Five months later…
“They’re all set. You ready to go marry that goofball out there?” My best friend stands in front of me in her dark purple maid-of-honor dress.
The day is finally here: I marry my other best friend, my soul mate, my other half, some may even say my better half. The man at the end of the aisle waiting for me is the love of my life.
I smile at Dani and nod. “I am. It sure seems like it took forever to get here, but I’m ready.”
With one last hug, she turns around, waiting for her cue to walk to the front.
Looking over her shoulder, she mutters, “I mean, technically it did, because someone had to go and get knocked up.”
I hold back my laughter even though the expression on her face is killing me right now. “Don’t make me trip you walking down the aisle, missy.”
“Love you, bestie.” She smirks.
“Love you too,” I yell as the doors open and she disappears down the aisle.
My dad takes his place next to me. He holds out his arm, and I loop mine through his.
“You sure you wanna do this, baby girl?”
“Daddddyyyyy.”
We both smile at my whine.
“I’m just kidding. I couldn’t have picked a better man for you, sweetheart. That boy up there loves you to the moon and back. You and that beautiful grandbaby of mine are his world. But you say the word and we will blow this popsicle stand.”
I throw my head back in laughter. I adjust my bouquet and rub my thumb against the photo dangling from the ribbon with a picture of my brother.
I tense and grip the bouquet tighter, fighting back the tears. I am about to walk down the aisle, and there is no time to redo my makeup.
My daddy pulls me into an embrace and kisses the top of my head. “I know you wish he were here, sweetheart, we all do, but just remember he is always with you, especially today. He’s right there with you as we walk down the aisle.”
My dad is right; my brother is always with me. I pull back and brush the tears away, hoping I don’t look like a raccoon.
“You look beautiful. Let’s go get you married.”
The doors open when the music changes to play “Heartbeats” by José González. Everyone turns their attention to us, and as I take a deep breath as take my first steps to forever.
“You may now kiss your bride.”
My lips are on my wife’s—wow, that is crazy to say— in an instant. The spark that ignites is as strong as the very first kiss we shared against her dorm room door. I smile against her lips and kiss the tip of her nose before we turn to face the crowd.
Kyler slaps me on the back as Haylee and I take our first step. We are just six months away from the roles being reversed and him and Dani making their first walk as husband and wife. We approach my in-laws, where my sweet little girl is resting in her grandma’s arms, and stop to press a kiss to the top of Emme’s head. She stirs, but doesn’t make a peep.
Once in the back of the church, I pull Haylee into my arms and place my hands over her cheeks, caressing them with my thumbs. “Hello, Mrs. Jacobs.”
I bring her lips to mine, sweeping my tongue across the seam of her lips to let me in. This kiss probably is a little too risqué for church, but oh well. This woman is now officially my wife, and I plan to kiss her as much and as long as I want from now till forever.
Kyler and Dani make their way to us, and everyone cheers.
“It’s party time,” I shout.
The reception is in full swing, and everyone seems to be having a great time. The hall is covered in beautiful shades of purple and gray. In one corner, there are photos of Haylee and me over the years and more recent ones that include Emme, while on the other side, there is an “In Memory” table with pictures of Emmett and us. There is a sign that sits on the table reading, “We know you would be here today if heaven weren’t so far away.” I’d give anything for him to be here today, but it’s one of those weird moments where I feel like he is actually here.
Dani gave us a surprise when she decided to sing the song we had chosen for our first dance, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Hayley Reinhart.
I sway side to side, holding Emme in my arms as I watch Haylee and her dad make their way to the dance floor for their father-daughter dance. I feel a hand clasp on to my other shoulder and look over to see my future brother-in-law standing there with his hands in his pockets.
“You’re really a married man.”
“Yep. Crazy, huh?”
“Nah, it suits you.”
The music begins to play, a country song. Kyler’s jaw tenses.
