"Mom this is the best EVER!" Greg exclaimed, digging into his plate, which was a mile high. Bridgette laughed and was about to start eating when the doorbell rang.
"I wonder who that could be," she said to herself before standing up and walking over to the door.
"Lexi! What I surprise! We thought you couldn't make it!" Bridgette exclaimed, hugging Alexis and then her 15 year old daughter, Scarlet.
"It turns out we could," Alexis said, smiling. The years had been extremely kind to her, not one speck of grey in her hair and almost no wrinkles. "George and Alice are away on business but they send their love. Hey, everyone!" she said, smiling at everyone as she sat down.
"Hey Aunt Lexi! Hey Scarlet!" Everyone exclaimed.
"Here, make some room at the end of the table," Bridgette said, flicking her wand towards the kitchen and a pair of plates and 2 sets of silver wear coming out, as long as two more chairs.
"So, how has everyone been?" Alexis asked.
Everyone immediately started talking, but Benny cut through them all. "Is it true that you slept with one of mum's boyfriends behind her back?" he asked suddenly.
"Benjamin!" Bridgette exclaimed. "I am so sorry, Lexi, really, I don't know why he would bring this up, now of all times."
"You must have told him then?" Alexis asked, though she didn't look mad about it.
"Yes," Bridgette replied, surprised that Alexis wasn't mad.
"I'm just surprised you didn't tell them earlier. What I did was awful, yes, and I'm still trying to make up for it," she told them.
"Again, Lexi, I am so sorry," Bridgette said, glancing over at Benny. "It's all in the past, there's nothing you need to make up for."
Alexis smiled over at her before they all started to eat, the discussion soon going to Greg, who had disappeared from the table, "Why don't I go and try to find him..." Scarlet suggested quickly.
"Sure, you go ahead, dear," Alexis said as Scarlet stood up.
She immediately made her way upstairs and Bridgette quirked one of her eyebrows at Cedric.
Cedric grinned and continued to eat. "So, Lexi, how are George and Alice doing?" Bridgette asked, looking over at Alexis.
"Oh they're wonderful. Alice just got married...again, this is her 3rd marriage," Alexis said, chuckling, "And George just had another baby, Timothy. Adam sends his love too, his mother just died, so he went to her funeral but insisted we came here."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Bridgette said, smiling sadly. "I know how close you all were to Claudia."
"Yes well...where are those two? It's been about 5 minutes now," Alexis asked, looking up towards the stairs.
Cedric barely restrained a chuckle, nearly choking on his food. "I'm sure they're fine, Lexi," he said, clearing his throat.
He and Bridgette seemed to be the only ones who were hearing the moaning coming from Greg's room, which was right above the dining room.
"I think I'll go check on them," Benny said standing up.
Before Bridgette could stop him he jogged up the stairs and, from what she could hear, to Greg's room.
"HOLY SHIT NOT AGAIN!" Benny exclaimed and the whole room burst into laughter.
He walked downstairs, an expression on his face that represented someone who was completely horrified.
"Sweetie, I tried to stop you," Bridgette said through her laughter.
"Y...you could've done it a little sooner! How did you know anyways?" he exclaimed, groaning loudly as the two kids came downstairs, both blushing furiously.
"I can't believe you guys didn't hear them," Cedric said, still smiling.
"Oh I did...I just didn't want to say anything," Alexis said, laughing, "So...how long you two?"
"About a year," Scarlet mumbled, staring down at her plate.
"Sweetie, you don't have to be embarrassed, you should know by now that everything is out in the open around here," Bridgette said, laughing and winking over at Benny.
Benny rolled his eyes and continued to eat his dinner, not saying a word almost all night. "So, Cedric, did you tell Bridge about...the plan?" Alexis asked Cedric.
"Yeah, you're coming too right?" he asked.
"Of course, wouldn't miss it for the world!" Alexis said, smiling brightly at them all as they sat in front of the fireplace later that night. All of the little kids were asleep in the guest bedroom and Scarlet and Greg were off in his room doing god knows what, leaving the adults some time to themselves.
"So how did the subject of Brent come up?" Alexis asked, sipping her coffee.
"Well...Benny is moving, to Los Angeles. And I told him that I moved, and from there, well, I felt I had to tell him everything," Bridgette replied.
"Wait, back up, Benny's moving to LA?" Cedric asked.
"Yes...I'm sorry I didn't know if he wanted to tell anyone yet, I'm sorry sweetie," Bridgette told him.
"It's ok it's just...wow," Cedric sighed. "They're all growing up so fast."
