Chapter Thirty-Six
After a few more moments to ourselves, Tommy took my hand and led me through security and back to our group where Trini and Aisha prompted attacked me with a group bear hug. I held them close, giving them both a tight squeeze. Pulling away, both of them dabbed their eyes with tissues I had seen the woman security guard give them. "That was beautiful." Trini said, wiping her eyes. "I'm so happy you guys found each other again."
"Took long enough." Aisha said, smiling at me.
"Ain't that the truth." Jason added, smirking at me. He gave me a wink before wrapping an arm around my shoulders. He hugged me into his side, letting out a little laugh. "You owe me big time for the parking ticket I probably have for parking in the taxi lane."
"Okay." I said, laughing. "What the hell happened? How did you guys all get here? What happened with the wedding?" Jason released me, and Tommy took his place.
"I just told Katherine that it wouldn't be fair to marry her when I still felt the way I do about you. That's all." Tommy replied.
"In the middle of her walking down the aisle." Zach piped in, stepping towards us. Adam was behind him, trying to help Billy stand up straight. I gaped at Zach, shifting to look at Tommy.
"You left in the MIDDLE of the wedding ceremony?"
"Well, no. More like the beginning. It's a long story and I can explain it on the way back to the Youth Center." He said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"We're going back to the wedding?" I asked.
"The caterer left all the food and we have a cake. Best to not let it go to waste." He replied, shrugging his shoulders.
"Yes! Food!" Rocky called out, his face brightening up.
Our group made our way out of the airport, my suitcase already on its way to Paris. I would need to have my Mom get it when the plane landed and ask her to mail it back to me. I'm sure she would be upset when she found out I wouldn't be coming after all. Jason told me as we climbed into Trini's car that I could call her from the Youth Center. Jason, Trini, Tommy and I were in Trini's car and everyone else piled into Rocky's jeep. Thankfully, no one had a ticket waiting for them and we were on the highway in no time, once we were passed the airport traffic. I snuggled into Tommy's side, a place I didn't plan on moving from any time soon. He wrapped his arm around me and kissed the top of my head.
"You do look pretty handsome in that suit." I said, adjusting his tie.
"Thanks. I had the cutest wedding consultant help pick me out." He replied.
"I'll have to meet her sometime."
"I think that can be arranged." He whispered, leaning in to kiss me. From the front seat, I heard Jason scoff and I saw him roll his eyes at us. I let out a giggle, a smile on my face that just didn't seem to want to disappear.
As we neared the Youth Center, I saw there were still a fair number of cars parked in the parking lot. Jason pulled into an empty spot, Rocky following suit next to us. We all climbed out, me feeling a bit under dressed compared to all of them in their wedding attire. Taking my hand, Tommy led me into the Youth Center as we followed behind Jason. There was a group of people inside, mingling around. I instantly recognized Jason and Tommy's parents, talking to one another by the juice bar. Rocky's mother was sitting with Aisha's parents at one of the tables, Mr. Campbell telling a story that was making Mrs. DeSantos laugh loudly. I saw a number of Tommy's extended family members, mingling around the room. Trini's parents were also here, speaking quietly with Aisha's grandmother. To my surprise, I saw Bulk and Skull at the back of the room. The two hadn't changed since the last time I had seen them. Bulk did look like he had lost some weight though and Skull was sporting a dark goatee. The two were eating food that had been set out for the cocktail hour, talking to David who seemed amused by the two.
"Looks like everyone stayed for the free food." Zach said, glancing around the room. Tommy nodded.
"Good thing. I didn't think we would be able to eat through all the food, even with Rocky here." Tommy replied. His mother spotted us from the other side of the room and she smiled. Excusing herself, Amelia Oliver walked towards us.
"Kimberly, it's so good to see you." The tall, raven haired woman said as she hugged me. I gave her a gentle squeeze back, the smell of lavender filling my senses. Pulling away, I smiled at her.
"Hi, Mrs. Oliver. It's good to see you too." I replied.
"I am so happy that Tommy realized what we all knew before it was too late." She said, grinning at her son. Tommy shook his head, wrapping an arm around my waist.
