Chapter 26

Kelly wished he could have a drink...preferably more than one.

But because Shaina's grandfather was a pastor...and apparently the last surviving member of the Temperance Movement...the hardest thing served at this wedding was sweet tea.

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Morgan and Shaina had gotten married...under the shade of the front porch...with her grandfather officiating.

They were just doing this for his benefit, Hollywood told him as they were getting ready in one of the upstairs bedrooms. They were having the wedding now because "Paw-Paw" was so upset at the idea of his great-grandchild being born out of wedlock.

They were still planning a huge wedding in Chicago about a year from now...with the white dress...the veil...the whole nine yards.

"So you gotta do this again, Lieutenant...sorry." Morgan said with a grin.

"And you're prob'ly gonna make me wear a monkey suit..."

"Take that up with Shaina...it's her show." Hollywood put his hands up in surrender. "I'm just signin' the bills..."

Kelly chuckled.

"Congratulations...you already figured out the secret to a happy marriage."

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He thought about that...a happy marriage...as he stood beside Morgan.

Never in a million years would he have ever thought he'd have the life he had now. Especially after his broken engagement to Renee Whaley. After she had confessed to sleeping with another firefighter right before their wedding, Kelly was certain he'd live the rest of his life alone.

Not that he had ever lacked for female companionship...it just didn't mean anything. If he never gave anyone his heart...it could never get broken again.

But sitting in the front row, beside Morgan's mother and grandma, was his family.

Alyssa looked beautiful in her pink flowered sundress, with her long hair tumbling around her shoulders. She wore a little sweater...she called it a shrug...to cover where he had placed the Lidoderm patches on her shoulder that morning.

She held Lexi in her lap, and Maggie sat right beside her. The girls were dressed in matching yellow sundresses with a white bib collar decorated with pink flowers. Maggie's hair was in two pigtails, while Lexi barely had enough for one.

And the twins wore the opposite of Kelly's outfit. Black linen short-sleeve shirts and cream-colored linen slacks. Alyssa hadn't wanted to buy them light colored pants...but the boys insisted they were too old to be dressed in their usual color coded style...red for Andy, blue for Jesse. They wanted to be like Dad.

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During the brief ceremony Maggie slid down off her chair and before Lyssa could stop her she ran over and hugged Kelly around his leg.

He looked down and smiled...then scooped his Baby Girl into his arms and held her while Morgan and Shaina promised to love, honor, and keep one another for the rest of their lives.

Kelly couldn't help but remember the day eleven years ago when he had stood on the front lawn of Station 51 and promised...

"I, Kelly Michael, take you, Alyssa Margaret...to be my best friend and my one true love."

Morgan and Shaina kissed...and the applause from the friends and family startled him out of his daydream.

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Alyssa came up beside him and took a glass of iced tea from the table where waiters were keeping the refreshments coming in the eighty-five degree sun.

"How're you doin'?" he asked her.

"Okay..." she answered. "How about you?"

"You could have warned me I was gonna have to make a speech..."

While they were getting ready, Morgan had made an off handed comment about how he couldn't wait to hear Kelly's "Best Man Speech".

And Kelly started to panic.

"I honestly thought you knew that came with the job." Alyssa chided. "I mean...every wedding since the dawn of time..."

But he really hadn't been to too many weddings.

There was Andy and Heather Darden's...a million years ago. And Andy's brother Tom had been the Best Man. And if there were any speeches...they came long after he had been to the bar.

When Joey and EmmaLynn had gotten married it was really laid back...in Alyssa and Kelly's back yard...there really were no bridesmaids and groomsmen and whatever. The rent-a-reverend said 'you may kiss the bride' and everybody got right to the party.

He supposed there might have been a speech or two at his own wedding. He remembered Casey makin' a toast at the reception they'd had at Mills' family restaurant. But he hadn't realized that was expected. He thought it was just Matt bein' Matt.

He didn't have a clue what he was going to say.

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He slipped his arm around her and together they went to collect their children.

Maggie was up on the "dance floor", a raised platform out on the lawn, twirling around, loving the way her dress pouffed out. Not as much as her tutu...but it seemed to be doing the trick.

Andy and Jesse stood on the side holding Lexi as she stood up and bounced to the music.

And Kelly couldn't help but smile.

"C'mon..." he said as the little band moved into a slow song.

He led his wife up the two steps onto the platform and slowly pulled her into an embrace.

Kelly wasn't a fan of dancing. He knew he was no good at it. But Alyssa loved to dance...and she was great at it. So every once in a while he might be persuaded to make a fool of himself...

Slow dancing wasn't bad. All he had to do was wrap his arms around her and let her guide his body in time to the music.

The look on her face...the love shining in her eyes...was worth any humiliation he might suffer.

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Then he felt something crash against his right leg...and he looked down to find Lexi hanging on to his pants. For a second he wondered how she'd gotten there...then he realized she had just walked.

A smile spread across his face.

Lexi had taken her first steps.

Then he felt something against his left leg...and there was Maggie.

And behind him he heard Andy groan...

"Oh, Jeez...I don't know these people..."

And Jesse agreed.

"Neither do I..."

Kelly and Alyssa both fought to stifle their laughter.

Their boys weren't much on the 'cheese' factor.

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By the time they sat down to eat, Kelly still didn't have a clue what he was gonna say. But after Shaina's grandfather had said a long...blessing...he handed the microphone off to Shaina's dad...who thanked everyone for coming...

"And now I'd like to ask the Best Man to say a couple words..."

Kelly felt Alyssa squeeze his hand under the table. She understood how difficult this was for him.

He pushed his chair back and made his way to the head table.

As he reached out for the mike he swallowed hard.

"Ummm...I don't know if guys watch 'Chicago Fire'..."

Several people laughed.

Duh...Severide thought to himself.

"Anyways...the character Morgan plays...is a lot like me. Especially the way he was at the beginning. But then I met my wife...and the whole changed."

He looked over at Morgan and Shaina...who were both smiling.

"You're whole world's gonna change...but...uh...hang on, 'cause it's gonna he a helluva ride."