Alexa Chapter 40: The Countdown

Jenny and I sat on the love seat in the great room squeezing each other’s hands as we nervously waited for the festivities to begin. It was 11 AM on a Wednesday, which shouldn’t have been a big deal, but it was. This was the one thing, other than the actual ceremony, that me and Jenny had both been the most nervous about, the Bachelorette Party. Katie and Jenny’s cousin Julie, the two Maids (or Matron as I liked to tease Julie) of Honor were the two in charge of putting this whole thing together. A Wednesday is not a normal day to hold one of these things, but we had requested that we wait until as many of our friends form London could celebrate with us. That was our only request, that and no male dancers. We had been down that road already. We were instructed to dress for a casual afternoon and that was it. So here Jenny and I were, nervous as our friends circled about as if in some sort of holding pattern.

“Do you have any idea what they have planned?” Jenny asked, and even though I had told her no a hundred times, I could only shake my head. “Just stick close together OK?” An equally nervous Jenny said to me. Finally, a horn could be heard outside and that is when all our assembled friends stood before us. All but one of them were dressed similarly, short skirts and light tops and even Ophelia seemed to be embracing the warmer temperatures a bit more with a very light weight skirt, though longer than almost anything I have worn. They had grins on their faces like the cats that ate the canary. Jenny and I looked at each other again and the pressure in our hands increased.

“OK you two, it is time to let the fun begin. So, get up of that couch and follow us” Katie said as the rest nodded enthusiastically. As we rose from the love seat, I felt like I was being led to the gallows, and I could tell by the expression on Jenny’s face she felt the same way. Hendo and Lauren were the first to reach the doors. They swung the wide double doors open and our group stepped out onto the front step. Jenny and I stood there as the group made their way to the large vehicle sitting in the driveway. But not just any vehicle, but an oversized white Hummer Limo! Katie made a joke towards Jacinta that they didn’t have things like this in London. As we cleared the house, the doors of the Hummer opened and out popped three more people, Bethany and a complete surprise Zoe and Natalie! Our three friends rushed towards us and the squeals began louder. Hugs were shared as we made our way towards the Hummer. As we were getting on, we heard Mom and Mary telling us to have fun. Mary added that she had put Bart Hamilton on full retainer for the night.

The Hummer bus was one of the coolest things I had ever seen. I had seen pictures of these things but never had been in one. The interior was done in white leather and instead of normal bench style seats, there was one long couch all along the perimeter of the vehicle in a horseshoe pattern. A light purple neon light encircled both the ceiling and along the floor. A bar sat right by the rear door. Jenny and I were led to the front part of the limo where we were given the short seat of honor while the rest of the group filled in. After everyone got settled in, we were underway to whatever Julie and Katie had planned. As we were reaching the road, Katie called for the chattering to stop for a moment. “All right girls, and you old married ladies” Katie said earning her some raspberries, which she laughed off “We are here for the Bachelorette Party of those two lunatics at the other end of limo. We have something a little different planned for today, and tonight!” Katie said earning cheers. “This afternoon we are going to tour a few of the wineries on the area. After that, we will see!” The evil smile Katie had made me a bit nervous. A few the girls began asking Katie and Julie about the wineries we were going to while we got a chance to talk with Bethany and introduce to everyone.

We had been on the road about a half an hour when we pulled into the first of the wineries. While these places were not normally open on a Wednesday, Julie had used the Thompson influence for them to open their gates for our group. We pilled out of the H2 and were met by a young man named Kevin, who was the son of the owners. He was a tall good-looking guy and I could see the single women of the group, Bethany, Jacinta and Hendo, gravitate towards him with starry looks in their eyes. We all fell in line as Kevin began directing us through the grounds, showing us the vines and then leading us in to the winemaking building. It was kind of neat to see how this worked but it was better watching the three couples we knew all to well holding hands as we walked along viewing the grape and other fruit processing areas and as we continued into the casking and ageing area, we got a chance to talk to Bethany. “So great to have you come along. How did you get off work?” Jenny asked. The answer surprised us.

“Well, it was easy to get off work, since I quit the plant.” Bethany informed us. Jenny and I stared at her open mouthed. “I got sick of sitting in that back room sorting parts for air conditioners. I got a job at Federated Insurance in Owatonna working in the claims processing department and I start on the 9th.” I was in shock as I never thought Bethany would never leave Faribault and I asked her if she was leaving. “I’m not leaving town. Owatonna is only 20 miles away, so no big deal. Plus, I started seeing someone.” We tried to get more information out of her, but she wouldn’t tell us who he was, all she said was “You will meet him at the wedding” with a smile.

Kevin led us up to the tasting room where the quiet demeanor we had held through the tour instantly changed to the loud chatter that was common amongst this group. We finally able to work our way over to Zoe and Natalie. “When did you to get in?” I asked as we shared hugs with our friends. Nat answered, saying they had gotten in the night before. “Our flight from Chicago was delayed so we didn’t want to be a hassle” she told us as they explained that they had caught a cab to the boutique hotel in Wayzata that Marty had basically taken control of for the weekend. We continued getting the updates on how married life was treating the couple and talked a bit about the Cityzens before Julie interrupted the proceedings.

“OK ladies drink up! It’s time to move on to the next place.” A minor cheer came up and we finished off the wine. We thanked Kevin for everything and we made our way out to the limo. As we got situated for the ride, questions about the next place were asked. “The next stop is a combination winery and microbrew.” Julie explained. Jenny and I had to explain to our British friends what a microbrew was, the newest trend in beer brewing, and it seemed to energize the group a bit more. We made our way out towards Lake Waconia and pulled into a rather modern looking set up. Unlike the quaint old barns that we had seen in Minnetrista, the buildings of this location were all modern pole barns. We were greeted by the proprieties, two guys in their thirties that seemed to come right of the hipster handbook. Beards and earrings adorned them along with the standard T-shirts and jeans. They began leading us through the fermentation cycles of wine in one building and then brought is in to the brew house where they described the brewing process. They then took us to the tasting room. The time there was short as Julie and Katie had made a reservation for our final stop. We pilled back in the limo where the comparisons of what everyone had started up. Julie interrupted the various discussions.

“I hope everyone has been having fun so far, we are off to our final stop. And some of you will enjoy this a bit more. Not only is it a winery, but it also produces some small batch bourbon and vodka.” A few of us started teasing our Scottish friend who tried to defend herself, saying she hadn’t had a drop since the surgery. Of course, none of us believed her. Julie attempted to get things under control a bit. “And the owners of the next stop will have some cheese and bread and other finger food for us, because I am sure a few of you ladies are getting hungry” What was funny was that Hendo and Jacinta instantly yelled out Katie!

