Chapter 13
Jennie
I'd learned that every bride worries about the little things that could potentially go wrong during their wedding. Maybe the flower girl pouts and refuses to walk down the aisle, maybe someone has a coughing fit during the vows, maybe a groomsman drinks too much and passes out in a corner. Those were the types of horror stories I'd been hearing about from every person I came across over the last couple months, all the way down to the cashier at the grocery store telling me that her now husband cried during his vows and it pissed her off. It pissed me off too, frankly. Not that he cried during his vows, but that she was mad about it. When did the world become so worried with the wedding and less excited about the reason for that wedding?
That's what I was excited for, to spend the rest of my life with Lisa. Our wedding was just a party to celebrate that first day, in my eyes. I didn't care if the cake tipped over or if my dress ripped, as long as I was Mrs. Lisa Manoban at the end of it all.
"Mama?" Jane's little voice pulled me off my wedding soapbox and back to reality.
"I'm awake, baby. Come on in." I sat up in bed and glanced at the clock on my nightstand.
7:45
Jane's crazy bed head shot out in ten different directions as she slowly made her way across my bedroom. I pulled the covers back as she climbed up next to me, tucking us back in tight. I hooked my right arm around her and laid my head on hers. "What's going on?"
"I'm nervous."
"Nervous? How come?"
"What if I don't do good today?" Her voice trailed off.
"What do you mean?" I shifted to the side so that I could look her in the eye.
She shrugged. "Ruby told me yesterday that I walk too fast and throw too many flowers. I tried telling her it was just practice and I'd do better during the real wedding, but I'm scared. What if I mess up again?"
"Oh, honey." I hooked my arms around her and pulled her into my lap. "First of all, there's no rule as to how many flowers you can drop at once, nor is there a rule about walking slow. You just do whatever feels right for you, and Ruby will have to deal with it. I know you're gonna do an amazing job, and I can't wait to walk down the aisle and see you."
Her shoulders relaxed as she leaned into me. "Okay."
We didn't say anything else. We just sat snuggled up in my bed, rocking back and forth as she thought about conserving her flowers and walking slow. All I could think about was how lucky I was to be her mom.
If you would've told me a year ago that I'd be getting my hair done for my wedding while sitting in Lisa's mom's kitchen, I would've told you you were crazy. Yet there I sat on a wooden kitchen chair with my stylist, Sammie, putting huge, heavy curlers in my hair.
"Are you nervous?" Jisoo asked.
I shrugged. "Not really. I'm just ready to see her and get this started."
Rosé and my mom sat in two other chairs with two of Sammie's assistants standing behind them.
"You have the most beautiful hair." One of them gawked at Rosé's long blonde layers.
"Ugh," groaned Jisoo, dropping her cereal bowl into the sink. "Would you believe she wakes up like that? It's disgusting."
"She does." I laughed. "Luckiest girl in the world."
"Honey, I'm gonna take your dress up to Lisa's room, okay?" JoAnn appeared in the doorway carrying my wedding dress bag.
"Sure, thanks." I smiled.
"Wait, Lisa built this house for her parents, right?" Jisoo rubbed her chin, staring off into space as she tried to remember.
"Yep."
"Then why does she have a bedroom here?"
"It's not like a childhood bedroom. You'll see when we go up there. It's actually pretty cool."
An hour or so later, we all looked absolutely stunning from the neck up. From the neck down, we all had on baggy button-down plaid shirts. Ruby's and Jane's went all the way to their ankles, which they thought was hilarious.
"Okay." I took a deep breath. "Dress time."
We all walked slowly upstairs, careful not to lose a bobby pin or uncurl a curl. I opened the door to Lisa's room and everyone filed inside.
"Holy crap." Jisoo spun slowly with her mouth open. "It's like a Lisa shrine."
