October 12, 2024

(Continued)

Happy Lowman stayed in his seat at the head table, watching as his eldest daughter danced with her new husband and he sighed heavily. He couldn't stop flashing back to a time when she wasn't all grown up. A time where she was his baby, she didn't have her own baby and she definitely didn't concern herself with boys. His dark eyes flickered over to his middle daughter, his second baby. She was trouble for him and he loved her dearly, she was dancing with her boyfriend.

There was a time, one very long ago, where both his girls weren't all grown up and they damn sure weren't dancing with boys. He smiled, seeing Victoria smile before the teen looked back to say something to her sister. Those were his babies. Past tense, they weren't babies anymore. They were grown now. He found his wife on the dance floor, she was dancing with his brother, Sereno. It only made Happy chuckle, she was giving Sereno and his two left feet a run for his money.

He took another swig of his beer as he kept his eyes on Hanna and her gorgeous smile, it was infectious and seeing her always brought a smile to his face. No matter what was going on with himself and them. He completely missed the man that sat down beside him, he was enthralled by Hanna.

"I remember when the little pistol was three and she just moved back to California. Sassing the shit out of me." The man beside Happy chuckled softly. "She never changed, only got older and sassier."

Happy turned, looking at Jax Teller. "One day she was cuddled up to me then time passed and she was three years old with all this sass and attitude. Now she's married with her own baby to cuddle up to. I don't know how time passed so quickly."

"Hasn't seen to shed light on Hanna though, she still looks thirty." Jax chuckled softly. "Roni's grown a lot since that kid with a positive test and a prospect boyfriend. I don't know how she pulled herself out of the darkness."

Happy looked at his President once more. "Him, both of them. That kid pulled her through it and her friendship with Carlos helped too. If it wasn't them, it was her brother. She shoved Victoria away from her." He shrugged his shoulders. "I got that call and it fucked with me hard. I didn't know how to break it to her. But now look at her, that damn smile. My girl is so damn happy."

"Ever thought you'd make it this far?" Jax turned to look at the man for the first time.

Happy chuckled softly. "Alive or with Hanna? I always said I'd never see forty but I was wrong and I might have her to thank for that. As far as her and I go? No, at one point in my life I was sure pushing her away to move back to Charming for you was the best idea." He scoffed and shook his head. "But the minute I spotted you two together, I wanted to murder you. But I swallowed it for the longest time."

"Eventually you both couldn't stay away from each other though, you couldn't fight it anymore." Jax murmured with a firm nod. "You two were together for four years before she came home which always made me wonder how you two even separated."

Happy shrugged his shoulders lazily. "With a lot of difficulties. She is everything, man. She was as intoxicating as she is today. Even after all this time, I can always find myself entranced in her beauty or words." He chuckled softly. "It's always been an interesting balance, her light and all of my dark." He stood up from his seat and gestured to the dance floor. "That's my cue, I get to dance with her and Veronica still doesn't know I know what I'm doing. She doesn't remember me and Hanna's wedding. Enjoy yourself, brother." He set down his glass, his dark gaze landed on Hanna for a moment before he approached his daughter as she waited in the middle of the dance floor. "It's you and me now kid."

"Hi daddy." Veronica beamed up at the man as he slowly started to lead the brunette, following the rhythm of the song that started to play. The Girl You Think I Am and Veronica changed their stance as she rested her head against his chest. "I know you think this changes things but it doesn't. You're still my best friend and I'm nowhere near done aggravating you like normal."

.

.

.

The night was over and as Hanna continued to clean up the reception area, knowing her eldest daughter's wedding ceremony and day was everything she wanted made the mother extremely content. She finished tossing the last light dusty blue tablecloth and sighed heavily as she looked around at the now empty tent. The day had come and gone, just like that. Her eldest was no longer a baby, she was no longer a little girl. Now she was definitely all grown up, married and a mother.

She heard someone clear their throat and she looked back to see her husband walking back into the area. "Hey baby." She murmured as she gestured around herself. "All cleaned up, now to dismantle this damn tent in the morning. Did the kids go to sleep? Are Sereno and Bri comfortable?"