The Hummer pulled into the last stop of the day and the place was beautiful. All the buildings had stone foundations with wood construction above. They had an old-school look on the outside, but you could tell they were quite modern. We noticed a few other smaller groups being led around. We watched as one leader broke away, a dark haired girl a little older than us went right up to Julie and exchanged a hug. Julie turned and faced the group. “Girls, this is my sorority sister Claire Henderson, her parents own this place.” Everyone got a chance to greet Claire, who we had met at Julie’s wedding. The pair broke a hug and turned to us. Julie re-introduces the two of us. “It’s good to see you again.” Claire said. “Are you two having a good time today?” Before we could answer, an older couple came up to our group.

“Good afternoon ladies. I am Tom Henderson, and this is my wife Vickie. Welcome to our little slice of heaven, Tonka Vista Vineyards. Now, who are our guests of honor today?” Jenny and I stepped forward, with a little help from Natalie and Paige. I tried to admonish our friends while Jenny answered for us.

“We are Mr. Henderson. I am Jenny Thompson, and this is my Fiancée, Alexa Quinn.” Jenny seemed a bit nervous as she extended her hand. I realized I was too as shook hands with the tall man. I realized there was no reason to be scared as I took in the warm smile. “Its great to have the two of you here. And don’t be nervous, I don’t bite.” He said. “She does though” He said with a hearty laugh pointing to his wife who slapped him in the arm. “Be nice Tom. Congratulations girls. So, are the two of you nervous yet?” Vickie asked, and we nodded. “I wouldn’t worry about anything. I have met your grandmother before, and if she is involved, everything will go off perfectly,” Vickie said trying to assure us everything was fine. And while it helped, I could feel Jenny reach for my hand and squeeze it a bit harder. As calm as she had been on the outside, her nervousness was felt as my hand bones compressed.

Tom could see that the conversation was getting a bit serious. “Well let’s quit standing around out in this sun. Let’s get inside and we will give you a little tour.” We were led into a large barn looking building that we found full of wooden barrels. As soon as we were inside, Tom turned and addressed us again. This is our ageing house. This side of the barn is our various wines we produce. This is mostly Vickie’s part of the operation, but if you follow me I will show you mine.” With that he led us further into the barn where he stopped in front of some older looking barrels he turned and faced us with a grin like a proud parent. “This is my little part of the operation. These barrels here are bourbon I have been aging for 4 years.” Tom went on. It was kind of neat learning how bourbon was made. I could see that Paige was really enjoying it and I had to tease her about it a bit. “Don’t start with me Alexa.” Paige warned which got me going bit more. Our blonde better halves tried shooting us dirty looks to be quiet.

Finally, the demonstration ended, and we lead to another building on the grounds. This we could tell was a little more of what we were looking for. Two thirds of the building was a large reception area the other part was a tasting area that could serve as a bar during events. The Cathedral ceilings with roughhewn wood cross beams gave the reception area a rustic feel, the bar area seemed quaint and inviting. I kind of felt sorry for the other groups that were in there as our group came in and took over the place. Claire began asking what kind of wine everyone wanted, while her father had shown up and began asking who wanted to try something a little stronger. Paige seemed to be the only one who wanted to try the bourbon. I decided I would try the vodka. Jenny grabbed my hand and spoke up that she would try one too. She slid up next to me and said “We are in this together babe. Remember that.“ And flashed me a smile.

“You two are almost sickening.” Paige teased as the three of us got our drinks. Paige held up her glass to us and said, “May the Lord keep you in His hand, and never close His fist too tight on you!” Then the four of us took a slip. Jenny asked her what that was all about. “It is an old Scottish wedding toast I heard my grandfather say once. I was going to use it latter, but I thought now would be perfect.” Paige smiled and took another sip. “This stuff is pretty good, I wonder if I could take any back home with me?” Tom came over and said there was and guided Paige over to the shop area. We joined in with the rest of the group and joined in on the food that had been laid out.

It seemed like we had only been there a very short time, but Katie noticed a clock. “Jeez, look at the time! We have to get a move on if we are going to make our reservation. “And with that Katie got Hendo to help get everyone to finish up their drinks and get them out to the Hummer. Jenny and I began to wonder what was next on this little adventure. Mostly because I could see the smirks on our two tour directors faces as we entered the limo. And that feeling lasted as Julie spoke up.

“All right everyone. We are going to stop at the house first and those of you staying there can start to get ready and we will send the rest of you off to the hotel and when you are ready just have the limo come to the house.” Katie then jumped in “And you all know the dress code”, a comment that made me and Jenny a bit more on edge. What did those two have planned? We enjoyed the ride back and the conversation we had with Lauren, Hendo, Ophelia and Nikki. We tried to ask the four what the dress code was, we just got shrugs, and evil grins. Especially from Mrs. Phillips-Thomas. “You two will find out soon enough” Nikki said. Nikki’s taunts are never a good sign and I was preparing myself for the worst thing possible.

We arrived back at the house and Katie, Julie and the London girls got out of the Limo leaving the Four Nations together and Bethany. Those five had bonded a bit during the day but we were still a bit surprised that Bethany chose to head back to the hotel rather than getting changed here. “I will be fine you two. These four are great and besides I want to get settled into my room. I am going to be up all weekend.” I couldn’t help but smile. Bethany had slotted right in with this group and had been enjoying herself, which wasn’t surprising, but it was a new Bethany, one I had never seen. It made me happy. We said our good byes and began heading to the house. Jenny had to brace herself a bit and let out a little giggle. “I must have had a little more than I thought.” I teasingly called her a lightweight as we made our way up the steps. She slapped me in the arm and I fell over into the bushes, dragging her along with me. We fell into one of the flower bushes laughing away. As we lay there amongst the peonies. Marty came to the front door and saw us. “Oh God” he muttered before turning back into the house.

We got our selves extracted with the help of our friends who were now doubled over in laughter. “This is going to be a fun night” Sarah said with a smile as Katie shook her head. “We will be babysitting these two by Eight o’clock” Katie said as we walked into the house. We noticed that Marty had both mom and Mary out on the patio and was making sure they were looking the opposite way of our group. We all slipped up stairs giggling away and made our way to our respective rooms. Just as we were about to enter our room, Jenny and I were given some instructions by Sarah. “White thongs only ladies” Sarah said with a grin that matched the one her wife had, evil. Jenny and I went into our room and collapsed on the bed. We looked at each other, nervous over what lay ahead.

“What do those two have planned?” I asked. Jenny shook her head. “I have no idea. Like I said earlier, just stay together OK?” I nodded. I then noticed a bit of an evil smile come over Jenny. “I want to take a shower, since we are to stay together I guess that means you will have to come with.” She leaned over and placed a long, sensuous kiss on me before standing up and heading towards the bathroom. And if she was going to take a shower, I guess I was going to take a shower too. We did have a deal.