"Me too." I replied, smiling up at him. "We both did."
"Uh oh." Aisha said, walking towards me. I gave her a confused look, but I had my answer when I saw Sandra and Frank emerge from the hallway of the Youth Center. I felt Tommy stiffen next to me, telling me he had seen them as well. Amelia frowned when she noticed what we were looking at.
"Yes. I was going to tell you. Katherine left with your friend Tanya, but her parents were waiting for you. Especially the mother." Sandra scanned the room and when her eyes landed on us, her cheeks reddened and she beelined it right for us. Frank trailed behind her, trying to get her attention. She paid no mind to him though as she stopped in front of us.
"I knew this was going to happen. I knew it as soon as I saw the way you two looked at each other when we were here that first day. Katherine kept telling me that you were such a standup guy and that nothing was going on between the two of you, but I knew better. Now, you are going to apologize to our daughter and make this right. I don't care if you think you have this lost love things going on between the two of you. You made a promise to Katherine that you would get married and I am not going to let a long-haired punk treat her like this." Sandra seethed, glaring at the both of us.
"Sandra, it's Tommy's choice on who he gets to be with." Amelia said, coming to her son's defend.
"If you raised him better, we wouldn't be in this situation." Sandra snapped, pointing at Tommy's mother.
"Don't speak to my mother like that." Tommy said, holding a hand up to separate the two women. "I told you I wasn't going to marry your daughter. I'm sorry but that' how it's going to be."
"No, it's not! You are going to marry her, and you are going to tell her that this was all a big misunderstanding."
"Sandra, knock it off." Frank scoffed, stepping in front of his wife. "The boy said his piece and did Kat a favor. Would you rather him tell her now or wait a few years and cause a messy divorce? At least this way, Kat doesn't have to go through all that. She's going to be fine. She's a big girl with a good head on her shoulders. Let it go." Sandra gasped, glaring up at her husband.
"Frank! You're just going to let him get away with this?" She asked. Frank glanced at Tommy and smiled.
"I think so." She huffed, turning and storming away from her husband and out of the room. It instantly felt less hostile once she was gone. I took Tommy's hand in mine and felt it was clammy. He had been nervous about speaking with them, something I didn't judge him for. That woman was evil, giving Rita a run for her money.
"Mr. Hillard, I am truly sorry about all of this. I will pay you back for all the money you spent on this wedding. I promise." Tommy said. Frank shook his head, waving his hand.
"Don't worry about it, Tommy. Just promise me that you will do your best to be successful in life. You're a good kid. Forget about what my wife says. Katherine was lucky to have you in her life and she is lucky that you did the right thing before it was too late. Thank you for that. It's all I could ask for." He stuck his hands into his suit pockets. "I should go find her and tend to Katherine. You have a good life, Tommy."
"Thank you, Mr. Hillard." Tommy said. Frank turned, heading towards the door. He stopped though, looking back in our direction.
"You know, it's just a shame that this wedding will be going to waste. I mean, all this food, the decoration, your friends and family in the same place. What a thing to waste." He winked before turning and walking out of the room.
"What a nice man." I said, smiling up at Tommy. Tommy was staring off into the distance where Frank had just been standing, a look on his face. "Tommy? You okay?"
"He's right." He said.
"Well, yeah. You saved Kat a lot of heart ache in the future."
"No." He turned to face me. "Not about that. About the wedding. It would be a waste to not use it." I looked at him confused.
"What are you talking about?"
"Let's get married." He said, smiling down at me. I felt my mouth drop open as my eyes widened.
"Tommy, you want to get married?! We haven't even been back together for two hours. You just want to get married?" I asked. He nodded.
"Yes! You are the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. We have a perfectly good wedding—that you planned—waiting for a bride and groom. Everyone is even here!" He exclaimed.
"It wouldn't be legal, though." I pointed out. "We don't have a marriage license with my name on it."
"Then we can do it again. Maybe in France with your Mom there. She'd love that! Where else are we going to get everyone we love together in one room like this?" He asked.
