I walked into the kitchen the next morning with a smile on my face. "Dude how can you be so happy?" Eric asked as he held a bag of frozen peas to his head.
"I am getting married today." I said as I smiled. I don't think I could be happy if it wasn't Jackie. "What did Donna beat you up?" I asked as I looked at him.
"No for your information I got in a fight with a death star." He said as he looked up and I saw the bruise that he had hidden behind the peas.
"Wow, you got your ass handed to you by a toy. Forman I think you need the stupid helmet." I said with a smile as I looked at him.
"I need the stupid helmet you are marrying Jackie." He said as he placed the peas back on his forehead.
"You know stop making comments about Jackie." I said as I looked at him.
"What you going to do hit me?" He asked as he got up.
"Dude you are like a brother to me, but she is going to be my wife. So, yeah I will have to hit you." I said as I looked at him.
"Damn, dude she has changed you." He said as he walked out of the kitchen. He was right she changed me, but I don't see that as a bad thing. I actually thought it was a good thing. It didn't take me long to get ready so I found my self sitting in the kitchen as I watched people come and go from the back yard.
"You ready for this Steven?" Red asked me as he walked in the kitchen from the living room.
"Yes, sir." I said as I looked at him.
"You know Steven, I am impressed by how much of a man you are being with all that is going on." He said as he looked at me. "I don't want you to tell Eric this, but you are by far my favorite son." He said as he looked at me. "Now I have something for you, a wedding present." He said as he fished through his pocket. He handed me a ring. "This is my father's wedding ring. Now don't tell Eric about this, but I noticed that you didn't have enough money to get yourself a ring." He said as he handed to me.
"Thank you." I said as I looked at him.
"Yeah, well you deserve it. And Kitty had it fitted for you." He said with a smile. I was trying to figure out what to say when Donna came in the Kitchen.
"I need the emergency wine." She said as she came through the kitchen.
"Kitty can't have that." Red told her.
"It's not for Kitty. I have to get some boos in Jackie's mother." She said as she looked at him. "Nothing is good enough for that woman." She said as she grabbed the wine. Then she was gone as fast as she came.
"Well, this is going to be a fun day." Red said as he looked at me.
"Yeah, well I could have told you that when I saw Eric's face this morning." I said with a laugh.
"He told me you hit him." Red said as he looked at me.
"Well, I didn't. The boy got beat up by a death star toy." I said with a laugh.
"God that kid." Red said as he walked over to the fridge. I watched as he grabbed two beers. "Here you go. You will need it." He said as he handed me a beer.
"Thank you." I said as opened it.
"Welcome to manhood, Steven." He said before he took a drink of his beer.
"Eric!"Laurie said as the two busted into the room. "Where did you put my make up?" She asked.
"I don't have your make up." He said as he looked at her. "Why would I be wearing make up?" He asked. That's when I noticed he covered up the bruise.
"Dear god boy, give her back the make up." Red said as he looked at his son. "And get that shit off your face."
"Mom made me put this on." He said as he looked at us.
"I need another beer." Red said as he walked towards the living room.
"Make up dude." I said as I walked past him. I went down to the basement and grabbed the stupid helmet. "Put this on." I said as I tossed the helmet.
"Fine." He said as he put the helmet on. It wasn't too much longer after that, that I found myself standing in front of our family and friends. I looked over to Eric who stood next to me. He was too busy staring down Donna to even notice. Then I saw her. She was stunning in her strapless cream color dress. Her hair was put up so it has out of her face. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. "You look amazing." I mouthed to her as her dad placed her hand in mine. I got lost in her big brown eyes as I repeated my lines. It seemed like before I knew it I was saying "I do."
Then the minster said something and Jackie followed up with "I do." Then her lips were on mine as everyone clapped.
"I love you." I told her as everyone moved to greet us.
"I love you too." She said as she held on to my arm. It felt strange to have to stand of an hour as Leo took our pictures. Then as everyone else pigged out on the food that Kitty prepared we just stood by the driveway. There was music playing and as a Carpenter's song came on I took Jackie's hand. "You know I haven't danced with you in forever." She said as we moved together.
"It's been a year." I said as I looked at her.
"That is forever." She said as she looked at me.
"I won't wait that long ever again." I said as I leaned down to kiss her.
"Can you believe this?" She said as she looked into my eyes. "I never would have thought that we would be dancing at our wedding." She said as she placed her head on my chest. I was about to break into one of my mushy lovey moments when I saw a flash go off.
"Now this is just so sweet." Kitty said as she took another picture.
"Thank you, Mrs. Forman for everything." Jackie said as she looked at her.
"Sweetie you just let me throw a wedding that Laurie will never have." She said as she smiled at us. "I have something for you." She said as she handed Jackie a piece of paper that I didn't even notice she was holding.
"It's a old picture." Jackie said as she looked at the paper.
"It was taken at a block party when you two were little bitty." She said as she moved towards Jackie. "That is you and the boy throwing the worm on you is Steven." She said as she pointed to the picture.
"Steven this is our first picture. I didn't even know that we met that long ago." Jackie said as she showed me the picture. I laughed to myself as I looked at a younger me throwing a worm and a spoiled little girl.
"Me either, but that is one hell of a worm." I said with a laugh.
"I think this is proof we were meant to be." She said as looked at the picture.
"Do you want to repeat that incident?" I asked her with a laugh.
"God, no." She said as she handed the picture back to Mrs. Forman.
"No, no that is yours to keep." She said.
"Thank you." Jackie said as he handed me the picture. I placed it in my pocket.
"Oh Fez is dancing, I have to get this on film." Mrs. Forman said as she headed back towards the back yard.
"You want to join your party?" I asked Jackie.
"No, I am fine right here." She said as she hugged me. I just kissed her forehead and led her towards the party. I watched from the background with my bride as our friends made complete asses of themselves. Then again they do that on a normal basis. It was later that night as Jackie and I laid down in out bed to go to sleep that it hit me that I got her forever.
"Goodnight, Mrs. Hyde." I said as wrapped my arm around her.
"Goodnight, Steven. I love you." She said.
"I love you too." I said as I drifted to sleep. Nothing was more perfect than that moment. It was one of those special moments you keep close to your heart.