We must have gotten a bit more carried away with the cleansing of each other, because our washing was interrupted by the queen of interruptions. “Come on you two! Put on a robe a get out here.” Katie yelled through the bathroom door. We quickly dried ourselves and slipped on our robes and went out to meet our former roommate. We were in for a bit of a surprise. It wasn’t just Katie waiting for us, but the whole wedding party. Nikki was the one to address the two of us, as we went back to what had seemed to be our default position, gripping each other’s hands tightly. “The four of us have talked it over and we have decided that the two of you should wear the costumes that Sarah and I wore on our Hen Night!” Panic over took me and as I spun and looked at me soon to be wife. If I looked as scared as she did, we were in trouble. Sarah broke our fear with a burst of laughter.

“We would never do that to you two. No, this time, we went around and round and came up with a pair of dresses for the two of you. First off Nikki is going to work on your make up and Julie will be working on your hair, while Katie assists me with your dresses. Let’s get going girlies, so much time and so little to do.” Sarah paused. “Strike that, reverse it” Nikki rolled her eyes at her other half. She leaned over to us. “She just watched Willy Wonka the other night” Jenny and I reluctantly let go of each other. She went with Nikki while I went Julie to have my hair done.

“I have thought long and hard about this Alexa. You always have your hair loose or in a casual ponytail, I thought we would try something a little more dramatic.” With that, Julie pulled out a straightener and went to work. After she had combed and straightened my hair as flat as a pancake, she then began combing it back tight and pulling it into a pony tail that felt much higher on my head than I have ever felt it. After some fussing, she pronounced me finished. Some how she and Nikki had moved Jenny and I past each other without being able to see each other, though we did briefly touch hands as we passed. Nikki took control of me and led me over to the vanity in the corner of the room. She walked around me and checked out the hair.

“I see now what Julie was talking about. You are going to look incredible tonight Alexa, just leave it to me.” Nikki said with a mock maniacal laugh and began working om my face. I could feel the foundation being applied and the pressure of an eyebrow pencil around my eyes. This was followed by the sweeping of a pad across my upper lids and capped off with lots of mascara applied to my lashes. As I sat that, I became lost as to what Nikki might be turning me into. Was I going to look like some freak Kardashian or something? Was I going to look like Mimi from the old Drew Carey Show. What was she creating? As soon as the lip liner hit my lips, I began to think back to when this whole adventure started, the day Alex agreed to dress for the Great Experiment. I was Alex at that point, but that person seemed so distant to me now. The direction my life had taken since Jenny and Katie convinced me to dress to help Jen out with a paper was incredible. And now here I was, just three days away from being a bride to that same Miss Thompson who had lined my lips before. I started to tear up as I let my memories flood into me. “Stop that” Nikki admonished me. “You will ruin the makeup.” I tried to stop, but it was hard.

‘Sorry Nik, its just, I um, was thinking about that first day. Back when I was still Alex, back when I could never dream of being at this point in my life. Did you go through any of that?” Nikki set down the lip liner and took a seat next to me.

“Yeah, I did. I couldn’t believe that I had gone from Nick to Nikki and that I would be marrying such a wonderful person. Just like you will be. When I was fourteen, all of that was a dream as I am sure it was for you. Now look at us. We are beautiful women and we are with our soulmates. You know what all of this proves?” Nikki asked with a gentle smile. I shook my head at her question. “That dreams can come true. Now enough of this, let’s get finished so we can party!” Quickly Nikki finished up my lips and I was told to go over to Katie, who was hiding behind a divider.

“All right sis, this is your dress for the night. I don’t want you to say a word. Just put it on and shut up.” And while Katie had a smile on her face the whole time I knew she was serious and I also knew better than to mess with her. I took the hanger and got my first surprise. Rather than a dress, it appeared to be two pieces of white cloth. I took the skirt off first and stepped into it. As I pulled it up I realized the term ‘skirt’ was barely appropriate. Strip of cloth, yes. Skirt, no. It barely covered anything and clung to me like a second skin. Nikki came over to help supervise my dressing and looked at me with the same smile. The next piece was almost like a bikini top, but just bit longer, with a built-in push up bra. As I got it situated, I was practically spilling out of it. I was a bit embarrassed to be showing so much. “Oh, quit being such a prude Alexa. You look extra hot and girly. If you were out trolling for boys, you would have them eating out of your knickers” I just glared at my friend as she helped me around the divider.

As I turned the edge, three was Jenny. I almost died instantly. I could see that her mouth was opened wide in shock as she began to look me up and down. “Wow!” Jenny exclaimed as a smirk came across her face and a twinkle came to her eyes. “You are smoking Lex” she told me. I was thinking the same thing when I looked at her.
Her normal perfectly coiffed blonde hair was done a bit wilder and her make up much more glamorous than usual. She had on a white halter top dress that looked to be about as short as mine. The center opening left nothing to the imagination as her breasts practical fell out of the oval cut in the dress. We began to move to each other and held hands. “You look incredible Jen” I whispered, and we leaned in to share a kiss, before we were stop by Katie.

“Enough of that you two. You can look at each other for now, but no kissing.” We turned and looked at Katie for a second and then in an open display of defiance of our ‘sister’ and shared a kiss before turning back to the mirror. This was the first time we had seen ourselves and we were both in shock. I looked like an Arianna Grande imitator, which was one fine with me. The tan I had been working on all summer was on display as I stood there checking myself out. Jenny was feeling the same way. She leaned over and asked, “Do we have to go out with all these girls? Can’t it just be you and me?” I laughed and told her I felt the same way, but we had an obligation. The last part of attire for the night was presented to us as we turned around. Sarah held out two shoe boxes for us. “We all know you two don’t need any more of these, but Katie looked and neither of you had anything quite like this.” We took the boxes and opened them to reveal what could best be described as stilts. They were a six-inch spike heel with a one-inch platform on them. Thank god they had an open toe and an ankle strap or Jenny and I may have fallen off them. We slipped them on and then helped each other stand and take a few steps to get used to them. Our four bridesmaids led us out of the room and had us wait at the top of the stairs. While they went down and announced us. ‘For their last night out as single women, may I introduce Jenny and Alexa.” Julie stated and that’s was our cue.

As we were making our way down the main staircase, we both fidgeted in our short, tight dresses. We had to hold each other up as the steps proved to be an adventure in these shoes. As we began coming into view of the girls, we could hear catcalls being made. “Sexy ladies” one of them called out as we got to the bottom of the stairs. Cheers were let out as well as more catcalls. We also saw Mom, Marty and Mary standing there. Mom had a look of shock on her face as she looked at us. Marty began shaking his head and fighting a smile at the same time. Mary stood there with a smile a mile wide. As we walked over towards these three, we could see Marty was fighting some sort of emotion. “There is no way you two are going out dressed like that!” Marty said, only to be shot down.

