Jason paced back and forth across the room, checking the clock to see that he still had a half-hour until he could leave the single life behind. Emily and his parents had been in earlier to wish him luck. While he was aware that they did not exactly care for Carly, they had not said one word against her since finding out about the engagement. Although they were far from being close, he was glad that they were there. Memory or not, they were still his family.
Max called to Jason from the hall, announcing that the boys were there. He opened the door to let them in, throwing a thankful smile to Max as he shut the door behind them.
"Hey guys," Jason said as they came in. In his suit, Morgan looked like a miniature version of Sonny. Michael looked so grown-up standing next to them. As he looked at them, Jason could hardly believe how old they were.
"Hi, Jason," Morgan said as he hugged him. Michael followed Morgan with a similar greeting and hug.
"Look, I wanted to talk to you for a second, just us guys," Jason said. "I just want to make sure that you know how much I love you, and how much I love your mom."
"We know," they replied in unison.
"Are you really, truly okay with us getting married? You two are the most important people in her life and mine."
Morgan laughed at Jason. "We already gaved you our permission, silly. 'Course it's okay."
"We love you, too," Michael said as Bobbie knocked on the door.
"Carly wants to see the boys," she told Jason as she escorted them out of the room.
With a deep breath, Jason pinched the bridge of his nose and looked himself over in the mirror for a final time. Not an ounce of nervousness pulsed through his body, only relief that he was about to have his greatest dream realized. Everything perfect, he headed down the aisle to the front of the church to await his destiny.
Meanwhile, Carly raced around the dressing room to make certain that everything was perfect. Twenty minutes to go, she thought to herself as she adjusted the strap of her simple white gown. Across the room, Bobbie was fixing her hair. Carly turned and smiled to her mother in the mirror. Bobbie returned the smile as she sprayed the final tendril in place and walked to where Carly was now sitting.
"Nervous, honey?" Bobbie asked as she patted Carly's hair lovingly.
"No, actually, I've never been so sure of anything in my life," she replied.
Bobbie smiled widely at her daughter, amazed at how close they had grown. "I just want you to know that no matter what happens, I love you, Carly. All you have to do is call your brother or I, we'll always be there."
"Thanks, Mama," Carly told her as she embraced her mother warmly. "Can you go get the boys, I'd like to spend a few minutes alone with them."
Bobbie only nodded as she left the room. A minute later, she returned to the private dressing room to deliver Carly's sons.
"There are my boys!" Carly exclaimed as they came over to hug her. She smiled as she inspected her two angelic sons. Each was dressed in simple black suits that matched Jason's. Carefully, she straightened Michael's tie and tied Morgan's shoe lace. "I want to talk to you before we go out there."
"What do you want to talk about, Mommy?" Morgan asked innocently.
"Here, let's sit down," Carly said to the boys as she sat down on the couch. After the boys had climbed next to her, she said the only thing she needed to say that day to the only two people that needed to hear it. "I love you both more than anything in the world, even more than Jason. And if you're not okay with me marrying him, I won't. I just need to know that you love Jason and that you're happy that he is going to be part of our family forever."
"Mom, Jason is going to be a part of our family whether you get married or not," Michael giggled. "He's like my dad, only not."
"Morgan?"
"I love Jason, Mommy," Morgan said, distracted by his loose shoelace. Carly absently reached over and retied the shoelace. Then, she kissed each of them on the forehead and silently thanked God for giving her the two amazing boys that were her son. A knock at the door broke the final moment that the three of them would ever have as a family without Jason.
"Ready, Caroline?" Luke asked as he entered the dressing room.
Bobbie filed in behind Luke. "Ready, boys?"
"Yeah," they answered in unison as they left the room with Bobbie, leaving Luke alone with his niece.
"Well, let's do this," she said as she adjusted her veil for a final time in the mirror. Luke escorted Carly out of the dressing room and to the back of the candlelit church. Hidden behind the door, she could see Jason waiting for her at the end of the aisle. As the violinist began to play the prelude, the boys walked down the aisle beside each other. She could see Michael whispering at Morgan to slow down as they struggled to keep their step in unison.
Once they were nearly to Jason, her mother started down the aisle. Carly and Luke watched in pride as Bobbie walked slowly in her lavender chiffon gown. As she reached the front of the church, she stepped into her position. Then, the strong opening beats of the wedding march rang out as the few guests rose to their feet. Weaving her arm through Luke's, she looked at her uncle and whispered, "They're playing my song."