"Why'd you insist on doing this by yourself?" He approached her, wrapping a tan, tattooed arm around his wife. "The kids, including Axl, Aleric, Ale, Zeke, and Rina are all in the living room. They're playing some card game, too wired for sleep. I believe Sereno and Bri said they'd be down here shortly. I'm not sure." He pulled away from the blonde to move toward the laptop that was still set up by the food tables that were now empty. He turned on the music, You Are The Best Thing started playing and he made his way back to the blonde who stood in the middle of the floor. "We didn't get enough dances in tonight." He held his hand out to her and she took it before he led her in a slow dance.

Happy's left hand that was clasping hers squeezed her hand as their eyes connected again. "Bittersweet. I don't remember giving her permission to grow up on us."

"She was going to do it with or without our permission. She's a rebel without a cause, like her mama." He murmured to his wife. "It was a beautiful ceremony. Not half as good as ours though, that was the best one but you and Bri did amazing with this for her."

Hanna nodded her head slowly. "I tried to make this everything she wanted, but god, Hap. Where did my baby go? She's gone and the other two aren't far behind her." She pursed her lips in an attempt to stop her tears before she sighed again, keeping her icy blue orbs on Happy. "Did you see Carlos' reaction when he saw her? It was precious."

"I did, the kid loves her as much as she loves him." Happy nodded as he pulled the blonde closer and rested his chin on her head, closing his eyes. "I guess no one warned us when we had them that they'd actually grow up."

"Don't let my babies grow up," Bri shook her head. "I will cry and be an absolute mess on each of their wedding days."

Happy lifted his head up to look at the brunette entering the tent with his brother. "She already got everything cleaned up."

"Thanks for attempting to help though." Hanna opened her eyes and lifted her head, turning it to look at Bri and Sereno. "I wish someone would've warned me first."

"I'm crying for sure when Ale gets married," Reno shrugged. "Ugly crying at that."

Hanna laughed softly. "You ugly cried earlier. You had your own dance with Veronica and you could barely make it through the song." She pulled away from Happy. "The drinks and wine are still ice cold if you want any, you can tell me all about how much Veronica getting married saddens you."

"I'm not sad, it's all happy tears," he smiled. "She picked a good guy."

Happy passed his brother a beer and an empty wine glass to Bri before he sat down at the nearest table. "She picked a good guy, but I'm still sad. I keep thinking back to all the memories I have of her as a baby and little snake."

"She wasn't a little snake, she was too sassy for you to handle." Hanna shook her head slowly as she filled Bri's glass with red wine. "Oh, she was sassy. She loved to push his buttons."

"God, love a sassy little thing when the sass isn't aimed at me." Bri smiled. "It's amazing when the dads deal with it."

Happy shook his head slowly. "She gave me sass every second of her day, still does it. But I love her and my other girl, Vivi is just like this one though."

"I always wonder if I had another girl, would she be more like me. Ale has her dad's personality but will be a priss like me at times." Bri sighed. "My baby."

"My baby." Reno nodded. "I used to sneak her to work, I'd sign her out of school early."

"He said sneak like I never knew. She'd always be like mama I'm not supposed to say but I played with the sirens today." She smirked. "Dads think they're slick but aren't."

Hanna pointed to her husband. "This man and his boy, Victor never went to daycare. The fucker."

"Ale had uncles and pets, it was way better than daycare and preschool," Reno shrugged. "She loved wearing a badge and pretending to arrest people."

Happy shook his head slowly. "Nah, other than Vic missing a lot the kids had to go. We were as serious of their education as we are now."

"I took it seriously for kindergarten, I didn't get her but some days I'd watch the school," Reno smiled. "Watched her make friends and just further develop her personality. That's the best part, watching them grow up and discover themselves."

Hanna scoffed as she shook her head slowly. "He would call the club and tell them he was sick so he could watch Veronica in school then Vee came along and I told him he'd have to take his ass to Charming and let her be."

"My tiny dancer. That's my girl man. Surprise baby, miracle too." Happy shook his head. "I don't know how she survived womb life during that bad wreck you were in but she's not growing up, I won't allow it at all."

Hanna shook her head slowly. "Oh that rollover one? God, I was t-boned and the Lexus rolled three or four times before landing upside down. I broke my arm, I was banged up and I was informed they couldn't find any safe medicine to give me while pregnant." She started laughing. "She's always had quite a way of communicating and getting our attention."