“Charles Martin Thompson! These are grown women and they can go out and have fun dressed this way or any other way if they wish” Mary said before turning back to us. “Personally, I think they look incredible”

“Thanks grandma. Though I may kind of agree with daddy on this one.” Jenny said as she pulled at the center of her dress trying to make sure nothing was falling out. “I don’t know if I want anyone to see Lex like this other than me” she finished off with a giggle. Before we could say another word, we were enveloped by our friends. We were each handed a glass of champagne and a toast was made by Katie to kick off the evening festivities. We had barely even taken a swallow when the doorbell rang, and the rest of our group entered in the house and each took a glass. “Check you two out! Are you sure you two are getting married and not chasing the boys?” Jessica teased us. We finished off our drink and Activity Director Julie took over again, “Everyone to the limo, it’s time we leave the old folks and head out for some fun.” Mary shot the death glare at her oldest grand child as everyone moved off. “Do you want to come Mary?” I asked only to be waved off and told to have fun.

The limo was once again well stocked, and we took our seats at the front. Glasses were handed around again. Bethany and Hendo were on one side and Jessica and Paige were on the other side. “You are looking good Bethany” I said as I noticed her dress. She must have talked with Katie before all of this as she pulled at the hem of her short, sleeveless dress. “Little different than you would wear to Willy’s isn’t it?” She asked. “If Adam saw me in this it would make his head explode” she finished with a giggle that Jenny and I shared. Paige leaned over and asked me if the Adam in question was my brother. Jenny heard it and answered, “Yeah but we saved her from him” and we all laughed, except for Bethany. She just sat there with a little grin on her face. No one else noticed it but I did, and it got me wondering, but before I could say anything, the bottle of champagne had made its way towards the back.

In what seemed like a blink of an eye, the Hummer had pulled to a stop and the door swung open and we began to pile out. We found ourselves outside of Lacus, the same club we had come to a few times. The whole group was gathered together waiting for us to get out. “Jacinta spoke up for the group. “Something seems to be missing here” she stated and produced two sashes with the words “Bride” emblazoned across them. Our tall friend draped them over us and gave us each a hug. Katie looked over the group and told them that this was just the first stop and led us into the club. For a Wednesday night, we were surprised how crowded it was and the addition of our group ratcheted the energy in the place a bit. Julie talked with the one of the waitresses and we were led over to a VIP section, which we barely stayed in. Jenny and I were out on the dance floor almost immediately, followed by everyone else. It wasn’t long before we were the hit of the place and about the only time we stopped dancing was to have a quick drink of champagne. And while the club was fun and we were all receiving lots of attention, some one thought it would be a good idea that we hit another club. We decided on Club Rev, and since it was only a block away, we decided to walk.

We must have been quite a sight, 14 young women in dresses that were almost obscenely short with one other in a long form fitting dress that could stop traffic. We were laughing, shouting and actually stopping traffic as we moved down Hennepin Avenue. A car load of guys pulled over and tried to chat us up. But since most of us were spoken for, we gave them little acknowledgement, though Hendo and Jacinta tried to flirt a little more openly. We invaded Rev and it seemed a little quiet, but we still took the dance floor. When it came time for a break, someone had ordered a round of Jägermeister. We downed the shots and returned to the dance floor for a bit when Katie called us all over for a Chambord Kami. It was during this little break when we had decided the place was a bit dead and we should try another place. Julie said there was another club she had been to before up the street and that we should head that way. We gathered up or purses and made our way out the door for The Exchange.

As we walked along, the mixture of all the champagne and the drinks at Rev hit us and we became a little more wild and giggly. Jenny and I still hadn’t let go of each other, but we had taken control of out two drunk bridesmaids. I was hooked arm and arm with Nikki as we walked down the street. As we passed a bar Nikki suddenly stopped and spun us around. “Look! It is Karaoke night! We have to take the brides to be in” Nikki yelled out. Jenny and I tried to pull her along, but the others saw what had Nikki so excited and we were drug into the bar by the group.

The sun shone through the window and caused me more pain than I could ever remember. Jenny and I were curled into each other, with nothing on but the thongs we were directed to put on the night before. My mouth tasted like a dance floor. I couldn’t even groan without causing major pain. Jenny wasn’t moving. If it wasn’t for her snoring I would think she might be dead. As much as I didn’t want to get up, I had to or else something that hadn’t happened since I was three might have occurred. After vigorously brushing my teeth, I went in search of water. For some reason the little fridge in the closet was empty, so I threw on a robe and attempted to walk downstairs. That might have been the biggest mistake of the day.

“Good morning, sunshine” my mother said as I walked thru the kitchen towards the butler’s pantry. I mumbled a good morning as I returned with two bottles of water and stared looking to see if there was any Advil or Tylenol down here. “Looks like you girls had fun last night” mom said keeping up her sunny attitude. “What time is father showing up?” She asked. The alcohol that still inhabited my brain, slowed me down a bit and I finally mumbled something about my father being dead. “I know that smart alek, I meant the priest.” I finally caught up.

“Mom, for the millionth time he is not a priest any more, and he is coming Thursday at 10:30.” I said a little frustratedly. My mother responded that it was a good thing we were up, as it was 9:15 and that gave Jenny and I plenty of time to get ready. I looked at my mom for a minute trying to comprehend what she was saying, then it hit me. “Fuck today is Thursday” I said as panic took over. I ran up the stairs to the bedroom. All I could hear from my mother was “Alexa Marie, watch your language!” I made it to the room and began trying to wake Jenny. “Babe we have to get up! Brian is going to be here in an hour!” Jenny stirred a little bit and tried to pull me towards her. ‘Jen, I would love to do nothing but lay around with you all day, but we have to get moving” The urgency in my voice finally started bringing her back to reality and the comprehension of what I said hit her. Jenny pushed me aside and raced towards the bathroom, stopping only to admonish me to get moving. I giggled as much as my head would allow and followed my soulmate into the bathroom to get cleaned up.