“You okay, man?” He stares out to the dance floor and then shakes whatever he was thinking away. A wrinkle forms on his forehead. “Dude, you look like you saw a ghost.”
“No, it’s just this song…”
“It’s perfect, right? When Haylee first played it, I fell in love with it and pulled a page from my parents’ book and ended up spinning her around the kitchen.”
I turn my attention back to my wife and father in law, and they continue to sway to Heartland’s “I Loved Her First.”
When the song ends, Haylee makes her way over to me so that I can steal my mom away for our dance. I hand Emme off to her and kiss her cheek before making my way to find my mom.
As “In My Life” by the Beatles plays—of course, my mom picked a Beatles song—I twirl my mom around. I place one hand on her waist and hold on to the other one while she balances her free hand on my shoulder.
“I’m so proud of you, Zach.”
“You are? For what?”
“Look at all you have—a beautiful wife and daughter who both adore you, a great job, a house. You have everything.”
The corners of my mouth rise as I think as to how lucky I am with everything and everyone I have in my life. “Yeah, I guess I am pretty lucky, huh?”
“That you are.”
I search the room as we continue to dance and lock my eyes on Haylee talking with our friends who traveled from New Orleans. When the music ends, I walk over to the DJ and make a song request before I stroll up behind my wife.
“Hey, guys, thanks for making the trip.”
“Of course. We wouldn’t have missed this, Zachy-Poo.”
I roll my eyes. “Watch it, Benny-Boo, or I’ll have my wifey here throw another punch your way.”
He jokingly cowers. “No, thank you. I’m a changed man thanks to HailsBails.” Turning to Kyler, he punches his arm, “Hey, MaiKy, you’re next.” Bennett wiggles his eyebrows and wraps his arms around Ky’s shoulders.
I let out a laugh.
“You boys are coming to New Orleans for the bachelor party, right? Hunt and I will hook you up.”
Before I have the chance to step in with bachelor plans as Ky’s best man, a familiar ’80s love ballad begins to play, and Haylee looks back to me.
“Are you serious?”
My mind takes us back to where it all started when I stood on a table in front of tons of fellow UPenn students and professed my love to this woman. To think, I almost lost her.
“When it comes to you, always. Dance with me, Haylee Jacobs.”
She extends her hand to mine, and I lead my new bride to the dance floor.
Our Friday nights sure have changed— sort of. There is still food, margaritas (the occasional one for me, at least—you know, breastfeeding and all), and karaoke. So maybe it wasn’t that much, but we now do it all at home instead of at Lucky’s. We save that for special occasions, a.k.a. when we have a sitter who’s not Dani or Kyler so that they can join us.
For an engagement present, Ky and Dani had given us a karaoke machine. The excitement on Zach’s face was priceless. You would have thought he was a little boy on Christmas opening that one present that he had been asking for all year. I was not as excited, but it has grown on me. Those nights at Lucky’s were a big part of our lives for the longest time that I would have been sad to give up the whole experience, so we decid
ed to stick with it just at our house instead.
Dani and I are walking into the living room from the kitchen when we hear the familiar sound of the most annoying song I have listened to recently, “Baby Shark.” However, as irritating as it is, it is very catchy and always gets stuck in my head. Zach is always playing it for Emme, and she just giggles. Dani stops abruptly and grabs onto my arm and chokes on her drink, almost spitting it all over the floor.
Zach and Kyler are standing with their backs to us, shaking their asses just like I have seen them start every routine for the past few years. When the lyrics start, they both turn around, and I see that not only is it Zach and Ky partaking in this madness, but Zach has baby Emme strapped to his chest. Oh my God, my poor daughter, I think even though I know she is such a daddy’s girl that she loves this. She has the biggest smile on her face, showing her two little teeth.
“Wow, they are… I don’t even have words.” Dani continues to shake her head in awe.
“Hey, he’s your brother!”
“Yeah, and your husband, which means you’re here by choice! Not me! I’m stuck with him no matter what.”