She was right. The room did have a big bed and a large couch in it, in case Lisa ever wanted to spend the night, but it was so much more than that. A large dark walnut shelf sat prominently in the middle of the largest wall, and it was overflowing with Lisa's hockey memorabilia, both from the Wild and from college. Her college goalie helmet sat on the top shelf with a tiny spotlight on it. Dozens of glossy action shots and newspaper articles were framed and stuck in between hockey pucks and sets of gloves, each with their own significance. I stared at the big shelf, feeling a little sad that I didn't know her then. I know if I had, things between us might not be the same, but I wish I could've seen her get her first NHL save.
"Awww!" Rosé's coos pulled me from my trance. I turned toward the door as Ruby and Jane walked into the room in their ice blue dresses, with my mom following along behind. My hands flew up to my mouth and tears stung my eyes when I saw them. They looked so grown-up with their hair pulled up in loose buns and a few soft pieces curling around their faces.
I walked over to them and squatted when I got close. "You guys look so beautiful. No one's gonna notice me today because they're going to be too busy looking at you." I sniffed.
Neither responded, but they both smiled shyly, not used to all the attention.
"Is that mascara?" I squinted and got closer to Ruby.
"Uh huh. Gigi put it on us." She beamed.
Mom winked at me. "Just a tad."
"You two are just the sweetest little things," JoAnn said, shaking her head slowly. "Jennie, I'm gonna leave you girls to get dressed. I have to get ready myself."
"I'm gonna take them and head downstairs too." My mom followed. "You three need to get moving and you don't need us gawking at ya. We'll see you downstairs in a bit."
I bent down and planted soft kisses on Ruby's and Jane's cheeks. "See you soon, loves."
"Jennie, what's this?" Rosé picked up a small blue box on the desk. "It has your name on it."
"It does?" I took a couple steps across the room and she handed it to me.
It was a simple little ice blue box with a perfectly wrapped white ribbon on it. Before I lifted the lid, I knew exactly who it was from, though that didn't lessen my shock when I saw the shiny necklace looking back at me. It was a beautiful, delicate white gold chain with a large diamond in the middle and two stones on either side.
"Wow, that's so gorgeous." Rosé peered over the top of the box.
"It really is," Jisoo agreed. "Are those emeralds?"
"No." I shook my head as a small smile crossed my lips. "They're peridots, the birthstone for August."
"Oh my God…" Jisoo took a step back, tilting her head to the side as she laughed incredulously. "Ruby and Jane's birthstone."
I nodded at her as a tear rolled down my cheek.
"No. No. No crying," Rosé squeaked as she jumped up and grabbed a tissue off the desk. "Your make-up looks fantastic. No more crying."
"Sorry." I sniffled as she wiped my eyes.
Jisoo took the box from me and set it back on the desk. "Hurry up. Get in your dress so I can put that thing around your neck."
Rosé unzipped the bag and pulled my dress out as Jisoo helped me undo my buttons. "Do you think she knew, about the birthstones?"
"She knew." I nodded confidently. "She pays attention like that."
"Wait." Jisoo stood up and stared me square in the eye, pulling her perfect brows in tight. "Did you get her a wedding present?"
My face grew hot as I looked toward the ground, not wanting the girls to see me.
Jisoo gasped. "What did you do?"
"Nothing," I snapped defensively. "I'm not telling you guys. It's embarrassing."
"Like hell you aren't." Rosé was practically drooling as she abandoned my wedding dress and sat on the edge of the couch. "Spill it, girl."
Sighing, I peeked around the corner to make sure Lisa's mom wasn't coming down the hallway. I closed the door quietly and plopped down on the bed, dropping my head into my hands. After another deep breath, I looked at Jisoo and Rosé, pleading with my eyes. "You guys can't tell anyone, promise?"
They nodded in unison, both of them leaning forward slightly.
"Okay, here goes. You know how sometimes women get those photo shoots done in like, lingerie and stuff for their boyfriends or husbands?"
Rosé sat up straight, clapping her hands like a teenager. "Oh my God, yes! Like a boudoir photo shoot?"