A little less than an hour later, Jenny and I were seated in the kitchen, nursing cups of coffee while we waited for our officiant to arrive. Mom had been quizzing us about the night before and was a bit miffed that we could not answer half her questions about what we had done. Mary had shown up just before Brian had and took one look at us. “Well at least you two are alive and not in jail” she exclaimed which did relieve the tension a bit. “I came up because I thought it would be best if you met with the Minister down at the guesthouse. It will give the others a chance to revive properly.” Mary said with a knowing look at the two of us. Mary shock her head and moved off to her home. Before mom could get back into her questioning Brian showed up. He was as a bit early but welcome as it got us away from my mother’s questions. As we led him down to Mary’s, he sensed the condition me and Jenny were in and got a good laugh. “I remember being young once, hanging out at O’Gara’s and Plums. Having a few too many. I will try and keep this short girls, and let you get back to your hangovers.” And he stayed true to his word. We went back over everything and showed him where everything was. He looked over the final touches being applied to the ceremony site. Everything was done in a little over an hour and he said his good-byes after making a few pointers into what he would need on Saturday.

We saw our friends, at least those still alive, stretched out in various positions on the patio. We joined them and began the debrief of the night before. Katie was stretched out on one of the loungers and the Phillips-Thomas’ had jointly taken over another. Ophelia was up, but she did not look well and had dragged one of the lounge chairs into the shade. Jenny and I joined Lauren at the table. “Where are Jacinta and Hendo?” Jenny asked as I tried to collapse back into her.

“We think Hendo may be dead and Jacinta is in a coma” Lauren said as the rest groaned. We joined in the group hangover until our peace was broken by giggling coming from the old married couple and Nikki humming something. Whatever it was, was loud enough for the other three to join in and giggle away. “What’s so funny?” I asked.

“Oh nothing. Babe!” Nikki said causing more laughs from the assembled group. Jenny and I looked at each and the humming soon turned into full throated song. It hit Jenny before it hit me “Oh god, not again” I asked her what she was talking about when Lauren handed over her phone. Jenny and I watched the recording of the two of us on stage, starring into each other’s eyes and singing ‘I Got You, Babe’, the old Sonny & Cher song. I could only ask why this happens. Nikki and Sarah come over and added to the fun by whipping out one of their phones showing Jenny and I singing again, but this time it was ‘Endless Love’. “Where were you two?” Jenny asked our band mates and they told us they thought they would sit this one out. As they moved back to the lounger, Sarah reminded us that it was our special day and that we deserved the spotlight all to ourselves. Jenny and I both stuck our tongues out the pair. Just as they were settling back in to their chair, the first of the cavalcade of visitors began.

“I can see you are in your normal position Nikki” the British accent said from behind us. Nikki made some comment to the woman as we spun around to see Jamie, dressed as immaculate as ever, holding her daughter and with her husband at her side. Jenny and I jumped up to greet the Milton’s. The hangover slowly seemed to disappear as Jenny and I shared hugs with the famous model and her husband, and quick cuddles with little Olivia. “We are so excited you came” I exclaimed. We invited the three to join us at the table and we got the debrief of their trip to New York City. As Jamie was telling her tales of her first visit to the Big Apple, Jacinta and Hendo rose from the dead and joined the group. Some more teasing over my and Jenny’s performance ensued as did the showing of the video to Stuart and Jamie. The embarrassment we felt a few minutes before came back. And while it was all fun, I could see that Stuart was feeling a bit out numbered. The next group of arrivals helped Stuart gain some more allies. The squeals of both my soulmate and my sister announced that two people close to them, and me, had arrived. Marty stepped on to the patio from the house, “Look who I found” he said.

“Uncle Rob” Jenny exclaimed at the same time Katie exclaimed “Danny” in a tone that was more intimate than Jenny’s. As Jenny and I got up to share a hug with Jenny’s uncle, Katie met her fiancé with a long deep kiss. The cat calls from the assembled group ensued and caused my brother to bush a bit. Jenny and I turned and introduced Rob and I introduced the meathead as soon as he and Katie were done. All the girls got up to greet the two with special attention paid to Danny while Stuart got a chance to meet the added boys. Marty and Rob thought they would walk down to the dock and invited Stuart along while Katie tried to sneak Danny into the house, but the British Inquisition stopped that from happening. “So, this is the infamous Danny?” Nikki said. Danny must have been a bit on edge because he spun and looked at me and asked what I had been saying about him. “Me? I would never say anything bad about you, big brother.” I stated, batting my eyelashes for comedic effect. Danny’s response was pure Danny, something about cattle excrement, but he survived. He gave Katie another kiss and slowly slipped off to meet up with the other men.

“I can see why you were such a good girl in London, Katie. He’s cute” Jacinta said. Before she could answer Jenny let out a groan. Jacinta was surprised by Jen’s reaction. “He’s just our meathead brother, but Katie has brought him a long way.” Everyone laughed, but as I sat there listening to Katie defend her boyfriend, I looked over at Jenny. She just looked at me “What? He is my brother or will be in a few days.” I just cuddled in with Jenny and tried to enjoy the moment, before another guest arrived. Just as I had gotten comfortable, Mom arrived on the patio with our dual personal attendant in tow.

“Hi girls” Ashely said as she stood there. Jenny and I got up and resumed our roles as hostesses and began to introduce my cousin to the assembled group. Ashley froze however when our blonde model friend stood and faced the teenager. “Oh my god! You are Jamie-Lee Milton the model and the wife of Out of Heaven’s producer!” Everyone died of laughter at that moment, especially Nikki. Jamie even laughed. “Yes, I am, and you just made Stuart’s day.” Jamie told my cousin.

The heat of the day took control, and soon the group moved back into the house. The British group was not used to the intense heat that had descend upon the Twin Cities. And this was the least of it. The projected high of 96 degrees had all of us a bit nervous and praying that the weather people were correct and that it would be a bit cooler on Saturday. Bethany showed up and looked as in tough of shape as we did. When we asked what Jessica, Paige, Natalie and Zoe were doing, Bethany told us that they were out exploring the Cities. Bethany slid right in to the hungover group and joined in the review of the previous night’s activities and telling tales we had not yet heard. It was great having Bethany here with us but the fact she was so willing to tell my mother all about the events of the previous night made both Jenny and I wish she had stayed at the hotel. Jenny and I received a few looks of disappointment from my mother.

As they day wore on, some of us started to get a bit restless, and we decided we wanted to go on a boat ride. Danny and Katie had taken Stuart and Jamie out for a ride on the runabout, so we begged and pleaded for Marty to take us out in the cruiser. That was a little difficult because he had become enamored with Olivia. ‘Auntie’ Nikki and ‘Auntie Sarah had originally taken charge of babysitting, but it hadn’t been long before Marty had swooped in and was vying with the P-T’s for Olivia’s attention. “How long until he starts bugging us?” Jenny whispered to me. I said two years, Jenny said six months. We bet on the six months “Please Daddy! Char can watch Olivia.” Marty once again declined as the giggling little bundle had him completely under her control. Nikki looked at us and said, “Just like her mother, controlling all the boys.”

