32: The Wedding [FIN]

A/N: I suck I know!!! I'm actually embarrassed I've allowed this story to go this long without being updated. I know I could have ended it with the last chapter, but it just felt like a string of beads with no stopper on the end. I had to tie it up. So this is it, the end. I don't exactly know what to say, this has been a very emotional story for me, and I want to say that's a big part as to why I just dropped it when I did. There are four ladies out there that know what I went through with this, so I want to thank Heather, Jay, Zigh and Val. Even though it's felt like ages since we've talked, I'll never forget what you ladies have done for me! Thank you to everyone else that has read this and commented as well. You have no idea what your comments on this story did for me. While you were commenting on the idiotic ways of these two boys, I don't think you realized you were actually validating for me that I was going to be okay. I cried through many of the comments, and I can’t thank you all enough. There’s deeper meaning to “OPEN YOUR DAMN EYES VERONICA!!” than you can believe!! Haha!! So thank you a thousand times over… and now, the closing chapter…

Smoothing down the organza fabric gathered around my stomach I felt my hands tremble the slightest bit from nerves. I’m not exactly sure as to what I was nervous about though. This was after all going to be a gong show of an afternoon. Someone was bound to end up on their ass, and I had a good feeling of the 150 guests, it would be me first.

“Ready?” Brooks asked as he reached out for my hand and I linked my fingers with his.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I laughed with a tremble. His thumb rubbed over the back of my hand in a soothing way, and as we walked through the flower covered gates, I was feeling confident and happy. Eyes glanced our way and mouths dropped. It’d been a year since I’d seen the Laich family, as well as the Jaharus family. I wasn’t too sure how they would react to seeing Brooks and I holding hands. If anything I thought they would smile and sigh in relief, but they were gawking. I immediately felt like showing up was a mistake.

“This was a stupid, stupid idea Brooks,” I whispered into his ear as we stopped and watched his mom nearly break her neck giving us a double take.

“We can’t hide from them forever, it’s not my fault this was the first family outing,” he laughed as he released my hand just as his mom attacked him. She pulled away from Brooks as quickly as she latched herself onto him, pulling me into her arms. Squeezing me obviously thrilled to see we had come to our senses.

“It’s about damn time you guys finally figured this out!! You know how long we’ve been waiting? A decade!” I looked up at Brooks and smiled as I subconsciously brought my left hand up and brushed my hair behind my ear. She reached out and grabbed my hand, looking down at the diamond and accompanying silver band. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Brooks placed his hand on his mother’s arm, bringing her eyes up to his.

“Not here mom please, we will discuss later. Today is about Steve.”





Flowers, crystals, pearls, linens, chargers . . . all the elements of a wedding. A big wedding. The wedding I always thought I wanted. Sitting in an uncomfortable chair, surrounded by strangers, I knew what Brooks and I had done the week before in a court house was the perfect course of action for us. Maybe later in the summer we could have a reception for our families, but I didn’t need to big white dress, or the flowers. I had everything I needed, and he was sitting next to me.

As Ashley walked down the aisle, I looked at Steve and saw him grinning from ear to ear. I wasn’t sure how watching him get married would affect me, but it had none over me whatsoever. He looked happy, she looked happy, what was in the past was in the past. Everything happens for a reason, as shitty as that road might be sometimes. After the rings were exchanged and the ‘I do’s’ were said, I looked up at the Kelowna sky to watch two doves fly away. Just a short year ago, it was this same sky that was dark and depressing. Now it was full of new life. Life was finally beginning.

Brooks and I left the ceremony hand in hand, and I couldn’t ignore the glances anymore. I stopped Brooks and kissed him on the lips before excusing myself to the bar. I grabbed two flutes of champagne and turned around to come face to face with my new mother-in-law.

“I talked to Brooks on his birthday; he never mentioned you two got together.”

“Funny story,” I smile as I hand her the flute that was originally intended for my new husband. “He proposed out of the blue at dinner on his birthday and we got married in a court house the next morning. We had wasted nine years, I couldn’t waste another day.”

Tears filled her eyes as she pulled me into another tight hug. I opened my eyes and glanced over her shoulder to see Brooks shake hands with Mike. What was he doing here? Was he invited? I hadn’t heard from him since that night in DC. “You have to have a wedding Veronica! You can’t leave your mother as well as me hanging like this, we’ve waited for so long,” Jane squealed as I could see the ideas forming in her head.

“We’ll talk about it later okay? Gotta focus on Steve and Ashley today.” She nodded her head and I excused myself, heading toward the two boys.

“Where’s mine?” Brooks asked laughing as he pointed to my champagne.

“Gave it to your mom. Hi . . . Mike.” Our eyes locked on one another’s and I felt mine glass over. So many emotions were left in DC.

“Hi, Veronica . . . Laich,” he smiled before stepping forward and wrapping his large arms around my shoulders.

“What are you doing here?” I mumbled into his shoulder.

“Had nothing else better to do. Open bar,” he laughed as he pulled away and gave me a wink.

Mike excused himself and made his way to the bar where he smiled and said hello to a bored looking blond bombshell. Things were back to normal, as normal as this could get. “Veronica Jones, it’s nice to see you.” I turned around and smiled at Steve.

“Veronica Laich actually, well soon anyways. Paperwork, all that fun stuff. Anyways, congratulations on getting married!”

“You . . . you guys got married? No shit?”

I held my hand up and smiled as Brooks wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “Looks good on you Veronica, congrats guys! Can’t lie, I’m shocked! I never thought you two would end up together.”

“Neither you nor Niko,” Brooks laughed before kissing my ear and ushering me away. “Let’s get out of here,” he whispered into my ear again squeezing my hips pulling my body back into him. “Let’s go back to the hotel, drink some tequila, watch some movies and screw around.” I turned around in his arms and kissed his lips.

“I always knew my husband would be a sap.”