"Jesus, did Hap try to put you in a bubble for your own safety after that?" Reno grinned. "Kids are amazing, I'm glad I got some."

Hanna shook her head slowly. "Oh no, I told the doctor I couldn't possibly be pregnant with his kid again, he got mad and stayed mad for about four months. The dumbass missed the appointments, the gender revelation and all that fun stuff. He came back for the last few weeks and got to see her enter the world." She smiled at Reno. "He cried."

"Why were you such an ass?" Reno shook his head. "I am glad he cried though, kids are amazing."

Brianna sighed as she pinched her husband's side. "Stop it. Don't throw stones in glass houses or whatever that white lady on tv said the other night."

"I don't know man. I just couldn't get it together for her or the girls." Happy shrugged as he wrapped his arm around his wife. "I don't know what the hell was the matter with me back then."

"We're not perfect, we all make mistakes." Bri nodded. "Your brother at one point asked me for a divorce and even moved out."

Hanna nodded her head. "I had papers ready after his very last stint, he was kicked out and not allowed on the property before and after certain hours. The whole nine but our tiny dancer brought us back together as she started having panic attacks at age three because we were separated." She shrugged lazily. "He cheated twice in our relationship, the second time was when I kicked him out. He was drunk, did what he did then came home. He was nasty too."

"There will never be an excuse for my shit, I was a piece of shit." Happy shook his head. "But we agreed, what's done is done and we can't take it back. I learned she doesn't do tit-for-tat and she lost her tolerance for my bullshit after Vic was born."

"His little divorce thing is the reason why I'm simply Brianna Hohrykova, I gave his last name back since he wanted it back." Bri shrugged. "Like congratulations, I rather walk around with the whole mafia last name now, since he wanted to be a child."

Hanna smirked. "What happened?"

"I may have thrown a tantrum when I finally realized who her family was." Reno shook his head. "I tried to explain that it was necessary but she blew it out of proportion."

"You served me with divorce papers, then you moved out. I handled it perfectly. I signed the papers and everything. So technically, we're not even legally married anymore." Bri shrugged. "You should've known who my family was the moment we showed up and bailed my sister out of jail."

Hanna shook her head slowly. "Were the papers signed by both of you and turned in? Signed by the judge too?"

"Yes, we are legally divorced," Bri shrugged again. "It's been forever, since Axl was like three."

Reno shook his head. "She won't remarry me, she said we're common law and that's good enough. California doesn't even recognize common law marriage either."

"You shouldn't have asked me for a divorce, you know I'm petty enough to give you what you want." She laughed. "It's no big deal, everyone thinks we're married and you two are the only other people who now know that we're not."

Happy pointed to the blonde. "She would've done it too so don't even feel bad, kid. We apparently like 'em petty."

"She keeps taking the rings though," Reno shrugged. "So, that's that."

"I would be dumb to pass on free diamonds." Brianna held up her hands. "I still wear the original wedding set. So, I obviously still love your ass."

Hanna shook her head frantically. "I'd stab him if he even asked for the rings back. Or any other my jewelry. He tried to tell me when I kicked him out that I couldn't do that because it's his house but he saw how well that worked for him."

"Do you know how petty Brianna is?" Reno looked at Hanna. "She told me that if I ever tried to leave her, she'd have me arrested and thrown in prison. Not even jail, just straight to prison. So, I'm afraid to even ask her how she can make that happen."

Hanna shook her head. "I never did that stuff. I just informed him if he messed up one more time he was done and I simply wouldn't have nothing to say to him unless it involved the kids."

"I wasn't having that shit either. I can't not talk to her." Happy shrugged his shoulders. "So I've been on my best behavior since then."

"It's an empty threat, I threatened him with it because I know he'd stay in line and he has." Brianna shrugged. "Plus, he's pretty, he'd end up someone's boyfriend."

Happy started laughing. "I never even gave that a thought, he would be someone's bitch. Ah, kid. Told you all that makeup would get ya in trouble."

AN: Hellllooooooo beauties, here is a long overdue chapter for you all. I know it's been forever and six billion days, I'm so sorry for that too but hopefully this long one makes up for it with some H&H, Bri and Reno and even Jax for a quick minute.