, sat romantically at the tip of the dance floor.
"It feels oddly real now." Cam murmured.
"And didn't it didn't before?" Joe laughs as they stand in the quiet reception area.
"It did, it's just I never thought we'd get here and I don't just mean us I mean the collective us. John's at our wedding."
"I think that is because his kid's in our wedding." Joe whispered leaning into kiss her.
"Ready to party it up wifey?" He pressed his lips to hers.
"I Love you Joe but no calling me wifey. It sounds like wipey."
-/-/-/-
After cake and toasts come the Samoan fire dancers Luca stands on a chair to make announcement after the first dance.
"My mom doesn't have parents so instead of a father daughter dance I thought I'd dance with her. She sings this song to me when I can't sleep, so I thought it might fit here. He jumps down off the chair as "Never Alone by Lady Antebellum and Jim Brickman's opening notes play.
"Not if you don't want too I just thought-"Luca backtracks misreading her surprised expression.
"I'd love to baby." She smiles at him.
As they dance John leans over to Joe. "He's gotten better."
"He took lessons with me. He wanted to surprise her."
As Nikki watches listening to the song that speaks to a love that never leaves you. She thinks of their situation and wonders if Luca will ever let her into his life in the same motherly manner. She looks across the room and she's not the only person choked up as Maclaren cries watching them.
John chuckles beside her when Campbell has to squat down a little for the spin. "You okay?"
"Yeah, it's a sweet gesture." She wipes quickly at her eyes. Laughing as Cam narrowly avoids being dipped into the floor and instead dips Luca.
"She always was a quick thinker." John says.
"This is all really beautiful. She put it together so fast." She comments.
"She did, but I think she hired someone out of state that the company uses."
They come off the dance floor once the song ends only to drag others to their feet. When a line dance plays she looks to John. "You remember how?" she smiles at him and he remembers what she's talking about.
"I do." He said thinking back to the rinky dink bar in Queensland she'd taught him to line dance in.
"Good teach Nikki!"
-/-/-/-
At the end of the night there are fireworks and Cam and Joe approach them. Cam's perfectly quaffed hair has fallen down to lie in waves on her shoulders as Joe carries her shoes. Cam looks to Luca sleeping laid across both Nikki and John.
"Should I wake him?"
Nah let him sleep." Joe said.
"You'll bring him by our room in the morning so on can say bye right?" Cam asked John.
"Of course."
She reaches down and runs her fingers through his short cropped hair John had cut for him. "Night Bubba."
Joe smiles at her. "Let's go." He grabs her hand leading her away; her laugh draws Nikki's attention as Joe gives her a piggy back ride to the room.
-/-/-/-
The Next morning.
There's a knock followed by a "Mama you up?"
"It lives…" Cam muttered getting up. She picks up Joe's boxers and put them on. Joe lies there looking at her a moment hair mussed wearing his boxers and dressed shirt. She was undefinably beautiful.
"That means John didn't kill it." He retorts getting up and pulling on his dress pants.
She pulls the door open to her swimsuit clad child. "Morning baby."
"Morning Mom, Joe.
"Mornin' bud you partied pretty hard last night have fun?
"A blast. The chocolate fountain was awesome."
'We know. I pulled you out of it remember? So we're leaving in a bit. You sure you wanna stay with John?" Cam asked. She tips his face up to catch those eyes she loves.
"Yep. He promised to take me to a car show and auction and then we're going on the road with Nikki a few days on the bus while they tour here."
"Alright! Sounds fun. Can I have a real hug before we go?"
Alright."
He hugs her. "I love you Mama, you were so pretty last night," he whispers as she kisses his cheek.
"Oh thank you baby." She said softly. "I love you too Luca John."
"Let me go so I can hug Joe." He squirms to be let down.
Joe picks Luca up at six foot five it's easier to hug the boy properly. "I'll see you soon Big Man, be good ok? I'll bring you something back okay?"
"Ok."
"Glad I get to call you mine Son. Love you." Joe hugs him tight.
"Me too Ta'mah Love you back." Luca says.
"Luca?!" Nikki walks in ready for their morning swim. "Thought I lost him." Nikki said. Joe puts Local down.
"Bye Mom and Ta'mah."
Bye Babe."
"Bye Luke."
"What's Ta'mah mean?" Nikki asked as Cam shut the door.
"It's Dad in Samoan." Luca explains.
Oh." Nikki nodded
-/-/ -/-
"Let's go pack and say a quick prayer Nikki doesn't actually lose Luca." Cam said.
"No point to packing my love because you will be naked for the entirety of our visit."
"You are so bad." She laughs.
"You like it." He answers following her into the bathroom.
-/-/-/-
On the plane Joe takes the aisle seat for the flight she sits next to him doing her best to cuddle in the awkward seat. She turns on her music Rum by Bros. Osborne plays as she drifts off to sleep against Joe on their flight to Mykonos Greece.
"And they said I'd never have you." Joe whispers into her hair.
AN: I do not own anything WWE related, I do not own Never Alone, Riser, or Rum. I do not know or own anything relating to Dierks Bentley. I do own Luca, Campbell, and ViviAnne Grayne. If you liked please do review!-MM