"This is insane." I said, shaking my head.
"Has any part of us not been insane? I love you, Kimberly. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He whispered, stepping closer to me.
"I don't have anything to wear! You want me to get married in jeans and a t-shirt."
"Your dress is here!" Trini called, reminding me that they were all standing around us. Each watched like a hawk, waiting for an answer. "You can wear that."
"I can do your hair and makeup!" Aisha added.
"David can still do the ceremony and we have everything else here. What do you say, Beautiful?" He looked down at me, hope filled eyes catching mine.
"What else can I say?" I whispered. "Yes. Yes, I will marry you."
"Really?" He asked. I nodded. Bending down, he cupped my face with his hands and kissed me quickly. Letting go, he turned to the rest of the room. "Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen. I want to thank you all for staying here during our…intermission. There has been a slight change of plans. There will be a wedding after all! If you can just give us about an hour, we will continue on with our scheduled events."
"Tommy is nuts if he thinks I can do your hair in an hour!" Aisha exclaimed, clipping a piece of my hair in the curling iron in her hand. She was moving around me as I sat on the bench in the women's locker room, resembling that of a chicken with their head cut off. Trini stood in front of me, applying a light layer of cover up to my face. "With all that hair, you would think he would know what it takes to get this done."
"His just naturally is like that, though." I said, smirking. Aisha huffed, moving on to the other side of the bench.
"Remind me to yell at him after this is all over." She added, straddling the bench behind me.
"Will do!" I chuckled. Trini moved on to the eye shadow, picking a light pink to coat my lids.
"I can't believe this is really happening." She whispered, and I heard the emotion thick in her voice.
"No crying. Not yet." I warned, thankful I couldn't see her. She sighed, moving to the other eye.
"I can't make any promises, but I will try."
"Okay. I think I'm done. It's the best I can do under such time constraints." Aisha announced, releasing all of my hair from her clutches. I felt Trini step away, allowing me to open my eyes. I looked in the long mirror in front of me and say that Aisha had given my hair a lovely array of beach curls, the wave making the blonde highlights shine around my head. She had pulled two roses from an arrangement and pinned them at the back of my head, pulling it slightly back.
"I love it! You did a great job, Aisha." I said, loving the way it looked. She beamed, smiling.
"I think I'm in the wrong business." She stated, unplugging the curling iron. "Here, Trini. I'll finish her makeup. You probably need to put on the water proof mascara. It's in my bag."
"Thank you." Trini said, letting Aisha take her seat in front of me. Quickly, Aisha painted my lips and brushed on some blush on my cheeks. Trini used a corner of the mirror to apply her own makeup, handing the mascara to Aisha as she finished. Aisha applied it to me, adding the last touch before standing up.
"I think you're good to go." She said, glancing at Trini who smiled, nodding at me. I had changed into the dress before they started my hair, Aisha worried it would mess up my hair and makeup if I had tried to get it on after. Behind us, there was a knock on the door. Aisha jumped in front of me, afraid that the person behind it might be Tommy.
"Who is it?" Trini called, walking over to it.
"Jason." His deep voice said on the other side. Trini unlocked the door and pulled it open, just wide enough for him to slip in. He stepped in, the cordless Youth Center phone in hand. "Kim, I finally got ahold of your mother." He said, holding the phone out to me.
"Oh!" I took the phone from him, bringing it to my ear. "Mom?"
"Kimberly, what on Earth is going on?" My mother's voice asked. "First, you called and told me that you were coming here and now Jason said something about Tommy."
"It's a very long story and I will tell you about it later. But, for right now, I need you to hang tight on the phone, okay?"
"Why?" She asked.
"Cause I'm getting married and this is the only way you can really be here." There was silence on the other end of the phone, my statement probably sinking in.
"You're getting married?" She asked.
"Yes."
"To Tommy?"
"Seems so." My mother let out a loud shriek, causing me to pull the phone away from my ear.
"Oh my god! This is so great! When?! How did he ask you?!"
