Thursday morning. Roger, Jami, Mark, Maureen, Collins and Adam piled into the extra large SUV with the third row seat that Roger rented for the drive to New Jersey. Mark and Roger packed the car while Collins and Adam brought the bags down. With all the bags being brought down, Roger's eyes widened. "How long do you guys think we're gonna be gone?" he asked looking over at Jami and Maureen.
"Yeah, and we have a rehearsal dinner, a wedding and a reception to attend. Not to mention our down time. We need suitable clothes." Maureen pointed out looking over at him.
"Why can't you wear your bride's maids thingy to the reception?" he asked ignorantly.
"Well Roger, my brides maids gown is gonna be very uncomfortable after a while. Especially with me carrying around your niece or nephew all day long." Maureen argued matter of factly.
"Of course. I should have thought of that." he teased loading the bags into the back of the truck.
"OK, that's the last of them. We have to get going. I want to be there before my family gets there." Jami called out nervously.
"Relax Baby. We have plenty of time." Roger smiled at her.
"I just want to be able to get there and relax before they get there. Everything is gonna be really stressful once I tell them about my HIV. I'm not looking forward to that." she folded her arms across her chest.
"Everything is gonna be OK, James. I'll be right there." he walked over to her, rubbing her upper arms comfortingly.
"I know. I'm just scared. I... I don't know how they're gonna take it. And not only do I have to worry about mama and my brothers, I also have your mom, Doug and Heather too. This is gonna be a very emotionally draining night." she looked up into his green eyes.
"Yeah, it is." he whispered bringing her to him.
"Come on. We... we better get going if we're gonna beat the traffic." she looked up at him.
"OK Baby." he leaned down to kiss the top of her head before letting her go. "All in. Next stop Hackensack, New Jersey." Roger called out as he got into the driver's seat of the truck. Jami got into the passenger side as the others climbed into the back of the 7 passenger vehicle.
They drove in silence most of the way while Jami played nervously with the radio stations. "Oooh, leave this." Maureen called out as a Bon Jovi song came on the radio.
"You like Bon Jovi?" Jami turned to look at her.
"Sure, why not? What's not to like? They're great." she smiled beginning to sing along to the radio. Before long the whole car was singing along. Jami looked over at Roger who was tapping his hands on the steering wheel and singing along.
"You too?" she laughed looking over at her.
"Hello, Jersey rocker." he laughed turning to her.
"Right." she laughed reaching over for his hand before beginning to sing along with everyone else.
When they pulled up to the Davis residence, Heather rushed out to greet them. "You guys are here, finally. What took you so long?" she asked before Jami even had a chance to open the door to the truck.
"Hello to you too, squirt." Roger called out getting out of the truck.
"Yeah, yeah, hi. Um, Jami can... can I talk to you for a minute?" Heather asked dragging Jami out of the truck.
"Yeah sure, we'll get the bags." Mark called out sarcastically as Jami shrugged back at him, following Heather into the house.
"Hi Jami." Mrs. Davis called out laughing as the girls breezed through the living room headed for the stairs.
"Hi mom." Jami yelled out laughing as Heather dragged her into the bedroom. "What is up with you? You barely said hello to your brother?"
"He'll get over it. Um... Noah wants to come to the wedding and I don't know what to do." she told her quietly as she shut the bedroom door behind her.
"That's great. I don't see what the problem is." Jami looked over at her.
"OK, you do remember that I still have 3 brothers right? 3 overprotective brothers who are asses to each other on a good day. How am I gonna bring Noah to your wedding with the 3 of them there?" she paced around the bedroom, chewing on her nails.
"Why don't you leave your brothers to me? I don't know if you remember this, but I'm marrying the middle one. He's kind of wrapped around my little finger. With him down, the other 2 will fold like lawn chairs." Jami laughed going over to her.
"You really think so? Because, I've known them my whole life and I don't think so." she rambled looking at her sister in law.
"Trust me, Heather. I'll take care of the boys. Just worry about having fun with Noah." she smiled looking over at her.
"OK. Thanks Jami. I knew you could make everything OK." she leaned over to hug her.
"Of course I could. I'm super woman, remember? I can do anything." Jami laughed before they opened the door and went downstairs.
"Everything OK?" Roger asked looking up at his wife.
