Page 74 of Totally Opposed

I squeeze Alan’s hand, and he glances my way with a soft smile on his lips.

“You know you’re supposed to cry during the ceremony, not before it even starts,” he leans over and whispers into my ear, then he brushes the tear I didn’t feel on my cheek.

“It’s just so beautiful,” I reason, and he returns his attention to Bella as she takes her final steps as an unmarried woman.When she reaches the front, Stevie takes the baby, a boy named Frankie, from her and kisses his head before passing it off to his soon-to-be father-in-law. The oldest child, their daughter, Sage, moves to sit on her grandmother’s lap.

The ceremony starts and is over almost as quickly. They left the vows somewhat traditional, but without the obey part, and everyone had a little chuckle when the priest added in a promise to support him and cheer him on, even if he were to be traded to the Funky Monkeys.

“Do you want that one day?” I ask Alan, nodding towards where Stevie and Bella are on their way out.

“Kids or a husband?”

“Both.”

“I could see myself with both. What do you say?”

“Is that a proposal?”

“No, but not because I don’t love you. When I propose I want it to be grand, special, like what you helped Stevie do for Bella.”

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that, too. Not because it’s big, but because it means something to ask someone to marry you, so it should be special.

“But seriously, do you want it one day? Kids and a husband?” Alan goes on to ask.

“More than almost anything else.”

“That’s good.”

“It is?”

“Yeah, it is. Because I can’t imagine my life without you in it and knowing you want the same things as me for your future, just proves all the much more how perfect we are for each other.”

“Careful. Dennis will get on his soapbox about how he orchestrated our entire love story again.”

“Let him claim it.”

“Why, because, you and I both know it was that first day in the shower when you were singing my name that started it all?”

His cheeks go bright red.

“You never said. Oh, my god. I thought you didn’t hear that.”

“How could I not? You were belting it out at the top of your lungs. Itwassweet.”

“I don’t think my thoughts were on anything sweet that day.”

“Just my sweet ass.”

“Shh, you can’t say ass in a church.”

“I just did, and so did you.”

“Let’s get out of here before we get ass-ed to leave.”

We follow the rest of the guests, and while the bridal party is off taking photos, we head to the reception at the stadium. When Bella asked Bart Erricson, the GM, about taking some wedding shots on the field after the ceremony, he offered one better and asked her if she wanted to host the whole reception there. They brought in a big marquee, tables and chairs, and a floating floor to not damage the field. The season just ended a few days ago, but we’ll be back at it in a few months.

Walking into the marquee, I glance up and find every second ceiling panel is clear plastic, giving us the perfect view of the sky as the sun starts to set on the day. String lights are hung crisscrossed over the tables and a giant chandelier hovers over the dancefloor in the middle of the space. The back of the marquee is open, and the diamond is lit up by the field lights, the brilliant green grass and red dirt matching perfectly with the roses they’ve chosen for the flowers on the tables.

“Wow,” I say, and Alan squeezes my hand and brings it up to his lips to kiss the back of it.

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