"Well, in about ten minutes. I told you, it's a long story. I really want you to be here, but this is the best I can do with such short notice. I hope you're not mad." Around me, Trini and Aisha were doing the finishing touches to my hair and slipping my shoes on.
"Of course not, dear! I better be close enough to hear everything too. I am so happy for you, Kim."
"Thanks, Mom. I'm going to give you to Jason so that I can finish getting ready."
"Alright. I love you."
"I love you, too." I handed the phone back to Jason. "Can you send Billy back here, Jase?" I asked. He nodded.
"Sure. Let me see what trash can he's currently dying in." He winked at me before slipping out the door. A few moments later, there was another knock. Trini let Billy inside the locker room, his skin tone looking a bit better now.
"You look better." I said, smiling at him. He nodded, giving me a wide smile.
"The elixir helped a great deal. You look beautiful, Kimberly. You wanted to see me?" He asked. I nodded, standing up.
"Billy, would you walk me down the aisle?" I asked. I saw his eyes shimmer for a moment, slight tears forming in his eyes.
"Are you sure?"
"Affirmative." I replied, giving him his signature expression. He laughed, wiping his eyes.
"Affirmative, it is then. It would be my honor."
"Yup. Going to cry." Trini muttered behind me as she grabbed the box that had the bouquets in them.
"Two minutes, girls!" Json called through the door. Quickly, Trini handed Aisha her bouquet and then me the one that was supposed to be for Kat. A pang of guilt hit me as I realized I was not only marrying tommy, the man who stood her up at the altar, I was also stealing her wedding. The guilty feeling went away though as I thought of Tommy and everything we have been through in the last two weeks. The last two very long weeks.
"Ready?" Trini asked, taking her own bouquet. I nodded, feeling butterflies dance in my stomach. Billy walked over to the door and glanced out, checking the coast. Giving us a thumbs up, he let Aisha, Trini and I walk out. Aisha jogged ahead, signaling to Zach or whoever was controlling the music the drifted up the hallway. The music changed as she came back towards us, the melody slower and softer.
"That's my cue." Aisha whispered, turning to me. "You look beautiful. I'm so happy for you." She gave me a quick hug before stepping out. She walked slowly, like we had rehearsed the other day and I watched until she disappeared up the aisle.
"And this would be mine." Trini said. I gave her a tight squeeze, thankful to have my best friend here with me. She sniffled as she pulled away, giving me a watery smile as she headed out after Aisha. Billy stepped towards me, putting a supportive hand on my shoulder.
"Perhaps you are the bravest ranger on our team." He stated.
"How so?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"You're the only one brave enough to follow your heart." The music changed, switching to the bridal march. Billy held out his arm for me and I tucked my hand into his elbow. Taking a deep breath, I let him lead me out into the main room of the Youth Center where everyone stood as I entered. I was shocked to see that almost all of the chairs were filled still, even with the absence of Kat's invited guests. People smiled at me and the flash of a camera told me that the photographer had stayed as well. Billy did a great job keeping a slow pace as we rounded the corner behind the chairs. My nerves and my heart were on edge as we reached the end of the aisle.
All of that seemed to melt away though as I looked up the aisle, the white runner surrounded by white and pink rose pedals greeting me. At the end, I saw Tommy standing between his brother and Jason. There was a wide smile on his face and a tear slid down his left cheek as he looked at me, his gaze never wavering as Billy and I walked towards him. I smiled back at him, happy to see the man of my dreams waiting for me in a place I never thought I would see him. A man I never thought I would see again. One that keeps surprising me, day after day.
As we reached the end of the aisle, Billy came to a stop. I kissed him on the cheek before allowing him to stand with the rest of the boys behind Tommy. Tommy reached his hand out, helping me step up onto the alter. From the corner of me eye, I saw the youth center phone tucked into one of the logs of the archway. I knew my mother was probably pressed against it, listening as hard as she could. David smiled, glancing between Tommy and I as he looked out at the audience.
