A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the delay, but major shoutout/props to nitro9 who helped me get back on track! Thanks for reading and reviewing. For this one, CONTENT WARNING FOR MENTIONS OF HOMOPHOBIA. Also, this is the final chapter for now...which is explained at the end!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
After saying hello to their few guests, the photographer grabbed a few photos of them. Teresa raised doubts about using a professional photographer for such a small event on such a short notice. Of course, with the proper enticement (twice her normal rates), the photographer happily agreed to shoot their wedding as well as some portraits.
"Honey, the wedding turned out great." Teresa smiled at him coyly as she slid one of the small sandwiches in her mouth. She made it very clear after their photos that she was ready to eat. While it had never been a good idea to stand between Teresa and her food, it was an even worse idea now.
They were seated at the "head table," surrounded by their few guests. They had arranged the tables in their yard into a square shape so that they faced their guests and it seemed a bit more like a banquet, with a makeshift dance floor in the center. He appreciated the intimate nature of being surrounded by family and friends that came to celebrate them making their family whole.
"Watching as my beautiful bride gave me the privilege to love and cherish her for the rest of time definitely made for a great wedding."
She squeezed his hand as he kissed the side of her head. "I was a little worried about pulling it off in a week's time."
He felt a little twinge of guilt. They married so quickly that her Uncle Evan, who she had thought might walk her down the aisle, could not attend because he and his partner, Jason, were out of town for the holidays. After making Teresa hand him the phone and issuing a series of stern warnings and thinly veiled threats, he was satisfied and promised to visit them at the new house when they returned in mid-January. "Oh, I wasn't. All we had to do was get the officiant and two witnesses here, and boom! Married!"
She laughed out loud at that, drawing the attention of their guests. "Sorry, guys. Apparently, my husband is a comedian!"
His heart beat faster at hearing her call him "husband." He loved the way it sounded when she said that. "Just doing what I can to keep my wife laughing."
"Daddy Patrick?" He looked to his side, noticing Annie in her puffy dress. She looked absolutely adorable, and he was glad they grabbed those family snapshots earlier. He couldn't wait to take their family photo to the office.
"What is it, sweetie?"
"When are we going to have cake?"
"Just as soon as you eat some of those veggies on your plate." She frowned as he pinched her little cheek.
"You said it was a day of celebrating, so why do I have to eat vegetables?"
He nodded his head and scrunched his nose, like he was contemplating a serious answer to her question. "Because we have to eat vegetables every day." He leaned into her side for dramatic effect. "We don't want to make her upset by not eating our veggies."
"Hey!" Teresa, hearing his remark, nudged his arm. "Annie, we eat our veggies every day. It's how you grow healthy and strong. Eat some of your carrots please, and then, we will cut the cake. And you too!"
Annie looked to him once more with pleading eyes, but he shrugged. Teresa was the healthy eating enforcer of their household. The same rules that applied to Annie's vegetables, applied to him.
"I'll race you to finish your carrots?"
"Deal!"
They both started shoveling carrots in their mouth nearly as quickly as they could finish them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Teresa motioning to Madeleine-who was almost immediately in his eyeline, snapping a photo of their carrot eating contest. Their few guests laughed as they gnawed on their carrots, and even saw Wayne pick up a carrot stick in solidarity. To outsiders, they must have looked crazy. But here, amongst their closest friends-and with Annie's enthusiasm to get this carrot eating business done-it didn't matter.
"Well, now that my husband and Annie have finished this afternoon's entertainment, I think it's time that we cut the cake."
After cake, they shared their first dance. As "More Than Words," the song they first danced to in their kitchen began, he led her to the dance floor. As he held her in his arms, dancing to this song, he couldn't think of anything beyond those beautiful emerald eyes looking directly into his own. This extremely fierce, independent woman with the biggest heart he'd ever known upended his life. She took a chance on him and let him in, giving a huge part of herself to him in the process. Now, they were a family. Seeing the joy etched in her face, he couldn't be happier. He had no idea what he'd ever done to deserve the woman in his arms, but he was glad he did it.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It didn't take long for the guests to start trickling out. After all, it was New Year's Eve. People had places to go. After paying the crew, they also took off with Madeleine staying back with the crew to make sure everything was put away. He made note of making sure to send her a thank you gift.
He rented a small cottage out at Ross Cove Beach for the three of them. Although Madeleine offered to keep Annie for a few days while they went off for a honeymoon, neither of them really wanted to take off without her. Her adoption wasn't finalized yet, and they didn't know if she was ready for overnight experiences yet. She still had some anxiety from her parents leaving her, so for now, it was best that they stay together. Besides, they were a family now; families took vacations together. In any case, Annie was excited that they were finally making good on their promise to go to the beach.
Of course, they did go to see the ocean once. About a month after Annie arrived, they went out to San Francisco. He and Annie got to meet Uncle Evan for the first time as they went out to the Golden Gate Bridge Park together.
"Patrick, it's nice to finally meet you. We've heard so much about you!" The older man also shared Annie's and Teresa's green eyes.
"Likewise, I hear you're the reason that Teresa was in my neck of the woods in the first place."
