December 25th- Part One:
Chris took a breath as he looked in the mirror. He tugged at his collar, not used to the restricting feeling on his neck. He could feel sweat emerging on the back of his neck, making the room feel sticky. "Is it hot in here to anyone else?" he asked.
Matt and Mike looked at one another before shaking their heads. "It's probably just you, dude," Mike said.
Matt nodded. "It's got to be all the nerves."
Chris nodded in agreement. "Yeah, nerves." Why was he nervous, though? It was Ashley who would be there waiting for him. It was Ashley who was going to be standing there at the end of that aisle.
Chris looked at the clock. It would still be another hour before he had to head to the location. Sighing, he turned on the television that was in the room, browsing through channels, all of them playing a different Christmas movie. "It doesn't really feel like Christmas, does it?" Chris wondered out loud. "I knew it was Christmas, but, usually, by this time, I'm over at my mom's house. Her and I would have exchanged gifts then head over to my grandmother's house and do another gift exchange with her, my cousins, aunts and uncles. We'd be watching one of these stupid specials while all the girls finish making dinner, because they always kick us out of the kitchen. Hell, I know that will be Ash next year. She never wants me in the way while she's cooking." Secretly, imagining Ash with his family next year, making her cupcakes while his grandmother and aunt made the dinner, made him happy. He would be sitting in the den with his cousins and uncles, bouncing their baby on his knee. He imagines a little girl in a big fluffy dress that is far too big for her small frame. It would probably be a dress Jess bought for her.
Chris looked at the time again. It was like none had passed. He wanted to just get to the wedding, be married to Ash. He wanted to let their lives begin. He pulled out his phone, giving a side look to Matt and Mike, seeing if either of them were paying attention to his actions. They were both fixated on the puppet Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer that was playing on the television. He opened Snapchat and took a quick selfie and sent it to Ashley, writing 'see you soon, future ' on the bar. He saved the picture, not because it was particularly good, but because he wanted to remember the excitement of getting to be with Ash. He then sent it, knowing full well it would probably be a while before she got to read it, and even longer before she got to send him a picture back.
Time ticked by slowly, but it did tick by. Eventually, Mike was turning off the television and getting off the edge of the bed he was sitting on. "Alright, vaminos, muchachos." Matt gave Mike a strange look as he spoke, Mike rolling his eyes. "Get off your ass and get into the car, asshole."
Matt let out a small laugh and gave Chris a sideways glance. "I don't know, Mike. I really think Chris just wants to sit here all day."
Chris appreciated the quip from Matt, but couldn't think of a clever response. His mind was racing with too many other thoughts. Instead, he just chuckled and stood up. "Quit being an ass, Matt."
Matt put his hands up in surrender and made his way towards the door, leading the way to Mike's car. "So, did Ashley's parents give in?" Mike asked.
Chris shook his head, confused. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, I know Ash's mom was pissed when she found out she was pregnant."
Chris nodded. "Well, yeah, obviously. Anyone would be. She shouldn't have taken it out on Ashley, though. Ash invited them to the wedding, at least. Her dad talked her mom into coming. Ashley was going to have her sisters in the wedding party, but we decided the smaller the better."
There were only about fifty guests present. Both of their families had shown up, as well as Bob and Melinda, and a couple of friends from their college, but it was still very small. They liked it that way, though. There was a flower girl, Chris's cousin's daughter, and a ring bearer, his cousin's son. Their mother had been instructing them on what to do, making it a game, having practice weddings at their house, which was really nice of his cousin, especially because they didn't have a rehearsal or a rehearsal dinner. They didn't have the time or money to have one. Besides the two children, Matt, Mike, Em, Sam and Jess were the only people in the wedding party. Chris would have had a third groomsman, but without Josh, it just seemed wrong. He tried to not imagine Josh taking on one of those terrible forms that Hannah took on, but it was hard. That was his best friend, at one time. They were brothers, inseparable.
This wasn't a time to grieve. This was a time to celebrate. This was the day Chris and Ash would get to remember for the rest of their lives. Baby or no baby, Chris knew this is what would have happened to them. He knew their lives would lead here. He didn't know it when he met her, and he didn't know it when he developed his crush on her, but now, it seemed so obvious. Chris looked out the window, the beating of his heart increasing dramatically when they drove up to the location. He had nothing to worry about, he reminded himself. Everything would be just fine, and, before too long, he would be married to his favorite person in the world, and soon after that, they would have a family. He smiled, knowing how great his life was, how fortunate he was. "Alright," he said, "let's do this."