"Yeah, everything's fine. Just a small girl crisis. Nothing I can't handle." she smiled knowing just the mere mention of girl talk would stop him from asking any questions that may end in embarrassment as Collins and Adam brought the last of the bags into the house.
"Are you guys moving in or something?" Doug asked looking down at all the bags.
"No, we're not moving in jackass. We're gonna be here all weekend and apparently the girls need a billion outfits." Roger teased wrapping his arms around Jami.
"Not a billion outfits. Just a million." Maureen countered sitting on the couch.
"Or two." Roger groaned looking over at her.
"I don't know why you're being so pissy. You're getting married this weekend. You should be the happiest guy on the planet right about now." Heather looked over at her brother.
"I am happy, squirt. I've never been happier in my life." he smiled kissing Jami's head.
"I made some food if you kids are hungry." Mrs. Davis smiled looking over at them.
"I could eat." Maureen smiled getting up from the couch.
"Oh my god, I'm starving." Jami smiled following her.
"When can't you eat, Maureen?" Collins laughed looking over at her.
"Shut up. I'm pregnant. The baby is really hungry." she looked over at him before going into the kitchen.
"Oh, leave her alone, Collins. She's eating for two." Mrs. Davis laughed following Maureen into the kitchen.
"With the way she eats, you'd think she was eating for 4." Roger teased.
"Quit it, Davis." Jami looked up at him from the kitchen.
"I take it the girls are on edge." Mark looked over at Roger.
"Yeah, a wedding tends to do that to us girls." Heather looked over at them following behind them.
"Tough crowd." Mark grumbled before going into the kitchen too.
"You think?" Roger smirked.
"Jami honey, did you lose weight? You look smaller than you did the last time I saw you." Mrs. Davis observed looking at her daughter in law.
"On the tour, it was hard to eat healthy. Our schedule didn't leave much time for normal meals. I'm gaining it back slowly." she covered as Roger looked over at Chris, who stood silently.
"I hope your dress still fits you, sweetie." Mrs. Davis commented concerned.
"Don't worry, it does. I had my last fitting on Monday." Jami reassured her as she ate her sandwich.
"Don't eat too much. Save some for the Barnett's. They should be storming in soon." Mrs. Davis laughed looking over at her sons.
"Oh yeah, then the real party starts. I'm gonna get Stefan to give me a rematch at hoops. On Thanksgiving he cleaned my clock." Doug looked over at Roger before taking a bite out of his sandwich.
"Good luck. He went All State back in the day." Jami smiled up at him putting turkey on her sandwich.
"I'm gonna beat him this time." Doug said with his mouth full of food.
"Dude, don't talk with your mouth full. God, that's rude." Roger laughed looking over at him.
"Since when are you a grown up?" he argued looking over at his brother.
"I gotta grow up some time." Roger smiled down at Jami.
"Don't grow up too much, Baby. I like that you're a big kid." Jami smiled up at him as he leaned over to kiss her head.
"I'll try, Baby." he smiled at her as the family ate their sandwiches.
"Roger, tonight and tomorrow you're gonna stay at Chris' apartment with him and Jami and Heather are gonna sleep in your room, so Agnes can sleep in Heather's room." Mrs. Davis smiled at her son.
"Oh come on. Why do I have to stay at Chris' place? It smells funny." Roger groaned looking over at his mother.
"It does not. You just don't want to be away from Jami." Chris laughed at him.
"No, it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding. I know that. But why tonight too?" Roger smirked at him.
"You guys are gonna be married. You're capable of spending two nights away from each other. Anyway, I have something special planned for Jami tonight." Heather smiled at him.
"But both nights? How is that fair? I just spent 2 months without her." Roger whined looking over at his sister.
"Because it is. Don't be such a baby. Be a man. You're gonna be married in two days." Heather laughed at her older brother.
"Shut up, squirt." he groaned continuing to eat his sandwich.
"Keep it up, I'll confiscate both of your cell phones so you can't talk to each other either." Heather pointed at her brother as he dropped his head in defeat.
"You wouldn't." Jami growled looking over at her sister.
"Try me." Heather laughed before eating her sandwich.
"This is gonna suck." Jami whispered looking up at Roger.
"Don't worry, Baby. I'll kidnap you for a little while." he smiled wrapping his arms around her.
"Deal." she laughed holding on to the back of his shirt. Enjoying a fun moment with their family before they need to deliver the HIV news.