We both laugh.
“Touché. And on that note, that’s also your fiancé over there, so doesn’t say much about you either since you choose to be with him.”
Dani watches Kyler dance and laugh with his best friend and goddaughter. She bites her lip as if she is lost in her own thoughts, and I see a blush creep up her cheeks. Oh Lord, it may have left PGville in that brain of hers. I’m not even going to ask. We are just about two months out from their big day, and I can’t even put it into words the excitement and love I feel for my best friend and her man. I never thought I would see the day that she opened her heart again.
Emmett would want her to be happy, and I think once she realized loving Kyler didn’t mean she loved Emmett any less, she opened her heart to move on. I know that my brother would want her to be happy, and as heartbreaking as it is that he can’t be the one to do that, he would approve of Kyler being the one who does.
I let her enjoy her moment thinking whatever dirty thoughts she has in that head of hers before I jokingly punch her in the tit, bringing her back to reality.
“Oww!” she yelps, almost dropping her drink, and rubs her sore breast. I notice that the duet is now down to a solo, and I turn to see Kyler is now staring at his fiancée, his mouth hanging open.
“Fuck, Hails, what did you do that for?”
“Oh please, I barely hit you. Either way, your fiancé over there…” I point my drink in his direction. “…is staring at you like a raw piece of meat, ready to devour you, so I’m pretty sure he will make you feel better later.”
She smiles that signature Jacobs smirk and makes eye contact with Kyler. Shit, here we go again. I give up! I roll my eyes, place my drink on the table, and stroll over to where my husband and daughter are currently standing. I will never be tired of hearing that—my husband, my daughter.
In my peripheral vision, I see that Kyler has walked over to Dani.
“Hey, you two,” I say. They both whip their heads in my direction. “You cut that sh…stuff—” I catch myself from saying “shit” in front of Emme. I am determined for her first word not to be a curse word even though her daddy curses like a sailor. “—out. There are innocent eyes here that don’t need to see all the things her father has.”
I raise my eyebrows and laugh. Zach must be cringing at the awful memory of not only walking in once, but twice, on his sister. I personally find it hilarious; him, not so much. I turn around to see Zach’s face, and he is so serious, staring at me. I know that look. I’m definitely going to get it later—in the best possible way, of course.
I bite my lip, and his eyes darken. Would it be appropriate to kick our houseguests out and tell them they have to take my daughter for the night? My breath catches in my throat as I remember last night when he had me bent over the side of the couch. “Fuck, look at you so fucking perfect bent over for me. Your bare pussy on display begging for me. Tell me, baby girl, do you want my cock now, or do you want me to eat you like this?” It took everything I had not to wake up Emme or the neighbors even with the way he made me scream in pleasure.
The moment breaks when Emme decides she’s had enough being attached to Daddy and unleashes fury in her diaper, causing all of our attention to turn to her as her face turns extremely red while she poops. Dani and Kyler bust out laughing, and I try to hide my laughter knowing that she is attached to Zach and it’s possible that diaper was explosive and he has shit on him.
Zach finally lets out a loud laugh and looks down at Emme, smiling. “See what your daughter thinks about that awful memory you bring up.” His words are soft as he turns his attention to her. “Now what do you say we go change that nastiness in your diaper, sunshine? Daddy’s got you.”
It’s so sweet to see him with her—the same man who has such a filthy mouth with me. I remember back when he was a big manwhore, and I never thought the day I would see him with a child, let alone my child. Zach takes Emme to her room to change her as the three of us take a seat in the living room.
In the middle of the conversation, we hear Zach yell, “Sweet Jesus, what did she eat?”
We all start to laugh as Kyler yells to his best friend, “Yep, she’s all Jacobs!”
“Not cool, man. I never smelled like this before!”
Both Dani and I must have the same thought because we both say, “Umm, you sure about that?”