"Ah! A bar? Definitely." He nodded as Jason, who must have been about 10 years his junior, laughed a bit. "Well, San Francisco is a rather magical place. When Reese told me she wanted to come out, I could only oblige her. I'm glad she did. I love having family nearby, especially Annabeth's girl." With a slightly pained expression on his face, Evan tugged on Teresa's jaw a bit as she held his wrist.
As he learned more about Evan, he understood. Teresa told him that he came out to San Francisco as a young man because there was no place for him in Chicago. On that alone, she must have related to him quite a bit. However, Evan was gay and their family, as a whole, rejected him and basically pretended he no longer existed. Her mother was the only one who kept in contact with her younger brother. When she died, no one even bothered to tell him. It was when a new postcard arrived a few months after she died that Teresa realized he didn't know, so she wrote her uncle and sent him a clipping of the obituary. He wrote back, sending his condolences and wanting to know how she was doing. She wrote him back, and they continued to correspond-those postcards now arriving in Teresa's name.
What he remembered most vividly about Teresa telling him that story was gathering her in his arms after. Of course, she gained a relationship with her uncle, but the image of a 12 year old picking up a pen to write that letter was something that showed exactly the type of woman young Reese Lisbon would grow up to be: loving and brave even when it hurt.
"Annabeth? Like me?"
Evan smiled at Annie. "Of course. My Annabeth was your grandmom."
"Oh, but she went to heaven before I was born."
Teresa downcast her eyes with a tremble in her voice. "Didn't your daddy ever tell you about her?"
"Not really. He just said she went to heaven."
"That's right, Annie." She stroked the little girl's hair.
"What was she like?"
Teresa and Evan set in telling stories about her mother as they worked through the picnic lunch Teresa packed. They'd known her best at different points in her life: Evan as her brother who she got out of trouble more than a time or two and Teresa as her daughter whose hair she would braid so she could go play hockey. It was always most interesting how the living remembered the dead; that showed the true purpose of one's life. When he died, he hoped his family remembered him the way Evan and Teresa remembered Annabeth.
Evan and Jason, who ran a floral business, were genuinely interested in getting to know both him and Annie. They knew about Annie because Teresa kept them informed, but he was new. In the way of uncles, perhaps, they wanted to make sure he was good enough to be around their nieces. His own sense of doubt creeped up on him when Teresa pulled out a pan of bread pudding. He suddenly wondered how early she got up to accomplish putting together this meal after having a rather long week at work.
"Oh my! I cannot believe you made this, Reese. You still remember it's my favorite!"
"How could I forget, Uncle Evan?" He took a bit of the bread pudding and smiled.
"It tastes just like when Annabeth would make it. You know, she'd be so proud of you, honey."
Tears pooled in Teresa's eyes as she nodded her head, remaining quiet. Evan also teared up. He took Teresa's hand and squeezed it. He had his own abandonment issues, but at least her mom had no choice in the matter. She became the woman of the house at 12, and she took on the responsibility of raising her brothers and taking care of her father. Of course, her uncle knew that. When that 12 year old picked up the pen to write to an uncle that her mother had only ever talked about in secret, they bonded over the loss of the one they felt loved them most. They sat silently as they worked through dessert.
After finishing their dessert, they went to the overlook. Annie was overjoyed. "Oh my God! This is so cool!"
They walked up and got some photos while telling her about the bridge. Her little green eyes were so full of happiness and wonder that it made his chest tight. He loved seeing Annie happy, but it also reminded him of their first date when Teresa first told him about that postcard. He wondered if that was the kind of excitement she held in her eyes looking at that postcard her uncle sent her all of those years ago.
That was a great day and a great memory for them. Now, he called these two Lisbon girls his. He didn't have much faith in God or anything like that, but he would pray that their next child and any that came after never knew the kind of pain that the three of them shared. Only love. That was the kind of life that he and Teresa were committed to building together.
xxxxxxxxxxx
On their way out to Ross Cove for their short family vacation, Teresa told them about all the different places near the beach she'd been for work.
"How come you get to go to all of those fun places, but when I go to work with you we just sit in your boring office?"
He giggled a bit as she nudged his arm. Surely, it would've been more than a nudge if he hadn't been the one driving.
"Because when I go to those different places, it's not really for fun reasons. It's usually sad and not a place a little girl should be." She grimaced a bit. "Well, girls can be there." Ah! There it was. "It's just not a place for a five year old. When you're a little older, you will understand."
"I won't be five forever." Teresa turned in the passenger seat to glare at her.
"Annabeth! We've talked about you smarting off like that."
"Sorry." Annie shrugged and got back into her iPad. Without a doubt, she was coming into her own form of Lisbon attitude. There was no telling what would happen when the one with a mix of the Jane and Lisbon attitude made their way into the world.
They arrived at their rental not long before sunset. Still, they had enough time for him to throw down a blanket. As he held Teresa and Annie snuggled in between them holding their snacks, they watched the sunset together. Annie was bummed when he broke the news to her that she would have to wait until tomorrow for more serious beach time-BUT he promised her the best sandcastle she'd ever seen. She was easily appeased when he mentioned ordering pizza for dinner as soon as they were back inside, earning him a frown from Teresa.