The back of my neck heated as I nodded. "Well, I did that. Some in lingerie and some in… hockey stuff, like her jersey and helmet. Stuff like that."
"Holy shit, you're the coolest wife ever! I got Derek a flask for our wedding. He was so excited I thought he was gonna hump it." Jisoo rolled her eyes.
"You are the coolest ever." Rosé's sparkling eyes were wide as can be. "I'm not brave enough to do something like that. Good for you."
I shrugged. "I just wanted to step out of the box. You know how shy I can be when it comes to certain things. I wanted to shock her a little."
Rosé stood and picked up my wedding dress again, carrying it over to me. "Put this on. We gotta move. Did you give them to her yet?"
"I was too chicken," I admitted, glancing back and forth between the two of them, "so I left the album in a pretty box in the workshop, where they are hanging out right now, with a note that read Open when you're alone.'"
"Oh, great. So if she's hard when we walk into the barn, we'll know why," Jisoo joked.
"Deep breath. You ready, kiddo?" Fred squeezed my hand as we stood on the side of the barn all alone, waiting for the bridesmaids to finish walking in. I would've given anything to see Ruby and Jane walk down the aisle, tossing their flowers as they grinned at all the attention, all while leading Kuma down with them, our rings tied around his neck. Thank God for videographers. When Lisa told me she wanted Kuma in the wedding, I laughed at first. I thought she was kidding. She looked offended, whining that my babies were in the wedding; she wanted her baby to be too. So we went out and bought an ice blue leash and collar to match the tux Lisa'd had made for him.
"I'm so ready. I can't wait to see her. Them. Everyone." My stomach twisted and churned as I listened intently for the barn doors to close. That was our cue to move to the front and wait for them to open back up.
"Did you guys decide what you were doing with your vows? Your mom mentioned you were talking about it the other day," he asked, trying to keep me calm and distracted.
"We decided to go with traditional vows. Actually, I decided. I can't help it. There's something romantic about reciting the same promise that people have been saying for decades and decades."
"I think that's sweet."
I reached out and straightened the collar of Fred's tux. "I think you're sweet, Fred. You look so handsome."
He lifted his hand and gently rubbed my cheek with the back of his fingers. "No one's gonna be looking at me, baby girl."
"Stop it." I lifted my eyes toward the sky as I waved at them to keep them dry. "No crying before the wedding. It's a rule."
Fred laughed as we heard the doors close. "Here we go." He smiled.
He offered his arm to me, which I gladly accepted. My heart started beating faster with each step we took toward the barn entrance, and suddenly I was worried that I was going to pass out. The barn doors would open and people would turn to watch the bride walk, but instead they'd see me lying in a heap on the ground with Fred standing over me, not sure what the hell to do.
Maybe we should have just eloped.
Seconds before a full-blown panic attack took over my whole body, the rusty hinges of the barn door squeaked, and Big Mike's face smiled at me as he pushed one of the barn doors open. Shea's new husband, Ricky, opened the other one.
"Looking good, sis." He grinned as he shifted the door all the way open and stood behind it.
The minute the doors opened a weird calm washed over me, taking my jittery nerves right along with it. I glanced over the sea of fifty or so of our family and best friends and immediately looked for Lisa.
I needed to find her.
I needed to see her, but the sun was in my eyes.
The band started playing "Here Comes the Bride" softly and we started walking. Two steps into the barn and the sun shifted, allowing me a clear view of the front of the barn.
There she stood. My Lisa. Looking sharper than I'd ever seen her. Lisa stood tall, calm and cool as ever, until we locked eyes. That's when the mood shifted from light to intense. I bit my lip hard, determined to keep it together and not cry the whole way down the aisle. I recalled Fred saying something to me, but I couldn't for the life of me remember what it was. All I could focus on was Lisa.