“I’ll take you out” Rob said “I want to go out on the water and since the Captain here is other wise involved, I would love to. Go get ready.” Ophelia and Sarah elected to stay back, as the heat was still affecting Ophelia and thought the air conditioning was best for her and Sarah thought at least one of the babysitters should stay back. The rest of us scrambled off to get changed into our bathing suits. We met Rob down at the boat and after the engines were warmed up, we left the dock and went out into the lake. Rob was like a kid in a candy store. “You know I technically own part of this boat, but Marty always has to be the pilot. This is great!” We spread out along the boat and soaked up the sun. Little did we know there was trouble ahead.

As we turned into Lafayette Bay, we could see smoke. Rob was just as curious as those of us spread along the sundeck. Jacinta and Bethany were at the bow, they became our look outs. As we got close, Jacinta began describing what she saw. Her first comment was that must not have been a big fire and that it seemed to be out, as a few of the fire trucks were leaving. Bethany was the one to drop the bomb, “It looks like it’s at a golf course.” Panic took over Jenny and myself and we urged Rob to go faster. Our fears were confirmed when we go to the club, there had been a fire at the Main Clubhouse at the Lafayette Club. The place we were going to have out rehearsal dinner tomorrow night! I broke down a bit and Nikki led me back to my seat while Jenny became panicked looking for her phone. I couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but I did hear my weeping girlfriend crying into the phone “It’s all burned daddy!” Rob snatched the phone from my fiancée’s hand. Lauren led her back to me, where the two of us were clearly in panic mode. Rob hung up and said that Marty was on top of it.

The ride back to the house was much more subdued than ride out. Jenny and I were wondering what else could go wrong. Mary, and mom were now fawning over Olivia as Marty was nowhere to be seen. Either were the Milton’s or the soon to be Quinn’s, which seemed funny. Olivia let out a squeal as ‘Auntie Nikki’ walked in and it was enough to briefly pull me and Jenny out of our funk, but reality hit us again as mom came over and began asking what we had seen at the club. “It wasn’t as bad as the smoke looked, but I am sure the kitchen is totaled.” Jenny informed my mom while I began to sulk. Mom was sure that it would all work itself out. That was when I decided that there wasn’t enough tension over this wedding.

“I doubt that. Let’s see we have had photographers tell us they wouldn’t take on our wedding, we have had the two singers back out and now the rehearsal dinner site has a fire.” I slumped back into the couch. Jenny curled up to me and whispered it would be all right. And just as I saw Nikki begin to open her mouth, Mary started in.

“When did the two of you become such big pouters? The two of you have gone through everything with a full head of steam and now these little obstacles pop up and you raise the white flag? You two need to realize that everything will be fine. None of that matters. Look around you. You have a whole group of friends and family who are anxious to see the two of you declare your love for one another. They couldn’t care that the food was from the club or that you have the perfect dress. You could wear shorts and a t-shirt and have White Castle for the meal, they wouldn’t care. They just want to see you happy.” Mary walked off frustrated. Mom said nothing but stared at us. I looked to see a smirk on my British sister’s face. “I like her” Nikki said. Sarah came up behind her wife with a little more sympathetic take on things.

“She is right, girls. We just want to see you two show the world how much you care about one another. You will get through it and it will work out. Look what Nikki and I went through. This is nothing compared to that.” Sarah hugged her wife while Jenny and I both started to come to an understanding that none of this did matter. Smiles of guilt and love began to creep across our faces. Jenny’s smile turned a bit warmer and I am hoping she felt the same about mine. We shared a kiss. “We are wearing the dresses” I told her. “Good.” She replied. “I was scared you were going to say we would wear the cheerleading outfits.” That was the perfect tension reliever.

We were much more relaxed when Marty came in and told us that he had lined up a caterer for the rehearsal dinner, and that we were going to just have to have it here. “And all your friends better be coming you two. This one is special.” We asked why and who was doing it. “Let’s just say I called an old friend and he and his mother are on it.” Marty had a proud smiled on his face as Jenny and I shrieked with delight. We had to interpret for the rest of the gang that the Thompson’s friends who owned an Italian restaurant were going to cater it. Smiles grew across Nikki and Sarah’s faces. “You mean that place we went to last time?” Nikki asked. When we told her yes, she began telling the girlies how wonderful it was and everyone seemed excited.

The night was quiet. Since this was the last truly free night, we decided to get as many people together for dinner. Jessica, Paige, Zoe and Natalie were still off on their exploration of the Twin Cities and the older family members wanted to just hang low. Rob entered the room at this point. “Why don’t you all stay. I have brought back a ton of beef from the ranch, we can grill out and just hang out here. And though everyone had recovered from their hangovers, the prospect of laying low sounded good. Rob said he would get everything started. He also said that Jenny and I were in charge of the sides. “Just because you two are getting married, doesn’t mean you get to sit around all night.” We tried to pout our way out of it but were told to get over ourselves. We went off to the kitchen to see what we had to work with and if we would need to make a run. As mom got up to follow us, I spun around. “No mom. Sit. We are taking care of this.” then I looked at Nikki and told her to get moving as she wasn’t getting out of helping. After taking inventory, we decided we needed to make a run to the store. Jamie was happy for that because she needed to grab a few things for Olivia. Jenny, Nikki, Jamie and myself piled into my car and made our way over to Wayzata. After stopping at the hotel, we went over to Byerly’s to get the items that we needed. Nikki had experienced my command authority when in a grocery store, but to Jamie it was all new. “Is she always like this?” she asked Jenny as I handed out assignments to the three.

“This is nothing. If she was coking a full-blown dinner she gets real demanding. Just keep her away from the meat counter.” I shot Jenny a look and instantly I saw her face turn ashen “I’m sorry babe” she blurted out nervously and I could see the tears starting to form. I had two options, I could be mad, or I could comfort her. Of course, I chose the latter, and while I could tell she was only trying to tease me it still hurt a bit. It also showed me how on edge both she and I were. We had joked about the incident a million times over the last two years but today it turned into another incident that was making this week tough. As I was leaning into kiss my soulmate, Nikki butted in.

“Can’t you two control yourself?” Nikki said with sigh. Jamie laughed and admonished her protégé. “Give them a little bit of slack. They are going through a lot.” Jenny thanked Jamie for being so understanding while Nikki and I had a bit of a show down.