After a few moments, Zach and Emme walk out to join us, both sporting a new outfit. Emme is no longer strapped to her daddy’s chest, but is in his arms. I think there is nothing that could make this moment better, being surrounded by the ones I love: my husband, my daughter, my best friend, and her fiancé.
My emotions have been over the place lately, especially since having Emme, and I have been missing Emmett more than usual. Not wanting to let my feelings get the best of me, I hop up from the couch and pull Emme into my arms.
“Why don’t you boys go start the grill, and we will be right out with the sides?”
Zach looks at me, knowing me well—sometimes even better than I do— and can tell something is up.
Instead of making a scene, he walks toward me, cupping my cheeks, and whispers in my ear, “You okay, baby?”
I nod. He doesn’t push the subject and kisses my forehead before kissing Emme’s.
He leans to my ear one more time as he goes to pass and whispers, “I love you.”
He winks and then walks off behind Kyler toward the kitchen, leaving just us girls in the room.
I hate when those moments come on. I miss my brother every day, but some days, it hurts more than others. I look down at my daughter, who has since fallen asleep on my chest. She loves my boob, just like her father. I guess making a massive mess in her diaper tired her out.
I turn to Dani. “I’m going to go lay this one down in her crib, and then I’ll meet you outside.”
She nods before getting up and heading into that direction while I take my sweet girl to her room.
I join everyone on the patio and set the baby video monitor on the table.
“So, Haylee, I have to ask. Will you explain to me the part in your vows where you promised to stay away from Zach’s gym bag? Every time I ask this one over here…” Kyler nods in Dani’s direction. “…she starts laughing until she can’t breathe.”
Dani laughs uncontrollably, further proving Kyler’s point. Ugh, it was a horrible moment although now we can laugh looking back on it—at least I do; Zach, not so much. Zach groans over at the grill.
“You just had to put that in your vows, didn’t you?”
With an ear-to-ear grin on my face, I defend myself. “Hey, I made up for it by buying you a new bag! And if I remember correctly, you brought up my shitty cooking, so it was only fair.”
“Hello? Anyone going to fill me in on the story or what?” Kyler dramatically folds his arms and stomps over to an empty seat at
the table.
Dani composes herself long enough to begin the story. “So it was the summer going into our sophomore year, and the boys had just gotten back from the gym. They smelled horrible.”
“Horrible doesn’t even cover it!” I interject.
“It wasn’t that bad,” Zach shouts over his shoulder.
“You smelled like roadkill!” I respond to my husband, glaring at him.
“Anyways,” Dani continues, “our girl Hails here thought she had never smelled anything worse than the way the boys smelled post-workout. So, I saw an opportunity and took it.”
An evil grin takes over her face, reminding me of the gif of the little girl who you know is up to no good. I throw a stern expression in her direction, and she waves me off.
“What! If you weren’t just like my brother, where you can’t refuse a dare, we wouldn’t have had a problem, now would we?” She sits back in her chair, so proud of herself.
I close my eyes, and the memory is still as fresh as if it were yesterday. My best friend’s voice is ringing through my ears. “I dare you.” I hear those words, and I refuse to back down. Maybe that had to do with growing up with such a competitive brother; I had to prove I could hang. More than one occasion though it has gotten me in trouble, and this one was no different.
“Without even thinking, Haylee accepted the challenge, and I had to race behind her to catch up as she went to where the gym bags sat by the front door. Now for the record…” She turns away from her fiancé to face me. “…yes I should’ve stopped you. I had been near those nasty things before, and let me say, they were N-A-S-T-Y.”
“So, Haylee grabs my bag,” Zach shouts.
I guess he still believes that I did it on purpose, no matter how many times I have tried to say I didn’t know if it was his or my brother’s.
I interject, “Hey, as I told you for the millionth time, I didn’t know it was yours.”
“Yeah, sure, babe.”
I roll my eyes at him.
I Never Expected You Page 25
