by Haley Travis
“All systems nominal ,” he smiled.
It actually choked me up to hear my brother using technical jargon to express his emotions. I had always tried so hard to keep the world away from Terry that I didn’t teach him how to adapt to the parts he could handle. Jenna did that brilliantly, gradually bringing him out of his shell.
She suggested he use terms that made him comfortable to express anything that made him uncomfortable. That tiny switch helped him open up quite a bit. As he gained confidence, it seemed to ground him.
Over the past seven years, Jenna had included Terry in our lives as much as possible. When she realized he had almost no experience talking to girls, she invited him to dinner parties, introducing him to her friends. She always told him that he could leave at any time if he hit his limit of socializing.
When Terry had finally confessed he had a crush on Lisa, the new cashier at his favorite bookstore, Jenna and I had both carefully encouraged him, making every excuse to go with him to the store several times until he was comfortable speaking to her on his own.
Now that Terry and Lisa were getting married just a year later, I couldn’t be prouder of both my brother and my wife.
When Jenna and I had been married six years ago, Terry stood up for me. Now that I was able to return the favor, it felt like everything was complete.
As the kids reached the top of the aisle, Marnie went to stand beside Jenna, and Jason came to stand with me.
“Good job, buddy,” Terry said, patting the grinning five-year-old on the head.
“Where is Auntie Lisa?” Jason asked loudly, causing several older people in the front two rows to grin.
“She’ll be here in just a minute,” I said, picking him up so that he could see all the way to the back.
I looked over to see Jenna holding Marnie’s hand while she leaned over, peeping down the aisle excitedly.
When Lisa and her father appeared in the archway, the entire congregation heard my daughter’s breathless gasp. “Wow, she’s a princess!”
I turned to see if Terry was upset by the outburst, but he was actually laughing out loud. “She really is a princess,” he agreed.
I swear I saw a tear in his eye as his beaming bride walked toward him. Lisa’s flowing white dress and the peach flowered wreath in her hair were barely noticeable. Her soft smile and glowing eyes as she stared adoringly at my little brother were the only things anyone would remember.
As Lisa’s father placed her hand in Terry’s, I set Jason back down, holding his hand. “Now is the super quiet time until everyone cheers, okay?” I whispered.
He nodded excitedly. Our family had practiced this part several times, and the kids understood the importance of being silent right now.
Looking over at Jenna, she was blinking too quickly, her eyes glassy. “I love you,” I mouthed to her.
She nodded, mouthing, “Love you, too,” then blowing me a kiss.
Our wedding had been amazing, but I would never have expected that I’d be at Terry’s wedding someday, with my beautiful wife, our children, and our friends all in the same room.
Years ago, when I had been focused on nothing but business and success, the concept of family and belonging wasn’t even on my radar. Now it was the most important part of my life, and we all couldn’t be happier.
*** The End ***
But b e sure to check out the rest of the series!
B-Rolls to B-Sides a nd C-Flat to C-Sharp
Will be released in the next few weeks.
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About the Author: Romance author Haley Travis lives in a charming (old and rundown) little house with an old fashioned (overgrown and crazy) garden and just the right amount of books (six giant overstuffed shelves, the floor is starting to creak). She enjoys writing quirky, sexy modern romance, and loves creating interesting female characters who are at a turning point in their lives.