"You may be seated." He said. There was noise and moment as everyone shifted back to their seats. "Everyone, I am honored to be standing in front of you today to help created the union between Miss Kimberly Hart and my brother, Mr. Tommy Oliver. Some of you might not know this, but Tommy and I were both adopted at a young age. We found each other later on in life, something I am eternally grateful of. When I first met Tommy, he told me this story about how a girl had broken his heart. It was something he was dealing with on such an emotional level, I feared that my brother would not be able to overcome this. I realized, however, that whenever he spoke of the girl who broke his heart, it wasn't out of hatred or spite. It was out of love and hope. Hope that someday, he would be able to find her again and reunite that love that they shared between them. Ladies and gentlemen, that day had happened, and it so happens to be today." David beamed as he spoke, happiness in his features as he looked between Tommy and I. Tommy reached out and took my hands after I handed my bouquet to Trini.
"You're beautiful." He whispered, just loud enough for me to hear. I smiled up at him, stroking the top of his hands with my thumbs.
"Kimberly, I've only known you for a few days now, but I recognized something in you from the moment that we met. It takes a special person to love someone and it takes and even more special person to love someone and allow them to be happy, even if it means with someone else. I saw that you were hurting but did not selfishly try to stop something you felt you had no right to. You were willing to help Tommy be with someone else, even if it meant hurting yourself in the process. If that's not the true definition of love, I don't know what is. Plus, anyone who is willing to be with Tommy and his ways, deserves a prize." We all laughed at David's joke as Tommy looked at his brother fondly. "I've heard many stories from your friends about the love the two of you share and I see it before me today with my very eyes. It is something pure and something that is often written about in books. A love so strong that nothing can break it, not even ourselves."
"Aw." I heard my mother say on the phone, her voice filled with emotions. She sniffed, obviously crying.
"Can I have the rings?" David asked, turning to Jason. I frowned.
"We have rings?" I asked, stepping closer to Tommy.
"Not exactly." He replied. Jason handed David something who turned back to us.
"Okay. The ring. My apologizes. Tommy," He said, holding his hand out to his brother. Tommy released my left hand and held his right hand out to David. "Take this ring and repeat after me as I bless it."
"Alright." He took my hand and held it, a ring in between his thumb and pointer finger. I saw it was a thin silver band, two gem stones on top of it. One was pink and the other green. Tears filled my eyes as I realized it was the ring his grandfather had given him. The ring he had set aside for me.
"With this ring, I promise to love, honor and cherish you for the rest of my life." David said, Tommy repeating it after him. "I promise to take care of you and in turn let you take care of me. I promise to not let the bad times over rule the good times. And I promise to do this all again when we legally get married."
"You're such an ass." Tommy laughed as he repeated the words. David shrugged, grinning.
"Kimberly, since you do not have a ring, I want you to take Tommy's hands and repeat after me."
"Okay."
"Tommy, I promise to love, honor and cherish you for the rest of my life. I promise to take care of you and in turn, let you take care of me. I promise to not let the bad times over rule the good times." David said, and I repeated the words, my voice cracking as tears slipped down my face.
"Do you have anything you would like to say to one another?" David asked. Tommy nodded, gripping my hands.
"Kimberly, you are the most amazing person I have ever met. Just the sight of you makes my whole world brighter. When I lost you the first time, my world was dark. But then you walked back into my life and it's like I found a new reason to live. I feel like I have purpose now that you are here and when you told me you still loved me, it was like someone breathed new life into me. I'm not sure what I did to deserve this, but I will spend the rest of my life, trying to pay back the universe for bringing you back to me."
"Tommy, if I had known that coming back here would have landed me here, I would have run back much sooner. You are the love of my life and my feelings for you have never changed. I made a mistake before but somehow, you found a way to look passed all that to still be able to love me like you always have. I'm glad to have you back in my life and I am never going to leave you ever again."
"Good cause I'm probably not going to let you go." He replied, a light laugh coming from around the room.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it's my honor to present to you the new but not so legal yet, Mr. and Mrs. Tommy Oliver. Tommy, you may not kiss your bride." David wasn't even finished with his sentence before Tommy pressed his lips to mine, dipping me in his arms as everyone cheered.