When we finally, after what felt like twenty minutes, reached the front of the barn, I was desperate to touch Lisa but needed to wait my turn. Fred turned and gave me a slow kiss on the cheek, lingering for just a second before he turned to Lisa. Fred offered his hand, but Lisa grabbed his shoulders and pulled him in for a bear hug as our guests chuckled. They pulled apart and Fred joined my mom in the front row, squeezing her hand as he sat down. I stepped toward Lisa and reached for her hands.
"You look beautiful," she leaned in and whispered as the band finished playing.
I reached up and touched my new necklace, mouthing "thank you" back to her.
She cocked an eyebrow at me and the sexiest smirk tugged at the left side of her lips as she leaned in one more time. "Thank you."
My face flushed instantly as I realized she was talking about the pictures.
The music stopped playing and our ceremony began.
A small speech from the officiant.
Candle lighting.
Then came time for our vows, and I was hell-bent on not crying my way through them.
Lisa went first. She took my hands and stared straight at me. "I, Lisa, take you, Jennie, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part."
Lisa nailed it, like she'd been practicing for weeks. She made it look easy.
Our officiant turned toward me, signaling me to start.
My hands shook as I took a deep, cleansing breath. "I, Jennie, take you, Lisa, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part." My voice started cracking as I rushed the last part out.
Lisa's eyes never left mine. In that moment, I felt like we were the only two people in that whole barn, maybe even the whole world. I meant every letter of every word of every sentence in my vows. No matter what came our way, we would conquer it, together.
Time for the rings.
The officiant took a deep breath. "Here's where we would normally do the ring ceremony,"—my head snapped over to him—"and I promise it's coming. But first there is one more set of vows to be said."
Before I had time to be confused about what was going on, Lisa released me and took a step to her left, out toward our guests. Ruby and Jane walked up to her and each took one of her hands as she squatted down. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mom's hand fly up to her mouth, and the guests let out a collective, "Awww," as I tried to breathe past the huge lump in my throat.
Jane peeked up at me and grinned before looking back at Lisa.
"Okay, you guys ready? Just like we practiced, okay?" she whispered.
"I, Lisa, promise to love you, Ruby and Jane, just as much as I love your mommy. I promise to love you and protect you and always take care of you, no matter what. From this day forward, you will always and forever be my Twinkies. And I Twinkie swear to always kill all the spiders." She held up her pinky fingers and the girls giggled as they wrapped theirs around her.
Every woman in the barn wiped her eyes as Jisoo bumped my elbow to get my attention. I turned to my side and she handed me a wad of tissues. Holy crap, did I need them.
Ruby lifted her hand to Jane's ear and whispered something to her. They recited in unison, "We love you, Lisa, and we're happy you're marrying our mommy. Thank you for our castle." The room erupted in light laughter as Lisa's head fell toward the floor, bouncing with her own laughter. She peeked up at me and grinned. "They wrote their vows all by themselves."
Lisa stood up and turned, taking something from Bambam. When she turned back around, she walked behind the girls and placed a necklace, identical to the one she'd given me, around each of their necks before squatting back down and pulling them into a loving hug.
I tried my best to contain my sobs but was losing the battle a little more every second. I had no idea they were going to do that. It was the most amazing surprise ever.
The girls walked back behind me and took their places with Rosé and Jisoo as Lisa stood before me and took my hands one more time. I couldn't believe I was expected to carry on with the rest of the ceremony after that. All I wanted to do was wrap my arms around the Lisa standing in front of me and never let go.
Never. Ever. Let. Go.
Lisa placed my ring on my finger and I placed her ring on her.
The officiant closed his book and a big grin crossed his face. "You may now… pay the toll."
Once again, my eyes flicked to him and then immediately back to Lisa's, who smirked and winked at me before closing in and softly placing her lips on mine. She slid one hand around my waist while gently gripping the back of my head with the other one and pulled me in tight against her. Our guests cheered and hollered.
It was our first kiss as a married couple, but easily the most intimate one we'd ever shared.