"Just a salad for me, please. You know, I wish you had said something at home. I would have packed the stuff to make a pizza. Or if you want to wait a bit, we can run up to the store we passed and get the ingredients."
He waved his hand before placing his arms around her waist and bringing her close to him. "We are on vacation. You are not spending our wedding night in the kitchen making dinner. In fact, I am going to be doing more to do my part in the kitchen. Maybe you can give me a few cooking lessons."
She shook her head vigorously, indicating she was ready to argue her case. "We have to eat, and it's not that hard to make. There is no sense in feeding my family shitty food. And you want to learn to cook?"
"That's not the point. And yes, I need to be better at doing my part."
She raised her eyebrows before she smiled. "That's sweet! If you really want to learn, we can work on it when we get home, but I am perfectly fine cooking for my family."
He scrunched his nose. "I don't want to end up like one of those man-babies you read about online who can't figure out how to run a washing machine while his wife goes to work, has babies, and does all the other heavy lifting."
She laughed at that. "Patrick, I would never think that of you. You do your part. I still don't mind."
"Because it's what your mom did."
She glanced down briefly before answering softly. "Yeah, she did."
He cupped her cheek with his hand. "For what it's worth, I think your uncle was right. She would be proud of her daughter for all of the amazing things she does including the way she loves those around her and creates beauty in what can be such a cruel world sometimes. Not everyone has that ability."
"That's nice, but I know you're contractually obligated to say nice things to me now." She was clearly using humor to lighten the moment. He respected it. Talking about the past could be painful, and that's why it was best to keep looking toward their future.
"Really? I didn't read that part!" She snorted. "Let's order in. If you're not in the mood for pizza, what sounds good? I know damn well it's not salad."
"You know how I feel about this terrible excuse for pizza."
"We've not had the pizza here before, so how do you know it's terrible?" She just glared at him. "Right. So let's see what our options are?"
Ultimately, they ended up ordering from a local diner. He didn't want Teresa and the baby to starve. After dinner, they watched a bit of tv. Annie tried her best to hang in until midnight, but even though she wouldn't be five forever, she was still five today. He carried her to her bed before returning to Teresa out on the sofa. He sat down, pulling her into his side.
She grinned at him, but he wasn't entirely sure why. "What?"
"Just thinking about how this time last year I couldn't even imagine this in my wildest dreams." Her smile fell a bit. "Do you think we did this too fast? It hasn't even been a year. Not even a year ago, you told me marriage was a terrible experience and not to ever do it."
Now, it was his turn to grin at her. "I did, but didn't you tell me that wasn't true if it was with the right person? I met the right woman that same night. I know I'm with the woman who makes me happier than I have ever been. Are you ok? It's a little late for cold feet."
She giggled before kissing him. "I'm fine. It's just that sometimes it hits me how I found this perfect guy and it feels like it's been forever and also no time at all."
"At least you think I'm perfect! I should record that for proof later on."
"Ok, now, you're just teasing me."
"Just a bit. A man has to tease his wife every now and then." She yawned as she placed her hand over her belly. She'd started doing that-touching their baby-unconsciously. "Ouch. Am I already boring you?"
"No, it's just been a very long day! Aren't you tired? I think we might have to choose between our marital duties and staying up until midnight. I'm not entirely sure I will make it through both."
He tucked a stray hair behind her ears. "That's up to you. I'm more than happy with ringing in the new year however my beautiful bride chooses. No matter what, it will be our best year yet because we are together. They will only get better from here."
She flashed her teeth in a wicked grin. "In that case, I'd like to go to bed with my husband." And with that, he scooped her up into his arms. "You know, you'll have to stop doing that. You won't be able to lift me when I get heavier. I don't want you putting your back out trying to play a noble knight or whatever."
"I don't care how heavy you get, there's no way I'm ever giving this up. Though, I guess you have finally made the case for me to go to the gym more frequently, so your healthy living agenda is winning." She giggled as he kissed her lips with a smile on his face before starting the trek toward their bed for the evening.
He wouldn't dwell on it, not on their wedding night, but she was right. He was at his most hopeless-helpless even-when he met her, feeling lonely and unlovable in a cold, miserable world. But then, she showed him how beautiful and blessedly complicated life could be-and he loved nothing more than creating and sharing this one with her. Tonight, he was going to celebrate that.
A/N 2: And that's all (for now), folks! I was a little overwhelmed to the responses to this story. When I started writing this story in September, I published it as a one shot before being convinced to expand it. I didn't have a real storyboard when I got going other than some Maroon 5 songs I wanted to use. I certainly had no intention of universe building in what was meant to be a birthday gift for my friend & frequent collaborator, MissFlashBrightside.
With that said, I'm cutting this part of the story here because this story has progressed far beyond Maroon 5 songs. I will be creating another song-inspired, multi-chapter story in this universe that will be titled "That's My Man." So if you're wondering why I introduced Uncle Evan and Uncle Jason in the very last chapter, there's your answer! I will start posting that in the next few months or so. Life is a little crazy now, and I have a few stories that I'm working on, but be patient please! There's more story to tell in this universe.