We got back to the house and saw that the party had begun. Rob was out on the patio with Danny getting the grille ready to go, this time the big fancy one not the Weber kettle. Sarah and Marty were practically fighting each other over Olivia, while my mom looked on with a bemused smile. The rest of the girls had seemed to have recovered from the previous night and were out sunning themselves in the late afternoon sun, even Ophelia was trying to adapt to the heat. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves because we could hear the laughter through the doors. The only one who I felt sorry for was Stuart. The poor man had been cornered by my cousin. She was all over him about Out of Heaven, asking about their new album and the publicity tour they had just finished up. “I completely forgot the CD’s. I knew we were coming over and I had the girls sign a couple of new CD’s for you and your cousin. But I forgot them on my desk.” I heard Stuart explain to Ashley. You could see that she was a little sad but said that was OK and that it was a shame they couldn’t come over. “Yes, it is,” Stuart sighed “But the publicity tour was grueling, and the girls were exhausted. They wanted to come, but physically they just couldn’t do it” Something about Stuart’s comments seemed odd, like they were rehearsed. I was not the only one who noticed it because Jenny looked at me and said “That’s weird”

Jenny and I went to the kitchen dragging Nikki along, as I wanted some help plus I felt like teaching some more. In short time we had Nikki going on some chopping while I began cooking up some potatoes and Jenny worked away at a few salads. As we were preparing, more people came in. Julie and her husband Andrew along with Bridget and AJ came over because they heard that Rob was cooking up a whole cow, and when it was time to serve it looked like it. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and the food, especially the food. It made for a nice quiet night before the onset of the fun of Friday.

Friday did seem like a completely different day. We all slept in a bit and the group decided they would go do some exploring around town, that is all except those in the bridal party. We had things we had to take care of in the morning, so we were left at home. Bethany had volunteered to work as the tour guide and they headed out about eleven leaving Snikki, Katie, Jenny and myself at the hands of Mary and mom who immediately had orders for us and the newly arrived Julie. We went in a million different directions, preparing for the nights festivities. “You sure you want to become part of this family Alexa?” Rob joked with me as I grew a bit frustrated with his mother. “You can still get out. I can hide you. You can be the cook at the ranch.” Mary did not think too highly of her youngest son’s comments and was told to get back to helping Danny prepare some tables for the evenings guests. We all got a break around two, all the tasks being completed to mom and Mary’s approval and we sat back and rested. Julie took off and Katie slipped away with Danny somewhere. That’s when Jenny got a great idea.

‘Let’s go out in the boat, just the four of us.” Jenny said. Nikki seemed a bit apprehensive, mostly because it would be either Jenny or I at the helm of the wood hulled runabout. Sarah seemed more concerned about the heat since it was going to be 99 degrees outside today. “Oh, come on you two, it will be fun, besides Sarah it is a lot cooler on the lake.” After a little more talking, it was agreed and we all ran off to get our suits on. “Grab a pair of shorts too, and your ID in case we decide to stop for a drink.” Jenny yelled out as the couple disappeared into their room to get changed. I started to slip in my one piece and got the same harsh “No!” I had received when we were in Florida last. When I tried to whine about it, Jenny put on the reverse psychology. “Fine, go ahead. If you want to be the only one who looks like a prude go ahead and put on your one piece.” I growled at my soon to be as I slid on the bikini. And though I was not happy about it, the reaction from Jenny made it worth it. She wrapped her arms around my waist and leaned in for a kiss. “Much better” she told me. Her smile once again melted me.

We met up with Snikki and led them down to the runabout. I helped Sarah and Nikki on to the boat, while Jenny got the stern line. Just as I was releasing the bow line, I could hear my mom screaming out not to be gone too long, that we needed to be ready to go at 5:30. I waved her off and hopped on the Century as Jenny had warmed the engines and we slipped out into the larger part of the lake. We found a good spot to drop anchor a spread out to enjoy the sun. As we were getting situated, Nikki slid up next to me, she must have noticed that something was on my mind. “You OK?” she asked as she and I took the back of the boat as our two soulmates went out on to the bow.

“I don’t know. It still seems unreal. Twenty-four hours from now everything I have ever dreamed of will have come true. I will have married the most beautiful person I have ever met, the person I was meant to be with. And then there are times I feel like that scared boy playing video games and hiding from the world.” I sighed as I let my feelings go. “I want this to be so perfect for her and I worry that my status will ruin that for her."

“Your status as what? You are not that boy anymore Alexa. You are as much of a girl as any of us. Don’t start thinking that way. And as far as perfection, the only perfection you need is the love you share. Like Mary said, this will all be fine, just relax. Just let it happen.” Nikki said with a smile.

I let out a little laugh “How did you get so smart?” I asked my British sister.

“I am well versed in perfect love” Nikki said as she motioned to the front of the boat. And while I did relax a bit I was still feeling a bit tense. We stayed anchored a bit longer before heading over to Fletcher’s to have a drink and show the girls some more of the fun of Minnetonka. After our drink, we decided we better get back in before our families lost their collective minds. We tied up the boat and Jenny seemed a lot calmer than she had before as we held hands on our way to the house. The four of us tried to ignore the pleas to get ready and but still raced upstairs to shower and change. And as off as I still felt, I could feel the love pour forth from Jenny. It was like it always had been, a tenderness that I could never describe. The smile that melted my heart and warmed my soul was there and that didn’t change as we held hands down the staircase to the waiting group. That was where it ended as the demands of the evening took control.

Jenny and I were reluctantly split up and ushered off with our separate bridal parties. Barb had showed up and was now helping mom give us orders on what to do. I felt a bit overwhelmed as I stood there without Jenny. I began look around nervously and could feel my emotions begin to boil. As I looked around I could see my two bridesmaids whispering something and I could see a determined look come over my best friend. She left Nikki for a moment and headed over to me. In true Katie fashion, she helped get me under control. “We need to start drinking if we are going to put up with Barb and Char all night.” I agreed, and we shared a hug. I whispered a thank you to her. “For what? For being the one person in this house that hasn’t gone off the deep end over this whole thing? Somebody has to keep things in perspective.” I laughed as I shared another hug with Katie and felt my tensions begin to ease a bit.

We couldn’t continue my therapy, as Mary took center stage and began giving directions. That was the first time I looked around and noticed that Adam had shown up. He was off to the side half paying attention. I felt bad as he seemed alone and as we started to move to take our positions for the ceremony, I saw him kind knocking around not sure what to do or where to go. I slipped away from the group. “This way” I told him as I pointed out the door and to the guesthouse, which was going to be my prep area tomorrow. He nodded and walked along. As the two of us were walking along taking in the sights of the Thompson estate, I caught Jenny looking over at me with her warm smile. Adam wasn’t real talkative, but he was overtly dismissive of me either.