"I know dear, I know," Bridgette said, sighing and resting her head on Cedric's shoulder. All of their kids were out in the living room watching 'It's a wonderful life' on the TV.
Alexis laughed a little. "What is it, Lex?" Cedric asked, stroking Bridgette's hair softly.
"I can't believe you guys are going to be married for 35 years this upcoming April...it's just so hard to believe," she sighed.
"I know," Cedric said, sighing. "I can't believe how lucky we got."
"You're the luckier one though, you got me babe," Bridgette said, chuckling.
Cedric smiled and leaned down to kiss her. "Guyyyys! You're making me miss Adam," Alexis laughed.
"I'm sorry, just can't help it sometimes," Bridgette said, smiling sheepishly before getting up to get herself another cup of coffee.
"Actually, I think it's time that I head home, it's late and we're flying out early tomorrow..." Alexis said.
She looked up at the stairs and sighed. "Afraid to go up?" Bridgette asked, smirking.
Alexis laughed before walking up, coming down a moment later with Scarlet.
"It was so great to have the both of you," Bridgette said, standing up along with Cedric.
"Don't make yourselves scarce, we'd like to see more of you!" Cedric exclaimed, kissing Alexis on the cheek.
"Bye guys," they both said as they walked out and to their car. About half an hour later, everyone was gone and Bridgette sighed, smiling up at Cedric.
"Alone at last," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Alone at looong last," Cedric replied huskily, grinning at her before kissing her passionately.
"As much as I love them all, I thought they'd never leave," she whispered, out of breath from the kiss.
"Let's continue this somewhere else where we can be a little more...private," Cedric whispered, his hand slipping underneath her bra.
"Whatever you say, mister," she said, kissing him once more before leading him up the stairs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 23rd, 2031
"Come on, right this way darling," Cedric whispered, his hands still over Bridgette's eyes.
"Cedric tell me what this is about! First you make me put on this dress and now you're being all mysterious!" Bridgette exclaimed, giggling.
"What, I'm not allowed to surprise my wife anymore?" he asked.
"You'd think after 35 years you'd run out of ways to surprise me!" she exclaimed.
He laughed and took his hands away from her eyes. "Surprise," he said.
"Oh my...Cedric? What...what is all this?" she asked, turning around, her eyes bright as she looked around the room.
"Well, you've always said you wanted us to renew our vows," he said, taking her hand in his.
"Oh Cedric, this is absolutely...amazing!" she exclaimed, leaning up and kissing him tenderly.
"Only the best for you, Bee Bee," he said. "My honey, my baby, my sweetheart, my everything."
"Oh Cedric," she repeated, starting to tear up as he led her up to the alter, a priest walking out a moment later.
"I love you," he whispered.
She couldn't respond because she was so close to tears so she simply leaned forward and kissed him quickly as all of their children and friends took their seats.
"...Now, as I understand it, you have your own vows prepared?" the priest said, looking at Cedric.
"Yes, yes we do," Cedric replied, taking Bridgette's hand firmly in his before reciting his own vow, "Bridgette. I can't tell you how thankful how...blessed I am to have you by my side everyday. I love you so so much, you can't even imagine it, and I try to let you know that at every possible chance I can get, but just in case you didn't pick it up; I love you Bee, with all of my heart, my soul, my being, with all of me, and I want to be with you for as long as this earth lets us be, and even after that."
"Oh Cedric," Bridgette gasped, trying not to cry. "I...I really don't know what to say. I guess I start with saying I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything that I've ever done to you, all the pain I've caused. I could never imagine my life without you. You will never, ever know how much I love you and how lucky I feel to have you in my life. These past 35 years have been so amazing, you have been so good to me, there are times when I don't think I deserve it. I believe that we will never be parted...like you said before: A part of you has grown in me, and so you see, it's you and me, together forever and never apart, maybe in distance but never in heart. I love you, Cedric Diggory."
"I declare you, once more, husband and wife," the priest said, smiling as he closed his bible, "you may kiss your bride."
Cedric leaned forward and kissed her passionately as everyone clapped and cheered. Bridgette pulled back a second later and hugged him tightly.
"Mum, dad, come with us. We rented out a beach house right on the ocean for a small party," Benny said, smiling at them.
"Oh, God, you really didn't have to do that," Bridgette said, wiping away her tears.
"Yeah, we really did mum. You two have done so much for us, and now it's our turn to do something for you," Lydia said, smiling at her parents.
Cedric and Bridgette smiled and hugged them all before leaving the hall and taking a limo over to the house.