We got everyone assembled near the house and Brian took center stage. “OK everyone, this is going to be a little different, because the musicians are not here so we are going to try it with a tape, so Ashley, if you will hit play” Ashley moved over to the sound system and the music started. Adam, looking as uncomfortable as I had ever remembered seeing him, took mom by the arm and began escorting her down the aisle, followed by Rob and Mary. The next part was something we had debated over and over as we prepared. Since there were no groomsmen, we were not sure how the bridesmaids should go down. Leave it to Katie to come with an idea, “Why not send Snikki down together and then me and Julie will follow?” We thought that was perfect. Have our ‘guides’ lead us down, followed by our closest family. Next up was Danny and me. I almost froze as the music changed, signaling our cue to begin our entrance. “Hey, would you get it together” Danny admonished me. I nodded and began the walk down the aisle. As he left me at the altar, I began to feel all eyes on me. Katie leaned over and told me to relax as I watched Marty lead Jenny down the aisle. Her smile seemed forced, but soon the two of us were standing there alone in front of Brian. He began to tell the gathered crowd a little bit about what was going to happen. He asked if our reader was there. There was a moment of panic as we looked around for Debbie. As if by magic, she stepped from her chair and walked forward.

“I’m right here” she said as she walked forward. She was all smiles, until she and I made eye contact. The look she gave me was that of my counselor and not my friend, which made me a bit more nervous. After pointing out to Deb where she was going to do the reading and what her cues would be, he continued with his direction of how the ceremony would proceed. Finally, he stopped and looked everyone. “I think that’s enough folks. Looks like we are ready for tomorrow. From what I understand there is food back up at the house for everyone. Thanks for putting up with me.” There was a slight cheer from the back that had an English accent. I had to remember to thank the girlies for that.

Unsurprisingly, the food was incredible! Everyone loved it, even Olivia, who had a special meal of small pasta made for her. And while Jamie was a bit apprehensive, Paul was as assuring as ever “Pasta is good for little ones” he told the concerned mother. Jenny and I wanted to give her some meat sauce to go with it, but my mom was the one who stopped that. “Don’t you dare do that to Jamie! I remember the first time we gave you spaghetti sauce. It was everywhere! Remember the picture?” I did and now it was something new Jenny wanted to get from my mom.

Jenny and I were all over Paul and Mrs. Rosato, thanking them for all their hard work. “Anything for you girls” Mrs. Rosato told us. “Mama is right” Paul said “You two have become our best customers, just like Mary and Charlie were. You have helped bring the families closer again. It is our honor to help you two celebrate this special day.” We both gave the large man kisses on the cheek, which made him blush. Julia, his wife, came up and teased him over his reaction to our gestures. “Now remember, you are coming as guests tomorrow” I told the three who just smiled and said they wouldn’t miss it.

We continued to mingle with the crowd, some of whom it was the first chance we had to greet. We hadn’t seen the twins in sometime, since both had stayed in California for the first part of the summer. They were having fun checking out some of our friends and were a bit disappointed when we told them most were spoken for. Julie came up asking for Jenny for some help with something, leaving me alone for a moment. That is when I heard a voice I knew all too well from behind me. “How are you holding up Miss Quinn?” I turned and looked at one the most important people in my life, one I haven’t talked to in a few weeks.

“OK, I guess. There has been so much going on I feel like I haven’t been able to catch my breath” I said. The all too familiar stare from my counselor let me know that was not what she was talking about. “What, are you trying to have a session here in the gardens?” I asked before Debbie led me over to a couple of unoccupied chairs and had me sit down. “How have you been doing through all this?” She asked again, I began to relay some of the concerns I had told Nikki about. “It still seems like some sort of dream and that I will wake up and I will be what’s his name again. Sitting on the crappy couch playing my Xbox. I felt that this was a life I wanted at some level, but it has evolved into so much more. Not only am I living it, but I am about to marry a person I could only fantasize about two years ago.” Debbie at that point got a bit stern with me.

“When are you going to stop thinking none of this is real?” Debbie asked before going on. “You have gone through a lot to find the person you truly are. You were lost as a male, you were going through the motions, but now you are a beautiful energetic young woman. Unlike before when you were a ghost, you are now someone who people flock to. You bright and energetic and happy! That is what is real.” Leave it to Debbie to put me in my place. I felt somewhat better about myself and coming to grips that his is truly who I was, now if she could just get me through the next twenty-four hours.

The dinner didn’t drag on as long as I thought it would. Jamie and Stuart wanted to get Olivia back to the room and put her down for the night. The rest of the party goers slowly began to slip away. First, it was Bridget and AJ and then it was the group of girls staying at the hotel. Julie and Andrew were next. “I will be back at 7:30 so get some rest you two.” Julie commanded as we shared hugs with her. And then slowly the girlies slipped off, leaving it as just the rest of the wedding party. It had been decided by forces outside of my and Jenny’s control (my mom) that we would not sleep together tonight. I think we sat around longer with Katie, Nikki and Sarah longer than we wanted to because we didn’t want to leave each other. Finally, Sarah announced it was time for bed. “I better stay with Miss Quinn tonight, so she doesn’t go wandering off.” Katie announced. “You just want to sleep with a Quinn” Sarah teased.

Jenny and I kissed each other good night and shared one last long hug and before Sarah and Nikki led Jenny into the big house. I started to whimper a bit as Katie led me off to the guest house where she and I were going to sleep tonight. Mom and Mary had switched places for the night, so I would have two of the three most important women of my life watching over me on this last night and just like that first night as Alexa, Katie and I shared a bed. “I can’t believe that you will be married tomorrow” Katie said to me as we laid there in bed. I didn’t say anything as I stared at the ceiling and let the fears slowly creep in. Katie picked up on it and rolled over. “You aren’t retreating into Alex, are you?”

“God no, it’s just..I am just.” Words didn’t want to come. I took a deep breath, and everything came out at once. “I’m scarred that Adam will make an ass of himself, I’m scared that the somehow the dress won’t fit, I’m scared that you and Ophelia will break one of my ribs, I’m scared that I may kill mom. I’m scared that Danny will fart as we are walking down the aisle. Mostly I’m scared that Jenny will come to her senses” Katie started laughing.

“Well I can’t control Char or Adam. Danny I can” she laughed at this, “But Jenny came to her senses last year. You two belong together now just relax and go to sleep or Ophelia and I will break a rib” I let out a sigh and agreed but I couldn’t stop staring at the ceiling. I don’t know how long it had been, but it had been long enough where the only sounds I hear were the cicadas outside and Katie’s breathing inside. I decided to get up and get something to drink. On my way to the kitchen I decided to step outside and take in the night. As I stood on the porch, I noticed something in the chair by the lake, a form that I will never forget. I made my way over. “Hey” I said in a soft voice. A startled blonde hair woman turned.

“Hey babe, you scared me” Jenny said as she reached out for me to join her on the bench. I sat down, and we fell into each other. Nothing had to be said, our ability to communicate with each took control as we held each other and stared out at the lake. I never wanted this feeling to end and I realized, after tomorrow, it never will.